Originally posted February 9, 2015

Berkeley-Pacifica’s expedited executive director search (to replace unelected board chair Margy Wlkinson) hit a snag when the board majority’s favored candidate declined the job, apparently spooked by the upcoming attorney general audit. The search process, which has been marred by consistent charges of corruption including the running of private want ads by Wilkinson directing applications to herself instead of the board-appointed search committee, and restoring candidates to the final pool after they had objectively received lower scores in early interviews than candidates who were eliminated from the final pool. The process finally concluded with a rushed vote only 3 days prior to the expiration of the 2014 boards term of office. Continue reading Chicanery →

Originally posted February 2, 2015

Berkeley-As another month ticks by without a completed audit for the fiscal year that ended September 20, 2013, Pacifica’s audit committee reported in writing that auditor Armanino LLC had declined to sign an engagement letter for Pacifica’s next audit (for the year that ended in September of 2014).  The report stated: (you can read the full public version here):

The PNB should be advised that, based on available information, it does not appear feasible to meet the regular March 31 due date for the FY2014 audit for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting. The issue at hand is that this work cannot begin until the FY2013 audit is completed, nor can we even engage Armanino to commit to this work, as approved by the PNB at the December 3 meeting. Continue reading Pacifica’s Auditor Declines To Sign 2014 Engagement Letter →

Originally posted January 22, 2015

Berkeley-At the January 22nd national board meeting, it was revealed Pacifica has defaulted on a loan from board member Lydia Brazon’s employer, Aris Anagnos. The $156,000 loan was approved by the board in September with the first $25,000 repayment due on October 28th, 2014. The board violated California Corporations Code in September by having interested director Brazon voting favorably on the transaction. Brazon stated repeatedly that she had not voted, which was a lie as this audio clip of the September vote reveals.  It’s not clear why an elected representative would lie about a vote recorded on audio. Brazon did not reply when provided the audio recording of her vote.  It provides a disproportionate level of influence for a single board member to mediate on behalf of an organization which is in default to her employer. Continue reading Lying To The Listeners →

Originally posted January 17, 2015

Berkeley-Local management at KPFA has been under fire for their increasing reluctance to provide live coverage of community rallies and demonstrations, backpedaling on a denial of the “Block The Boat” broadcast from the Port of Oakland and acknowledging a tepid response to the Black Lives Matters protests that swept the station’s Berkeley neighborhood in the first week of December. That reluctance has amplified, with staffer Frank Sterling in receipt of angry emails after submitting a proposal for a 90-minute special program for the March For Real Climate Change Leadership planned in Oakland for February 7th. Continue reading KPFA Threatens Staffer For Trying To Broadcast Oakland Climate Change Rally →

Originally posted January 11, 2015

Berkeley-Pacifica’s rogue board majority voted on January 8th to retain conflicted law firm Siegel and Yee to represent the network in the correspondence audit by California’s Attorney General. Dan Siegel’s Oakland law firm specializes in employment law and has no practice in accountancy. The motion to retain the firm again was made by board member Jose-Luis Fuentes who has been employed as an associate attorney at Siegel and Yee since 2003. Fuentes replaced his boss, Dan Siegel, on Pacifica’s board of directors in January 2014. When board members contested Fuente’s motion and favorable vote as a conflict of interest, Fuentes replied that he had resigned from Siegel and Yee in September of 2014. Continue reading Truth Or Dare →