About

the Benton Foundation

The Benton Foundation works to ensure that media and telecommunications serve the public interest and enhance our democracy. We pursue this mission by seeking policy solutions that support the values of access, diversity, and equity, and by demonstrating the value of media and telecommunications for improving the quality of life for all. The Benton Foundation does not accept unsolicited grant applications or offer general grants. We are a private foundation, an institutional hybrid, bridging the worlds of philanthropy, public policy, and community action. We assume diverse, crosscutting roles as nonpartisan knowledge broker, convener, public-interest advocate, and policy analyst. The Foundation has an endowment of approximately $10 million, the annual income from which is devoted to our own operating projects. Because of Benton's pioneering work, a number of foundations and corporations have provided additional funding.

Board of Directors
Charles Benton, Chairman, CEO and Trustee
Craig Benton
Elizabeth Daley
Adrianne Benton Furniss, Board Secretary and Trustee
Robert Furniss
Terry Goddard
Lee Lynch
Henry Rivera, General Counsel
Leonard Schrager, Trustee
Michael Smith, Treasurer
Woodward Wickham

Staff
Cecilia Garcia, Executive Director
Jim Kohlenberger, Senior Fellow
Kevin Taglang, Senior Policy Analyst and Editor,
Communications-related Headlines
Karen Menichelli, Program Liaison, New Routes to
Community Health
Brenda González, Deputy Director, New Routes to
Community Health
Kip Roderick, Executive Assistant to Charles Benton
Jeremy Isett, Web Administrator

the Author

Jonathan Rintels is the author of this report. As Principal of Heathcote Strategies, Inc., he advises select clients on media, technology, and telecommunications policy issues. He is also the Executive Director of the Center for Creative Voices in Media, a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization formed by creative artists to preserve in America's media the original, independent, and diverse creative voices that enrich our nation's culture and safeguard its democracy. Creative Voices' Board of Advisors includes many prominent Oscar, Emmy, Tony, Peabody, and other award-winning media artists.

Kamilla Kovacs provided research assistance on this report.

Editing: Marg Sumner
Design: Gale Petersen