You may have noticed that Mr. Lopate appears to be having a problem finding guests for his new WBAI show. His inaugural week's lineup included Malachi McCourt, always a delightful presence, but one that already can be heard on the sinking station for a couple of hours a week.
A few years back, when Delphine Blue heard Kathy Davis and Tony Bates pitch the so-called Double Helix Water with promises of miraculous "cures", she immediately thought of the victims: WBAI's ailing, aging listenership, most of whom could ill afford the highly overpriced tap water. Outraged at this obvious scam, Delphine quit her show and has not returned since then.
The situation is of a different nature in the case of Lopate, but the outrage is equally justified and now Berthold Reimers is not only losing the station's audience, as his mis-management has effectively done over the past few years, he is also beginning to feel the brunt of his ineptitude as we see intelligent, concerned producer/hosts exit on principle.
The station still has an abundance of empty-headed, talent-handicapped opportunists who blithely continue pursuing their personal agendas unencumbered by moral concerns or Pacifica's founding principles. These stagnant cling-ons know that anything goes as long as their fundraising scams ring that cash register, so they stay and most of them contribute nothing to the spiritual or financial welfare of the station—in fact they have aptly been described as a wrecking crew.
Whether you are into hip-hop or not, you lost out on much if you did not tune in to Jay Smooth's Underground Railroad, a show that took listeners far beyond path-altering revolutionary sounds into its host's incisive commentary.
Jay Smooth (John Randolph) became an asset to WBAI two and a half decades ago. Now Berthold Reimers, who never showed any sign of appreciation, has taken the station to such a low point that only the dregs are left to finish the job of killing this once so vital radio voice.
The press has long since lost interest in New York's Pacifica station, but the Lopate hiring has reignited the realization that WBAI has been rendered useless to anyone but the race-based propagandist and an opportunistic group of panhandlers.
Several press outlets have taken note, finally giving WBAI publicity again, but of a very wrong, fully deserved kind. The remarkable thing is that the Pacifica Foundation, itself teetering on the brink of oblivion, seems not to be doing more than applying bandaid.
As diehard, naïve Pacificans discuss what might be the most effective color for a proposed t-shirt, journalists type away without blinders. The following piece appeared in SPIN and Brooklyn Vegan, with two different bylines.... Hmmmm
The Twitter exchange between Smooth and WBAI management is as real as it is telling.
The Twitter exchange between Smooth and WBAI management is as real as it is telling.
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The Host of NYC’s Longest-Running Hip-Hop Radio Show Just Quit in Protest
Jay Smooth is a DJ who until recently hosted the longest-running hip-hop show in New York: The Underground Railroad, which has been airing on the progressive non-commercial station WBAI since 1991. Today, he announced his resignation. He evidently quit in protest of WBAI’s hiring of Leonard Lopate, a former WNYC host who was fired earlier this year for what the public radio station termed “inappropriate conduct.”
Smooth has been vocal about his opposition to Lopate’s hiring at WBAI, where the latter man began his career in the ’70s before moving to WNYC. “If this show is still airing as of Friday, I’m definitely not going back on Friday,” Smooth previously told the Columbia Journalism Review in a story about the Lopate controversy. “The question for me is, have we gone past the point that I want to go back at all?” When Smooth criticized WBAI on Twitter before his public resignation Thursday afternoon, the station’s official account responded sarcastically: “It’s so good to see you involved with WBAI. Management so rarely sees or hears from you.” (BAI Buddies are the station’s name for regular donors; the tweet implies that Smooth’s show wasn’t pulling its weight financially.)
With Jay Smooth’s resignation, WBAI loses a supremely knowledgable and compassionate voice, one who balances a firm grounding in the history of the genre with an eclectic taste for music outside its nominal borders. Luckily for fans, he is just as active on his Ill Doctrine video blog, where he opines on both musical and larger cultural issues from a perspective of social justice advocacy.
Lopate’s alleged conduct at WNYC has not been made public, though it has been previously reported that he was compelled to attend one-on-one harassment training, and that an internal investigation had substantiated complaints against him
With Jay Smooth’s resignation, WBAI loses a supremely knowledgable and compassionate voice, one who balances a firm grounding in the history of the genre with an eclectic taste for music outside its nominal borders. Luckily for fans, he is just as active on his Ill Doctrine video blog, where he opines on both musical and larger cultural issues from a perspective of social justice advocacy. 
Reimers won't care until it's a money maker like Goodman or Null who quits, and then his ego will cause him to stand fast, anyway.
ReplyDeleteReimers made a gamble on Lopate. He'd better hope it pays off.
SDL
SDL--You're right on all counts, except that Goodman or Null won't quit: the former because the station and Pacifica owe her a lot of money, and the latter because his show is basically free advertising for his Green Stuff, Brown Stuff, retreats and whatever else he wants to hawk.
DeleteLopate may not be the straw that breaks the camel's back, but I don't think he'll make the beast any stronger or, should I say, less feeble.
You got all that right Justine, and it’s good to see you back here again.
DeleteGreetings to old friend, Justine.
DeleteHope she's piling up some bike miles.
Goodman won't quit. Null may quit temporarily as part of one of his temper tantrums, as he has done in the past.
DeleteSDL
Do you suppose Null will be remembered as WBAI's "White Stuff"?
DeleteHa ha!
DeleteYes!
And Kaffy Davis will be remembered as the "Double-helixed Nitwit".
And Haskins as "The Little Bus Driver That Couldn't".
it is always surprising, tho it should not be, that OTHER PACIFICA radio stations may replicate the same, similar stories & problems reported here re NY's WBAI. At KPFK in far away LOS ANGLES the latest returned GM may be adequate [tho loved by staff for his 'sweet personality' and ways but the effectiveness of management is not apparent in positive changes in how the station sounds, or probably operates. no names mentioned, no law suits needed, thanks.
ReplyDeleteand KPFK has as racially slanted, biased and prejudiced - not in European heritaged people against the darker skinned people....but the applauding, admiring and seeking approval from those who emerged from further south: like African identified folks, or Latino's who dominate a whole segment of evening in only Spanish-Spoken-There prgms and another whole Friday afternoon, + more.
There does not need to be a 1/3 + 1/3 + 1/3 of dominant census based populations or their cultural preferences, leaving out the rest of the real world. But the disproportion and the sounds of OUTRAGE ! Righteousness as if there is only "1 Truth" and we know it and shout it. or Anger, attacking, and diss'ing anyone or profit earning businesses as "they must be evil" somehow ! etc.
Then: Aligning ONLY with victims, as the old 60's ideals held but couldn't produce the solutions that lasted hardly. But still demanded as if 2018 had reverted to a time when KPFK or other Pacifica stations elsewhere were relevant, and anti-war when there was a war to be anti.
So there is going to be way toooo soon another "fund drive" - money money give give US more more more ! sessions with special repeated old pgms....
and in-credible-ly [not believable, credible] high-priced exaggerated claimed products to produce those perfect, healthy, happy beings everyone dreams of being but knows it is imagination and not all that promises imply either.
OK, so why complain more here about the Other station, [KPFK] whose property was mortgaged for that loan to help WBAI survive - was that how it went ?
because there is little information, revelations allowed to the stakeholders, donors, public listeners or anyone other than those rare self-serving 'press releases' by some management chief. so KPFK is silent, doesn't respond to questions, not at LSB meetings by public questioners either, and provides no honest, real feedback. Sad. too bad.
as to how to make actual positive changes, [not selling t-shirts and arguing about which color would sell better... please ! ]is dis-cussed on Pacifica group emails but the actions needed to ACTIONS AND CULTURE AND POSITIVE DIFFERENT IMPROVEMENTS are apparently not risked nor dared nor tried.
Or are they ? where ? what has been Done? Anywhere ? who knows. maybe better, who cares ? by this time.
some try to share more publically, openly, transparently. Like here.
like Pacificainexile.org which seems to have gone silent for last few months.
like http://KPFKcommentators.blogspot.com.
is the whole shebang gone dulled and the comments, concerns, questions 'just blowing in the (desert )winds "
Credit where due to Jay Smooth for standing on principle – props :)
ReplyDeleteAs for the rest, I agree it’s difficult to see how Lopate will draw guests of any interest or prominence, with possible rare exception.
To choose to be Lopate’s guest is to choose to associate with someone fired for sexual and other impropriety from WNYC at a time of heightened focus and concern, and to appear on a station with no measurable audience.
With all the talent in the NY metropolitan area, much of it young and eager for a shot, and some of it older and experienced, there’s a wealth of possibilities, yet WBAI/Pacifica continues to show no interest.
Curious…
… but not news.
~ ‘indigo, pirate’
The complicity in all this by Pacifica's heads is nothing short of outrageous, but we should not be surprised for this is the same governing body that has allowed Berthold Reimers and his pandering lowlife to continue beating their path of destruction, year after year.
DeletePutting aside the Dom Pérignon to get to the Kool-Aid.
If Lopate is one one-hundredth as good as he seems to think he is, he’ll draw audience and guests. Anyone with talent for freeform can fly solo and still draw substantial audience.
DeleteAs for Pacifica as a whole… to date Livingston has accomplished real improvements with respect to serious and fundamental housekeeping issues. There is as yet, however, no evidence of improvement in ‘mission’ or programming, thus no sign of any increased ability to draw an audience – which is fairly important if you’re in the media business.
Then again, as has been pointed out, it’s questionable as to whether or not they’ve been in the media business for the last few decades.
There’s only one thing they lack, really…
Talent.
~ ‘indigopirate’
who knows, and can tell "the rest of us" how those producer/progamers = the long-termed-forever-clinging to their On-Air Access spots and never releasing the space for any other views, demographic set, or more updated viewpoints CAN hold on for so long so tightly, and on and on.....?????
DeleteWho decides if that same program can remain on-air forever after ? By what standards, criteria, or reviewed values is it Determined that those, once-in, never get out ?
Is it the GM, PD or LSB or ????? And who informs the stakeholders of why, and HOW those decisions of POWER are made ?
Who holds those reins and controls it all - to stay stuck in the long-past repetitions ???
This is not a facetious but honest want-to-know question.
@KPFKcommentator:
DeleteWith respect:
Pacifica, as a product of its history and the time of its first creation and earliest evolution, is exceedingly resistant to any assertion or claim of authority in any and all forms.
For that reason, the default position makes it extremely difficult if not impossible to remove a program, for very nearly any reason.
This has long been the case and is, I would argue, the central determinant in very nearly all Pacifica decisions – inertia, one aspect of which is incumbency.
That’s my take, anyway :)
~ ‘indigopirate’
Jay Smooth and Delphine Blue were two of my favorite hosts. Turns out, they are as principled as they are talented, which is why they left WBAI.
ReplyDeleteChris,
ReplyDeletePerhaps the reason for the non-publication of the harassment complaints lies with the victims of harassment.
These victims may not have wanted their identities revealed.
Even if their names were not published, individuals could discern the identities of the victims by the date of harassment, age, specifics of harassment.
Thank you.
Ed Manfredonia
Question : Tho this blog is all about only NY's WBAI - Null was a prime seller / distributor for many years on KPFK in LA.... but is he still on elsewhere, or at KPFK?
ReplyDeleteAnd Null and other 'guests', sales promoters, workshop promoters, etc. are not listed on the schedule on website either. Who's to know ? Do you ?
Some of us barely can tolerate the other false-claim hawking and racially-motivated slants to listen to anything past old recordings replayed from other distributors {Soundstrue, Nader, Watts' son's site, etc ] - while Ian Masters is the most balanced/ exposing various view by academics and some politicians - at KPFK, that is.
So it is unhelpful and uninteresting to be a 'listener' any more.
How is it elsewhere? Are any/ many programs replayed at the other Pacifica stations that are worth hearing from 1 ?
http://KPFKcommentators.blogspot.com
Indigo- writes thought-fully here. Appreciated.
ReplyDelete& wrote "to date Livingston has accomplished real improvements with respect to serious and fundamental housekeeping issues. .."
can you/ want to give any details or info about what has been Improved or changed to the better for 'the rest of us' to also know...and maybe find positive somewhere .....
thanks.
By ‘housekeeping’ I’m referring principally to moving to put financial affairs in something at least resembling coherent, sane function:
DeleteWhile the Ch11 v Massive Loan argument had valid points on both sides, so far as I could see, at least a decision was finally taken, and the massive loan was used to buy out WBAI’s crushing lease obligations at ESRT, and to move WBAI, complete with a new transmitter, to 4 Times Square, slashing unsustainable operating expenses.
Similarly, the wildly overdue FY2016 audit was completed and submitted, avoiding the immediate threat of the loss of charitable status for Pacifica.
Similarly, also, steps were taken to hire a new firm to consolidate and carry out Pacifica’s book keeping functions, and to bring in people to assess and consider how to deal with Pacifica’s retirement fund short-funding problems.
None of these is fully accomplished, but real, tangible, substantial steps were taken, and if carried forward, will begin to put Pacifica in a coherent financial state.
That leaves open, however, whether Pacifica’s programming can be revised/improved/resurrected/transformed/whatever in such a fashion as to make Pacifica relevant to anyone other than itself, and to actually draw an audience sufficient to repay that massive loan and to move on to financial sustainability.
These questions, those beyond ‘housekeeping’ are the ones that matter most and will matter most, and the failure to address these issues for decades is/are what has led Pacifica to its present status as invisible, inconsequential, irrelevant, and often reliant on scams of various sorts to attempt to survive – all of which was exhausted long, long, long, long ago.
In a sense, simply to further speculate, much may depend on what sort of General Manager Livingston is able to recruit, and what actual authority they will have.
Those are the questions that matter, if Pacifica is ever to matter in any meaningful sense, and I wouldn’t give odds on that happening.
It is, in my observation, as I said, very highly resistant to any actual change. It was able, reluctantly, with a great deal of strife, still visible just beneath the surface, to accept steps desperately needed to avoid immediate implosion, which I’ve referred to as ‘housekeeping’.
Anything more substantiative, however, seems to me very doubtful.
I’d guess that at best they’ll continue to barely survive, as a feverdream hobby-holiday for their producers.
That’s at best, and as I said, I wouldn’t give odds even for that.
Just my take, for whatever or what little it may be worth :)
~ ‘indigopirate’
Indigo pirate: thanks for being informative and promptly responsive here.... when we don't know details, even gen'l overview of problems not easily known by stakeholders, we then represent "the rest of us " - those who are still loyally involved - but not as immersed and not 'in the know -in any power groups - and also we may not retain details in mind for long either.
ReplyDeleteSo when you help inform this questioner, maybe others too can review or learn what you have shared.
1 more Q plse: re KPFK mortgage was put up to insure loan repayment ? What conditions or dangers are there of the property being taken, used up, or encumbered
[ & for how long ?] ?
How dangerous is this condition to keeping KPFK's property and station remain on site - without worries that it may be 'taken away' due to no fault of anyone in LA
[or was there anyone @ KPFK involved in that WBAI fiasco $$$ crises ?}
Your expertise, as is here exposed, needs to be re-posted, & re-stated elsewhere too, so as to keep those repeated & prevalent 'other' selected - created-myths, & faked stories - from being rumored and repeated elsewhere, everywhere.
Again, your writing style here is often recognized as 'good to read' and includes actual info or a deeper kind of thinking than is found regularly, almost anywhere or elsewhere. Helpful. Appreciated.
[[ may some of your info be quoted or partially reposted at : KPFKcommentators.blogspot.com ? = this courteous permission asked here. ]]
@KPFKcommentator
DeleteGlad if I can be of help, and if you want to repost elsewhere, that’s fine with me, you’re more than welcome :)
One quick point: To the extent you’re interested, I think you may find that there’s a great deal of information available here by looking at older/previous posts. There’s a lot to take in, and it can be overwhelming, though.
As for your question as to the Large Loan, so far as I know, and as you’ll see from other comments as well, there’s a great deal, particularly as to specifics, that isn’t known, that’s simply not available to the listeners, to the public. The ‘democratization’ and ‘openness’ Pacifica claims are on the whole quite simply lies and false claims. Most critical business, pretty much anything involving money in any meaningful way is kept in ‘confidence’ in ‘Executive Session’ meetings. Sometimes there’s information available post facto, but often it’s simply never available, and in those cases where it is available, it’s almost always so long after the actual decision and expenditure that it’s of only slight historical interest.
We know almost nothing of the terms of the loan, really. All significant specifics are still in ‘confidence’. Even many board members simply aren’t informed, and if they are informed it’s only after the actual decisions have been made by a far smaller group.
In a sense, anyone who’s interested has little choice but to rely on a combination of rumors, the occasional leak or two, and a few bits of fairly hard information occasionally actually reported.
The overall picture is what really matters, I think, and we do know that the overall financial picture is still very bad. Estimates as to total indebtedness for the large loan, pension obligations, etc, seem to range from about $6m and north from there. It’s possible that the ‘housekeeping’ efforts with the new accounting firm, etc, will result in firmer estimates.
The key, though, as I’ve mentioned and as I see it, is simple: Pacifica programming simply doesn’t appeal to enough people to keep Pacifica alive.
Unless truly radical positive changes are made, all evidence strongly suggests it will in time collapse.
Then again, that threat has existed in various forms for decades and they’ve managed to squeak along, largely unchanged, and with very little audience, serving really only themselves – which seems, sadly, to be all they really care about, rhetoric notwithstanding.
As always, this is simply my take, and I have no inside information, so I’m as blind and ignorant as most.
~ ‘indigopirate’
Indigopirate:
Deletethanks for info. yes, agreed. as to what has forever always all-ways, at KPFK too, been differently done than claimed and advertised.... and creates our frustration made only worse by the obvious hypocrisy- that is also denied.
While always loudly claiming "everyone else " is secretive and untruthful, as = govt, businesses. other for-profit-corporations , etc. who are not living up to what is claimed, then also Pacifica people project their own claims to Righteousness [NOT shown or found] and claims of sincerity, as truth-tellers [NOT] etc. continually.
While we presume there is some truth there, as we have often believed it, or maybe hoped those stories were actual, vs. imaginary. Pacifica, KPFK, WBAI, etc. were different…ha ha Sad.
Maybe those OLD ideals - and the hopes attached to those ideas – still lure us into waiting and maybe even finding tiny signs that may be...but then are not...signs of improvements or changes. Nor are the promises implied or stated, kept. but instead dropped, as is silently convenient.
This also seems the similar mode/ methods of governments, bureaucracies, corporations, and more too... so what's different here ? …besides the “poor-us!” repeated claims - as if Pacifica too were just another VICTIM – as all others heard on these radio’s broadcasts are too !
enough.
so the Q about what are the dangers that KPFK's property may be in - or will be- if any further financial failures may occur -- are not known in any concrete details either ?
as I read: you too may know more but not enough to reveal more on this part ?
[ok if so. I ask and whatever happens next happens... ]
[also as Kim who also helpfully, repeatedly asks - and as she keeps upon financials more than most, it seems - so she often asks for specifics, but the answers are then again not visible - if they are ever provided to her, maybe not either ...? or is the secrets ‘not relevant’ just not to 'the rest of us'. tho Kim too seems to be one of the few that responds, reveals, and may tell us too]
Again, the forever confusion: from the non-replies from all my for years of asking Q of/at KPFK – the station to which i have been supportive since 1960’s actually, …. now has released me, just 1 person, from Trying to be trusting, believing, & participating there, et al. = [so then that may be a good result, after all.... separation, dis-illusion, distance….
This =Chris' site =seems the one more informative, even tho focused on NY exclusively, of course.
And re-checking now- there is little actual info elsewhere. For fun and games, yet another Duckgogo and Google search provided no more than - KPFK's premiums, depts.., some programs/programmers setting up their attachments to KPFK, the linked-in's ads on a few KPFK staff, and yet - nothing about what is actually occurring or problematic at that LA station.
Except an occasion nspr article , i.e. LA Times 2017. This re-finding that there is NO actual transparency, nor admissions, or even PR press events easily found. Not WBAI with it’s recent catastrophic incidents. But another Pacifica station of at least or more value.
so who can know any facts, data, details, rather than rants, opinions, etc ?
thanks for your ongoing working on all this - and your writings here. and to Chris too for all the time/work/effort to keep this site vital and viable. [even if NY is far far from 'the rest of us' ... me.]
I’m neither an attorney nor an accountant, and memory is ever and always a fallible instrument. Also, of course, hard information is nearly nonexistent. All that said, my impression is that KPFK is in a sense directly vulnerable in that I think the space used for Pacifica Archives, which I think is owned and/or controlled by KPFK was used as part of the collateral for the Large Loan.
DeleteIn a sense, though, particular properties being ‘owned’ by particular stations is something of an illusion. Don’t forget, that all five station, plus the archives are part of Pacifica, which means that in reality, legally, as I understand it, Pacifica owns everything, and the debts of any entity or combination of entities is all owed to Pacifica.
There are consistent rumors, incidentally, that the loan agreement precludes Pacifica filing for Ch 11. If that’s the case, and the financial picture worsens, it may be the case that Ch 7 dissolution is the only option. Again, I’m not an attorney, I’m not an accountant, and very nearly no one has seen the actual loan agreements, and those who have seen the full documents ain’t talkin’.
There are longstanding rumors that factions supportive of KPFK and/or KPFA want WBAI’s frequency t to be sold and those monies used to ‘save’ themselves (KPFT is sort of up on the air in these rumors, and for that matter, so is WPFW, and there are some pretty clear differences of opinion between KPFA and KPFK). It was pretty clearly factions from Southern California that fought the proposal of last fall to file for Ch 11 protection and reorganization, preferring the strategy of the Large Loan and the hiring of Mr Livingston. Frankly, I have no opinion as to which might be the better strategy – I simply don’t have enough information as a mere member of the public, and I think it’s safe to say that very, very, very few of these people are to be believed or trusted.
As I’ve said, I see the core problem as the lack of talent, and the lack of programming of any substantial merit. Thus their relegation to history, obscurity, and irrelevance.
As I’ve stated previously at tedious length, I see the abandonment/betrayal of the original foundational principles in favor of narrow, strident political advocacy as the fatal error. That transition occurred somewhere in the mid-1970s and onward. Amongst other problems it meant that the criterion for access to air was no longer whether or not the person or persons ‘did good radio’ but whether they were in accord with the reigning political line and reflective of that ‘correct’ mindset.
Such unimaginative, closed-mindededness is not likely to lead to fascinating radio, nor to drawing audiences. As has been demonstrated now for about… what, three or four decades?
Pacificans seem to be rather slow learners, I suppose which, given the original foundational goals and purposes, and the first few decades, is a shame.. but so it is, and so it has long been.
As always, just my take, and that take is always subject to revision :)
~ ‘indigopirate’
Chris,
ReplyDeleteI have not seen the breakdown of the massive buyout of the ESRT lease.
How much for interest?
How much for penalties?
How much for rent owed?
How much for penalties?
For how many months was the lease bought out? What was the cost for each month? Was there a discount applied for the months that remained?
When a commercial lease is broken, the remaining obligation of the lease comes due. Ergo, quantify the amount saved by breaking the lease?
Let us all stop the nonsense.
Thank you.
Ed Manfredonia
You are by no means the only one who wonders about that. There are many secrets and where they’re are secrets there are, as we all know, things to hide— we really need to know what they are hiding, and why.
DeleteIf anyone has any answer to add questions, please post them. Thank you
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DeleteEd, not only the breakdown but even something as basic as the size of the settlement (ending the contract prematurely) has not been disclosed. And of course the settlement should not be confused with the judgment, the court judgment, that preceded it. The same two things apply to the judgment: its cost has not been disclosed, nor how it was make up. But isn't a $1.8m figure bandied around, sufficing for most as the size of some Empire State problem or other? And that's the problem with casual talk: we all think we know what's being referred to, but the imprecision allows the nitty-gritty to slip thru the fingers – and that always lets those in positions of power (& responsibility) off the hook.
And that's the situation here. Pacifica's information gatekeepers have consistently pursued an approach that Trump often uses: choose a quite different thing, cite it, cite it again, & keep citing it. That thing is the judgment, the 4 October 2017 NYC court judgment, which refers to unpaid rent of c. $1.8m – which seems to be the amount outstanding when Empire State Realty Trust made its application to the court on 23 November 2016. The $1.8m actually excludes the following: the subsequent rent due prior to judgment; interest & penalties as per the contract; interest at 18% levied by the court for delayed payment of the judgment sum; court fees; the legal fees of Pacifica; & the legal fees of ESRT. Plus, no doubt, some less obvious charges. So $1.8m? No, the judgment alone – & this is apart from the settlement – is a fair bit more than $1.8m.
So, why the hell have the Pacifica administrators & PNB not given the facts to the members & other listeners? Why are we all in the dark about the cost of the judgment, & its breakdown, & the cost of the settlement, & its breakdown? Why? The answer is anyone's guess – is it to help politically those who pushed for the loan, to suppress bad news, done to help the very people who went on & on about the process costs of bankruptcy, the alternative course? And given this disclosure deficit, why the hell are there so few directors (i.e. the PNB) & delegates (i.e. the Local Station Boards) demanding that this info be released to the members & other listeners? Why? Life, even that of a zombie radio network, moves on. And like Trump, keep leaving issues in your wake & they sink to the bottom of the ocean, forgotten by all.
And it seems only a few directors have been given copies of, or sight of, the FJC & Socal loan documents. Who decided on this apparent restricted distribution? Using which criteria, criteria agreed by which PNB meeting? The very Finance Cttee of the PNB has itself complained, without success, to the iED & the PNB that it hasn't seen these documents (or even received summaries, written by which privileged employee or fellow director, on whose orders?). How can all this be other than a dereliction of duty? Why does the PNB, & indeed the members, tolerate this? But worse is to come.
2 of 3
DeletePacifica provided documents to FJC in support of the loan application, including its plan on how it will repay the loan by c. 31 March 2021. Unbelievably, this central text, supposedly regulating what the Foundation does for the next three years (well, 32 months now, 11% fundraising time already lost), has not been distributed to the directors as a whole; this lil fact emerged at the end of the latest PNB open session, Thursday 5 July. Point-of-order-Madam-Chair Adriana put questions to Anita-from-NETA & Mr Tom (38:55 & 46:18 – https://kpftx.org/archives/pnb/pnb180705/pnb180705b.mp3). First she asked Anita if she has two documents: Pacifica's cashflow forecast thru to 30 September 2019 (the end of the fiscal year); &, more importantly, Pacifica's plan to pay its debts. Simple, really. So simple that Chair Nancy, functioning as PraetorianGuard Nancy, immediately intervened to say Anita would sent it to Mr Tom who would then send it to the directors (40:18).
Eventually Anita-from-NETA got her chance to speak about the first document: "yes, Tom sent it to us, so we do have it, & we're starting to, ah, review it [then she talked about NETA CashflowGuy doing that work ...] so, yes, we do have it".
Then Adriana asked Anita, in a confusing way, presumably thinking of the FJC loan in particular but knowing that Pacifica is going all strategic these days, whether Anita also has a copy of "the strategic plan to repay our debts" (41:18). "Yes we do", replied Anita, in a definitive, self-assured voice. Well that seemed all done & dusted; straight questions, straight answers. All above board. But this is Pacifica.
Adriana got a chance to repeat her request that the PNB, & so all directors, receive these two documents (46:18). She asked Mr Tom directly: if NETA can receive documents from you, why can't the PNB? Mr Tom betrayed that he was a bit rattled here, pinned back into the corner by Adriana-the-people's-Rottweiler, & wilted under the pressure: "Anita was, er, er, mistaken about [Mr Tom] having sent that to them: I have not seen it [one document or two?] myself, er, it was, er – we have access to Sam's computer, um, and, er, yer, we were, the, what the auditor has said is that this was something that was sent to him, so I'm looking for it, um, I, er, in his, er, I, I have a, a gotten access to the email that changed the password & so I'm looking, & I will be glad to send that to you as soon as I can find it." And if you believe that you'll believe anything. (Sam Agarwal, Pacifica's last qualified Chief Financial Officer, finished working at Pacifica on Friday 8 June. So Mr Tom had the data in front of him for four whole weeks, but lacked the competence to find them. Some iED & acting CFO.)
Anyway, Adriana just took Mr Tom's floundering as an upfront response, straight away asking him something else. Adriana didn't ask Anita why she said what she did if it wasn't true, especially as she talked specifically about CashflowGuy flowing thru the cashflow. (Yes, Anita was probably off the call, but that's beside the point.) And Adriana didn't ask Mr Tom, the acting Chief Financial Officer (unqualified), how he's managing without both the fiscal year's cashflow forecast & 'the strategic plan for paying Pacifica's debts'. Such trifling pieces of paper, so why ring Doug Regalia or Sam Eagle for a copy? Shucks, no. Maybe he'll find it on Sam's computer. Maybe he won't. But, guys, these are Pacifica documents, so they're hardly worth anything to anyone, right? That's some acting Chief Financial Officer (unqualified). But it's unfair to call him Mr Tom. As I said a few weeks ago, he is qualified: he's Tom Livingston BS. And it's only because his political opponents at Pacifica are so ineffective that his BS is able to smother them, it's only in the dull reflection of this crew that Mr Tom looks qualified.
3 of 3
DeleteLastly, whenever anyone speaks of Pacifica's big loan it should always be termed 'the FJC variable interest loan'. This is because even PNB directors, including some on its Finance Cttee, didn't realise it wasn't fixed. Again the Trump technique: it was first spoken about as a 7% loan (wrong figure, but hey), really good for the likes of Pacifica, we're so lucky. And that's how it got fixed in people's heads, a specific number – so fixed, not variable. So at the last Finance Cttee meeting, Tuesday 10 July, director Tony Leon gasped on hearing the news (6:38, Ken Aaron, KPFK Treasurer speaking, GaspingTony gasping "who knew that?!?" in the background at 7:10 – & no, I never want to see the gif – https://kpftx.org/archives/pnb/finance/180710/finance180710b.mp3). Guess Director Tony, also member of the national Finance Cttee, never got round to reading the FJC webpage (http://fjc.org/fjc-agency-loan-fund – incidentally, how Pacifica satisfied the FJC Loan Cttee's third bullet-point mandatory condition, only G-d knows).
Another fabulous analysis. Thank you :)
Delete~ 'indigo'
Correction, & 'whoops!' to Ed Manfredonia:
Deletethe cost of the ESRT settlement has been disclosed – but not by Pacifica. The figure is in the latest auditor's report, that for fiscal year 2016: "approximately $3.5 million" (note 9 of the financial statements, p.12 – given the way such reports are written, the figure appears three more times: n17 (p.19), n19 (p.20), n24 (p.22)). The auditors are required to disclose material post-balance sheet facts, so those after 30 September 2016 – in contrast to the Pacifica info gatekeepers who are not required to disclose material facts at any time: that can only come with political pressure, including their replacement.
https://new.pacifica.org/documents/financial/audit_2016.pdf
The auditor also disclosed, with reference to the $1.8m plus judgment of 4 October 2017, that "[t]he lawsuit sought unpaid rent in the amount of $1,357,429 plus attorneys’ fees and penalties" (note 19, p.20 – repeated n24, p.22).
As we're on the ESRT matter, I think it worth noting that the auditor's report corroborates my reasoning (comment 2 of 6, 22 June) concerning the Socal loan, the one allegedly from director Jan Goodman & her friends: "[t]he purpose of this loan is to cover restoration and moving expenses related to the relocation of the WBAI transmitter from the Empire State Building to 4 Times Square" (note 17, p.19). It wasn't for the settlement, to pay ESRT: Pacifica needed an extra c. $340k cash (director Grace Aaron's figure), & needed it quick, to pay a one-off expense, because it has so little cash to hand & presumably no on-demand credit facility. As I said in that comment, "[i]t is important to note that no Foundation staff member or director has even intimated that Pacifica's chronic cashflow problem forced the sale of Nakapon".
http://wbai-nowthen.blogspot.com/2018/06/kpfk-lsb-meeting.html
Trivial I know, but just noticed that Pacifica as of yesterday or today has changed its URL, gone all shiny: https://new.pacifica.org/
Thank you very much
DeleteI truly appreciate your analysis. I apologize for the delay in thanking you.
Ed Manfredonia
Apparently linda Perry already has a full time job - does she think rescuing the station from extinction is doable as a part time hobby? She is also it's reported, the one who brought lopate in - ironically the work of a woman.
ReplyDeleteIf memory serves Rick and Linda were at least fairly tight with Lopate from Way Back. That may have something to do with it.
ReplyDeleteWhy credible claims of sexual and other harassment have nothing to do with it, and why a paid contract for two people is necessary and warranted is, I suppose, another question.
~ ‘indigo’
Lopate has disappeared from Pacifica's homepage. This was done Friday, Saturday or today. The Foundation's press release of his hiring was presumably removed by the interim Executive Director & acting Chief Financial Officer (unqualified), Mr Tom.
ReplyDeletehttp://pacifica.org/
Interesting. He is of course still on WBAI's website and I believe he had an extra two hours of air time on Saturday. It will be interesting to hear what he does during the forthcoming fund drive.
DeleteLenny Lopate and his producer get hired by WBAI and paid a salary in hopes Lopate will bring in money, yet Lopate did no pitching on his show today. I'd ask for an explanation to this tactic, but I know it would be an exercise in futility.
ReplyDeleteSDL
The tactic would backfire if he were to solicit funds, "Say, he's back on BAI, and already begging for money!" Then again, why doesn't he earn his (and his producer's keep) Some are more equal than others, and maybe he is taking notes from Bethold's email to solicit family and friends to become BAI buddies. Reads like a friends and family pitch, a cover for a multi-level scam, close to Amway, but no cigar.
DeleteWhat is the current BAI Body count?
DeleteJay Smooth
Rebel Diaz
Jeannie Hopper
What will program director Linda Perry do with all that open air?
Here's an idea. The new PD can launch a pilot show called #MeToo.
DeleteJeannie Hopper? Is she really gone? This is the first I hear of this—good news, if true.
DeleteLSL is still listed as a program on WBAI's site. For what that's worth.
DeleteLopate's inaugural show was pretty good. Ever since, dullsville.
Jeannie Hopper and Rebel Diaz gone? Well, if true, that's two steps in the right direction.
ReplyDeleteMaybe Perry can add a new show called Wiccan Wednesday to the roster. Yes, Linda, I remember you well from the old days.
SDL
From Nicholas Quah's Hot Pod part 1
ReplyDeleteThe WBAI debacle. This one’s a big, fat, complicated mess, and though it isn’t directly related to podcasting, it continues a story that’s been tracked in this newsletter: the workplace culture crisis at New York Public Radio.
Last December, veteran WNYC radio host Leonard Lopate was one of two key individuals dismissed from New York Public Radio following an investigation into allegations of inappropriate behavior towards his female colleagues. As you might recall, Lopate’s dismissal took place amid a broader imbroglio consuming WNYC — sparked by an exposé from the journalist Suki Kim centering on John Hockenberry, the former host of The Takeaway — that saw a reckoning with the station’s management style, which was deemed to have manifested a culture that allowed for bullying, harassment, and discriminatory behaviors that have especially hurt women and people of color.
Quah part 2
ReplyDeleteThe complications from that crisis seems to have jumped across stations within the city. Lopate returned to the airwaves earlier this month after he was approached by WBAI, the Brooklyn progressive non-commercial radio station where he started his career over three decades ago. Lopate is now on a six-month contract with the station, and his new afternoon show, called Lopate at Large, started broadcasting on July 16.
WBAI’s hiring of Lopate was met with protest from within the station, as the Columbia Journalism Review reported last Tuesday. The CJR piece quoted several WBAI producers and hosts who openly questioned the station’s decision, and the hiring has resulted in several notable resignations or publishing breaks: Jay Smooth, who has hosted the hip-hop radio program Underground Railroad for almost 29 years; Jeannie Hopper, whose dance music show Liquid Sound Lounge has aired on Saturday nights for over 25 years; and Rebel Diaz, the hip-hop duo whose radio show airs on Wednesday nights.
Another detail worth noting: WBAI exhibited some truly bizarre behavior over Twitter when the station came under pressure last week. The station’s Twitter handle retweeted an anonymous account comparing Lopate to Jackie Robinson (those tweets have since been un-retweeted), cited the lack of “proven sexual or physical allegation by WNYC” as justification for Lopate’s hiring (that tweet has since been deleted), and publicly lashed out at Smooth’s criticism with a snarky financially oriented tweet (that one is still up, apparently):
And I'll just let this speak for itself. https://t.co/ehVyetbyu6
— jay smooth (@jsmooth995) July 19, 2018
Just so we’re clear: this is insane.
The station’s leadership spelled out the motivation behind Lopate’s hiring in pretty clear terms. In an email to CJR, WBAI general manager Berthold Reimers phrased the thinking as follows:
You know at WBAI, I don’t think we have 5,000 people listening for the whole week… once we have all these people listening to us for him, this is ultimately an easy form of marketing. There should be no question that our numbers go up for all the other shows because of their quality that no one knew about.
As conveyed in the CJR report, WBAI is an operation on the backfoot. In 2013, the station let go most of its staff to cover basic operating costs. Its owner, the Berkeley-based Pacifica Foundation that’s known for its progressive bent, is on the edge of bankruptcy. Station producers are largely volunteers these days; they are not paid for their work producing, and even hosting, their shows. Reimers is portrayed in the CJR report as a general manager distinctly focused on increasing the station’s visibility as well as its ability to apply for CPB funding.
From that vantage point, you can broadly see the cold logic governing WBAI’s choice: despite the allegations against him, Lopate is believed to have a loyal following that could potentially aid the ailing station’s performance. And so the decision was made to bring on Lopate, at the expense of a workplace environment primarily staffed by mission-oriented workers with significantly less power. The fact that the station is paying Lopate and his producer, as Reimers confirmed to CJR, while many of the other station workers continues to go unpaid, is further consistent with the station’s cold strategic thinking. (WBAI’s Twitter behavior, however, remains unfathomable.)
It’s a strategy, and it’s a tragedy. These are times when moral leadership feels vanishingly distant — past sources keep being swallowed by chaos, corruption, or death, as it seems to increasingly be the case these days — and so the story of a progressive community radio station throwing its values under the bus for the supposed purposes of survival not only stings, but seems depressingly fitting for where we are right now. What’s the point of fighting for another day when you’ve compromised what you’re supposed to stand for? It’s a timeless question, but one that has never felt more timely than it does today.
A truly excellent piece.
DeleteProps.
With respect, though, I’d differ as to one point: I don’t believe Reimers/WBAIs/Pacifica’s thinking may be accurately characterized as strategic. To my mind, and in my observation, it’s simply tactical, often a grasping at semi-random straws, which Pacificans, within the private, closed, secretive delusional walled worlds tend to think of as ‘strategic’.
There was, as if to illustrate the point, a sad rambling typically meandering discussion a couple of months or so ago about the definition and ‘deep meaning’ of the word and the concept of ‘strategic’. This pointless exercise was conducted by the Pacifica National Board Strategic Planning Committee, which committee was unable to grapple with the concept of the meaning of the word ‘strategic’.
There was a sharp divide in the long history of Pacifica which occurred some time in the 1970s. In the case of WBAI it was clearly visible in the form of ‘The Crisis’ of late 1976/early 1977. The board, which had come to be dominated by Percy Sutton’s people, attempted to redirect the station from the original foundational goals and ideals to a quasi-commercial sound, left/‘progressive’/‘community focused which – coincidentally – would fit perfectly with Suttom’s people then thriving Inner City Broadcasting empire.
The staff formed a union and occupied the station. After about a month the police were called in.
In the aftermath the station became narrowly focused on a ‘correct’ political line, whereas previously, while the greater part of staff were always on and/or toward the left, the principle of fair confrontation and difference of opinions had prevailed.
Most critically, I would argue, there was a profound shift in the internal culture. The principal criterion for access to air had long been ‘Does this person do good radio?’ Radio was seen as an art form where talent, where quality were paramount, whether in a freeform program, a music program, a program for children, or public affairs and political reportage.
That criterion was abandoned. In the transformed/transfigured WBAI/Pacifica only one thing mattered, really… was the program ‘correct’.
It’s hardly news that that inevitably leads to a sharp degradation in quality, which is, I would argue, the core problem for WBAI/Pacifica in the time since.
Hence the situation of the last decades in which the only way to stay on air has been by hawking miracle cures, a few old archived programs from the earliest years, and public charity.
I’ve said all this before, so please pardon the repetition if you’ve heard all this.
The simple truth is that the institution lacks artistic or intellectual integrity in any sense. Lacks vision. Lacks direction.
It also lacks, for all those reasons, any listeners, delusional thinking of talentless mediocrities notwithstanding.
~ ‘indigothefrequentlyannoyingpirate’
ps: Carthago delenda est :)
Good response, Indigo.
DeleteI thank you, kind sir.
Delete~ 'indigo'
From Gothamist - Was this the work of the new PD? or GM? Does anyone know? Does anyone care?
ReplyDeleteMax & Murphy Podcast: Letitia James & the Attorney General Primary
July 19, 2018 | by Ben Max
July 18, 2018 - Max & Murphy Podcast: Letitia James & the Attorney General Primary
On Wednesday, July 18, the Max & Murphy podcast moved to the airwaves of WBAI radio, 99.5FM and wbai.org, where the hosts will weekly interview guests, discuss key issues, and take calls from listeners -- every Wednesday 5-6 p.m. The first show focused on the Democratic primary for Attorney General, with guest Letitia James, the New York City Public Advocate now seeking to become the AG. James joined the show to discuss her candidacy, how she stands out from her competition -- Zephyr Teachout, Leecia Eve, and Rep. Sean Patrick Maloney -- her relationship with Governor Andrew Cuomo, how she would fight public corruption, and much more. James also took a couple of listener calls. The show additionally included discussion of the race by the hosts, a short clip of last week's conversation with Teachout, and a couple of other listener calls for the hosts.
Listen to the full conversation and let us know what you think -- we're on Twitter @TweetBenMax and @JarrettMurphy. You can listen to the show through the embedded audio below or download the episode wherever you get your podcasts, under "Max & Murphy," and listen to the show on Wednesdays at 5 p.m. on WBAI radio.
Can it really be reality that the Pacifica By-Laws [ do we each need to Pacifica's see website to their bylaws] state:
ReplyDeleteThat clearly and or even Fairly, Equitably, or Ethically these laws insures that 1 of 5 radio stations across the USA – can and will forever BURDEN all of the others in 1 felled-swoop ?
That 1 action or a set of a few bad moves,as maybe ‘inadvertent’ financial non-responsible actions, and non-payment of $$$ due…. can then ruin the whole rest of the set that is listed as “under the Pacifica Umbrella” like a leaky, worn-away, damaged umbrella that does not protect those it is Supposed to protect ?
The question somehow remains unclear and blame is avoided, repeatedly. Can it be that some by-law written [when was that put in ? and by whom ?
and with what wrong assumptions oh-so-long-before?] so that turns out to allow UNETHICAL actions and bad-business-attitudes and arrogant ACTS are unprofessional & yet taken ?
by a few in 1 station’s management [without any care or consideration for any other stations, of course ] but...then becomes the BURDEN and OBLIGATION of everyone / all to repay and make reparations ?
Can it be true that those same by-laws exist right now?
Those rules are left in place ? as if the non-rental-payment and/or whatever someone who was also paid to represent WBAI - were just a 1-outliar...
= [a liar and manipulator? as noted obviously, only now] so they could sign or not-pay-documented debts that then crumbles Everyone Else – who not only did not know, or realize they each & all Pacifica station members – are then obliged to PAY with their own hard-fund-raised-little donations?
where has the action 'bad actions' be delineated clearly and described, defined, admitted and where has it been re-posted so it is not just an "oh, i missed it, the 1 time it was written for the paying Pacifican public"- or never re-mentioned?
sgcimFriday, July 27, 2018
ReplyDeleteWNYC's loss is WBAI's gain. What were the charges against Lopate? He told a staff member that a dress she wore made her look more bosomy. Did he force himself upon her? No. He pointed out that the derivation of a word came from a woman's sex organ on the air.
It's frightening that the people on this board and at WNYC have become like Big Brother. Do you really think that Lopate is some type of sexual predator, when his first marriage was destroyed by some animal who raped and traumatized his wife?
Three hip-hop producers are resigning. Gee, I wonder how the lyrics of most hip-hop songs treat women?
R. Kelly keeps sex slaves, Kanye is a big Trump supporter, and on and on and on.
I haven't donated any money to WBAI since the 60s and early 70s, when they were at least doing some intelligent programming. Getting Lopate back on WBAI was the first positive move made by a program director in decades. Hopefully, more former WNYC subscribers who quit sending money to WNYC when Lopate was fired will join me, and start supporting WBAI to reward them for hiring somebody who is cultured enough to play Herbie Nichols, Blue Mitchell and Marion Williams on the air.
Other than Chris, do any of the posters above even know who those great artists were?