At its meeting on January 13, 2002, the interim Pacifica National Board (iPNB) voted by a vote of 10 to 4 to make Dan Coughlin the interim Executive Director of the Pacifica Foundation for a period of 60 days or until a new, permanent Executive Director can be hired.

Mr. Coughlin had previously been News Director of the Pacifica Network News, from which position he was “reassigned” to a job that didn't exist after approving the airing of a 20 second news story in November 1999, about a one day boycott of Pacifica Foundation programming by affiliate stations.

This de facto firing sparked protests against Pacifica Management including many letters of support for Mr. Coughlin, one of which came from the then WBAI Union.

At the January 13, iPNB meeting Mr. Kenneth F. Greene, Assistant Executive Director AFTRA, Washington -- Baltimore Local spoke in opposition to Mr. Coughlin being named Executive Director.

More recently Mr. Coughlin has been working with the Pacifica Campaign in opposition to the previous regime of Pacifica Management.

The iPNB passed a motion asking Ms. Joanne Meredith, who had resigned as interim Executive Director before the meeting, to stay on in a transitional position to help Mr. Coughlin and others to come up to speed on the Foundation's situation.

Mr. Coughlin began executing his new duties immediately.