KDHX under Kelly Wells has spent over $250,000 in the last two years alone on consultants. Mostly Gladiator, but plenty of others.
Consultants, of course, are like those old royal courtiers. They have to say precisely what the queen wants to hear, but make it sound like they are giving her advice. (Also, a group of courtiers and a group of consultants are both called a "clusterfuck". Historical fact.)
A burning question since Tom Ray's dismissal has been "who came up with the term 'operationalize these commitments'" because once found, that person will never be hired anywhere. (Not even by the city leaders that determined that the answer to all of the ills of St. Louis were "talented young professionals with an entrepreneurial spirit." Which further proved those city leaders did not actually know what any of those words meant.)
"In 2020, KDHX committed to transforming this organization. The transformation was cocreated with our partners —- listeners, donors, staff, and volunteers. Through this process, we collectively developed a new purpose statement, a set of organizational values, and a strategic plan to guide our work and operationalize our commitments. In implementing this strategic plan and living into our values, KDHX has made a number of organizational changes, including the separation from Tom Ray. This decision was not made lightly, nor was it the comfortable or easy choice for anyone. The process of making the decision and the actions we took were aligned with the values and actions our community helped create in 2020."
I added the bold. The quote is from the Riverfront Times article https://www.riverfronttimes.com/arts/tom-papa-ray-speaks-out-after-kdhx-firing-39566281
When you give to KDHX, you give to Gladiator and other consultants. Operating costs and salaries are mostly covered by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting Grant.
Don't send Kelly Wells your money until she starts making some changes. Please.
All the volunteers need to ban together as a separate entity and fore these folks. You have the power. Don't let them divide and conquer you with their set of rules. Most of the board members are lawyers??? An ad hoc group of volunteers needs file immediately with FCC and EEOC (EEOC for ageism in asking for volunteers only between the ages of 18-40.) I have been in radio on the West Coast for 40 years. This would never fly at a station like KBOO in Portland. Why? Because it is a true community radio station and not one masquerading as one solely due to incompetent management.
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