Wednesday, June 22, 2016

CFO Agarwal report: Time to get real.


Can Reimers, et al, continue pouring water in the Pacifica tank? Pacifica CFO, Sam Agarwal seems to think it's high time this game is decided.

Indigopirate's no-nonsense extract should be all you need to hear of the Tuesday, June 21, 2016 meeting of the PNB Finance Committee

His preamble, astute as always, reads as follows:


I’ve attempted to capture the tenor and the substance of the meeting – the substance, such as it is, provided primarily by the CFO. In attempting to do that I’ve pulled in at a number of points, and I’ve not used click-track to indicate edit points, relying on pacing to fulfill that function, and I’ve attempted to be fair in so doing.

All that said, it’s the usual and ongoing mishegas, complete with the mad wailing of Adriana Casanave. The woman’s intelligence appears to be substantially less than that of the typical eggplant, but she seems to attempt to compensate for this shortcoming by virtue of sheer volume and her level of perpetual hysteria and indignation that her preferred policies are invariably ignored or explicitly rejected.

BET as usual, focuses on the central issue though, of course, also as usual to little or no effect:

‘The real issue which this committee knows and we’ve been discussing since the last budgeting cycle is… We have structural deficits. We don’t have enough money coming in to pay the expenses we’re committed to. WBAI’s been operating at a perpetual loss. WPFW’s been operating at a loss for several years. The rest of the stations are hanging on by their fingertips. We have to have a conversation as an institution that involves hard choices. Some combination of cost cuts, financing, liquidating assets, or, inshallah, successful fund raising strategies – but it can’t be pie-in-the-sky wish lists. ’ – Points he’s made repeatedly for many months and which have of course been effectively ignored as trivia or process have long remained purposive drivers and determinants for these folks.

R. Paul Martin, to give credit where due, repeats his mantra that programming needs to be addressed, which, of course, in effective terms, it never is.

Gotta love these folks… well, then again, perhaps not.


Perhaps not.   —'indigopirate'

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For the resolute completists among you—here is also a lengthy two-part audio of the full meeting. 

This time, you will not hear a frenetic score by Mozart, not even incidental music by the Beepers, but if you pay close attention, you should detect a game plan or two bubbling near the surface—that's Pacifica's creme de la scheme engaging in the Board's perpetual pingpong game of proposed, distracting redirects. Not participating in that game is CFO Sam Agarwal, a realist among dreamers, sounding a wakeup call that few of those present appear to hear.

The deflating ball of confusion bounces awkwardly towards a pit from which there is no return, no alternate path.

Part 1, Part 2

14 comments:

  1. First, thanks for posting the full two parts. I always go to the website to download the entire meetings so I can hear any fun bits that may be otherwise edited out for time. Maybe from now on you can always post the full meeting or, at least, link to it, for those of us stupid enough to want to hear the crap?

    I simply have no idea what Casanave is about. I can't understand 90% of her screaming in that high pitched, heavily accented voice. I mean, all she does is scream!

    Agarwal is probably one of the only level headed people in Pacifica management. This means that he better keep an eye on a new job, as he won't be long for this one. The man just tells them where it's at. Not his fault most of these board members are living in a fantasy land and won't listen. He may say some things we don't like, but, at least, his views are based on serious analysis and not political affiliations. Make him the new ED. I bet he'd do a better job than anyone else. until he realizes no one will listen to him and joins Proffitt in retirement.

    R. Paul Martin should take his own advice and retire his show. He probably has about as many listeners as Babbling Bob, anyway.

    SDL

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  2. "R. Paul Martin should take his own advice and retire his show. He probably has about as many listeners as Babbling Bob, anyway".

    NO. I'll miss "The Stripper". I'll only allow it if Nurse Pickles takes over the time-slot.

    KGT

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  3. I just tuned in and heard Kane telling us how the WBAI phones aren't working. He doesn't know why, but I bet the bill hasn't been paid.

    SDL

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  4. The latter, and it's technical. Perhaps Tony Ryan's sledgehammer came into play again.

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  5. My wife would say, "BOTH".

    KGT

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  6. Great idea for bai's next beg a thon .Just record shows like prescod's , Ron Daniels, Gloria Brown etc etc.. and package them as premiums to cure insomnia . Just replay right before you are ready to
    go to bed , and you could title them "Black noise machines"
    I think it is genius ! Any thoughts?

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    Replies
    1. I submit that we have heard these people's racism and ignorance spewed far beyond modest acceptance. If there is time for another "thon" before the station passes on, let the pitching be done by that very large majority of WBAI's listener-supporters whose intellect and good taste did not pass the endurance test.

      Let there be only one premium: the permanent dismissal of present "management", its off- and on-air cronies, opportunists, schemers, scammers, and that ruinous program schedule. In short, a clean slate.

      Realistically, years of local/national neglect and abuse has left the current moral and financial crises irreparable. The corruption, mis-management and gutter-level mentality can be eliminated through a thorough personnel change and a return to integrity, but WBAI has lost people's trust and respect.

      Rather than go on, it's time to simply go.

      Delete
    2. I think they should have a Win a Date With The Blacks premium. That should bring them in $10.00. They sure wouldn't have the brains to do a Hangout and Get Drunk in an Irish Bar With Malachy McCourt premium, which would probably nab some serious money.

      Get Psychiatric Help for Kathy Davis premium? I'd give to that one.

      Screw it. Just run a 60 second announcement on a loop 24/7 saying how WBAI is in a fund drive and all programming has been cancelled until such time as they meet their goal. When the goal is met, they shall return. Give the phone number and website for donations and that's it.

      SDL

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    3. I thought they were already running a loop ad infinitum.

      Delete
  7. In my recollection, there was one very talented broadcaster on WBAI abut a half dozen years ago. His name was Citizen K- Kirk Grantham. Not to be confused with Citizen Kafka. He was on at an ungodly hour, 3-6 a.m. in the middle of the week. Does anybody else remember him? If Sidney is reading this, I know he remembers him.

    KGT

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  8. I love WBAI because they don't waste my time with important news stories, like Brexit...

    SDL

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  9. Not to worry SDL. I'm sure gary bryd will be all over the brexit story...

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  10. If , ofcourse he has any time left after cherry picking all the black stories of the week.
    Mostly what blacks got beat up by the cops or slavery, malcolm and martin, reparations etc etc... you know , the usual , blah blah blah.

    ReplyDelete