COLUMBUS SCHOOLS PAY OFF EX-GM’S SECRET DEBT TO NPR

Dan Mushalko

The damage caused by former WCBE’s GM Dan Mushalko’s secret scheme is now becoming known. 

Taxpayers, teachers and students in Columbus, Ohio, have paid $870,000 to NPR to clean up Mushalko’s Mess.

According to a May 8^th report by the Columbus Dispatch [link], the Columbus Board of Education decided to use $870,000 of its general education funds to settle the debt. 

Though the money comes from educational programs, there appears to have been no other choice but paying the bill.

For almost five years, Mushalko perpetuated the illusion that WCBE was self-supporting, concealing the situation in state-mandated financial audits and CPB transparency reports. In truth, Mushalko had been making partial payments to NPR since 2014.

Mushalko’s house of cards began to crumble in January 2019 when other public broadcasters in the Columbus area became aware of WCBE’s large debt to NPR. Knowing his secret was about to be revealed, Mulshalko confessed to his immediate supervisor at the Columbus City Schools. Mulshalko was put on administrative leave where he remains today.

Why Mulshalko concealed the debt is still not known.  Why the Columbus City Schools oversight of the station failed to detect the fraud is also not known.

The story of how this situation happened is as bizarre as it is stupid. Apparently Mulshalko was working on a plot to take control of the station and merge its operations Ohio State University’s WOSU.

Michael Coleman

OSU had hired former Columbus Mayor Michael Coleman to craft a plan to marge the stations. Strangely, Coleman never informed the Columbus City Schools of this activity.

Instead, Coleman negotiated with a nonprofit organization formed by Don McTigue, an attorney who worked for Coleman’s campaign and former WCBE board member, to put together the merger proposal. But no proposal was even made and it appears that both OSU and the Columbus City Schools had no idea it existed.

Mushalko’s role in Coleman and McTigue’s scheme is not publicaly known.

The story ends with a bit of good news. The Columbus City Schools have affirmed their support for NPR and WCBE.

The Dispatch reported that it asked Columbus City Schools board President Gary Baker how using local and state money earmarked for teaching students could be used to pay off a debt of a radio station.

Baker replied, in part:

“I am pleased that the district is able to continue to provide a valuable community service through WCBE.”

TRUMP SPEECHES IN HOT ROTATION ON FLORIDA STATIONS

Proving once again that some commercial radio station operators will do anything for a buck, Gulf Coast Broadcasting in Panama City, Florida, is running two-minutes excerpts from President Trump’s speeches on their three FM stations.

The “Trump-ettes” are in heavy rotation on “Classic Rock 95.9” WRBA, Country “103.5 Hank-FM” and Contemporary Hits “105.1 Bob-FM” WASJ. The Trump modules are part of the music mix, similar to promotional “liners.”

Gulf Coast Broadcasting’s owner Sam Rogatinsky told RadioInsight  [link] that the Trump-ettes “will keep going as long as the listeners are enjoying it.”

So, imagine you are on the air at “Classic Rock 95.9” and need to pick a song to follow up this Trump nugget:

“Actually, throughout my life, my two greatest assets have been mental stability and being, like, really smart...”

Would you choose:

A. The Who, “Won’t Get Fooled Again”

B. Molly Hatchet, "Flirtin' With Disaster"

C. Grand Funk, "We're an American Band"

D. Buffalo Springfield, "For What It's Worth"