Tuesday, March 10, 2009

Former MAIN Board Member disputes ED's claim that Coates suspension was upheld

Former Mountain Area Information Network Board of Directors member Randee Goodstadt-Evans has disputed that the Board reviewed Wally Bowen's firing of Gillian Coates and upheld it.

From Mr. Bowen's March 4th letter to Mountain Express:

"Most volunteers are not aware that a behind-the-scenes power struggle—smoldering since 2003—intensified in early 2008, culminating in the August suspension of a volunteer who sought WPVM’s independence from MAIN. This was the first disciplinary action against a volunteer in the station’s five-year history. The board reviewed 14 documented incidents and upheld the suspension. "

Randee Goodstadt-Evans responds:

"I was a member of MAIN’s Board from August through November, 2008, and was never involved in any review of the so-called “documented incidents.”

"Likewise, the Board did not “uphold the suspension.”

"Actually, the Board sidestepped the issue entirely, issuing an apology for letting the conflict between the volunteer and Bowen get out of hand, and turning over general supervision of the station to a committee comprised of four board members: Josh Jourdan, Robin Smith, Terry O’Keefe, and myself. (At this time, Sept. 8, and shortly thereafter, the station still had a manager.)

"The Board’s goal at the time was to take Wally Bowen out of daily involvement with the radio station. I possess documentation to support that."

Randee Goodstadt-Evans

March 10, 2009

3 comments:

  1. Thanks, Randee, for clarify what happened on the board during last fall's crisis, after Gillian was dismissed.

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  2. There's another part of Bowen's statement that isn't accurate as well, this:
    "This was the first disciplinary action against a volunteer in the station’s five-year history."

    Actually, several volunteers had been removed from the air during that five years, all of them appropriately, according to former board members I've talked with. I've no idea why Bowen says otherwise. Hmmm ...Just for the fun of it?

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