CPB Pres.-CEO Robert Coonrod - defends agency's role in salary cap dispute

Television Digest with Consumer Electronics, March 23, 1998

CPB Pres.-CEO Robert Coonrod defended agency's role in salary cap dispute in presentation to board in Washington hq. House Commerce Committee Chmn. Bliley (R-Va.) and committee member Paxon (R-N.Y.) are investigating incidents in which bonuses and other compensation raised officers at PBS and NPR above federal salary cap (TVD Feb 23 p3).

At least 2 CPB officers in 1990s, upon departing, received compensation for year above salary cap limit, but Coonrod said such instances are "clearly outside the provision of the law," as severance and accrued leave are separate from bonuses. Under 1978 law, NPR and PBS must seek CPB's approval on compensation related to cap, and Coonrod told board that "CPB takes its oversight responsibility seriously." "We are satisfied with the assurances we have received" from NPR and PBS on cap-exceeding pay in FY 1996, and said CPB is "seeking answers" from PBS on 4 officers' exceeding cap in FY 1997, of which he said CPB learned "fairly recently." Law is working as designed, Coonrod said. He said in recent weeks he has met with several lawmakers on procuring funding for public broadcasting's conversion to digital, and "no member has mentioned the salary cap to me."