Monday, November 6, 2017

A tale of steal, beg, borrow?

Ford Greene Q&A PNB 20171102
an 'Indigopirate' summary

Sam Agarwal, CFO, asks as to individual board members’ fiduciary responsibility. Greene replies: You must be open, honest, must do your best, and must do what’s best for the organization as a whole while respecting the rights of persons in the minority point of view.

The long range issue, as Greene sees it, is to come up with a long term financial plan and debt repayment plan, and not to panic and lose sight of what’s best for Pacifica in the long haul, the immediate concern being the $8m in debt which comes due in the next six months.

If the finances are not addressed adequately, Pacifica will not be around.

More questions follow as to board member personal fiduciary responsibility, in part asking if the standards aren’t lower and more flexible for nonprofit boards.

Greene replies the standards are essentially the same.

Greene is asked under whose authority he filed notice of appeal with respect to board membership questions as to Sharon Brown and Mansoor Sabbagh. His reply is that he did so under the instruction of iED Bill Crosier.

Question is posed as to repercussions of a director failing to fulfill their fiduciary responsibility. Greene replies that in most cases  it would be civil, and in some cases criminal with a maximum sentence of six months and fine of $1,000.

A further question is posed as to Greene’s authority to file appeal re Sharon Brown. Greene replies that ethically he is required to take his ‘marching orders’ from the iED, as he is required to represent the organization as directed by the organization highest officer.

A questioner states that they have been advised to evaluate Pacifica’s financial situation and assets as a whole in order to devise a plan to move forward. She complains that her perception is that Greene has favored one particular path forward rather than everyone engaging in a discussion, and that she considers this threatening. Greene says that that was not his intent.

Greene emphasizes the vital importance of assessing the status of all five stations as a whole, as well as debt obligations, and that there ought be a clear, explicit, long range plan.

Question is then posed challenging Greene’s advisory role, arguing that Greene is stepping out of his role as counselor. Greene’s reply is that it isn’t his place to say a particular path might be a violation of fiduciary responsibility and that he’s tried to stay short of advising any particular course of action. 

At this point the open session is concluded, and proceedings move to Closed Session.

~ ‘indigopirate’
An October 26 PNB meeting excerpt.


  1. Your recording is distorted Chris. Fortunately I have the transcript.

    Agarwal: Is this session closed? Damn. Can you please tell these idiots how to behave?

    Green: You must be open and honest and do what's best for the organization. By that I mean Pacifica not just your own station. You must respect the rights of the minority point of view. That means not laughing as Adriana gets accidentally cut off for the third time and pretending not to hear her.

    Diaz: Under whose authority..did you appeal in the case of Sharon Brown.. the legitimate director.. from KPFK?

    Greene: Listen Shatner. I'm the freaking counsel for Pacifica. The ED tells me to appeal. I appeal. You got a problem with that? Take it up with him. I get paid either way.

    Goodman: I'm concerned that you're going beyond your mandate and advising us to take specific actions.

    Greene: Its not my place to advise any particular course of action. I'm too busy trying to keep your *ss out of the big tent uh I mean big house. I got a bunch of lawsuits and half of them are coming from within Pacifica. Stop suing each other, stop worrying about me and get yourselves a freaking HR person.

    Alexander: We're out of time. We need to move in closed session.
    Cerene: Point of Order.
    Diaz: Point of Order.
    Alexander: Meeting adjourned to closed session.
    Agarwal: Its about time. Listen.. I need those damn reports so I can impose

  2. Chris,

    Obviously Ford Greene is not aware of the WBAI financial situation and the fraud, which has been perpetrated by Berthold Reimers. Otherwise, Ford Greene would have included criminal penalties for fraud.

    Ford Greene should list all lawsuits with the venue and index numbers of the lawsuits.

    Thank you.

    Ed Manfredonia

  3. "Fifty years ago today, Lyndon Johnson signed the Public Broadcasting Act of 1967, the law that created the Corporation for Public Broadcasting." This was from

    My first reaction was to laugh that Pacifica isn't getting any CPB money due to their own stupidity.


  4. prescod doing the bait and switch again . With the poor peoples campaign .
    Turned quickly into a race, white supremacy, white oppression etc.. shameful