Boskin brings journalism background, KQED ties to CPB Board

The San Francisco Chronicle profiles Chris Boskin, a member of the CPB Board with a long career in the magazine business. "I would call her a 'Bay Area Republican,'" says Nick Donatello, chair of KQED's board. "She's not at the extreme. But because she has been close to the Washington scene, she knows how the game is played."

Maryland county makes pitch for NPR HQ

Officials in Montgomery County, Md., have made a pitch to lure NPR to the city of Silver Spring, reports the Gazette. NPR has narrowed its search for 400,000 square feet of office and studio space to Silver Spring and two sites in D.C. The network has said it will choose a location by the end of May.

Longtime PBS director dies at 86

Kirk Browning, who directed 185 Live from Lincoln Center telecasts and other performance programs for PBS, died Feb. 10 at the age of 86, reports the New York Times. “Kirk contained the entire history of cultural television in our country,” said John Goberman, series producer of Lincoln Center.

Rick Steves' side gig: questioning pot policy

Public TV traveler Rick Steves is host of Marijuana: It's Time for a Conversation, a new 30-minute DVD produced by the American Civil Liberties Union of Washington State. The group has launched a multimedia campaign to question the fairness of U.S. policies regarding marijuana use and possession. "I've traveled throughout Europe and seen how they handle marijuana use and enforcement. I've learned that more thoughtful approaches can work," Steves said in an ACLU release. "We need the understanding to go beyond 'hard' or 'soft' on drugs and find a policy that is 'smart on drugs'."