Who? What? When? Where? Why?
A newsletter about some things happening at WBAI. October 10, 2005
Presented by R. Paul Martin as an individual producer. Vol. 2 No. 6
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LSB Finance Committee Meeting
July 26, 2005


It was revealed that Pacifica Chief Financial Officer (CFO) Lonnie Hicks had told WBAI Management that WBAI would be $250,000 deeper in the hole than had originally been thought.

Concerns were raised that the Pacifica National Office was spending a lot of money on conferences, etc., and demanding a lot of money from the larger stations like WBAI.



The Chair opened the meeting with the announcement that the LSB was over its budget and couldn't afford to have anyone come and set up a public address system for the meeting. So we have a radio station's governance board unable to make itself easily heard at its meetings.

Once again there was disagreement over the right to take photographs at the meeting.

The interim General Manager (iGM) reported that the Summer mini-thon was going very well, although the station was about $70,000 over budget on premium costs for FY05 at that point.

It was also established that the Pacifica Internet Radio Station is dead, as can be seen from the debris field in the burgundy editing suite. However, this project of former GM Don Rojas will continue to cost Pacifica money for two more years owing to a contract with the service providers.

The iGM explained WBAI's current fiscal problems succinctly: WBAI is a $3 million organization that spends $4 million, so of course we're in a hole. She credited new teamwork for the success of the mini-thon.

In a presentation described by some as “cocky” Program Director (PD) Bernard White attacked those who had made the motion inviting him to report on the disastrous Spring 'thon. The PD claimed to be the target of a “Well-financed destabilization campaign designed to bring about regime change.” This polarization technique of “Us

vs. Them,” which is a theme of the faction currently in charge, is a frequent tactic of cults.

The PD said that WBAI was not losing audience and that, “the empirical data suggests the opposite,” and that replacing Gary Null with the PD's personal physician, “has made a real positive monetary difference for WBAI.” As the PD complained of LSB members sending out “poison pen E-mails” a scurrilous leaflet attacking Robert Knight and female dept. heads circulated through the meeting room. The unsigned leaflet included the faction's accusations against Mr. Knight along with allegations that he was in league with an LSB member who is not in the faction. Cultic groups always need to tie all opposition to a single source. The PD finished with a statement that some LSB members were making racist assertions and that he, the PD, doesn't talk about people behind their backs.

One LSB member noted that the mood at the station had improved since the iGM had taken over, and asked for statistical proof that the listenership had increased. The PD replied that, “As far as statistics are concerned, we don't have statistics,” but then said that the Arbitron ratings showed, “that the listenership has grown tremendously.”

The PD stated his policy that it's the premium that's important, as opposed to programs. He said the big premium for the mini-thon was the Painful Deceptions DVD and credited Tiokasin Ghosthorse, who was making a rare appearance at an LSB meeting, with having brought in the premium.

A motion was made to have the two female department heads give presentations, and they did so. The PD then made a short speech saying, “I'm not going to let anybody chase me out.” After the PD was done most of the audience left.

Some of the public comment session included people demanding that Robert Knight be reinstated, and there were favorable comments about the health fair that ran concurrently with the mini-thon.



On July 29, someone on the Goodlight Board posted a link to the Web site of Eric Hufschmid, author of the Painful Deceptions DVD that had

Page Two of this newsletter


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