On July 8. 2017, Marilyn Vogt-Downey, a confused Reimers apologist, wrote on the Pacifica Radio Waves list serv:
"...the Finance Committee /did/, finally, pass a resolution on Thursday night, I understand, that DOES call for the LSB to demand from the GM full financial accounting. THAT took a while!!"
(Note that the GM, perhaps with that demand in mind, was a no-show for the second time in a row. —CA)
Aware of Ms. Vogt-Downey's naïveté and scant knowledge of WBAI's past, R. Paul Martin, the WBAI LSB Treasurer, posted the following response:
"That motion was to remind the LSB that we have been complaining about the General Manager not giving us the information we've been asking for for YEARS. The motion is not really bringing a new concern to the LSB, so it's not like we "finally" passed such a motion."
This sort of concern is repeatedly brought up in the written Treasurer's Reports to the WBAI LSB, as well as oral ones....
I have to question whether the General Manager is able, at this time, to account for the radio station's revenue. I've been asking him to give me information on a test case for a couple of months now, and he hasn't bothered to reply.
The General Manager has sent out a draft FY18 budget. It calls for a daily tally of $15,000 a day during 'thons. This is a tally that's about 50% higher than what the reality was in FY17. Inflated, unrealistic 'thon projections are not the way to make a radio station self sufficient again.
Former Reimers apologist Mitch Cohen added his comment, which underscores just how underhanded internal politics stirs the pot. R. Paul Martin wants us to think that he tells it like it is, but he, too is swayed by the nefarious flip-floppers. It should be noted that he has a one-hour show of his own, which he apparently wants to keep although it is of no value to the station. Here's what Mitchel had to say:
Funny how the Finance Committee passed the resolution, which it had passed several times before over the years. .... but that last month when I proposed that the Finance Committee pass the same resolution requesting the documents from management that the committee needs to do its work, it got zero votes, with R Paul Martin abstaining and with the JUC members voting against it. —Mitchel
R. Paul does not mention the fact that the General Manager (Berthold Reimers)—the only person who knows the real status and disposition of WBAI's income—will not divulge how much the station is making and how it spends that intake. His highly unrealistic, unobtainable goal for the fundraising interruption that begins in a few days raises many questions. For example, why is it that an enormous number of pledges, going back at least a couple of years, have yet to be fulfilled although paid for by the customers (we used to call them "listener sponsors" when the station was legit)? Also which cronies are salaried, how big is their pay-cheque, and are they actually doing any work?
There is a reason why Berthold Reimers arbitrarily broke his promise to appear at the last two WBAI Finance Committee meetings.
The rot you smell isn't coming from Denmark!
At this point, the only relevant question, at least for me, is: why is the PNB allowing this to continue? It's not like this is new behavior for Reimers, it's been going on for years.
ReplyDeleteYes Kim, Reimers' tenure with Pacifica is almost a decade long. I can think of no other business where he would not have been dismissed within a year. I don't know where the answer lies, but theories abound. Perhaps one should bring the hiring process into sharper focus—as I understand it, there was a committee (of course) that looked at some 60 applicants. One cannot imagine what the other candidates were like. Needless to say, Reimers should have been shown the door during his relatively short "interim" period.
DeleteHe is clueless when it comes to running an organization, but he knows how to play the game. The whole system is long overdue for a revamp—as you know all too well.
"but he knows how to play the game." Exactly. He knows Pacifica is the parent that doesn't punish the kid, no matter what, so he'll continue making his $100,000 per year without fear.
DeleteSDL
Reimers was appointed by Grace Aaron when she was iED.
DeleteInteresting. There was a time when Frank Lefever claimed, foolishly, to have been the main propellant. I believe both he and Mitchel regret their sustained support of this poor man's Walter Mitty.
DeleteGiven the iceberg that is the ESB lawsuit, anything that goes on within WBAI amounts to rearranging the deck chairs on the Titanic.
ReplyDeleteChris,
ReplyDeleteBerthold Reimers was supported by Steve Brown. Without Brown's support Reimers would not have been hired.
But Mitchel Cohen also supported Reimers. Several years ago I met two individuals, who were friendly with Berthold. Whenever they visited Berthold at 388 Atlantic, Mitchel sat in Berthold's office while they were present. Both told me that Mitchel was using the computer and printing material.
They felt uncomfortable that Mitchel would stay in the office.
Ed Manfredonia
Chris,
ReplyDeleteFor many years I stated that the WBAI Financial Statements were fraudulent. Only two individuals supported me. Noel Jameson and Mitchel Cohen did not support me.
One indivdiual, who holds a Series 63 and a Series 7, became so obnoxious in his support of R Paul Martin and Martin's obfuscation that I was obliged to report him to the Securities and Exchange Commission. Since I have reported him, he has changed his spots and has questioned the reliability of the financial reports.
True, on occasion he would request information, but he was always kissing R Paul Martin's innumerate butt.
As for Mitchel, he was happy when Berthold would supply him with refreshments.
Ed Manfredonia