Pacifica gets new CFO & Executive Director

You can cheer now about Dan Siegel and Lonnie leaving, but the people in charge of Pacifica are facing some very difficult financial and managerial situations and unless they win the CA lottery, they will have to make decisions that will be very unpopular to some people. The current situation is not one for ideologues.
WBAI has reportedly not paid their rent in several months (to say nothing of paying Pacifica it's central service fees). Pacifica has had to take out a loan secured by a CD that was help by KPFA in order to make ends meet. The economy is hitting all the pledge drives very hard. KPFA seems to be doing the best of all the stations and is paying their fees to Pacifica, however management at KPFA seems increasingly leery of sharing what they consider 'their money' with a national office that is in increasing financial trouble, has historically offered little in return and now chosen La Varn Williams and Joe Wanzala as officers, 2 people who in the past have had harsh words for the current KPFA management and were definitely involved in the un pretty factional politics of the KPFA LSB. Now after a couple years calling people "entrenched" and "incompentant" they are going to go hat in hand to ask for KPFA's financial help ? hmmm that going to take some work.
though there's going to be a need for a solution beyond rading KPFA's finances.

as mentioned WBAI literally can't pay their rent. Pacifica is going to have to look at some of it's assets and sell them or come up with some incredibly creative financing in a climate that doesn't encourage creative financing. Swapping WBAI's frequency for a cheaper frequency, getting them out of that insanely expensive building to someplace reasonable, are solutions that come to mind. Is the Pacifica management strong enough to do that? in the face of why might be howls of discontent from WBAI? They might need a lawyer like Dan Siegal sooner than they think. God Forbid they may ahae to selling a license or shut down a staiton to save money...

Selling or renting the building next to the national Pacifica offices that used to be a Thai restaurant but has stood vacant for YEARS in what was up to a short time ago, a good real estate market is also part of a solution.
You can cheer all you want, but this is a tough time and some solutions need to be found.
Pacifica needs to be concerned about paying it's bills, and not it's petty squabbles. It's spent a lot of time doing nothing and the financial cost of that is going to cause howls of discontent among the radicals who loved to hate Dan, Lonnie andanyone else who didn't meet their activist credentials.

And if a way otu of this financial mess is found,
how about putting some of the Pacifica content on XM and Sirius? There's a few NPR channels, why is there no Pacifica channel? Why can't people hear Amy Goodman on their satellite radio ? Is the Pacific management up to working with stations, repackaging their content and blazing new ways to send out our shows ? It's the 21st century guys !

Coalition for a democratic Pacifica (CdP) Back by popular demand...

TIME & PLACE
Monday, Feb 9th; 7:00pm
@ Berkeley Fellowship Hall, Cedar and Bonita
Berkeley, CA

Pacifica/KPFA radio is in dire straits financially, But -- new board members were just elected and a new Chief Financial Officer appointed by the board. Hard work now to keep this important network going, but these competent, caring, long-dedicated people are now in a position to work WITH members! In celebration and in community as we had already planned, the CdP is hosting the first in a series of meetings (next meeting Apr 20).

Special guests:
LaVarn Williams, Pacifica Interim CFO;
Joe Wanzala, vice chair Pacifica National Board.

Celebrate the "New Pacifica" changes in administration and the board. Refreshments. Monday, Feb 9th; 7:00pm @ Berkeley Fellowship hall, Cedar and Bonita

Chandra 644-1937

It's very good news that the rotten ''law firm '' of Gendelman, Siegel and Hicks were ''fired ''. I can only hope that Lem Lem Riggio and Sasha Lilly will be next. The so called '' Concerned Listeners '' must be even more concerned than ever .
But what now ? We need a united front now more than ever to put the final nails in the coffin of the ''entrenched ''. I hope the CDP will work with the Peoples radio group to form a joint slate for this years board elections . All other differences are secondary .We now have a majority on the PNB .We need one badly for the LSB . Unity !

Mario is right on . I would add a couple of more names of heads that need to roll for KPFA to move forward . Philip Malderi the Morning Show host who has been that host for many years and thinks he owns that time slot . Whatever passion he once had is long gone .
Another head that should roll towards NPR , if they will have him , is that snarky little shit Brian Edwards-Togert . I attended a couple of board meetings and i don't think i have ever heard so one so arrogant and intolerant of those wanting needed reforms .

Send Dennis Bernstein packing, too. He is the very definition of "entrenched" and thinks he owns not only his time slot, but calls the shots at the station. Robbie Osman has been on the air for something like 30 years and still has the same playlist week after week of the same dozen songs that were hit paraders in 1963.

http://reclaimthemedia.org/corporate_power/consolidation/sirius_xm_already_talking_bank1107