• by Erik Sass  @eriksass1, March 9, 2011

Following a fake interview where NPR fundraiser Ron Schiller said conservative Tea Party supporters were "seriously racist" and had "hijacked" the Republican Party, made disparaging comments about Jews and Israel, and opined that NPR would be better off without federal funding, both Schiller and his boss -- NPR president and CEO Vivian Schiller (no relation) -- have resigned.

What's more, it seems increasingly possible that the organization's public funding will be cut by Congress, with Republicans in the House of Representatives pointing to the interview as evidence of unprofessional political bias.

Both Schillers technically resigned, but it's also clear they had little choice in the matter, as NPR's board of directors moved into panic mode following the damaging interview staged by conservative provocateur James O'Keefe. (He previously carried out similar hidden camera "stings" against left-leaning organizations, including Acorn and Planned Parenthood.)

In addition to alleged political bias and the admission that NPR should eventually be weaned off federal funds, the interview with Ron Schiller was damaging because it appeared to suggest that NPR might be willing to accept donations from a (fictional) organization associated with the Muslim Brotherhood -- a group that includes radical Islamists who support terrorist outfits like Hamas.

While making it clear these were his own opinions, Schiller also appeared to agree with a statement that Jews exercise undue influence on American public opinion through control of the media.

Following Vivian Schiller's resignation, NPR said Joyce Slocum, SVP of legal affairs and general counsel, has been appointed to the position of interim CEO. She added: "The Board will immediately establish an Executive Transition Committee that will develop a time frame and process for the recruitment and selection of new leadership."

However, the cashiering of Vivian Schiller -- who also presided over the embarrassing firing of commentator Juan Williams following controversial remarks about Muslims last year -- is unlikely to head off the growing threat to NPR's funding in Congress, where Republican lawmakers have long called for the end of public support for an organization they charge with a liberal bias.

NPR affiliate stations do not receive money directly from the government. Rather, public affiliate radio stations receive about $90 million a year from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, which the feds fund. The affiliates, in turn, use that money to buy programming from NPR. CPB would be the primary target for funding cuts.

NPR stations receive about 70% of their revenues, on average, from private donors. However, even small cuts can sometimes present major problems in terms of staffing and maintaining day-to-day operations.

The calls to cut CPB funding have become even more strident following the election of a new generation of freshman GOP legislators to the House of Representatives. They claim to have a mandate from the American people to cut federal spending at all costs. (The CPB monies represent about 10% of NPR's budget.)

Indeed, the confluence of the O'Keefe sting video, with its apparent proof of political bias, and the Republican mission to cut federal spending would seem to represent a political "perfect storm" for CPB and NPR.

On Tuesday, House majority leader Eric Cantor (R-VA) stated: "As we continue to identify ways to cut spending and save valuable resources, this disturbing video makes clear that taxpayer dollars should no longer be appropriated to NPR. Not only have top public broadcasting executives finally admitted that they do not need taxpayer dollars to survive, it is also clear that without federal funds, public broadcasting stations self-admittedly would become eligible for more private dollars on top of the multimillion dollar donations these organizations already receive."