[grc] Pacifica and WBAI

[Tracy Rosenberg]

I dunno. I personally have a hard time equating people squabbling and
having personality issues with invading a community radio station, breaking
the equipment, decamping with all the computers and the EAS unit, taking
tens of thousands of member dollars donated to continue that local
programming, and literally fundraising for another station on that
station's air, all without any sanction or even notification to the license
holder (which is the entire board of directors) as being exactly congruent
actions.

People in groups are people in groups. But the mission of the organization
and the existence of community-based media in the biggest media market in
the world has significance beyond people squabbling with each other.

The focus needs to be on the world, not on internal personality stuff.
There is too much at stake to be focused on the petty stuff.

My two cents.

- Tracy

On Wed, Oct 9, 2019 at 6:13 PM Lisa Dettmer via grc <grc at maillist.peak.org>
wrote:

> Not in my experience.  And I think that is another one of the rumors put
> out by one side. It is true that in my experience at KPFA there is a
> faction that is more pro-management (except when union negotiations
> happen). And not really concerned with a democratic process within the
> station and especially not with the 200  KPFA unpaid staff that Pacifica
> disenfranchised in 1999 by getting the NLRB to kick us out of the union and
> making horrible law across the country that prevents all unpaid staff from
> having collective  bargaining rights.  But the fights on the PNB are beyond
> any real politics.  They are power politics.  Who wants what piece of pie.
> And who has grievances against this person or group.  And yes there is some
> attempt to make Pacifica more functional and unfortunately that often leads
> to being more like NPR. But to me that is a failure of imagination and
> comes out of a long term impasse with the other side so there is no real
> collaboration.  They all need a lesson in communication and meditation
> because they are not being democratic in their manipulation of the
> By-Laws.  And that goes to both sides.  Cause I have been on both sides and
> know them both well.  The rational people generally leave or don’t want to
> be a part of Pacifica to begin with.  So keep your eye on the PNB and not
> just on the recent IED .
>
> Lisa
>
> > On Oct 9, 2019, at 5:22 PM, riva enteen <rivaenteen at gmail.com> wrote:
> >
> >  "I think  the real focus needs to be on the horrible sectarian
> divisions  and pretty fighting the  Pacifica board that keeps it from
> making rational decisions. "
> >
> > Lisa, there are some serious political difference that are a factor as
> well.  Has the network become a democratic party shill?
> >
> > On Wed, Oct 9, 2019 at 4:19 PM Lisa Dettmer via grc <
> grc at maillist.peak.org <mailto:grc at maillist.peak.org>> wrote:
> > I have to say what is missing from this analysis is the fact that the
> PNB has been largely dysfunctional and hasn’t upheld their fiduciary duty
> to make WBAI solvent and that was the impetus for the IED firing the staff
> and managers of WBAI which has been a financial mess  for a decade and very
> mismanaged and was unable to pay its rent or staff for a long time..  I am
> always amazed that such a dysfunctional board as the Pacifica PNB is, is
> able to keep their position and are not regulated more by the courts, if
> indeed the courts have such broad regulatory powers.  Because they are
> driving Pacifica into the ground.  And I am a former NY’er so seeing WBAI
> do so badly in raising money and reaching a broader audience  is extremely
> sad for me.  I think  the real focus needs to be on the horrible sectarian
> divisions  and pretty fighting the  Pacifica board that keeps it from
> making rational decisions.
> >
> > Lisa Dettmer
> > KPFA Radio
> > _______________________________________________
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> > grc at maillist.peak.org <mailto:grc at maillist.peak.org>
> > http://maillist.peak.org/mailman/listinfo/grc <
> http://maillist.peak.org/mailman/listinfo/grc>
>
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-- 
Tracy Rosenberg
Executive Director
Media Alliance
2830 20th Street Suite 102
San Francisco, CA 94110
www.media-alliance.org
415-746-9475
510-684-6853 Cell
Encrypted email at tracy.rosenberg at protonmail.com
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