The Pacifica National Board's Coordinating Committee held a phone meeting Wednesday night. Much of the discussion centered around setting up an obligatory in-person session for the discussion of pending measures, including mortgage.
However, one big problem soon became apparent—a revelation that ought to have been abundantly clear to all, but it took CFO Sam Agarwal, fresh from visiting the ruins of WBAI, to spell it out. He brought an important, sorely needed check. No, not the kind dreams are made of... this one was of a different nature: a Reality Check!
Once again, we can thank Indigopirate for delivering the essence of a PNB meeting.
"I DON'T SEE A PATH"
Sam Agarwal, CFO Pacifica
Sam Agarwal, CFO Pacifica
‘I want to make everybody aware of the cash flow concerns.’
‘We are looking at a very difficult situation.’
$100,000 still due for the 2014 audit still in progress.
Central services have not been paid by at least two stations.
No confidence critical services due in the next fifteen days can be paid.
$44,000 charged to credit card, never cleared.
‘I don’t know where to strike a balance.’
‘I am dealing with the hard realities… the cash flow is becoming a very serious concern.’
‘This cannot continue.’
‘We are reaching the point where the national office will not be able to meet its payroll.’
‘Going forward I don’t see a path where we can even be cash even.’
Will not be able to present auditors with a cash flow plan – will have to accept a going concern issue.
Therefore, will not be able to obtain a mortgage – this is very clear.
‘Complete focus has to be on immediate cash flow.’
‘How can we raise some cash so that we can at least meet our basic needs?’
Three stations have submitted cash flow that is shaky, two stations don’t even have a cash plan… they are tapped out.
‘There cannot be any cash flow plan to break even.’
well, again, no one ever talks about improving the f***ing programming and maybe trying to get some listeners - or keep the ones we had. Driving away listeners seems to be the plan at KPFK, clearly following the WBAI model.
ReplyDeleteWhy did the cost for the audit double????
It’s been centuries since anyone at any of the Pacifica stations actually had any interest in radio as an art form or a means of education in the wide sense intended in the foundations. Twelfth-rate (at best) advocates don’t produce anything in which anyone other than themselves has any interest.
DeleteSurprise.
~ ‘indigopirate’
I'm in total agreement with Kaufman and indigo, of course. My question is that since Agarwal seems to be more realistic than the rest, how long can he last?
ReplyDeleteWhat really makes me laugh is how they ignore the programming issue to the point of wanting to find alternate sources of funding to maintain said programming. They just won't learn. It shows you how out of touch with reality and/or the concept of what radio is that they can't understand a radio station is based around its programming.
Denial unto death... or bankruptcy...
SDL
Perhaps if they listened to Pacifica stations (their own and the other ones). I bet they, at best, tune in to one or two programs that they approve of. There should be town hall-type meetings in each Pacifica area, specifically set up so that the Board members can hear from and respond to a room/hall-full of listeners.
DeleteThe live and regular "Report to the Listener" was—from my position as manager—indispensable, but I guess they dumped and/or rigged it when management became a covert operation. I can speak for my two colleagues, the managers of KPFA and KPFK, when I say that our doors remained open, we communicated with our listener-subscribers and—most importantly—LISTENED to their opinions and suggestions.
One cannot run a listener-sponsored radio station autonomously.
I think its funny that Janet talks about needing help for writing minutes and not one person on the call offers to help. Instead, they debate the need to pay someone to help them with meeting minutes. Someone also mentions lack of minutes for 2014. I think Cerene was secretary at the time. She is on the call as she seems to be on every conference call but doesn't say anything.
ReplyDeletePerhaps the programming isn't addressed because (setting conspiracy theories aside) they truly believe it addresses what they believe is their community. They don't need to address the broader community. All they need is just a few more people who share their beliefs and all will be well. Besides, there is no objective criteria to evaluate programming. If you move against a program, it is seen as arbitrary and perhaps racist or an attempt to turn it into NPR (God forbid).
Here's a video entitled "KPFK Treasurer's Report" with my comments, as former Treasurer, at the end.
ReplyDeleteMy questions about talking about programming are rhetorical. No one is capable or interested. At KPFK, there is certainly no appetite from current insiders to listener to anyone who doesn't agree with them. It's political payback time only.
Yes, Kobren bleating to get paid for the job which she lobbied so hard to get is pathetic. But not surprising. Just another insider looking for what they can get out of Pacifica.
Kim, you left out the link.
DeleteSam Agarwal just might be Pacifica's Cassandra.
ReplyDelete