Vivian Schiller

Vivian Schiller, a former executive in cable television and more recently on the Internet, on Tuesday was named president and chief executive of National Public Radio. Schiller, 47, will take charge of the nonprofit radio network Jan. 5, replacing Dennis L. Haarsager, who has been serving on an interim basis since March. Schiller most recently has been senior vice president and general manager of NYTimes.com. Before that, she had worked as senior vice president at both CNN Productions and the Discovery Times Channel.

Forty years ago this week, a former television news correspondent inaugurated a momentous era in American journalism by speaking the following words into a microphone: "From National Public Radio in Washington, I'm Robert Conley with 'All Things Considered.'" The opening broadcast of what would become the flagship program of a newsgathering behemoth got off to a rocky start. The lead story wasn't ready. For the first six minutes, Conley ad-libbed. But once the tape made it to the control room and began rolling, listeners heard something they could not have imagined on a commercial network -- a 24-minute audio documentary about a country that seemed to be coming apart.

? Vivian Schiller's resignation as president and chief executive of National Public Radio comes at a perilous time for the public broadcaster, as Republicans in Congress press ahead with plans to slice its federal lifeline. Schiller's exit on Wednesday came a day after a video surfaced in which a former NPR fundraising executive derided the "tea party" movement as a collection of "gun-toting" racists and "fundamentalist Christians" who have "hijacked" the Republican Party. He also was quoted saying that the organization could survive "in the long run" without government help.

Here come the blockbuster news alerts. First: Governor of Wisconsin ready to demonize unions by planting protests with anti-labor thugs. And then this: Top NPR executive cozies up to nefarious Muslims, loathes real, God-fearing Americans. Talk about big news! Talk about changing the conversation! Talk about ? a load of hooey, brought to you by your friendly purveyors of ambush "journalism," secret recordings and ham acting designed to draw out the worst in others. Hidden video and audio recordings mesmerize us because they appear to offer a view into a secret world, where the unvarnished truth about newsmakers springs forward with remarkable clarity.

Sally Meyerhoff, considered one of America's top marathoners, was killed Tuesday when the bicycle she was riding collided with a pickup truck in Maricopa, Arizona, according to Runner's World Magazine . She was 27. Meyerhoff did not yield at a stop sign, according to city officials who are still investigating the fatality, several websites are reporting. Meyerhoff was training for the 2012 Olympic Marathon Trials in Houston, according to the Arizona Republic . She won a marathon in Arizona in January.

National Public Radio long has attracted complaints from conservatives that it has a liberal tilt. By seeming to confirm that view, a senior NPR fundraising official has provided the network's critics with undreamed-of ammunition. More than ever, NPR needs to remember its obligation as a recipient of government funds to be balanced and nonpartisan. On Tuesday, a conservative activist released a video showing the fundraiser, Ronald Schiller, disparaging "tea party" members as "gun-toting" racists and fundamentalist Christians who have "hijacked" the Republican Party.

Some of the best-known journalists at NPR have released what they call an open letter "to listeners and supporters" that calls remarks made by a former NPR fundraising executive "offensive" and says they have done "real damage" to the public broadcaster. On-air personalities such as Robert Siegel, Scott Simon, Renee Montagne Cokie Roberts and Nina Totenberg, signed the letter, which comes a day after NPR's president and CEO, Vivian Schiller, resigned in the wake of the controversy that erupted after NPR executive Ron Schiller was caught on video by conservative activists denigrating the "tea party" movement.

National Public Radio's admission that it botched the handling of Juan Williams' termination last year, resulting in the resignation of its top news executive Thursday, seems certain to reignite a push by conservatives in Congress to cut government funding for the news organization. The sponsor of a bill to eliminate NPR's taxpayer support ? as well as a proposal to stop federal money for all of public broadcasting, including TV ? said the re-airing of the Williams affair this week would put more heat on institutions already unpopular with congressional Republicans.

Public broadcasting executives already knew they faced a stiff fight this year to protect their federal appropriation in Congress amid stern calls for deficit reduction. But after a conservative activist released a video this week of a top National Public Radio fundraiser maligning "tea party" activists and the Republican party , station managers are bracing for the worst. The controversy, which led to the rapid resignation of NPR Chief Executive Vivian Schiller , hit as Congress is wrangling over this year's budget.

A group of National Public Radio reporters and anchors released a letter to listeners and supporters Thursday saying the comments made by a network executive about "tea party" members had damaged the organization but expressing confidence that "NPR will come out of this difficult period stronger than ever. " The journalists said they were "appalled by the offensive comments made recently by NPR's now former senior vice president for development [Ron Schiller]. His words violated the basic principles by which we live and work: accuracy and open-mindedness, fairness and respect.

A group of National Public Radio reporters and anchors released a letter to listeners and supporters Thursday saying the comments made by a network executive about "tea party" members had damaged the organization but expressing confidence that "NPR will come out of this difficult period stronger than ever. " The journalists said they were "appalled by the offensive comments made recently by NPR's now former senior vice president for development [Ron Schiller]. His words violated the basic principles by which we live and work: accuracy and open-mindedness, fairness and respect.

National Public Radio long has attracted complaints from conservatives that it has a liberal tilt. By seeming to confirm that view, a senior NPR fundraising official has provided the network's critics with undreamed-of ammunition. More than ever, NPR needs to remember its obligation as a recipient of government funds to be balanced and nonpartisan. On Tuesday, a conservative activist released a video showing the fundraiser, Ronald Schiller, disparaging "tea party" members as "gun-toting" racists and fundamentalist Christians who have "hijacked" the Republican Party.

Public broadcasting executives already knew they faced a stiff fight this year to protect their federal appropriation in Congress amid stern calls for deficit reduction. But after a conservative activist released a video this week of a top National Public Radio fundraiser maligning "tea party" activists and the Republican party , station managers are bracing for the worst. The controversy, which led to the rapid resignation of NPR Chief Executive Vivian Schiller , hit as Congress is wrangling over this year's budget.

Some of the best-known journalists at NPR have released what they call an open letter "to listeners and supporters" that calls remarks made by a former NPR fundraising executive "offensive" and says they have done "real damage" to the public broadcaster. On-air personalities such as Robert Siegel, Scott Simon, Renee Montagne Cokie Roberts and Nina Totenberg, signed the letter, which comes a day after NPR's president and CEO, Vivian Schiller, resigned in the wake of the controversy that erupted after NPR executive Ron Schiller was caught on video by conservative activists denigrating the "tea party" movement.

? Vivian Schiller's resignation as president and chief executive of National Public Radio comes at a perilous time for the public broadcaster, as Republicans in Congress press ahead with plans to slice its federal lifeline. Schiller's exit on Wednesday came a day after a video surfaced in which a former NPR fundraising executive derided the "tea party" movement as a collection of "gun-toting" racists and "fundamentalist Christians" who have "hijacked" the Republican Party. He also was quoted saying that the organization could survive "in the long run" without government help.

The chief executive officer of NPR, Vivian Schiller, has departed following tumult over comments made by a National Public Radio executive about the "tea party. " NPR made the announcement early Wednesday. "It is with deep regret that I tell you that the NPR Board of Directors has accepted the resignation of Vivian Schiller as President and CEO of NPR, effective immediately," the public broadcaster said in a statement. "The Board accepted her resignation with understanding, genuine regret, and great respect for her leadership of NPR these past two years.

Forty years ago this week, a former television news correspondent inaugurated a momentous era in American journalism by speaking the following words into a microphone: "From National Public Radio in Washington, I'm Robert Conley with 'All Things Considered.'" The opening broadcast of what would become the flagship program of a newsgathering behemoth got off to a rocky start. The lead story wasn't ready. For the first six minutes, Conley ad-libbed. But once the tape made it to the control room and began rolling, listeners heard something they could not have imagined on a commercial network -- a 24-minute audio documentary about a country that seemed to be coming apart.

Here come the blockbuster news alerts. First: Governor of Wisconsin ready to demonize unions by planting protests with anti-labor thugs. And then this: Top NPR executive cozies up to nefarious Muslims, loathes real, God-fearing Americans. Talk about big news! Talk about changing the conversation! Talk about ? a load of hooey, brought to you by your friendly purveyors of ambush "journalism," secret recordings and ham acting designed to draw out the worst in others. Hidden video and audio recordings mesmerize us because they appear to offer a view into a secret world, where the unvarnished truth about newsmakers springs forward with remarkable clarity.

Sally Meyerhoff, considered one of America's top marathoners, was killed Tuesday when the bicycle she was riding collided with a pickup truck in Maricopa, Arizona, according to Runner's World Magazine . She was 27. Meyerhoff did not yield at a stop sign, according to city officials who are still investigating the fatality, several websites are reporting. Meyerhoff was training for the 2012 Olympic Marathon Trials in Houston, according to the Arizona Republic . She won a marathon in Arizona in January.

National Public Radio's admission that it botched the handling of Juan Williams' termination last year, resulting in the resignation of its top news executive Thursday, seems certain to reignite a push by conservatives in Congress to cut government funding for the news organization. The sponsor of a bill to eliminate NPR's taxpayer support ? as well as a proposal to stop federal money for all of public broadcasting, including TV ? said the re-airing of the Williams affair this week would put more heat on institutions already unpopular with congressional Republicans.