 Seen a Rogue on the loose? Get in touch with our Roguemeister: JOHN SCHRAG jschrag@wweek.com (503) 243-2122 FAX: (503) 243-1115 It's a sad day when even the do-gooders at KBOO aren't safe from thieves. But that's apparently what managers of the community radio station found last month. According to station manager Alan Baily, former KBOO business manager Kalia Durham is suspected of embezzling more than $11,000 from the station by forging checks. Portland police are currently investigating the claim, but in the meantime KBOO has won a court injunction to prevent Durham from spending any money that's not lawfully hers. It's beyond roguishness for someone to steal funds from an organization that runs on volunteer labor and listener contributions. But KBOO, the nation's fifth-oldest community radio station, may share some of the blame. A few years ago, general manager Everett Rice left under a cloud after it was discovered that he was allegedly milking the station for extended sick leave that he didn't need. Before that, a not-so-savvy business manager didn't pay the IRS on time, bringing the wrath of the feds down on the station. Since the Rice fiasco, we're told that KBOO hasn't really tightened
its financial controls. Hopefully, the managers at the station will
start doing so from now on. Running better background checks might also
be a good idea. A quick look at readily available public documents would
have revealed that before signing on with KBOO Durham had been convicted
of--guess what?--theft.
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