Maxie Fails to Grasp, Fails to Grasp that He Fails to Grasp Absent Thought, Insight, or Ideas
Settles for a few Weasley & Condescending Insults of Affiliates Director
In the past I've pointed out that Maxie III's aptitudes and skill sets are those of a low-level apparatchik – a 'tool' in management argot.
Minimal management competence in other words.
In Monday's PNB Strategic Planning Committee Meeting, the latter portion dealing with Ursula Ruedenberg and the Pacifica Affiliates Program, I came to the realization that I'd been wrong. That I'd seriously overestimated the man's competence, as opposed to his enthusiasm for buzzword and his mindless rote embrace of 'best practices', which in his usage simply means mindless commonplace thinking.
The audio [above link] here is fairly lengthy, I'm afraid, but it makes clear that Maxie is incapable of grasping a simple management situation and addressing it. That task should take, I'd say, no more than five or ten minutes. A number of simple, clear, and likely effective approaches are immediately apparent.
Though they aren't to Maxie, Pacifica's Executive Director.
Here's the story: Ursula Ruedenberg has built and directed what is widely seen as a successful Affiliates Program for Pacifica. Pacifica frequently points to the Affiliates Program as successful and of real importance. She has done so with meager financial means and marginal support in many respects.
Of late, nearing retirement considerations and accompanying questions as to succession, she's raised the need for the Affiliates Program being a separate unit.
It's clear that the Affiliates Program, as an operation, is a small, low-cost, flexible and adaptive operation which has an impact benefitting Pacifica far far more than its relatively modest financial dimensions.
Maxie literally can't grasp this, clear though it is, obvious though it is.
Can't think of any approach other than his little tool kit of standardized 'best practice' approaches.
As they aren't readily applicable here, he has nothing to offer but a few kind and ultimately dismissive words.
Ms Ruedenberg is rightly frustrated and even more rightly offended.
She clearly has a very clear grasp of what works in her operation, and which has resulted in a very successful operation.
Maxie simply doesn't get it, can't hear it, can't comprehend it, and dismisses her while denying that he's dismissing her.
—'indigopirate'
This is an uploadible PDF file that duplicates Kim's comment.
Dancing and avoidance seem to definitely be in his 'toolkit'. Maybe he studied to be a lawyer. No results down here in the sunny south either after appealing to him on being thrown out of KPFT for no stated reason after helping for 12 years, on an almost daily basis. Ne help either on the findings and conclusions of the MSRC of 2018.And what is really sad is that Bill Crosier is enjoying it all!
ReplyDeletePart 1
ReplyDeleteI have a different take on the meeting, Ursula and the Affiliates program.
I was on the Affiliates Task Force for my first two years on the board until I realized it was a giant waste of time. I used to wonder what Ursula actually did all day. This from NFCB (National Federation of Community Broadcasters):
Ursula Ruedenberg
Affiliate Network Manager, Pacifica
Ursula Ruedenberg has been Pacifica’s Affiliate Network Manager since 2002, keeping relations with over 200 network member stations. Prior to that, she was an activist in the Pacifica Campaign to stop the Corporate Takeover. In her work for Pacifica, Ruedenberg produces Sprouts, Radio From the Grassroots, a national show that features grassroots radio production, and as part of her work for Pacifica Network, Ruedenberg was a founding member of the Radio For People Coalition and helped with the application and construction of numerous new community radio stations around the country. In 2011, she led the construction of KHOI Community Radio in Ames, Iowa as Chair of the Board, and is currently KHOI’s station manager. She is executive producer of KHOI’s morning show. Prior to her work in radio, Ruedenberg was a public artist and directed a community mural program for the City of New York for 20 years. She has an MFA from Sarah Lawrence College.
It seems the FCC permit for a full-power community radio station was acquired in 2009. She apparently raised $60k and opened the station August, 2012. I no longer wonder what she does all day long and why she insists she needs an assistant.
I’m familiar with Ursula and her tactics. She’s selling this separate unit hard and has lobbied that new Affiliates guy, Robin - hard. My favorite part was when he said most affiliates join to get Democracy Now and did they know Pacifica didn’t pay DN? How did Ursula pull that off? Amy is a saint for doing that. Lol.
He claimed Ursula couldn’t go to an important meeting because she didn’t have a title. And how the bookkeeper is willing to be trained on Great Plains – but he’s so good he could easily join corporate America and make more money.
But it’s unclear whether the bookkeeper is actually a bookkeeper or a business manager. Or is just someone who talks to the affiliates and gets them to sign their contracts. But he’s super important and nice touch at the previous meeting she said that the excellent bookkeeper will leave if she doesn’t become a separate unit. She also said that the bookkeeping takes little time. It’s all gibberish, imo.
End part 1
Kim Kaufman
Part 2
ReplyDeleteMaxie tried to point out that her station relationships is different than the finances. And also asked what is her business plan that warrants independence? What is her strategy for generating more revenue? I certainly didn’t hear her articulate anything of substance in response.
Ursula got her haughty on and said business plans are good but good people are better. And copped a “how dare you question my professionalism”? Some people seem to think just because they’ve kept a job at Pacifica for a number of years, and worked nowhere else in the field, makes them professionals. I don’t think it does.
I thought what she said made little sense and she was hard pressed to find any justification for a separate unit. She resorted to trying to make what she does seem so complicated. She needs a chart! It didn’t sound complicated, it sounds like Ursula’s never learned how to make a data base that works.
During the period when there were active discussions about LMAs, PSOAs, etc., during roughly 2013-2015, Ursula lobbied several board members during the time suggesting that she thought handing WBAI over to Dan Coughlin was a great idea. Let’s remember that Ursula was given her job as Affiliates director by Dan Coughlin as a reward for being a faithful worker for the Pacifica Campaign. She also did not create the Affiliates program, as she claimed at the previous meeting, there had been one for a long time before the lawsuits.
Right now, there are several plans to break up Pacifica (that I know of). One is from old guard Peter Franck, https://culturelaw.com/special-information/. A main part of Peter’s plan is to run everything through the Affiliates because there will be no national office, no actual Pacifica. The stations will be owned separately as 501(c)(3)s. Some station will have to be sold or swapped in order to give some start up money and who the lucky recipients of the valuable radio licenses will be is anyone’s guess. I don’t know if Peter has spoken with Ursula, although it’s likely, and if that’s Ursula’s motivation behind her insistence on becoming a separate unit.
I have disagreed with Maxie on several issues but not on this one. The Affiliates is a good program and provides a good service to smaller stations but I think something else is going on here and it’s not necessarily in the best interest of Pacifica.
End
Kim Kaufman
You can upload Kim's response here:
Deletehttp://www.mediafire.com/file/7l9jsl14kk1vlle/Kim_Kaufman_on_PNB_Affiliates_discussion.pdf
My judgement is the opposite. All objective, factual accounts indicate what widely is judged to be an operation with ~200 affiliates, of very real value to Pacifica, though bringing in only trivial/modest revenue, and which is run on a shoestring.
DeleteI have no respect for Maxie's judgement, which is by rote.
Zero.
If you do, we differ radically.
He sure as deep dish fuck ain't from Wharton, Sloan, Stern, or any such, and his past performance is patchy at best. All one needs do is google a bit. Very little wonder he's delighted to have this opportunity. As you may recall they couldn't actually get any qualified applicants, their first choice took a pass, etc.
In any event, Ruedenberg's needs are easily accommodated. The very fact that Maxie is such a 'tool' that he doesn't see how to do that reminds me of another term used in any serious management evaluation:
'Fucking Shithead'
~ 'indigopirate'
indi go away pirate loves to sound so superior and mean, insulting, cursing and complaining but no where is it noted what his expertise may be besides negative comments here . ...and "outrage" and "maligning" everyone who has anything to do with any Pacifica operation is not a talent, not a skill, not ability and not 'smart' either.
DeleteCan this guy and his followers do a job of value for the same salary or have they ever tried and reported to claim Any dues to all the bad wording done here ? yuk on ya all.
'Most affiliates join to get Democracy Now' That makes sense. I always wondered why these stations would affiliate. There are some good shows out of California but not enough to fill a schedule. 'Most affiliates join to get Democracy Now' Yes. That makes sense. Not all affiliates pay or pay on time but then Pacifica doesn't pay Amy. Of course Amy with her fair trade coffee is doing quite well anyway so it all evens out in the end..well.more or less...
ReplyDelete
ReplyDeleteSo Pacifica actually has a business unit that *might* be competent?
Are they actually running MS/Great Plains or are their finances co-mingled with the rest of the so-called books?
Leaving Ursula Ruedenberg's motives aside for a moment, Does it make business sense to spin them off or not?
I can only speak from the impression I've gathered over the years. My understanding is that their books are clear. Note that when Ruedenberg speaks of their interactions with stations she refers to their ability to quickly provide them with clear accounting as to their numbers. I think she's said they're already on Great Plains and would therefore find it easy to interface with NETA.
DeleteI don't think she's raised the issue lately (at least publicly), or hasn't stressed it, but for years the National Office hasn't segregated income from the Affiliates from other National Office accounts, and has when it's deemed it convenient/necessary simply dipped into those monies as if they were a sort of piggy bank. I would think Ruedenberg must find this more than a little annoying.
My overall perspective, for whatever it's worth, is this: Pacifica is a nonprofit. While it's extremely important that its accounting be clear, methodical, and transparent, it isn't necessarily necessary for each unit to contribute to overall Pacifica profitability in the sense that's generally appropriate for a subdivision of a for-profit organization/corporation.
The question is value provided to the organization. A unit may contribute quite a bit with respect to outreach, name recognition, prestige, credibility, and in fulfilling the overall purposes of the organization without necessarily providing 'profit' in pure dollar terms.
If, therefore, the contribution of the Affiliates Program to Pacifica is significant, which seems to be generally acknowledged, and if it's been essentially free standing, costing Pacifica nary a penny and actually throwing a bit of money back into Pacifica while conducting valuable activities for Pacifica, and if the longstanding director who's made that happen for more than a few years says she and Pacifica would be well served by a simple clear unit status, I fail to see the problem.
I suppose that makes it fairly clear I'm not a Pacifican.
~ 'indigopirate'
@Indigopirate. Can you give me three good business reasons for the Affiliates to be a separate unit? I didn't hear even one good reason. This should be a business decision not just a whim.
ReplyDelete@anon
DeleteThe affiliates are a valuable asset to Pacifica, extending reach, influence, and credibility at very low cost.
They are and have been de facto a successful separate unit for many years.
Recognizing the reality, and the unit's efficacy and value is itself very low cost – there's no need to do it in the mindless form which seems to be all Maxie III is capable of grasping.
ps: This is a simple matter made absurdly 'difficult' only by Maxie III and Pacifica. For Pacifica, how to tie one's shoe laces is an enormous management and organizational challenge – which speaks volumes.
~ 'indigopirate'
Reality check: WPLJ along with WRQX Washington DC, WYAY Atlanta, KFFG Los Gatos/San Jose, WZAT Savannah and WXTL Syracuse NY sold to K-LOVE Christian Radio (EMF) for $103.5 million.
ReplyDeleteEMF filed with the FCC to operate WPLJ as a non-commercial station, just like WBAI.
This gives everyone an idea on what the WBAI license is really worth. BTW, When I find the FCC filing with the actual sale price for WPLJ I will post it.
Wow. Reality check indeed. Thank you. That's a radically different picture and impression than we've been given. If you have a feel for the market, would you care to hazard a guess as to the value of 99.5 as either an outright sale or for a signal swap? Only if you feel comfortable with a guess, and I won't hold you to it in any sense.
DeleteThat's quite a bag of frequences for only $103.5m total.
Wow, again.
~ 'indigopirate'
Was looking for the single station sale price in the public file for WPLJ at https://publicfiles.fcc.gov/fm-profile/wplj/
ReplyDeleteIt's not readily apparent from the public file, and may actually be considered proprietary by EMF.
For more reading enjoyment, the public file for WBAI is at https://publicfiles.fcc.gov/fm-profile/wbai/
Only reference I have been able to find so far:
ReplyDeletefrom the chart at: https://www.rbr.com/analysis-brokers-cmls-etm/
15,789,207 x $3.37 per pop = $53,209,627.60
Thanks. A pretty nice piece of change. Such a valuable asset and they can't figure out how to do shit with it.
DeleteI take that back... they *do* do shit with it.
~ 'indigo'