T a k e B a c k W B A I Newsletter
1st Edition: June 2011
"THE COALITION TO TAKE BACK WBAI"
N E W S L E T T E R
This news letter is brought to you by The Coalition to Take Back WBAI. We are a group of concerned and dedicated listeners and producers who are disappointed and frustrated, as many listeners are, with WBAI’s present programming and what appears to be a corporate driven direction. We have been meeting since the 2009 Coup to design methods and create strategies to get information to the public about what is actually happening at WBAI/Pacifica. We are motivated by a love for WBAI/Pacifica and the knowledge that much of what we have been told by WBAI’s new management about the financial health of the network is untrue.
We have heard from many of you who have told us that you no longer listen to WBAI as much as you once did. There are distinct reasons why our listening habits have changed. We are all responding to a program grid that is losing its community character. This is the result of WBAI’s present leadership’s decision to turn its back on Pacifica's Mission to serve local communities and turn toward the pursuit of capital as its primary objective.
The present management and board majority has chosen to hand over the program decision making process to WBAI Local Station Board member, Steve Brown, (www.whoisstevebrown.info) and Gary Null with Interim Program Director, Tony Bates and Station Manager, Berthold Reimers as their front men.
We are outraged that WBAI’s management is allowing Mr. Null to sell an increasing array of items from his extensive catalog of health products during each fund drive. In shameless acts of commercial self-promotion many of his employees are invited on the air to help push his products and to let everyone know what an all-around great guy he is. During the drives Gary is on the air more than any ten producers combined. Last drive Gary racked up 99 hours. That’s the equivalent of four days and three hours of non-stop...Gary Null. We don’t believe this path is a winning strategy or a wise investment.
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Here is a portion of the new administration’s "accomplishments" since the takeover of May 2009:
- Imported programmers from California and other parts of the European Diaspora to replace local producers.
- Forced most community programming to the periphery of the schedule in violation of the established process to relocate programs.
- Imposed a gag-rule to intimidate producers from informing listeners or raising questions about the redirection of WBAI away from its historic mission.
- Accepted corporate funding to produce programs.
- Destroyed unpaid producer’s union.
- Dissolved the committee to find a new location.
- Fired employees without due-process.
- Fabricated stories about the financial health of WBAI.
- Gave a daily program to a foreign news service of dubious credibility.
- Rendered the station susceptible to lawsuits through the sale of (ingestible) health products.
- Without providing an explanation barred opposition board members from entering the station and participating on important board mandated committees.
- Provide no proof to support their claims that the programming changes are successful.
- Failed to disclose which producers are getting money and the amount of money those producers are getting during each drive.
In future editions of the Take Back WBAI Coalition’s Newsletter we will elaborate on each issue that has been raised in our first edition. Well informed listeners are the only ones who can reverse these trends and stop the further destruction of WBAI/Pacifica. Our intention is to provide you with accurate information as well as nutritious food for thought.
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Click here for print version of this letter.
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