Reimers' helpophobia... or game plan?

This post was updated November 10, 2015

The following letter to Berthold Reimers was made public by the author, Stephen M. Brown—a member of the WBAI LSB—this evening, November 5, 2015. It is by no means the first time we hear of Reimers ignoring fund-raising suggestions. His record of approving such outside events reflects his tendency to back the wrong horse, so to speak. Daulton Anderson's church concert is said to have been a failure, and some events have even resulted in loss of money.

Whatever you may think of Gary Null and regardless of what his motive might be, the fact is that he can raise money for the station. Like so many who have contributed funds and/or work to WBAI, Null has seen how Reimers' treats potential benefactors who wish to contribute their expertise while still among the living. It's a "will us your money and die" attitude that many listeners have sensed and taken as their cue to hit the road.

When hear that the current fund drive is unlikely to reach 50% of its goal and that Reimers' lack of visibility is, in part, due to his dodging bill collectors, so he should have welcomed the offer described in Mr. Brown's letter. He has chosen to ignore it, thus fueling the growing contention that he is out to play on Dan Siegel's team, whose aim is to render bankrupt and sell Pacifica's New York station.

November 5, 2015

Berthold –

I understand that Gary Null has volunteered to hold a special lecture event to raise money for WBAI at the 86^th Street/Amsterdam Avenue Church, but that despite his repeated attempts to contact and coordinate this event with you and Andrea Katz, no one has gotten back to him. As you know, his fundraising events at this theater are always sold out, and its 500 seats, at $30 per ticket, generate about $15,000 gross, or $14,600 after deducting theater rental.

Your cavalier attitude towards obtaining money for WBAI might be expected (although not appreciated) if the station were flush with cash. But as we know, it is broke. So your failure to leap at the chance to get this money is inexplicable. At the very least you can use it to fulfill the backlogged 4,400 premiums for which you are already in serious default (and have publicly admitted), and the more than 25,000 premiums that I estimate you may owe for prior drives.

WBAI’s ever-poorer fund drives and fleeing membership (down from 18,900 to 8,150, mostly because of angry donors from the last 8 drives who never received their premiums) is jeopardizing not only the future of WBAI but that of the entire network. Right now, WBAI’s fund drive is averaging (I can hardly bear to write the figure) only $6,000 per day, so your decision to lock yourself in your office, turn off your phone, ignore messages, and cower in a corner while the station burns down around you is not proper behavior for a station manager.

I hope you will contact Gary Null to coordinate this event as soon as possible, because WBAI needs the money as soon as possible.

Stephen M Brown

UPDATE: That same evening, Berthold Reimers sent a brief response to Brown, with a copy to the Pacifica National Board's Executive Director.

Subject: RE: WBAI throwing away money again?

This is the first I hear about this. I guess you must have Gary’s ear!

Berthold Reimers

WBAI Radio 99.5 FM

General Manager

Steve Brown reply to that was e-mailed Monday morning at 1:04:

Berthold –

Your response is not funny and not true, since it pretends that Gary never made you an offer to give a fundraising lecture for WBAI, whose approximate expected net revenue would be $14,000.

Attached is Gary’s latest email to you on this subject, his third, in fact.  Which exposes your response as deceptive. But I guess that WBAI has so much money coming in that you can afford to throw away a fast $14,000 in a single night.

Steve Brown also wrote to Lydia Brazon regarding Cerene Robertson's in person appearance at WBAI's so called "Report". It sheds some light on that little drama.

Here is a PDF file of the letter. 

WBAI's mystery budget vs reality

The Pacifica Finance Committee discussed the ghostly WBAI budget at their November 4, 2015 meeting. Our friend, 'indigopirate' has contributed the following abbreviated audio and comment:

As always, despite BET [Committee Chair Brian Edwards-Tiekert] characterizing the situation accurately as in effect desperate, they prove unwilling even to present that fact to the PNB, and do, in fact, despite his urgings to avoid delay, kick the can down the road yet again. I’d imagine it will all start to publicly unravel within a few months. 

Here is an audio summation of the WBAI-related portion of the November 4, 2015 meeting.

If you don't believe they're sinking...look what a hole they're in.

PLEASE NOTE ADDED AUDIO AND TEXT

Treasurer R. Paul Martin has announced that WBAI's Local Station Board (LSB) will be reporting live on the air from 3 to 5 PM today, Monday, November 2. How will they fit into the station's "studio" closet, one wonders.

From 3 to 4 PM The four Directors, WBAI members of the Pacifica National Board, will be on during the first hour, followed for the second hour by officers who are not currently running as listeners.

Originally scheduled for October, this "report" was delayed by what Martin describes as "some shenanigans." He adds that—this marathon still running—the report will include pitches.

The current fund drive is a disaster, raising a daily average of $7,535. That should not come as a surprise to anyone who has spot-checked during the past month: its a lot of Corinne Funari with health advice of dubious merit (Null is out of favor this time around) and even more of Kathy Davis' gentle-voiced nonsense. They are even running the late Gwen Scott again (those nuts and grains apparently didn't work for her) and a recent Ivan Hametz's 3-hour opera program pops up at all hours—it's a good program, but why not have him do new ones? Then, too, there are the usual racist rants and historic distortions, starting with the morning dunce, Haskins, who wants to reclaim history (whatever that means) and vows to stay put at WBAI. The racist ignorance continues with opportunists like Ron Daniels, whose ability to do the Reparations dance while manipulating his selfie stick is more interesting that anything he has to say, and it flourishes on weekends and in the early morning hours when the likes of Rebel Diaz, Lister Hewan-Lowe, Gary Byrd bring out full-strength as well as diluted venom. Mimi Rosenberg (of the Kiwi™ tribe) is also wheelbarrowed front and center where she attempts to prove that it ain't just shoe polish. If you tuned in this Monday morning, you would have heard her proclaim this as Wednesday, with heavy rain expected—no mention of it being a re-run. Mimi's aria is in a DVD package of historical inaccuracies called Truth Be Told, a title that for the most part belies the veracity of its content. On the absurd side, we have Geoff Brady and his reptilian aura collectors, and John Kane, who bemoans paleface pollution, but wants you to smoke reservation-made cigarettes. This, and other insults to your intelligence is what these fossils, grabbers and mission creepers want you to support.

During the live "Report" (a misnomer for this show), there was mention of the poor quality and unbalanced nature of WBAI's program schedule. Someone—Steve Brown, I think—pointed out that programs tend to be designed, and hosts hired to satisfy the needs of management rather than the listenership. The sharp drop in audience and donations must, in large measure, be attributed to narrowcasting. This is a radio station that strived for wide appeal without sacrificing quality. Intellect was the common denominator, not race nor ethnic origin.

The station sought to give its listeners more than one side of an issue and to do so without imposing a doctrine  of its own. Monday's report contained some objective criticism from LSB members and callers, but the very real issue of dominant internal racism was skirted. I edited the attached audio clips, but only to remove the preamble, extraneous banter, Cerene's entrance music, plugs and phone numbers—the "reports" and shouting matches are intact.

Here is the first hour of the Report. The participants are Janet Coleman, Carolyn Birden, Steve Brown, and Cerene Robertson.

The second hour has LSB Treasurer R. Paul Martin and Secretary Ken Laufer in the "studio" and several callers from the outside. The moderator (facilitator) is Reggie Johnson. 

UPDATE
The latter was facilitator Reggie Johnson's reaction to a dramatic, management-staged entrance by career troublemaker Cerene Robertson.

Several years ago, following physical altercations spurred by Ms. Robertson at LSB meetings, a GM had her "banned for life" from admission to any WBAI locale. Thus, her participation at this meeting occurred via telephone, but not for long. You will hear her make a dramatic entrance when it becomes her turn to report. Here is the explanation, a dispensation sent via e-mail by Berthold Reimers ten minutes before the program went on the air. Nobody in the "studio" knew of it until Ms. Robertson made her dramatic entrance. Here's Reimers' note:

Date: Monday, November 2, 2015, 2:50 PM

I am giving Cerene permission to participate in the LSB show for this special circumstance. Thanks.

Today, Board member Carolyn Birden responded with an e-mail to Shawn Rhodes, who had posted Reimers' note:

I'm sorry that the GM did this, without consulting the other members of the board who would be at that LSB broadcast and without giving us some warning. 

Cerene Roberts has been banned from WBAI premises by five (that I know of) General Managers, for behaviors that over the years have negatively impacted the station and staff to a great extent.    How did she get back into the station?  One manager died (Samori Marksman), one or two left (Leid and Riddle), one was Interim (LaVarn Williams).  Only Berthold Reimers readmitted her to the station, a telling fact, and that without warning to members and staff in advance. 

 Given that Cerene has been guilty of assaulting three members of the LSB (two of whom filed police reports of her actions),  Reimers' decision was rash and ill thought out. At LSB meetings I take care to keep my distance from Cerene.

     The broadcast studio at 388 Atlantic Avenue is very small, and when Cerene burst into the room without warning and took Steve Brown's seat next to me, I was extremely uncomfortable:  I was sitting closer to her than I cared to be, about the same distance away as Mitchel Cohen was when she struck his arm. There wasn't much room for me to move away, although I tried to do so. As usual, Cerene came to disrupt the meeting, divert us from the purpose of the broadcast, and promote herself as the queen of flimflam.    

Yes, I am sorry she was there, but even more to the point I am angry that the GM has so little concern for the physical safety of the staff and members.  Two of those three assaults occurred at the former station, the third at a PNB meeting; the most recent banning was occasioned at an LSB meeting at the station (Wall Street)  at which she tried to foment even more disruption than was already in process by deliberately encouraging some very rowdy behavior.

  Fortunately for the us (and for WBAI's general manager, who would most likely have been sued otherwise), no further assaults took place yesterday.  I trust that "for this special circumstance" means that people can access the station without fear of more trouble from that particular board member.

Bob Young, who Chairs the LSB also commented:

Berthold 's unilateral decisions countermanding  the LSB radio show are a serious problem. Berthold allowing a banned person on the premises creates another controversy. I am also concerned that allowing the same Board member who was banned to make a statement  using the initials JUC as a contact e-mail, on the air, during election season, is a violation of Pacifica electioneering rules.  It concerns me even more that nothing will happen regarding any of these issues. The Pacifica environment seems to be a lawless one at best.

Steve Brown adds his complaint and a few details. Click here for a PDF file of his letter. 

Exiles Newsletter 10-30-2015 - Tsk, tsk Miss Margy....

KPFA ORDERED TO REFUND BEQUEST

Berkeley-In last night's Pacifica National Board meeting, held in executive session, the national board voted to order KPFA to refund to the Pacifica Foundation, national office the proceeds of one of two large bequests deposited into KPFA's Mechanics Bank account by then-IED Margy Wilkinson. One of the checks (totaling at least $400,000) was donated to the Pacifica Foundation. In the spring of 2015, the "Hall Trust bequest" was characterized as a restricted gift to KPFA, but information derived from a directors inspection convinced the board of directors the gift was instead left to the Pacifica Foundation and misappropriated for the exclusive use of the Berkeley station. The funds were not deposited into the national Pacifica operating bank account where they belonged. 

The board's executive session report out can be read here.

With some fanfare, PNB treasurer Brian Edwards-Tiekert and KPFA then "loaned" the Pacifica National Office small amounts of its own money to meet network expenses like the balance due to auditor Armanino. 

The national office has been in such desperate financial straits that employees like Affiliates Director Ursula Rudenberg have been informed they faced losing their health benefits as soon as November 1st. Permanent ED John Proffitt left the foundation's employ after less than five months.

The board's motion, which passed easily, was preceded by a vote to keep the discussion of the misappropriation of the Hall Trust bequest in closed session. The motion the board passed called for an accounting of how the money was spent by KPFA by November 4th, refunds of any outstanding amounts to the Pacifica National Office, establishment of a repayment plan for KPFA, and revision of 2016 divisional budgets for KPFA and the national office. The no votes on the motion included Willkinson and Edwards-Tiekert, WBAI rep Cerene Roberts, WPFW rep Peter Tucker and TX rep George Reiter. The reasons the non-KPFA three voted as they did are not available since the discussion occurred in closed session, but the board did release the vote tallies in their report-out from the closed session.

What the motion did not include was any censure or discipline, a change in the foundation treasurer position or an end to the consulting contract signed between then-CFO Raul Salvador and the Pacifica National Office in June of 2015.

Wilkinson established in secret with unofficial corporate counsel Dan Siegel a new nonprofit organization under her sole control to bid for or accept a transfer of KPFA's broadcasting license should the Pacifica Foundation "become insolvent". Wilkinson then deposed the executive director and inserted herself into the position, which she held until May of 2015.

In other news, the network's long-delayed board elections continue to move forward at a snail's pace with virtually none of the network's subscribers reporting the receipt of paper ballots which were sent out via 3rd class mail in the middle of the U.S. election when bulk mail services tend to be overwhelmed. The original mailing date was pushed back six weeks in August due to the inability to pay a $25,000 postal deposit. The national office likely would have been able to cover the postal election deposit in August had the Hall Trust funds not been hijacked.

At KPFK in Los Angeles, where 20+ union grievances will begin the SAG-AFTRA arbitration process next week. Background Briefing host Ian Masters, who has been one of the most outspoken staff members about the destructive impact of Wilkinson-appointed general manager Leslie Radford and about Pacifica's 13-year old democratic governance effort, released a puzzling set of election endorsements on his "Save KPFK" website. Masters, who takes great pride in his professional reporting and broadcasting skills, appears to have replaced knowledge about Pacifica's systems with uniformed high dudgeon. His candidate recommendations, which consist entirely of all-new candidates for KPFK's local station board, would result in the continuation of a Siegel/Brazon majority on the national board, the exact outcome he is trying to avoid. Pacifica's system allows local station board members with one year or more of local experience to stand for election to the national board. So if KPFK listeners were to follow Master's recommendations, KPFK's delegation to the national board would consist entirely of Radford's supporters from the Siegel/Brazon faction, as none of the people Masters endorses would be eligible until 2017. The system requires either the executive director or a majority of the Pacifica National Board to ratify a local board recommendation for a change in the GM position, which the current board majority and ED Lydia Brazon, a strong Radford supporter, would be unlikely to do. Pacifica in Exile readers concerned about the KPFK meltdown and their LA friends and acquaintances are instead encouraged to consider Pacifica In Exile's election recommendations, which would result in an actual change to the national board majority.

In Berkeley, Save KPFA (the Berkeley wing of the Siegel/Brazon faction) board candidate Hilmon Sorey withdrew his candidacy after Middle East Children's Alliance director Barbara Lubin wrote an open letter questioning his previous actions as board chair at the Museum of Children's Art (MOCHA) in Oakland. Sorey revoked an exhibition and planned educational programs featuring Palestinian children's drawings and artwork from the Gaza Strip ater experiencing pressure from museum donors. The incident was nationally publicized at the time as an example of collaboration with censorship attempts by Zionist-identified funders and donors. Among other programs produced by Pacifica, Voices of the Middle East and North Africa, Flashpoints and the Electronic Intifada cover Palestinian liberation movements and are often targeted by donors and funders who would prefer more Israeli-positive coverage of the long-standing regional conflicts.

KPFK local station board member Kim Kaufman wrote KPFK and Pacifica: A Quiet Coup for the LA Progressive. You can read the article on their site or at Pacifica in Exile. Kaufman writes: "A private “shadow” corporation was recently uncovered as a method to privatize Pacifica for the benefit of a few rather than keep it as a public benefit for the many. It appears the Shock Doctrine approach to the finances is not an accident, a mere “factional” dispute—but rather a plan by some of the board majority to gain control of the licenses and assets of the Pacifica Foundation".

Pacifica in Exile readers may write to the board at pnb@pacifica.org.

For readers who may wish to do more, any donor to a California-based not for profit organization like Pacifica may file a complaint to the open file at the Registry of Charitable Trusts at the Office of the CA Attorney General. Pacifica's case number is CT011303. The form and instructions for filing may be downloaded here.

A gift for people goin' nowhere....

For all those enlightening Morning Shows, here's a little priceless but expensive Thank You gift for Michael Golly-Gee Haskins.