WBAI

Firstly, as recently available context, consider this:
As recently reported in www.pacificainexile.org, KPFA's numbers as to actuals and projected revenue have no relation to realities: Actual revenues are half a million less than reported earlier, and projected revenues proved to be $1.3m optimistic. Current projected operating losses are therefore ~$300,000 pa.

KPFA's treasurer declined to comment.

There is every reason to believe it's as bad or worse throughout Pacifica.

They prefer, after all, to live in their own reality and Just Make Stuff Up.

That's who they are, that's what they do.

Last evening [January 15, 2019] the PNB Strategic Planning Committee met to discuss its perceptions and plans as to Pacifica's Realities. [The above is an excerpt. The full meeting is hiding behind this link.]

They were positive. They were optimistic. They were also even more positive. They were also even more optimistic. Sure sure sure, they acknowledged a few minor challenges but envisioned a Bright Future, with Pacifica Influencing Progressive Politics at the National Level.

(There was of course no mention nor discussion of Pacifica's long-abandoned original principles and goals. These are advocates. They have no interest in that Bourgeois Nonsense. Not for Many Many Many Years.)

There were two principal themes, both translating as All is Well, and All Will Be Even Better:

1) Grace Aaron informed the Planning Committee that there was no need to be concerned with respect to the FJC $3.2m+ loan. As it's secured by real estate, no dysfunction or underperformance can have any negative impact on Pacifica because it's 'secured by real estate' and can therefore simply be rolled over or refinanced. This is of course contrary to some of the actual leaked language from the secret loan agreement, and contrary to some reports we've had, particularly from Jara Handala, with respect to FJC's stated and actual practices.

Thus her recommendations that if Pacifica simply follows Standard Business Practices programming will improve as if in a Left/Progressive version of the Magic of the Marketplace and All Will Be Well & Swell & Just Fine 😺

Ms Aaron's claim to authority re finance and loan considerations and questions is straightforward: She's expert in this area, since her husband was involved in the sub-prime mortgage game.

Yup, you heard me rightly on that one. The sub-prime mortgage game. Predatory lending ending in catastrophe.

Trust Grace Aaron. She knows her stuff. Trust her.

Want a good deal on a bridge or a bridge loan?

2) Maxie III, aka Maxie Maxie Maxie, noted real progress had been made by outsourcing a great deal, perhaps most, of Pacifica's financial accounting and HR needs to NETA. From what we know, this is both true, and a very real positive. Credit where due.

On the other hand, accurate accounting will in no way change Pacifica's actual numbers and actual performance which have continued their long decline (cf above re KPFA), with no credible hint of change with respect to the reality of the overwhelmingly clear trend-lines.

Ah, but there is Very Real Reason for Optimism!

Hope! Positive Thinking! Progressive Positive Thinking!

It's all about Maxie's Push for Best Practices!

If only, you see, Pacifica can be persuaded to structure its programming to mimic that of others, things will be better.

Note that there is no emphasis on Talent. On the contrary, Maxie explicitly despises or at best tolerates the 'ego' of Talent, whether on-air or as producers, their task being to subsume their egos to the overall Greater Whole, the Pacifica Mission!

Try not to get too excited reading those words. It's a true Vision, you see!

Maxie knows that talent needs to know its place. Yes, in his catchy little saying, talent needs to learn that 'We're not trying to feed an ego system, we're trying to contribute to an eco-system.'

Clever isn't it? Reflects the man's insight, understanding, and the foundations of his success over the years.

Then again...

That Vision got him dead-ass-fuck-fired from the National Federation of Community Broadcasters for its clear catastrophic failures and the internal staff chaos associated with his time in charge. Fortunately, after a period of turmoil, new management set things on a successful path forward, abandoning Maxie's as worse than a dead end.

Similarly, it would seem, his two years at WETA, in which he abandoned classical music, replacing it with news and public affairs, was, uh uhm, less than a success. After Maxie 'moved on', Classical replaced his transformational brilliance.

His other achievements are it would seem comparable. That is, nothing to speak of, or clear failure.

Recall, if you will that Pacifica was able to find only a handful of marginally 'qualified' applicants for the ED position, and that the first choice in this stellar field chose to bail after actually listening to a PNB Meeting. Maxie was the second choice.

So Maxie won 🙀

The man does love his management buzzwords, though, you have to give him that. He has quite a stock of them, all effectively meaningless or near-meaningless, as most buzzwords are. His very very favorite, though, is Best Practices.

If he repeats Best Practices often enough, and hopes and plans to copy the successful efforts of people who, unlike himself, actually succeed at the media game, he should Succeed too, right?

It hasn't happened yet, and there's precious little sign this will be the first time, but Hope Springs Eternal.

Hold your breath. Exhale. Then inhale. Then repeat, endlessly... Best Practices. Best Practices. Best Practices. Niche Markets. Data-Driven Insights. Metrics. Niche Markets. Surveys. Analytics. Best Practices... Best Practices... Best Practices... 

You've Got It !!!

Producers don't matter. Talent doesn't matter. Only 'data-driven market focus' matters.

It can, of course, sometimes.

It hasn't, though, not for Maxie, not yet in his career.

Just keep hoping. Just keep believing. Have Faith.

Pacifica will rise from the dead. Soon now. Real soon now. Real real soon now. Very Soon Now.

Believe! Believe!

(Wanna buy a Bridge?)

~ 'indigopirate'