This morning, WBAI launched its latest—and, perhaps, last—fundraising marathon. The goal is a million dollars, but the schedule and its content have not been improved. This means that they are not only trying to sell you a flawed product, but one that you have already rejected.
Esther Armah kicked off this drive with George Quant on the phone from KPFK, where he is a host of questionable credibility. Quant is the self-named "Master Teacher of Meditation," a guy whose QIM (Quantum Integrated Meditation) falls perfectly into Pacifica's bag of healing scams. He has a set of four CDs for sale and Armah is offering them at a very special price of $250. She assures us that "Others pay thousand and thousand and thousands for" the same thing. If that is so, they obviously don't know that these discs can be had from Quant's own website for $150.
Listen to Quant ramble on about his famous "clients," the movie stars, heads of state, corporate moguls, etc. Imagine being so admired the world over ("some of these people have called me from their private jets," he boasts). Why, with such fame and success, is George Quant still a local KPFK broadcaster? Why is the high praise we read online all coming from his own website? If you fall for this one, you probably deserve to be rooked by Pacifica and the Reimers group.
The following is, of course, a product of my imagination, but it really isn't far fetched
Heard it on today, boring and narcissistic dribble.
ReplyDeleteNot cool I am a faithful WBAI listener for many years.....be part of the solution not the problem.
ReplyDeleteThe solution cannot be found if one continues to accept mediocre programming by unimaginative, stagnant producers. That will never change unless one points it out enough times. The fact that the overwhelming majority of WBAI's listeners have gone elsewhere is the most powerful message. However, it has not managed to bring back intelligent programming, so it will eventually kill the station. I predict 2014 will be its last year under the control of the now dysfunctional Pacifica Foundation.
DeleteThe years of abuse and is what is not cool, i.m.o.
Did not the WBAI price include station membership? Perhaps people pay more for the WBAI package because the station was in a fundraiser, and the CD package was one of the premiums. I am grateful for the Pacifica network, and wish them much success in striving to be an even better source of information and empowerment for the community. It, like many of us, is an imperfect entity that comprises countless components striving for improvement of the whole. I wish them peace and increasing productivity.
ReplyDeleteA shipping and handling fee is charged on top of the premium price, so not having money for postage is not a valid excuse for non-delivery. It is, in fact, an illegal action, a scam. That said, most premiums are available elsewhere at a small fraction of the WBAI asking price, but pitchers continue to claim exclusivity.
DeleteWere WBAI really striving to become a "better source of information and empowerment" for the "community" (as it once was), it would not feed its listeners a steady diet of historical misinformation nor present a producer's fantasies as fact.
Of course it is an imperfect entity, which is all the more reason why there should be an unceasing effort to make it better. I can tell you that I, myself, became a subscriber and volunteer in 1961, because I was attracted by the station's honesty, independence and high level of intelligence—attributes that glaringly separated WBAI from all other stations on the dial.
Honesty is not in WBAI's current vocabulary, independence was seriously shredded when the yardstick became a program's popularity or its producer's relationship to management, and listeners abandoned the station in droves when the target audience became race-based and the formerly high standard was brought down to a level that is often lower than that of neighboring stations. Ironically, the original concept sought to provide an intelligent alternative to radio dials dominated by meaningless chatter and pop music.
With all too few exceptions, WBAI's current weekly schedule is filled with stagnant, often racist "shows" that insult the intelligence. Blame is usually put on changing times and outside events (like Sandy), but management stubbornly refuses to acknowledge the simple fact that they are—year after year—airing inferior programs and narrow political propaganda.
What goes out over the air is WBAI's product line. It needs to change and reflect the times, which does not require down-grading of any kind.
It's 2016. Pacifica and WBAI still on the air.
ReplyDeleteThe station is still sending out a signal in 2016, but what it airs has little or nothing in common with the Pacifica that sent U.S. broadcasting in a new, radically different direction. It has also, largely as a consequence of lowered intellectual and technical quality, lost the overwhelming majority of its listener-supporters.
DeleteStaying on the air is rather meaningless when 90% of the broadcast content is pap.
Yup and still pushing the George Quant stuff. Heard it at about 1:30pm
ReplyDeleteIta June 2016 and WBAI is still on the air. I guess your prediction was way off base. Its not perfect but I will continue to support and listen, until we can get it to where it need to be. It's been almost 3 years since your doom and gloom prediction. George Quant knows what he;s talking about, and I use and like his system of meditation. Be part of the solution not the problem. May improvements have been made, we know Pacifica board is part of the problem. Freaking so called liberal racists..
ReplyDeleteI wish my prediction was wrong, but I'm afraid it isn't. You mention 3 years, so I suggest that you might look at the financial situation back then and compare it to what it is today. I think you will find that it has grown much worse as has, in many ways, the programming.
DeleteCompare the debt back then to what it is today, compare the bad programming back then to the worse fare offered today and—if that does not convince you that WBAI is deteriorating, compare the listenership. It is now lower than it has ever been and there is no sign of it improving.
The destruction of WBAI at the hands of amateurs, opportunists and stuck-in-time racists is slow but inevitable. When I indicate my feeling that the station should cease to exist, it am not talking about WBAI, per se, but rather the vandals who have taken it over. It is quite clear at this point that they—having no other outlet that wants them—will attempt to stay until the station dies. It has, for all intents and purposes, already stopped breathing, but that plug needs to be pulled.
Care to list the "many improvements" you think have been made?
I think basically your an grumpy old koot. All things change. The BIGGEST reason for the change is social media! In the 60s the times and mindset were different. No one was like Pacifica then. Now you have many many outlets for knowledge and inside information. Use to be the only place people could get their information out was a station like Pacifica...now anyone can get on YouTube or Facebook and create a following...THAT IS THE REAL REASON behind the scenes. I agree on the coming down in quality of WBAI..and it's sister station KPFK which I loved when I lived in LA. I like you missed the old times in many ways but your criticism is too harsh. Esp about George Quant and his cd's(which are excellent) . I still love Null, Sojournet Truth, I was saddened deeply when Armand Demile passed, etc. Basically it's the MINDSET of the times that has allowed these things.
ReplyDelete