[Kzyxtalk] Financial disaster

[Doug McKenty]

I wish I could say I was surprised by last Monday's board meeting in Ft. Bragg.  

It has been five years since I began imploring the board to begin to function by voting transparently on policy. To my knowledge, there has not been one vote concerning a change to board policy, except to vote on the "board members responsibilities," in the last ten years. 

The irony is that document did not mention the primary responsibility of a board member, to ensure board policy is maintained. 

Five years ago I implored the board to follow it's policy concerning how programming is chosen at KZYX. That policy is specific.  Programming should be chosen by consensus of the Programming Advisory Committee.  While it is true that if consensus cannot be reached, the program director makes the final call, it is also true that if the PD refuses to follow consensus, the committee can make use of the grievance process.  This is the system of checks and valences implemented by the board in 2008, to ensure the programming schedule was created in accordance with the will of the community. 

A handful of board members and staff chose to ignore policy, and instead chose to relegate programming choices to the program director.  Why?  My guess is that a small group of NPR fanatics have chosen to implement the "NPR formula" on the rest of the community without due process.  They have taken control, albeit passive aggressively. 

As the host of Open Lines for seven years, I heard hundreds of times from community members that there is too much NPR programming, and not enough local alternative voices on KZYX.  All the while KZYX was struggling financially, primarily as a result of debt to NPR. John Coate was able to keep the station afloat by eliminating the news department, and receiving nearly $100k a year more from the CPB.  Well, KZYX now has a news department, and now  receives less from the CPB, so it was no surprise when the board Treasurer last Monday reported that KZYX is back in debt to the tune of around $130k, most of which is to NPR.  Same old story.  Nothing has changed.  Before the recent pledge drive, KZYX was within $2k of maxing out its line of credit.  End of the line. 

Once I realized that the board was not going to implement its programming policy, I asked them to vote to eliminate it.  Nope.  I asked them to follow their financial policies. No. I begged them to implement the committee system required by board policy.  Just can't seem to do it.  It would seem too many anti-NPR voices wanted in on those committees. 

Passive aggressive control.  Just pretend like you are listening to the community while you really ignore them and kick the can on down the road. Classic. 

It is truly sad to see a community resource stolen from the community like this. Watching the same cycle happen all over again is mind boggling.  Not being able to do anything about it is frustrating.  But like with any other narcissist, the best thing to do is walk away. 

Doug McKenty

Sent from my iPhone