WBAI PNB member Patty Heffley reported that the PNB had agreed to allow her and another PNB member to exercise their absolute right to inspect various WBAI documents. Having a lawyer send a letter to the PNB helped persuade them. Faction members of the PNB were not pleased and had voted against this motion.

It was reported that the Community Advisory Board, a body required by the CPB, had been set up and had met twice.

The Bylaws Review Committee is meeting, this committee will be bringing WBAI's recommenda tions for revising the Pacifica Bylaws to the By laws Convention planned for 2006.

The Committee of Inclusion (COI) is meeting, but hasn't been able to fill all of its categories yet. When asked if the COI would include divergent political views the Chair of that committee said that this was not provided for the in the motion that created the committee.

And then we got to the all important “Coke machine motion.” Never mind that the Coke machine had already been removed, there had to be a motion about it with debate and posturing. Maybe some day we'll talk about the machines we use to make radio like the CD players and computers that have so many problems and make doing radio so diffi cult at times. I can dream, can't I?

A motion was passed suggesting that each LSB elect one member to the Search Committee for the next ED of Pacifica. Of course this guarantees that a member of the faction currently in charge will represent WBAI.

There was a lot of talk about the ‘thon which started the next day. The theme of the ‘thon, cur rently ongoing, is “Voices of Dissent.” (This ‘thon is scheduled to go until May 28, but I'm guessing it's going to be extended.) Program Director Bernard White said that this ‘thon would use a lot of archive recordings because we were spending too much on premiums.

GM Don Rojas announced the initiation of “Membership Plus” which, for a $50 donation, would allow a subscriber to get 10% off premiums during the next ‘thon. A number of Staff said that

Pacifica ED Dan Coughlin and CFO Lonnie Hicks were at the meeting. It turns out that WBAI's average donation has “increased dramatically” over the past few years. The average WBAI subscriber donates about $145 a year now. What was not said was that if these listeners don't keep giving at that level WBAI will find itself in a budget crunch. Don Rojas tried to blame the mandated $25 subscription rate on the LSB! Well, even a faction member couldn't tolerate that, and a correction was made. In fact the Pacifica bylaws mandate the $25 rate.

The WBAI Book Fair had zero expenses and brought in $5,118, and Amy Goodman's book signing brought in about $6,000.

News Director and Shop Steward Jose Santiago reported that AFTRA is still in negotiations with Management over a new Contract. Management has canceled some meetings and there are still some differences that need to be resolved, espe cially around health benefits and pension issues.

It was announced that the Program Council will meet, for the first time since last July, on June 2, and every other Thursday after that.

Don Rojas announced that he had hired Deepa Fernandes as host of Wake Up Call. She'll start June 1. There might be a co-host hire, although there was some discussion at the meeting about where the money for this would come from.

ED Dan Coughlin announced that Indra Hardat had been chosen as interim GM! There were cheers at this good news! Indra said, “I'll do my very best.” And I'm sure she will.

Don Rojas will be a Management consultant for a few months, he will have no actual power at the station and will show up only sporadically.

As his last act before leaving Don Rojas fired long time producer Robert Knight. Knight continues to do a segment on Flashpoints, produced by Dennis Bernstein and broadcast from KPFA. I hear there is a grievance pending on this firing, as is the case with Gary Null who was fired last year.

All labor donated by and printing paid for by R. Paul Martin.