Former NBC News Anchor's Son Is Columbia University's Provost

Corporate media news departments at GE-NBC, MSNBC and Disney-ABC don’t generally allow much unflattering news about the Columbia University administration to ever be put on the television screen these days (unless there’s a blatantly racist hate crime incident like a hangman’s noose being left outside the office of one of the few African-American professors that Columbia University has been willing to hire). One reason might be because the son of the now-deceased former NBC Evening News Anchor and former ABC News Sunday talk show host David Brinkley is currently Columbia University’s Provost.

David Brinkley’s son, Alan Brinkley, was paid an annual salary of $396,250 by “non-profit” tax-exempt Columbia University in 2005 for being its Provost. In addition, David Brinkley’s son also is the chairman of the board of the Century Foundation, whose board also includes the Clinton White House’s former chief of staff, John Podesta. Coincidentally, the Century Foundation’s web site has recently been posting articles on health care reform which seek to block the establishment of a single-payer health care system in the United States; and, instead, institute a health care reform system which doesn’t cut into the excess profits of the HMOs, pharmaceutical companies, Big Five insurance companies and the U.S. medical-university hospital complex.

In its Dec. 7, 1994 issue, the now-defunct Lower East Side alternative newspaper, Downtown, made the following reference to Columbia University Provost Alan Brinkley’s now-deceased father, David Brinkley:

“As The House That Roone Built: The Inside Story of ABC News by Marc Gunther noted, `away from the office,’ David Brinkley’s circle of friends `include politicians Robert Dole and Robert Strauss…and [Archer-Daniels-Midland Chairman] Dwayne Andreas, a well-connected agribusinessman’; and the executive producer of Brinkley’s show in recent years, Dorrance Smith `had played tennis and become friends with the sons of…George Bush.’”

Coincidentally, on Dec. 11, 1992 George W. Bush’s father, former CIA Director and former President George Bush I, gave Columbia University Provost Alan Brinkley’s father, David Brinkley, a Presidential “Medal of Freedom” which stated:

“The name David Brinkley is synonymous with television news. From his days as NBC's White House correspondent to his time as co-anchor of the Huntley-Brinkley Report to his Sunday morning show on ABC, David Brinkley has explained the complexities of current events to generations of Americans. With the wisdom of experience and a wry wit, he has informed the Nation's citizens and helped hold its leaders accountable. The United States recognizes his contributions to broadcast journalism.”

And following the death of Columbia University Provost Brinkley’s father, current U.S. Establishment President George W. Bush issued the following White House statement on June 12, 2003:

“David Brinkley was a pioneer of broadcast journalism. He was respected for his integrity, admired for his candor and wit, and distinguished by an exceptional career that spanned more than a half century. Laura joins me in offering our heartfelt condolences to Susan and the entire Brinkley family.”

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