As the May 11, 2017 Special Meeting of the PNB performed scenario that, inevitably, became part re-enactment, a desperate JUCie, Cerene the Contemptuous, banged on the cellular door and fired off a barrage of whiny posts and complaints. Disarmed for perennial bad conduct and vandalism, her disruptive tactics had boomeranged to bite her in the derriere.
In the meantime, our good friend, 'indigopirate' was all ears. What follows is his summary and audio highlight.
The Lowlights, or: Cerene
questions the board’s sanity, the board (and Pacifica) question reality’s
reality, or: Business As Usual As The Clock Ticks & Funds and Listeners
Dwindle Ever Further
A few salient points…
A motion is passed to give the
Chief Financial Officer authority over individual station business managers and
when necessary their general managers in order to secure accurate and timely
financial information and to have the authority, if needed, to apply
disciplinary measures to secure
such accurate and timely financial information.
There emerges a free-floating
discussion as to the contingency consideration of the possibility of reducing
WBAI, WPFW, and KPFT to repeater-station status. The CFO states that ‘there is
no credible plan to turn around these stations’, but further states that he
cannot go into any meaningful details in open session.
The argument cum complaint Is
made that the CFO is unfair and unrealistic in requiring cuts of stations that
are losing money and listeners.
There is discussion as to special
fund raising to support the national office, as the CFO has reported to the
finance committee that the national office is in severe financial difficulty, posing
severe difficulties with respect to the planned audits, with respect to which
the CFO points out that over the last two years the stations have not paid
~$800,000 in central services, and that that ongoing shortfall continues at the
rate of ~$44,000 per month, which represents approximately 40% of the national
office’s budget – ‘How can we continue our business?’
—'indigopirate'
Edited version of the Pacifica Playhouse performance.
The national office doesn't have enough because the stations can't raise enough to cover basic expenses and central services. They hold back on national because they figure national can wait and besides who are these people anyway trying to tell them how to run their station? They would just as soon be on their own even though they know they can't. They can't raise enough because the programming doesn't work but they insist the programming is excellent. Its just a matter of getting the word out. The 'obvious' solution is longer fundraisers. Now national is starved for funds and is reduced to asking for a piece of the fundraiser time.
ReplyDeleteI went to the archives to hear this in full. They actually got some voting and discussion done, without the two interrupters being able to do their usual thing.
ReplyDeleteThe one thing I love is how Casenave is always screaming when they turn up her volume. It makes you wonder if she sits there constantly screaming when she is muted. I'd hate to be her neighbors.
SDL
Bringing back commercials that didn't work as expected the first time around is such idiocy. Especially since there is every likelihood that they will not be reaching a new audience. Then, too, this is all on a digital medium, so they could at least have edited out the most glaring anachronisms.
DeleteSomehow, these jokers have convinced themselves that WBAI is on the upswing—I hear no evidence of that.
This morning, the so-called "Earthmom" had an alleged psychic as a call-in guest. He gave advice to other callers, but he was also a "premium"—have a problem? Don't worry about it, just call him for a solution and a debit. Another scam, of course, otherwise it would be a no-brainer for the sinking radio station to ask him how to get out of the hole. :)
I know Earthmom well - she is a professional lunatic - Peter Bochan brought her to the station.
DeleteWhy isn't Eurovision broadcast on WBAI? Its a perfect fit for WBAI. A weird song contest with overly complicated rules and unusual acts and way too much politics. Remind you of anything similar Chris?
ReplyDeleteInteresting analogy. The Eurovision song contest has been giving the Continent a bad name for decades, but I think it met its match when our very own village idiot was given the ultimate podium.
DeletePardon my French, but our chanson fatale. "Odium on the Podium", trumps them all.
Eurovision Song Contest is like a really bad, campy movie that just isn't funny but torment.
DeleteSDL
I just saw some former jazz producers from Radio Denmark praise the winning song—these are people who usually are extremely critical of and embarrassed by this contest. Haven't hear the song yet, but now I'll have to look it up.
DeleteI used to catch the now defunct Radio Denmark International on shortwave years ago. They had a cool QSL card series that was four separate cards that, when put together, made a picture. The idea was to get listeners to try and collect them all by sending in reception reports regularly.
DeleteSDL
Douze points to the PNB for silencing the screamer and Cerene.
DeleteNul points for Berthold for running that embarrassing zapper promo.
OMG The Eurovision vote system makes Pacifica's system look elementary.
Viva Portugal.
(JustAListener)
DeleteEurovision, haven't given it attention since ABBA won.
But not surprised to hear it's become a politicized mess.
Like the rest of the EU bureaucracy - there is a reason Brexit happened!
In "the old days," Eurovision used to focus on the artist/group/band and their singing their, usually, lame songs. Now it all seems to be total bombastics with dancers and other distractions, especially from the Eastern Europeans.
DeleteSDL
(JustAListener)
ReplyDeleteWorrying about the programming at this time is like worrying about the condition of the tires on the bus you are riding on when the driver is a drunk psychopath.
Haven't the time to listen to the meeting, but from the report above what is striking is:
"A motion is passed to give the Chief Financial Officer authority over individual station business managers and when necessary their general managers in order to secure accurate and timely financial information and to have the authority, if needed, to apply disciplinary measures..."
Wow, that's the most hopeful thing I can ever recall coming out of the PNB.
Having a CFO like Agarwal and giving him this authority can really help provided the PNB and ED back up the CFO when he's ready to use the Taser (a kind of Zappper that can really do something) on GMs such as Reimers.
Interesting that the board put the authority directly with the CFO, skipping the ED (who I suppose already had the authority). Do they distrust the ED or does the board and ED prefer to let the CFO do the nasty work?
How would the central office finances look if they had the millions of CBP dollars that were lost due to Pacifica and station management not doing their jobs?
FYI: That Blythe Metz DVD set is all over youtube for free.
ReplyDeleteSDL
According to Margaret Prescod, Paul Robeson was a saint, but according to Mimi Rosenberg, he is a demi-god. Nobody can do over-the-top hyperbole like Mimi.
ReplyDeleteGive Mimi a break, all that black makeup impedes her ability to function normally. Prescod, of course, has a different problem—she is becoming increasingly out of sorts as she stumbles into another year of trying to sell those over-priced 15 sets to customera who know what the odds of actually receiving their extravagant purchase is.
DeleteI accuse Mimi of both racial and cultural appropriation!
ReplyDeleteCan't they make up some premiums for other Black entertainers, already, like Gil Scott-Heron, Rudy Ray Moore, Richard Pryor, Stepin Fetchit, Gary Coleman, etc? Robeson has been way overdone.
SDL
A cursory look at (and listen to) their program schedule shows how screwed up and clueless Bates and the Reimerettes are. I'm sure they don't even know that what they are doing (exploiting outstanding people like Robeson and MLK) is counterproductive to their rush into a blind alley.
Delete"Idiots" is a generous term to describe these bozos.
6:15 AM on Friday, May 19. Turned on WBAI to find out what nonsense or nostrum was being peddled to the masses and heard only dead air. I don't know how long they have been off of the air.
ReplyDeleteIt's 9:59 AM and sounds like the carrier is on but no audio. maybe someone zapped the console...
DeleteSDL
Yes, there is not even a hum, but the humbug is streaming—I heard Felipe do his pathetic "I-am-African-damn-it!" That should launch an avalanche of donations.
DeleteAs for zapping the console (ha ha), it may have been Haskined. In one way or another, someone/something pulled the plug (pun intended) and I think we can expect Reimers to use all this as an excuse to extend this beg-a-thon.
Apropos begathons, I have followed your work on the blueboard and I was very amused by R. Paul Martin's description of his worthless show as—in essence—being a serious contribution to science.
They are all deluded, so we should enjoy the glorious silence at 99.5.
I bet Bates will come back and say "they" did it.
DeleteDoesn't the station audio go to the transmitter via a phone line? Need I say more? The transmitter is obviously on, just no audio.
Well, I am not an RPM fan, but at least he howls about different things, compared to the other nitwits. However, Michio Kaku he is not.
SDL
I believe it is via a phone line, albeit a more reliable one. Reimers has a history of exaggerating the station's income while not paying its bills. There are some bills that cannot be ignored if one wants to stay in business, but Reimers—in his infinite demonstration of ignorance—has totally screwed up priorities.
DeleteNow, at 12:20 PM, there is static, so I guess there is no signal.
I just checked the WBAI site and found this:
Delete"Apologies. WBAI is having broadcast interruptions due to maintenance being completed on the antenna at the Empire State Building. Regular broadcasts will resume shortly."
The station went off in the early morning hours, after the Fass horror show, so "interruption" should not be pluralized. Furthermore, the "maintenance" excuse is obviously BS (Berthold Shit?).
I remember that same excuse last year when WBAI was off for many hours. I don't remember if it was then or another time last year where they had a problem with their phone company over non-payment.
DeleteAnyway, I am still getting a carrier but no audio at 1:24 PM.
I actually wonder what the donation rate will be with only the online presence.
SDL
The antenna belongs to the ESB. WBAI is one of the customers who rents it. I don't know how many stations currently hook up to this antenna, but we are not talking about chump change. Are you aware of any other stations having gone off the air because of this problem? I'm not, nor can I believe that this "technical difficulty" occurred without warning, that there isn't some sort of a backup system in place, etc.
DeleteAre we to believe that ESB does not perform routine maintenance? Assuming that commercial stations were also knocked off the air by this bolt from above—how much revenue would they lose?
The whole thing reeks.
I see the bozos are back on the air. I remember once hearing that there's a smaller backup antenna at the ESB, but I don't know that for certain.
DeleteI still think they should have sold the zappers as a new kiddie toy.
SDL
If you heard Tony Bates' explanation (he blamed it—in a half-assed, uncertain way—on Verizon) you probably share my conclusion that it was another WBAI foulup.
DeleteYou said Bates would blame someone.... he did so in his first line. Oh, and he also announced that this find drive will have to be extended for a day!
No, missed Bates "explanation." I heard (and quickly tuned away from) another repeat of the Blos & Blythe DVD set premium. My guess is that WBAI owed money to Verizon and got shut down again, like last year.
DeleteIf things follow the usual pattern, the drive will be extended another week plus an extra day now.
Remember the song Rubber Biscuit? If you don't, here is a link:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DllTigfnTVc
Now, I imagine the gibberish lyrics playing into Bates "explanation" and then the gibberish lyrics starting again, like in the song.
SDL
Sung to Desmond Dekker - The Israelites
ReplyDeletehttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=83Y2hv-3UCM
The WBAItes
Push another premium to rip-off The Remnants
Sell them supplements that will never be delivered
Ooooh ooooh The WBAItes
Kathy cake lady sells them teleportation
While they get baited by the Bates man scams
Ooooh oooh The WBAItes
Coming up short in the beg-a-thon tallies
Have no money to send the premiums out
Ooooh oooh The WBAItes
Reimers do the creative accounting
He gonna end up like Bernie Madoff
Ooooh oooh The WBAItes
Gary Null no want to pitch now
Tomorrow he come back to sell Stuff again
Ooooh oooh The WBAItes
Margret Prescod have limited copies
of DVD sets that never run out
Ooooh ooooh The WBAItes
SDL