It has become all too clear that those who call the shots and take aim at today's diluted Pacifica, haven't the foggiest notion or deliberately ignore the purpose for which the Foundation was formed.
Kathy Davis, who straddles the fence between a spiritual goodie-goodie pretense and fraudulent hucksterism (remember double helix water?), thinks the answer to Pacifica's staff-made crisis lies in getting the word out. Here's how she put it.
“Artful promotion would also be useful to expand awareness of the core Pacifica mission.” —Kathryn Davis
A solid idea, per se, but creating awareness of Pacifica’s core mission has to begin within the station and include a weeding-out or re-design of programs that do not conform with the original concept—this is, of course, not to say that Pacifica should revert to its old general approach, but there is no reason why the station could not maintain the old spirit of serving as a platform for fresh ideas or that it needs to kill the principles that once attracted diverse, intelligent listenership.
Today, as WBAI teeters precariously on the brink of oblivion, the overwhelming majority of its listeners have dropped out, many unable to relate to the ludicrous focus on one small segment of the NYC area’s population. They refer to themselves as a “community” station while all but excluding the multicultural makeup of a potentially large population. Promoting failure is folly.
Making matters worse is the street level sub-concentration on America’s dark past while its dark present is left subject to translucent embellishment and distortions that detract from the gravity as much as pointing to it. There is very little original analysis or thought on WBAI compared to what we hear on the shallow commercial media. The obsession with slavery also tends to misdirect the spotlight and when it is used as a marketing ploy, its historical importance is diminished. We need to hear great speeches by remarkable orators, but we do not need to hear them delivered against a background of Lex Baxter or Evelyn and her Magic Violin.
Our good friend, Indigopirate has been as appalled as anybody by the recent PNB meetings and the utter ignorance and incompetence they reveal, so he brushed away the cobwebs and feather dusted the Bylaws to come up with a sorely needed reminder.
Here—in retractable PDF format—is the entire lowdown, but you might prefer to read indigo's well-chosen extracts and comments, is what he found.
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The Bylaws, which run to fully 45 pages, may be found here.
On page 5, the first page of text following the Table of Contents, we have, in its entirety, without editing...
Article One, Identity and Purpose, Section 1: Name
The name of this corporation is the PACIFICA FOUNDATION, and it shall be referred to in these Bylaws as the "Foundation".
Article One, Identity and Purpose, Section 2: Purposes
The purposes of the Foundation, as stated in Article II of the Articles of Incorporation, are as follows:
To establish a Foundation organized and operated exclusively for educational purposes no part of the net earnings of which inures to the benefit of any member of the Foundation
.
To establish and operate for educational purposes, in such manner that the facilities involved shall be as nearly self-sustaining as possible, one or more radio broadcasting stations licensed by the Federal Communications Commission ("Commission") and subject in their operation to the regulatory actions of the Commission under the Federal Communications Act of 1934, as amended.
In radio broadcasting operations to encourage and provide outlets for the creative skills and energies of the community; to conduct classes and workshops in the writing and producing of drama; to establish awards and scholarships for creative writing; to offer performance facilities to amateur instrumentalists, choral groups, orchestral groups and music students; and to promote and aid other creative activities which will serve the cultural welfare of the community.
In radio broadcasting operations to engage in any activity that shall contribute to a lasting understanding between nations and between the individuals of all nations, races, creeds and colors; to gather and disseminate information on the causes of conflict between any and all of such groups; and through any and all means compatible with the purposes of this Foundation to promote the study of
political and economic problems and of the causes of religious, philosophical and racial antagonisms.
In radio broadcasting operations to promote the full distribution of public information; to obtain access to sources of news not commonly brought together in the same medium; and to employ such varied sources in the public presentation of accurate, objective, comprehensive news on all matters vitally affecting the community.
That's quite straightforward, I'd say, but let's look at it again, piece by piece, as it appears to have proven far beyond the comprehension of Pacificans, whether on account of limited abilities or limited willingness to pay Pacifica's actual foundationally defined purposes the least mind.
If you are in fact a Pacifican, try and keep up now, okay...?
Now, note perhaps in particular that the very first description as to purpose is as to the arts and education supportive of the arts, specifically stated as:
In radio broadcasting operations to encourage and provide outlets for the creative skills and energies of the community; to conduct classes and workshops in the writing and producing of drama; to establish awards and scholarships for creative writing; to offer performance facilities to amateur instrumentalists, choral groups, orchestral groups and music students; and to promote and aid other creative activities which will serve the cultural welfare of the community.
Following that we have as the next description as to purpose a dedication to greater understanding as to differences in politics, and study and consideration of differences amongst groups, specifically:
In radio broadcasting operations to engage in any activity that shall contribute to a lasting understanding between nations and between the individuals of all nations, races, creeds and colors; to gather and disseminate information on the causes of conflict between any and all of such groups; and through any and all means compatible with the purposes of this Foundation to promote the study of
political and economic problems and of the causes of religious, philosophical and racial antagonisms.
Thirdly and finally as to purpose, we have a dedication to 'accurate, objective, comprehensive news...' specifically worded as:
In radio broadcasting operations to promote the full distribution of public information; to obtain access to sources of news not commonly brought together in the same medium; and to employ such varied sources in the public presentation of accurate, objective, comprehensive news on all matters vitally affecting the community.
So... these being Pacifica's purposes for being, for existence, as defined... anyone perceive any actual relationship between what the bylaws call for and what Pacifica actually is?
What Pacifica actually does?
It takes quite a stretch...
Though I suppose madness might suffice....
~'indigopirate'
Berkeley- After a brief interval of being able to conduct business due to the voluntary exit of the remnants of the Siegel/Brazon faction from the February 10 board meeting, the respite ended on Thursday February 16. Four hours of chaos ensued. Despite the able chairing of newly-elected chair Jonathan Alexander, the angry former minority put on a show, displaying their ample ability to interrupt, bully, shout, scream and disrupt. The board took two votes of almost no consequence, one to revote on acceptance of the affiliate director vote tally that includes the votes of WBAI's directors that had been excluded, and one to postpone discussion of a bylaws conflict. Not much for four hours of work. The comparison to the productive meeting on February 10 is striking. 
I want to be the iED for all of Pacifica, not just one faction. I hope we can all agree that it's critical for the survival of Pacifica and all of our stations, and for our mission, to focus on getting caught up with audits and other regulatory compliance issues as fast as we can, and to stabilize our finances. We cannot keep running deficits year after year, losing listeners and members, and raising less money per fund drive day while making fund drives ever longer, if we're going to survive. Our tax exemptions, both for California and nationally, depend on having current audits. Without our tax exemption, we'd probably lose the licenses of stations below 92 MHz in the part of the FM band reserved for tax exempt nonprofits. And no tax exemption would make it very difficult to raise money and impossible to get grants.
