It takes two ombudsmen to deal with reactions to Moyers

"I’m beginning to think that PBS may need a separate ombudsman just to deal with the weekly mail praising or pillorying this lightening-rod/icon," writes PBS Ombudsman Michael Getler, referring to Bill Moyers' recent return to PBS. In his first column in nine weeks, CPB Ombudsman Ken Bode steps into the breach to make a "very good point" that Getler wishes he had made regarding "Buying the War," the lead documentary of Bill Moyers Journal. Bode describes the documentary as "embarrassingly flawed" because Moyers and his producers failed to examine how PBS's own NewsHour with Jim Lehrer failed to scrutinze the Bush Administration's case for initiating the Iraq War.

Iowa debates: NPR broadcast, then free access

Presidential debates planned for exclusive broadcast on NPR stations next January will be made available for full and free public access by bloggers, podcasters, mainstream media, and anyone who wants to create a mash-up. NPR and Iowa Public Radio, partners in the production, announced the unrestricted license agreement today, prompting cheers from Jeff Jarvis, a journalist and blogger pushing to "free the debates" from copyright restrictions.

Miami-U studies relationship with WMUB

Faced with a $100,000 reduction in support from its licensee, Oxford's WMUB-FM asked Miami University of Ohio to reevaluate its future relationship with the station, according to the Dayton Daily News. In a statement announcing the review, the university described technological changes in public radio and declining state support to the university as "forces making the review necessary."