NORTH CAROLINA: Orson Scott Card Appointed To Board Of PBS Affiliate

Anti-gay science fiction author and former NOM board member Orson Scott Card has been appointed to the board of trustees for UNC-TV, the University of North Carolina's PBS affiliate that broadcasts over 12 stations into four states.

"We are pleased to welcome Mr. Card to the UNC-TV Board of Trustees,” said Robb Teer, chairman of the UNC-TV Board of Trustees, in a written statement. “We are grateful for his willingness to serve and look forward to working with him to continue providing the people of our state with enriching, life-changing television in these challenging times.” Not mentioned is recent controversy around Card's political writings, published in Greensboro's Rhinoceros Times. A May 2013 column compared President Barack Obama to Hitler and Stalin. "Obama is, by character and preference, a dictator. He hates the very idea of compromise; he demonizes his critics and despises even his own toadies in the liberal press," Card wrote.

Card was appointed by North Carolina state Senate President Phil Berger, who this week hinted that he will challenge Democratic US Sen. Kay Hagen in 2014. Berger is notoriously anti-gay.  NOM, for its part, has never announced or explained Card's departure from their board. (Tipped by JMG reader Gary)