PEORIA, Ill. – The Peoria chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union is calling for leadership changes at public television station WTVP.
In a statement released Monday, the chapter is raising concerns brought forward to them regarding a potential dissolution of WTVP. Those concerns include losing access to educational and artistic programming, widening a digital divide for those without internet access, and losing a platform for diverse voices and perspectives in the region.
In a statement to WMBD, Board Chairman Andrew Rand says, “there will be no discussion about dissolving WTVP. The suggestion is categorically false.”
The chapter is also calling for the “immediate resignation” of the leadership of the Board of Directors for a “lack of faith in their ability to safeguard the interests of the community” and concerns with potential mismanagement.
“It’s in the best effort for them to resign,” says ACLU Peoria President Jessica Thomas. “And so, whether that’s going to be on the agenda or not, we feel like moving forward as a community, we should start with a clean slate.”
Thomas says the lack of ensuring financial stability is one of the reasons for needing change on WTVP’s board.
Last month, the Illinois Attorney General’s office had requested information regarding an ongoing review of what was described as questionable, improper, or unauthorized spending at WTVP. Minutes from a September board meeting indicated the station had used $100,000 of credit capacity and liquidated $320,000 from the station’s investment accounts.
The Board of Directors had also recommended more supervision of day-to-day operations and oversight of then President and CEO Lesley Matuszak. Matuszak resigned from her position on Sept. 27th, and was found dead in her home the next day.
In October, the station announced nine people would be laid off as part of $1.5 million in cuts, along with the last print edition of “Peoria Magazine” for November.
Rand and Thomas have not seen eye to eye in the past. Rand is a former chair of the Peoria County Board, who led the effort to eliminate Thomas’ position of Peoria County Auditor, in favor of an external auditor. Legal efforts by Thomas to get that vote changed have failed.
