These days, Pacifica vandalist No. 1, Cerene Roberts—whose Board terms exhausted everybody—flutters on the fringes of her botched attempts. The realization that she is but a meddling outsider is something she finds unacceptable, so she plots in the shadows and desperately fires off fact-starved email that could have come right out of Trump's potty. So far, the collusion between her and MNN's Dan Coughlin has not worked as planned, but she and her gang have played a major role in what may have been a fatal blow to the Pacifica Lew Hill and his associates envisioned.
A significant cause of the problem is the network-wide ineptitude of management and the lowered standard it generates. The goalpost has long since moved from serving the intellectual community to merely staying on the air. Pacifica stations have become a deceitful Home Shopping Network with high-priced scams, lies and other political propaganda oozing in to bang on downgraded eardrums.
On Thursday January 31st, when dysfunctional PNB delegates once again convened for "business", Cerene Robert's most tiresome, disruptive understudy, Adriana, did a splendid job of stretching a ten-minute extension bid into an hour-long exercise in futility.
Appearances by ED Maxie Jackson provided a sign of sanity, but most Board members—even those who mean well and think straight—appear to have been smitten by the germs of palaver dabble.
The following audio excerpt has been sparingly unmasked, but I think it captures the essence of what happens when the moon of civility descends.
Following that is ED Maxie Jackson's report and an unexpurgated four-part audio of the full meeting. Only the hardiest of you is likely to sit still for the latter, but listening to the remarkably tolerant Mr. Jackson is not a waste of your time.
A significant cause of the problem is the network-wide ineptitude of management and the lowered standard it generates. The goalpost has long since moved from serving the intellectual community to merely staying on the air. Pacifica stations have become a deceitful Home Shopping Network with high-priced scams, lies and other political propaganda oozing in to bang on downgraded eardrums.
On Thursday January 31st, when dysfunctional PNB delegates once again convened for "business", Cerene Robert's most tiresome, disruptive understudy, Adriana, did a splendid job of stretching a ten-minute extension bid into an hour-long exercise in futility.
Appearances by ED Maxie Jackson provided a sign of sanity, but most Board members—even those who mean well and think straight—appear to have been smitten by the germs of palaver dabble.
The following audio excerpt has been sparingly unmasked, but I think it captures the essence of what happens when the moon of civility descends.
Following that is ED Maxie Jackson's report and an unexpurgated four-part audio of the full meeting. Only the hardiest of you is likely to sit still for the latter, but listening to the remarkably tolerant Mr. Jackson is not a waste of your time.
The cackle debacle.
Executive Director Maxie's Report
Full meeting - part 1 of 4 - Full meeting - part 2 of 4
Full meeting - part 3 of 4 - Full meeting - part 4 of 4
At the PNB meeting, the ED talked about his meeting with the CPB. Their main issue is governance structure at Pacifica. They see too much governance.
ReplyDeleteThere is concern at the lack of documented CABs at the station.
There is concern about whether the stations would comply with a strategic plan at the network level. They see Pacifica as one entity receiving five disbursements. He went on to criticize the election process, the lack of meetings at WBAI and the 2 groups claiming to be the LSB in Houston. He said the CPB suggested turning the LSBs into CABs. He himself wondered about raising the bar for LSB members.
"A significant cause of the problem is the network-wide ineptitude of management and the lowered standard it generates."
ReplyDeleteI disagree somewhat. I believe it is the network-wide ineptitude of the boards. Both factions. And for a very long time. Management is, unfortunately, hired by the boards - a task they are unqualified to do in the first place. They let management do what they do - in between the micro-managing they insist on doing. Anyone competent gets driven out.
Kim
Thank you for sharing your superior insight. You make far more sense than I do, Kim.
DeleteWho knows what will happen now that Adriana's termed out of the PNB, but she went out in a blaze of racism blaming glory
ReplyDeleteI've been less-than-impressed-to-critical of Maxie's credentials and enthusiasm for buzzwords. That said, I may need to revise my opinion/judgement of him. He appears to be making a solid effort both to put Pacifica's shambolic affairs in order and to move toward attempting to reform Pacifica's governance.
ReplyDeleteHow much progress is possible with respect to this critical latter, given that it's a self-perpetuating structure, of which he's very much aware, is an open question, but he appears to be making a good run at that core problem, and might even have a thought or two as to possible levers.
Though given what Pacifica sees as its mission since long ago abandoning and betraying its original principles and purposes, its fate is of no meaningful interest to me, in the abstract I wish him well.
~ 'indigopirate'
The faction disputes have paralyzed the local boards. They are reduced to doing nothing more than electing directors. The directors are able to get the minimum actions needed to keep the network running but are unwilling or unable to make changes. The managers pretty much do what they want. They can ignore the local boards. The national board can barely run a meeting let alone watch the managers. It looks like Maxie has figured this out. He can fire a GM but he is probably not at the point where he would try it. If he is serious, then he is going to have to push for changes in governance. The promise of CPB funding could be used as an incentive to change the structure.
DeleteI would agree that attempting to use possible CPB funding as an incentive for change is a natural and sensible path, and I'd guess it's something he'll attempt to do at some point.
DeleteI also think it will fail.
These are with only the rarest of exceptions nonentities with delusions of consequence. They will not with the rarest of exceptions yield their imagined importance for anything, let alone for the good of the whole.
This problem was clearly a substantial part of the motivation for those arguing for voluntary Ch11 over a year ago; The hope that once in the hands of the court necessary changes could be made that otherwise would inevitably be blocked by various forms of factionalism and self-interest.
That effort was itself blocked, leading to the present impasse.
Anything is possible in this best of all possible worlds, but I think it unlikely that any significant reform can be accomplished.
Imagine, as a hypothetical that some left//progressive angel offered them a fortune in exchange for handing over control to well-qualified and credentialed left/progressive fellow travelers.
They'd block / turn down the offer in a cacophonous frenzy.
What matters to this gathering of wannabe Maximum Leaders is Control.
They will struggle, fighting one another for control of the controls as they plummet ever lower, either to oblivion or continued irrelevance.
I don't see any other probable path.
~ 'indigopirate'
I turned on WBAI this morning (Tues., Feb. 4), to see if I could stand to listen for more than 5 minutes without getting nauseous, and found that they seem to be in fund drive, again.
ReplyDeleteThat shouldn't surprise you, I tuned in early and hear "Earthmom" speak to a guy whose book, "Rhythm for Sale" is the kind of pap that disgraces music journalism. Here's what I said about it a couple of years ago:
Delete"II could overlook excessive use of commas, having been guilty of that myself, but sloppy research and the twisting of fundamental facts are inexcusable flaws in a book that purports to be a true account. Reid is writing about a grandfather whom he never met, and his book is a strained effort to give this man far, far more credit than he deserves. Anyone who has spent time meticulously digging up the facts and obtaining first-hand accounts through interviews—as I and others have—should not just be appalled by such schlock as this is, but also angered on behalf of historians who worked exhaustively to get it right. The author reveals little knowledge of the subject, no sign of seeking to present a true story, and every indication of having engaged in deliberate, self-serving falsification. We who write about real people and incidents many years after the fact are bound to make mistakes, but 'Rhythm for Sale' is an irresponsible work."
Felipe Luciano revealed his often well-veiled ignorance about jazz when he tried to push this piece of name-dropping junk at a previous WBAI beg-athon. That is, sad to say, in keeping with WBAI's dumpster retrievals.
I don't expect "earhtmom" to know better, but whoever has the job of approving premiums ought to do so with at least a modicum of responsibility.
The infomercial that I heard was for some kind of treatment that "will make your skin look younger" How did THAT one get past the ideologues at Pacifica and BAI?
DeleteThis is WBAI, a radio station that has long since shed its last shred of integrity and original purpose. Bates and others of his ilk have gone to well-earned oblivion, but the destructive paths that took them to the station remain. They are shamelessly traveled by fake doctors, con artists like Ron Daniels, self-absorbed opportunists like Null and Kane, and a gaggle of gimme geese, a JUC wrecking crew, an others who wouldn’t have gotten past the front door when WBAI was a station that mattered. Now it’s the listener (all 317 of them) that counts.
DeleteI would like to ask Berthold Reimers the following question from a purely objective, non-racialist perspective: What percentage of the money comes in from WBAI premiums from the "total" "non-white" (for lack of a better term) produced shows that participate "on air" during fundraisers?
ReplyDeleteThat's an interesting question, quite pertinent when one considers the racial makeup of the program schedule. It is a question that can easily be construed as racist, but it no more that than the programming itself
DeleteAs I understand it, the infomercials that bring in the most money are generally not black-related, per se. How many times have you heard MLK? It's overkill and I would guess that income and respect are—at this point—diminished with each airing of the Reverend's speech. Their excessive airing, especially the one he gave in England, reflect a prevailing racial bias that has hurt WBAI immensely. Notice how they pitch the flash stick of great material from the Pacifica Archive—it contains a treasure of recordings by some of the world's most remarkable thinkers and performers, but you might not know it, for the examples aired repetitively are black or black inclined. When KPFA launched Lew Hill's concept of non-commercial intelligent radio, Pacifica's target audience comprised people whose intellect generated a healthy curiosity, regardless of background or ethnic origin. Pacifica programs always sought the truth and respected the listenership.
Honesty and a high level of mutual trust characterized the stations' relationship to those who embraced and supported them. That has all changed as opportunists took over and remolded Pacifica into the parochial shell that still stands but has ceased to function as designed.
In the unlikely event that you manage to get an answer to your question from Berthold Reimers, it will undoubtedly be one that has been customized to obscure his own ineptitude and WBAI's mindless metamorphosis from a vital resource to a virtually useless soap box for narcissistic schemers and scammers.
What the bleep is going on at Pacifica? There has been almost no news. Are they just sitting on their hands? They took out loans they can't pay and then just go back to business as usual. Where is the urgency? Where is Reimers? Are the changes in programming having an impact or is it just changing seats on the Titanic? What's with KPFT and their multiple local boards? Who is the next idiot to appear before their kangaroo court? Its like they just drifting along aimlessly.
ReplyDeleteAll valid questions. Sinking is sinking and Pacifica continues its descent, but it matters less and less at this point, because the organization has been on hand-cranked life support for years. ED Maxie Jackson seems to be aware of this—or unable to pretend it isn't so—but he has yet to make a significant move.
DeleteI'm afraid the reason for our being in the dark is elementary: the light no longer shines,
Mimi assuming the role of the oppressed black woman yet again .
ReplyDeleteAnd yes , the all Africa , all the time programming rolls on.
BAI celebrating black history month, how funny is that?
And thanks Linda and Riemers for all the "new" programming .lpl
I find myself tuning in WNYC to hear about highly accomplished black people who never get as much as a mention on WBAI. Reflecting the tattered mindset that exists (and seems to increase) at WBAI, it is pathetic to hear falsified black "history" and a chosen few individuals given air time that so readily could be made informative, rich and meaningful if the people who call the shots knew what the hell it is all about. Their blatant, often Hollywood based blather is not only wasted but also detrimental to black people. The important contributions of MLK and Robeson should by no means be overlooked, but neither should they be repeated so much as to be diluted.
DeleteMimi is an embarrassing joke, much as WBAI has been lowered to one.