WBAI's Local Station Board approved a station budget for FY 06 on 8/23/05.

The vote was 7-0. Voting yes were Birden, Brown, Cohen, Heffley, Martin, Reimers, and Rhodes. Abstaining were Borenstein, Kilgour, Laforest, Lederer, Roberts, and Warren.

The approved budget is approximately $350,000 smaller than last years'. In particular, "listener support," i.e., money raised during fund drives, is substantially smaller. A summary of the budget is presented below.

According to the interim GM, Indra Hardat, the new budget calls for staffing cuts of 4 and a half FTEs (full-time equivalent) positions.

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LSB member R. Paul Martin on the new budget (8/24/05 from the goodlight board):

The LSB passed a $3,538,840 budget tonight with a projected "Listener Support" line of $2,400,000.

Last year the LSB was never able to pass a damned budget because Don Rojas refused to present one that we could vote for. And then the PNB stepped in and passed a budget which was just stupid and called for $2,765,000 in "listener Support" which we obviously couldn't raise.

This budget is a lot more realistic. We might even be able to live within it.

The budget also asks to be relieved of the Pacifica requirement of a one month reserve for FY06.

At the end of the meeting Bob Lederer gave notice to rescind the motion to pass the budget. He has some amendment that didn't pass that takes out the $25,000 for development and he wants that put towards salaries. He says it's as much as a half time employee gets. Of course Bob Lederer is a half time employee. Gosh, could there be a self-serving element in that amendment?

Anyway, the budget deadline is tomorrow and the next LSB meeting is on September 7. I wonder if the faction currently in charge will try to disrupt the entire Pacifica Foundation's budget process for the sake of one member?

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Summary of fiscal year 2006 budget

Category	FY 2006 budget approved 8-23-05	FY 2005 budget
Income	-	-
Listener Support	2,400,000	2,765,000
Major Donations	300,000	200,000
Matching gifts-Corporate	11,000	11,000
Interest/other	3,000	3,000
Community Event/Roth tix	174,000	185,000
Community Events-Book Fair	50,000	25,000
Com events-LSB fundraising	5,000	25,000
Grant Income	30,000	60,000
Grant Income CSG CPB	489,840	513,336
Web Site Income	75,000	100,000
Folio Income	1,000	1,000
Total Income	3,538,840	3,888,336
-	-	-
Expense summary	-	-
Salaries and related	1,331,178	1,533,766
Administrative	929,665	813,602
Programming	220,307	251,708
Community Events	51,600	48,000
Total Operating expenses	2,818,050	2,919,176
-	-	-
Central Administrative Services	480,000	553,000
-	-	-
Net excess income	240,790	416,160