I highly recommend Dick and Sharon's LA Progressive. Published and edited by them, it is a well-informed, literally diverse, insightful and greatly illustrated source of information. Apart from the fact that their scope is, by nature, well beyond Pacifica, their work puts to shame my own shoestring effort, but we are all riding the same train.
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| Sharon and Dick |
Dick and Sharon welcome literary input as well as they do a widening readership. They can be reached at: https://www.laprogressive.com
Included among the wide variety of journalists and thinkers who regularly contribute to Dick and Sharon's publications is Michael Novick, a seasoned, often contentious Pacifica broadcaster and National Board member. They have distinct but related problems at our other stations as you will see when you read Novick's update on the ongoing (worsening) financial mess.
LA Progressive article.
The following comment and clarification was submitted by Kim Kaufman, a Pacifican with whose love affair with the truth is often in evidence here and elsewhere. Rather than see Kim's response linger offstage, as it were, I bring it up here.
🔻🔻🔻⬇🔻🔻🔻
Novick’s concern about financial malfeasance is warranted – but, unfortunately, he has no credibility in making it. A little over three years ago I wrote “KPFK and Pacifica: A Quiet Coup” which L.A. Progressive also published. You can find it here. Novick and his faction was then in the majority and in charge.
Novick’s group is merely making additional complaints to the AG. The complaints started in 2014 when his faction took control of the national board and KPFK and which caused the AG to open an investigation on Pacifica which is still open. I can assure everyone reading this, the AG is very familiar with the damage done during Novick’s faction’s majority.
Novick errs in saying the Auditor advised against the loan. The auditor did not weigh in or offer any advice as to procuring the loan. An auditor’s job is to report on the financial state of the organization. Period.
Several in Novick’s group have the loan documents. Why don’t they release them to the public?
Novick’s complaints to the AG about Pacifica’s election show a lack of understanding of what they do since the AG website states they do not get involved in internal elections. Of course, Novick’s faction didn’t bother with election violations – they simply didn’t have elections for two years in a row.
I’m not going to comment on his programming issues except to say I’m totally tired of hearing all these crackpot board members trying to micromanage programming into their own vision – from Novick’s “more radical than thou” version (which totally crashed KPFK’s listener support under the gatekeeping of his chosen GM, Leslie Radford) to Grace Aaron’s Scientology model of “we need celebrities on the air to attract listeners.”
Lastly, Novick claims to be a “long-time anti-racist and trade union activist.” Novick totally supported the union busting by Radford against KPFK’s SAG-AFTRA union staff when he was Treasurer and on the national board. KPFK lost every claim in arbitration and had to pay a fine for management’s malfeasance, which of course came out of listener support.
“The way to change institutions is to change the people in positions of influence within them.”—Yves Smith. I have come to the conclusion that both factions are completely inadequate for the task of sitting on the board of Pacifica or its stations. Each side has caused irreversible damage.
- Kim Kaufman
A CORRECTION - Jan. 19, 2019
I have said many times I have a long history of being right – but occasionally I do make mistakes. When that happens, I promptly acknowledge it. So here goes. This paragraph:
"Novick errs in saying the Auditor advised against the loan. The auditor did not weigh in or offer any advice as to procuring the loan. An auditor’s job is to report on the financial state of the organization. Period."
is wrong. I was not aware of the auditor’s letter which I have now seen. The auditor not only reported on the state of Pacifica's finances, which is appropriate, but advosed for a solution.
I agree with everything the auditor appropriately said regarding the financial realities of Pacifica that, among other things, indicated a loan was a poor choice for the board to make. However, his recommendation for the sale or swap of WBAI as the only solution, I find seriously problematic.
At any rate, I was wrong, I made an incorrect statement and I apologize.
- Kim
I just wanted to chime in and say I am still among the living. To be honest, I haven't paid any attention to WBAI or Pacifica antics in a while, as they aren't worth my time or interest.
ReplyDeleteTonight I did look at the WBAI schedule and can only say that the changes are for the worse overall. Juliana Forlano back? Seriously? Most of it seems like a shuffle and nothing more, although dropping TPCS is a good idea, as that show was long dead. I didn't see R. Paul Martin's howl fest on the schedule, either. If he's finally gone, that's good.
Anyway, it still seems to be the same old shit. I'll stick to other things.
SDL
While I fully understand, please know that your input has been missed.
DeleteYes, much shuffling and some dumping has occurred in you absence, but closer scrutiny just might let in a thin ray of hope. I want it to be so, but, given what Linda Perry has to work with, I admit that some of my optimism (weak as it is) has artificial ingredients.
Novick’s concern about financial malfeasance is warranted – but, unfortunately, he has no credibility in making it. A little over three years ago I wrote “KPFK and Pacifica: A Quiet Coup” which L.A. Progressive also published. You can find it here: https://www.laprogressive.com/kpfk-and-pacifica/. Novick and his faction was then in the majority and in charge.
ReplyDeleteNovick’s group is merely making additional complaints to the AG. The complaints started in 2014 when his faction took control of the national board and KPFK and which caused the AG to open an investigation on Pacifica which is still open. I can assure everyone reading this, the AG is very familiar with the damage done during Novick’s faction’s majority.
Novick errs in saying the Auditor advised against the loan. The auditor did not weigh in or offer any advice as to procuring the loan. An auditor’s job is to report on the financial state of the organization. Period.
Several in Novick’s group have the loan documents. Why don’t they release them to the public?
Novick’s complaints to the AG about Pacifica’s election show a lack of understanding of what they do since the AG website states they do not get involved in internal elections. Of course, Novick’s faction didn’t bother with election violations – they simply didn’t have elections for two years in a row.
I’m not going to comment on his programming issues except to say I’m totally tired of hearing all these crackpot board members trying to micromanage programming into their own vision – from Novick’s “more radical than thou” version (which totally crashed KPFK’s listener support under the gatekeeping of his chosen GM, Leslie Radford) to Grace Aaron’s Scientology model of “we need celebrities on the air to attract listeners.”
Lastly, Novick claims to be a “long-time anti-racist and trade union activist.” Novick totally supported the union busting by Radford against KPFK’s SAG-AFTRA union staff when he was Treasurer and on the national board. KPFK lost every claim in arbitration and had to pay a fine for management’s malfeasance, which of course came out of listener support.
“The way to change institutions is to change the people in positions of influence within them.”—Yves Smith. I have come to the conclusion that both factions are completely inadequate for the task of sitting on the board of Pacifica or its stations. Each side has caused irreversible damage.
- Kim Kaufman
@Kim
DeleteThanks for all that information, and for the perspective, it's helpful :)
~ 'indgo'
Thank you, Kim.
DeleteI have said many times I have a long history of being right – but occasionally I do make mistakes. When that happens, I promptly acknowledge it. So here goes. This paragraph:
ReplyDelete"Novick errs in saying the Auditor advised against the loan. The auditor did not weigh in or offer any advice as to procuring the loan. An auditor’s job is to report on the financial state of the organization. Period."
is wrong. I was not aware of the auditor’s letter which I have now seen. The auditor not only reported on the state of Pacifica's finances, which is appropriate, but advosed for a solution.
I agree with everything the auditor appropriately said regarding the financial realities of Pacifica that, among other things, indicated a loan was a poor choice for the board to make. However, his recommendation for the sale or swap of WBAI as the only solution, I find seriously problematic.
At any rate, I was wrong, I made an incorrect statement and I apologize.
- Kim
Thanks, Kim—I hope your honesty is contagious!
Delete