Conflict of interest question

[Ravens]

I don't want to throw anyone in particular under the bus, but here's a hypothetical.

You have a morning talk show host. Said host is appointed to a state board that pays a salary. The board is for a private/public corporation that buys advertising on media in the state. They make it a point to buy everything (print/radio/TV) evenly, so there's no problem there. The board doesn't originally release salaries, but eventually votes to do so. Said radio host is chairman of the board and the only dissenting vote on the salary release vote.


Am I nuts or is this a huge conflict of interest?

 

[NewsStud]

I don't want to throw anyone in particular under the bus, but here's a hypothetical.

You have a morning talk show host. Said host is appointed to a state board that pays a salary. The board is for a private/public corporation that buys advertising on media in the state. They make it a point to buy everything (print/radio/TV) evenly, so there's no problem there. The board doesn't originally release salaries, but eventually votes to do so. Said radio host is chairman of the board and the only dissenting vote on the salary release vote.


Am I nuts or is this a huge conflict of interest?

I would say there is a conflict of interest for him to serve on this board to begin with. From what you're describing, he has the ability to direct public money to purchase advertising from himself. Has public money been used to buy a live read from him in which he was paid a talent fee?

As for voting against releasing his salary, it's not much different than Congress voting themselves pay raises.

 

[PTBoardOp94]

he has the ability to direct public money to purchase advertising from himself.

No he doesn't - he's a member of a public board, with at least 5 members, and likely an executive director, who all get a say. Plus there's and a record of finances. If he did direct advertising to himself, pretty simple for someone, say a competitor, to make a FOIA request and blow the whistle.

 

[Ravens]

No he doesn't - he's a member of a public board, with at least 5 members, and likely an executive director, who all get a say. Plus there's and a record of finances. If he did direct advertising to himself, pretty simple for someone, say a competitor, to make a FOIA request and blow the whistle.

The newspaper has done all that. But they were more concerned with the salaries not being released. My concern was a radio host being appointed to a board that pays a salary by the governor that he interviews on the radio all the time.

 

[Oscar Madison]

OP: I wish you'd stop being coy and provide the actual information. If, as you imply, this is already a matter of public record, there is no reason not to. In the absence of you offering hard information, it's impossible to answer your question. Presuming, of course, you're not making all this up.

 

[Ravens]

OP: I wish you'd stop being coy and provide the actual information. If, as you imply, this is already a matter of public record, there is no reason not to. In the absence of you offering hard information, it's impossible to answer your question. Presuming, of course, you're not making all this up.

Perhaps I'm not doing this for my own purposes or for attention. I had a serious question, and if I were wrong in my assumption, an innocent man would have been slandered in public. I take that seriously.

If anyone wants to know specifics, I'll discuss them in private, but I don't want to publicly drag a man through the mud. That's not what this is about.