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Tuesday, June 25, 2013

Report: Pacifica At The Cliff

The Corportation For Public Broadcasting (CPB) has withheld financial support for the Pacifica Foundation’s five radio stations after the organization missed deadlines for fixing errors and shortcomings in its accounting and operations.

According to current.org, the errors were discovered during a CPB audit last year that cited Pacifica for insufficient accounting practices, misreported revenues and failure to comply with CPB rules on open meetings and financial transparency.

The withholding of CPB funding hits Pacifica at a precarious time as its stations struggle to raise enough money to pay rent and staff.

WBAI 99.5 FM, Pacifica’s New York station, fell short of its on-air fundraising goal in May by 45 percent, or $343,000. The station can’t cover its June payroll or rent for its antenna, according to a June 9 email by Berthold Reimers, g.m., to members of WBAI’s board.

The station will extend its fund drive, wrote Reimers, who added, “This is our only choice until we can figure out other means or else we will have to shut down the station.”

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