PNB 8-11-15 Executive Session summary (Updated w. audio)

WBAI/Pacifica Finances – ‘Fairly Free Floating’

Tonight’s PNB Finance Committee meeting, which was scheduled per the previous PNB FC meeting to discuss WBAI’s finances in some depth and in a meaningful way with respect to its situation and its planning, and to have WBAI’s General Manager, Berthold Reimers, present on the phone, was instead uninformative as to any particulars, strategy, or the thoughts of an absent Berthold Reimers.

It served instead as a vague general expression of alarm and concern, yet with no clear or particular sense of urgency or action other than expressions of a need for action… some time soon.

Also, hope for the future was expressed.

As for the customarily vague ‘specific’ numbers:

Revenue is off by ~$500k

Membership is down from ~15k 2012 > ~9k 2015, a 40% decline.

The accrued monies owed ESB/ESRT are referred to, effectively en passant, but remain effectively unidentified and unspecified for reasons of ‘confidentiality’ and ‘negotiations’, and may or may not be reflected or accurately reflected in actuals or accruals.

The terms repeated by various parties at various intervals were ‘sobering’, ‘stark reality’, and the like.

R. Paul, in reference to the long-standing long-term decline in fund raising said ‘Obviously that is a big killer.’

A question was posed as to whether there was any strategic plan to address the situation, either at the local or the national level. The answers were that, from the LSB, there has been none. Mr. Reimers has said that he ‘has some things in mind’. As for the PNB Strategic Planning Committee, Mr. Proffitt said ‘It’s fairly free floating’.

So… in summary it would seem that fiscal matters at WBAI/Pacifica are ‘fairly free floating’.

~ ‘indigopirate’

Here is an unedited audio segment of the WBAI-pertinent portion of the meeting.