The Current Brouhaha at KPFA

Max Blanchet to Michael Krasny
November 10, 2010


Regarding the brouhaha at KPFA I would like to make the following points:

* This thing must be put in its proper context, namely that it is an integral part of the struggle pitting the self-styled professional staff and the folks who fought for a democratic system of governance at Pacifica. From the get-go the former have fought that system and done everything to undermine it.

* The current financial crisis is the result of the financial mismanagement at KPFA. To wit: KPFA management squandered nearly $1,000,000 in reserves in fiscal year 2009 because it did not made the necessary cuts demanded by the PNB and the previous CFO and ED. Had cuts been initiated two years ago, today's painful cuts might have been avoided.

* In addition, under previous management, a check in the amount of $375,000 was misplaced for 13 months.

* Some of us genuinely believe that these two incidents of mismanagement were not an accident: it was a maneuver to force the station and Pacifica into bankruptcy with two goals in mind, namely to break the Pacifica network and set KPFA 'free' and to do away with democratic governance.

I have served on the LSB, have an MBA in Finance from UC Berkeley and followed closely the financial evolution of the institution.

Contrary to what Larry Bensky says, the current team of Engelhardt and Williams have done a tremendous job of trying to restore the financial health of the organization under very difficult conditions.

With regards and thanks,

Max Blanchet
Former LSB member
Berkeley, CA


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The above letter was sent as an email from Max Blanchet to Michael Krasny, Host of Forum on KQED. Part of this email was read on the air on Nov 10, 2010.

Click here to view 10 Years of KPFA Finances – from audited financial statements in TABLE FORMAT

and, presented as a GRAPH, the same data:
10 Years of KPFA Finances GRAPH

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