Wednesday, October 31, 2018

Keep on votin'

BALLOT DANCING

The continually secretive PNB is still sending out confusing, evasive messages regarding the forthcoming Pacifica election. Just as we thought we saw a glimpse of restored honesty, they had another "executive" meeting and kept the door shut. Here is a brief note slipped under that door today:

October 30, 2018

The PNB met in closed session on October 30, 2018.

The Executive Director has accepted the resignation of the NES and the NES's final report and the Pacifica National Board authorizes the ED to proceed with the 2018 elections and make the necessary hiring decisions to allow the election process to continue.

Respectfully submitted,

Bill Crosier
Pacifica National Board Secretary Pro Tem

Livingston over the shoulder


Tom Livingston has come and gone, but we never really got to know him. Here is an August 29, 2018 interview by then PNB member Mansoor Sabbagh. At that time, Livingston served as Pacifica's ED and, as such, was instrumental in circumventing a fast-approaching disaster. It turned out to be a band-aid rather than a cure, but Pacifica is still on the air spewing misinformation and giving microphone access to a morally bankrupt group of self-serving marketers and opportunists.

The interview

Thursday, October 18, 2018

A Response: Handala to Manfredonia

The following link comprises Jara Handala's response to a query posted here by Ed Manfredonia on October 11, 2018. It is also posted under Comments, but it's length made me decide to also make it available as a single, downloadable PDF file:

"I believe that Kim Kaufman stated that Pacifica was in violation of the loan covenants. I would appreciate an explanation of the violations. I am not being critical of Kim. I support her efforts to expose fraud at Pacifica. — Ed Manfredonia

NOTE: This download includes an addendum to the original file.

Jara's response w. addendum.

Thursday, October 11, 2018

Fumbling Fall Drive...




This data was not made for public access—you just cough up the money, they'll do the rest, whatever it is. Did Null come up with a cough cure? Sure looks like it.

Some of these figures don't make sense, but this data originates with "management", so...

Monday, October 1
Tuesday, October 2
Wednesday, October 3
Thursday, October 4
Friday, October 5
Saturday, October 6
Sunday, October 7
Monday, October 8
Tuesday, October 9

Wednesday, October 10, 2018

What pledge?

The following was posted and e-mailed October 10  by WBAI Producer Ken Gale and is likely being ignored by the station's useless, dysfunctional GM, Berthold Reimers. You may remember Reimers—He is the numbskull whom Pacifica pays over $100,000 a year; an opportunist who shrinks at the mere mention of truth, and previously approved the $10,000 hiring of Yellow Magnets, a strictly self-enriching fund-raising duo that brought in squat.

⭆⭆⭆⭆⬇⭅⭅⭅⭅

CALL CENTER DYSFUNCTIONAL
BRING BACK THE VOLUNTEERS

I thought I had a better-than-usual premium, but only got one pledge.  Then I got the e-mail below from that person.  The call center has screwed me up many times before.  This didn't happen with volunteers.  Depending on who you talk with, the call center is costing the station between $100,000 and $500,000 PER DRIVE compared to when we had volunteers.  From what I'm told, WBAI pays the call center more than it paid the tally co-ordinators.  That makes sense to me since we have volunteers and they pay minimum wage and they take a cut while we got 100% with volunteers.

Andrea said in an e-mail that the operator will be reprimanded.  Reprimanding a single operator is denying that this problem is systemic, not limited to one operator.  The operator worked with the donor for ten minutes, so she clearly is one of the better operators.  That might be what they reprimand her for, if they really do.  I doubt if she made up the two system operation.  I doubt if she made up that there was no show from 8 to 10.  There is something else going on with the call center.  Bring back the volunteers.

Whomever Andrea Katz brings in as volunteers and tally co-ordinators, they'll surely treat our listeners and the station with more respect and work harder and bring in more money than the people at the call center did.  Bring back the volunteers.  WBAI could use the money and our hard work preparing for a membership drive show won't be wasted.

The Other Ken

Monday, October 8, 2018

Saturday, October 6, 2018

Meet Maxie... or NOT?

There is evident in this clip—taken from the close of the open session of the 4 October PNB Meeting—sharp division as to the newly appointed Executive Director, Maxie C. Jackson III.

Listen, if you care to, and learn…


⭅⭅⭅🔻⭆⭆⭆

My 2¢ Not a good start for this new guy—Steinberg really needs to be shown the door. —Chris



Friday, October 5, 2018

New Pacifica ED


Constellation of Arachnid Spies:

Hasty Initial Analysis and Report,
Subject to Revision and Correction.

Subject: Maxie C Jackson III, Human

This particular human appears to the Constellation of Arachnid Spies, as evaluated by relevant colloquy, to be at first sight a low-level low-achievement media management drone of some sort, with little distinction.

We hasten to add, to repeat, that this is a first overview, based on limited information and within time constraints.

He describes himself, professionally, as a ‘Change Agent, Innovator, and Multifarious Content Creator’ in the Washington DC Metro Area.

We have no idea what this means, actually.

The arachnid colloquy is unable to assign any actual meaning to this self-description, but assumes it’s typical human organizational buzz-nonsense.

It’s also, the colloquy feels, impossible to evaluate, which the colloquy feels is quite possibly a deliberate feature.

A valued feature.

His stated educational background consists of a BA from Morehouse and an MA from MSU, both in ‘Mass Communications’ and ‘Telecommunications’ with ‘Management’ as appendments. Note: This is not an MBA or equivalent in any way. These are gut courses and gut degrees, in both human and archnid terms.

Nor are these Harvard, the Sloan School, Wharton, Stanford, etc etc.

Not even close.

No academic distinction is stated or claimed.

His presently available CV clearly favors massive gobbledygook and meaningless buzzwords of the customary and expected sort, with no indication of actual significant or meaningful accomplishment, nor of significant awards, which are generally given freely in media.

At present he may be self-unemployed with MaxWorx Media – this is unclear as is the actual character of his previous positions in that positions are identified but actual claims of accomplishment and advancement reflecting accomplishment, ordinarily customary if not pro forma, appear to be absent.

The arachnid colloquy briefly considered the possibility of his having actual achievements, accomplishments, awards and the like, but preferring to conceal them from a sense of modesty or a need for secrecy… but this seems unlikely.

The colloquy has limited ability to make sense of CV’s of this sort, as they include very few bits of actual information as opposed to various bits of puffery and time-gaps here and there.

This particular human’s focus appears to be on racial considerations in broadcast.

This, for example, is his description of his present focus:

Public Media Consultant specializing in analysis, innovation and cultivation. Actively engaged in providing solutions to public media challenges relative to diversity, inclusion and the opportunity in serving emerging demographics. Producer of Dreams for NYC Inspired by MLK live event at the Apollo Theater. Provides strategic consulting services for MAG Advisors Group/VME Television (spanish language public television service), WMNF (Tampa Bay, FL community radio station), WJSU (Jackson, MS African American public radio station), WVAS (Montgomery, AL African American public radio station), and Next Tier Solutions (public media diversity initiative - New Vision New Voices).

The Arachnid Colloquy, in summary, while aware of this particular present human fixation is understandably able to offer only limited insight.

None, pretty much.

It does appear, however, to be in conformity with Pacifica ‘Values’ with respect to an emphasis on aspects of official ‘minority’ status.

Perhaps, therefore, for Pacifica, an ideal candidate.

Of particular note, the colloquy feels, there is no claim or any evidence of turnaround ability.

Nor of the ability to draw forth function from profound strife and dysfunction.

Nor of creative brilliance as to programming.

The colloquy wondered if there might be some evidence of miraculous previously secret or otherwise invisible qualifications…?

We should note that when this first report was first presented to Indigo Pirate, Spider Friend, he appeared to be less than impressed.

We share his perception and judgement,

Sincerely,


Wolf Spider

Wednesday, October 3, 2018

WBAI LSB Head Quits


This was posted Wednesday, October 3, 2018. No explanation.


Does anybody know why Bob Young made such an abrupt departure?

Caught in PNB Web


Fifteen human months are thought to have passed since the designation, appointment, and delegation of relevant responsibilities to the Pacifica National Board’s Programming Committee. In that time no actions appear to have been taken. Nor to have taken place. Indeed, until very recently no meetings took place.

The most recent meeting appears to have consisted of various bits and pieces of nothing much and something-even-less-than-that, viz:

A passing thought appeared to float by to the effect that an Executive Director had been selected but that this ‘selection’ would not be ‘official’ until completion of a background check – it would seem that Pacifica prefers to make its selections and decisions absent such information with respect to the ‘final pool’ of candidates. The spider-observer colloquy is unable to fathom any rational explanation for this Pacifica ‘procedure’.

The hope was expressed that this ‘official’ selection might be completed within days.

A survey seems to be continued to be pondered, contemplated, and lazily discussed from time to time, such survey to be presented to station program directors (in those cases where program directors exist) and enquire, basically, as to whatsup and howyadoin and whaddayathink – from which survey results the Programming Committee appears to feel it can better inform itself and further consider possible mandated changes to be discussed at an undetermined date (though it should be noted that ‘mandated’ changes very nearly nevernevernever actually happen, Pacifica seemingly having an organizationally-defined definition of the word ‘mandate’, which appears to translate as ‘unenforceable suggestion or non-mandate’ or something of that sort, so far as any outside observers are able to determine).

As to these and other Pacifica ‘procedures’, one of the members observed ‘This is Democracy!’ The spider colloquy believes that this is some sort of sacred secular term largely absent actual definition.

The earnest hope was expressed that by proceeding with great speed and maximum effort it might be possible to hold meaningful discussion and debate as to suggested ‘mandates’ some time before the end of the human calendar year or early in the next calendar year. Some doubted this rapid a rate of development, but it appeared to be an earnest hope.

Indeed, hope, earnest and otherwise, seemed to be something of a leitmotif if not in fact a dominant theme.

This, in turn, with intermittent outbursts of pointless dysfunctional strife, appears to be a common pattern in all things Pacifica.

There followed discussion and debate as to hoped-for Pacifica National American National Midterm Elections Coverage. This would, it was hoped, present publicity and fund-raising opportunities. It was felt to be important to specifically mandate semi-quotas for ‘minority’ human representation in the presentation of Pacifica’s Coverage.

It was unclear as to how Pacifica hoped to compete with innumerable more capable organizations in providing this coverage, but it appeared to be deemed important by members of the Programming Committee.

There then followed a lengthy discussion-debate as to the question of Underwriting. So far as the spider-observer colloquy was able to determine, this constituted a discussion-debate which had been carried out since at least the mid-seventh decade of the human nineteen hundreds larger-scale time-rendering notation.

There appears to have been no evolution of progress with respect to this discussion-debate, the usual pro-forma heartfelt arguments being presented, eg, We’re progressives! Not capitalists! We need the money! It’s not so bad! We can have Committees & Rule to Approve Things! We’re progressives! Not capitalists! We won’t be corrupted! We won’t be corrupted!

etc ad tedium ad absurdum

The colloquy is largely unable to parse these arguments.

The Constellation of Arachnid Spies therefore presents this information as best derived to the estimable inestimable Indigo Pirate, Spider Friend,

Sincerely,

Wolf Spider


ps: You owe us one.

Tuesday, October 2, 2018

DUMB - all caps


He may have been a good bus driver, but Michael Haskins is a total idiot when it comes to radio. This morning, WBAI kicked off its umpteenth lengthy fund drive for 2018 and you will find it difficult to believe what Haskins did. 

There is a link below—it speaks for itself, as it were, and all I added was the music. I don't know whose idea it was to interrupt Democracy Now! with a commercial for the city's most embarrassing, dishonorable radio station, but just as Amy Goodman asked a guest a question on Kavanaugh, the subject du jour, idiot Haskins breaks in with an ill-advised, poorly pitched commercial for WBAI, the station he so endlessly declares commercial free.

There were six minutes of DN! left to go, but Haskins—who loves to hear himself stumble of the English language—broke in and asked listeners to forgive the unforgivable.

It was a totally gratuitous, extraordinary demonstration of cluelessness and an insult to the listeners, who—given Amy's popularity—surely number more that Haskins' regular dozen.  

Whether this was Haskins' own decision or one dictated by the equally clueless Berthold Reimers, the move was one of inexplicable idiocy, that does not bode well for a fund drive scheduled to run into November.

It also again raises the question of why Pacifica hasn't stepped in to decontaminate WBAI. Yes, they have put Linda Perry in charge of programming and she has made some improvements, but was this her idea? Did any reasonable person at the station protest? 

Haskins spoke of loving the calls coming in, but were they mindless contributions or justified complaints?

Listen to this excerpt.