WBAI -
Corporate Confusions

by

CdPNY

(958 words)

Citibank and Pacifica sittin' in a tree? So much excitement and so little news on WBAI.

As another WBAI fundraising marathon approaches, the question once again comes up: why should listeners dig even deeper into their pockets; particularly in light of the fact that Pacifica has seized control of WBAI's financial books? Equally disturbing is that in the last few weeks, there have been a number of significant developments in The Pacifica Crisis but very little has been reported on WBAI. It's disconcerting to those of us who've been active in getting this information out to as many communities as possible that so many inside the station can remain silent. When will the full staff let the listeners in on the dirty little secret, that all is not well at the Pacifica National Board? So far, only one producer has told the whole story - Robert Knight on his program Earthwatch. To comply with open meetings it was almost necessary to play these public records. And with just the right music, excerpts of the September 15 -17 Pacifica National Board meeting were broadcast. Riveting stuff.

Pacifica National Board and Citibank?

Prior to leaving for Arlington, VA to attend the Pacifica National Board meeting, word came through the grapevine that a man with a dubious background had been approached to take a seat on the Board. His name: Francesco Rocciolo, from Citibank - a subsidiary of Citigroup – alleged to be the most socially irresponsible bank in the world. Rocciolo is the Vice President for International, European, Middle Eastern and African Private Banking. Who the heck thought that one up? Quickly his contact information was spread to hundreds of folks and here is an account of a phone conversation with him that took place on September 15, the day before the open portion of the National Board meeting:

A listener called Rocciolo, who not only answered his own phone but expressed polite annoyance at "how fast news gets around." Not fast enough, he was told: evidently he hadn't heard enough about Pacifica to know that his candidacy was completely inappropriate. "We don't need corporate or banking or investment people on the Board, but people who understand Pacifica's mission and are willing to promote it," he was told. The listener added that in light of the fact that the Board is facing a lawsuit to remove Board members who were seated illegally and who have behaved criminally, Mr. Rocciolo ought to rescind his application He thanked the listener for calling in a tone signaling the corporate version of "this conversation is over, lady," and hung up.

On September 16, John Murdock, Head of the PNB Governance Committee, a fairly new member in charge of re-writing the By-laws as well as an employee at the law firm "chosen by Bessie Wash" as counsel for Pacifica, announced that Mr. Ricciolo would be there that evening and the Board could meet him and see what they thought. When asked who paid for his travel and expenses to attend this meeting Mr. Murdock said he didn't know. After the meeting, someone commented that the only point in Ricciolo's favor is that he claimed to enjoy Democracy Now!

At the September 17 Board session, Mary Frances Berry chaired, and her sheep-like majority of Board members followed by voting what she voted or what she suggested. We were treated to the usual spectacle of sarcasm and arrogance that always amazes us. As the Board was being served the Listeners Lawsuit, the silly comment "I want to thank you" was spoken by Bertram Lee, a board member who buys and sells radio stations (We'll see if he still feels that way in a few months).

At the Public Comments session on Sunday, we noticed a group of five young people in attendance. We had not seen them before. Who might they be? We would soon find out.

During the Public Comments session several passionate listeners spoke. One newly seated Local Advisory Board member from WPFW, Frank Wagner, reminded those in attendance of the famous misdirected Micheal Palmer email and that it proved that a sale had indeed been discussed. To which Ms. Berry replied "bullshit" more than once, called for security to remove Mr. Wagner, and when security did not come she suddenly adjourned the meeting (without a second or a vote). Listeners have seen Ms. Berry leave Public Comments sessions before, and once again we felt disrespected. Everyone was angered at her decision and someone got up and said, "Lets block the exit". Suddenly two of the five young folks we noticed earlier stood up and walked back to close the doors. Since they are exit doors without a chain, it was a short-lived barricade but lasted long enough to make the point. When things calmed down, the Public Comments session continued as six board members stayed to listen to the remainder of listeners. It was then that we found out who had helped to barricade the doors. Due to the potential appointment of Francesco Rocciolo of Citibank to the Pacifica National Board, Valerie Orth and four others from the Rainforest Action Network had been alerted and came to express dismay at such a choice. She said "If this board "must" exist then I urge you to take these facts into consideration when deciding on nominations for the Pacifica Board".

It was an amazing end to the meeting and the good news is it was learned on September 19th that Francesco Rocciolo's name was removed from consideration for appointment to the Board. Thanks to everyone who contributed to this conclusion. You can view some video excerpts from the National Board meeting at the New York Independent Media Centers website <http://nyc.indymedia.org>

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