MONDAY SPARK NEWS PREVIEW: Whenever a business or organization is on the ropes you can count on want-to-be heroes showing up to save the day. This scenario is now playing out in and around WBAI, New York. A new suitor, promising a miracle cure, is making an aggressive push to take over WBAI.
That organization is the Manhattan Neighborhood Network (MNN), a company that operates cable TV public access channels. MNN has offered Pacifica’s National Board of Directors a “sweet heart” Public Service Operating Agreement (PSOA), a nonprofit version of a Local Management Agreement.
MNN has been recruiting WBAI employees and volunteers to be on “their team” for a takeover. MNN says it will be holding a community meeting on Saturday, February 10th [link] from 3pm-6pm at MNN’s Firehouse Studio at 175 E. 104th Street in Manhattan to make their case. Also MNN has produced a short infomercial [link] that supports have been airing on WBAI.
MNN describes what they envision being in the PSOA in a letter to the Pacifica Board and its supporters within WBAI:
- MNN will house and operate WBAI at MNN’s facilities. Pacifica keeps the FCC license. No term for the PSOA is mentioned.
- MNN will assume all costs including staff salaries and rent for WBAI’s transmission site atop the Empire State Building.
- MNN will be responsible for all fundraising, programming, hiring and firing decisions and promotion of WBAI.
- MNN says an advantage to Pacifica is that the PSOA will “stop the financial bleeding” at WBAI. However, Pacifica will still be on the hook for all of the debts (estimated to be $8-million) incurred prior to the PSOA. Other advantages MNN says they offer include: Simulcasting WBAI on a cable channel, simulcasting some MNN programming on WBAI and providing WBAI producers training.
I have no idea if Pacifica’s Interim Executive Director is considering MNN’s offer and I hope they won’t. I am not dissing MNN – they seem to be doing fine work with the cable access TV channels – they simply are in a different business.
MNN is almost totally subsidized by cable franchise fees that subscribers pay to their local cable company. According to MNN’s IRS 990 for 2015 (the most recent available) in 2015 had total revenue of $9,070,891. Franchise fees made up $9,038,502 – 99.6% - of MNN’s revenue. MNN apparently has no income or experience in fundraising.
Also, Dan Coughlin, the CEO and President of MNN, has a history with Pacifica. He was Executive Director of Pacifica of the Pacifica Foundation from 2002 – 2005. Though his stated reason for leaving the job was to spend more time with his family, news articles from the time paint Coughlin as a secretive man who allegedly paid bonuses to himself and friendly associates at WBAI.
Coughlin was hired at MNN in 2006. According to 2015 IRS information, he was paid around $400,000 in salary and benefits that year.
Posted by Ken Mills Agency, LLC to WBAI at Sunday, February 04, 2018
Shortly before Coughlin left Pacifica, he selected charlatan Don Rojas as WBAI's General Manager. His qualifications? The salutation "Brothers and Sisters," and not understanding New York idiomatic phrases like a "Bronx Cheer" to congratulate producers for a successful fund drive. Wonder what criteria Coughlin used? Follow the money.
ReplyDeleteIf the PSOA goes through, does Pacifica including WBAI have to open their books to transfer staff salaries and ongoing financial obligations?
ReplyDelete"MNN will be responsible for all fundraising, programming, hiring and firing decisions and promotion of WBAI. "
ReplyDeleteIn other words, MNN decides the programming and producers. WBAI will no longer be in charge of itself in any way. basically, it's a way for MNN to get a cheap FM radio license to do what they wish with. Pacifica may as well sell the station, in this case.
SDL
Looks that way and underscores the degree of ignorance that reigns at the station.
DeleteBTW, if you have had any doubts about the honesty of Reimers and his ilk, keep tuned.
As of December 31, 2018, according to the Law & Disorder broadcast: there is a lawsuit by some producers on MNN claiming that they were banned from the network based on the content they wanted to air, and that the board of directors of the managing non-profit organization claims that the first amendment protections do not apply because the managing company is private. That denies the public free speech protections that MNN is supposed to have as a "public access" venue. In addition, there are complaints that the lack of transparency, such as closed board meetings, is not compatible with the concept of public access. WBAI, be warned!
ReplyDelete