(A) The broadcast educational media commission shall appoint an executive director, who shall serve at the pleasure of the commission. The executive director shall have no authority other than that provided by law or delegated to the executive director by the commission. The executive director shall do all of the following:

1. (1) Direct the administration of all programs of the commission;
2. (2) Provide leadership and support in extending the knowledge of the citizens of this state by promoting equal access to and use of educational broadcast media, as directed by the commission;
3. (3) Provide financial and other assistance to educational television and radio stations, radio reading services, and related organizations and activities;
4. (4) Implement policies and directives issued by the commission;
5. (5) Perform other duties authorized by the commission.

(D)

1. (1) Except as provided in division (D)(2) of this section, the employees of the commission shall be exempt from Chapter 4117. of the Revised Code and shall not be public employees as defined in section 4117.01 of the Revised Code.
2. (2) All employees of the commission who transferred to the commission from one of the commission's predecessor agencies upon the commission's creation and, when employed by the predecessor agency were included in a bargaining unit established under Chapter 4117. of the Revised Code, shall continue to be included in that bargaining unit, are public employees as defined in section 4117.01 of the Revised Code, and may collectively bargain with the commission in accordance with that chapter. Otherwise, any employee hired by the commission after July 1, 2005, either to fill vacancies or to fill new positions, shall be exempt from Chapter 4117. of the Revised Code and shall not be public employees as defined in section 4117.10 of the Revised Code.