Sunday, August 11, 2013

When WBAI mattered...

WBAI is on the precipice of oblivion and there is barely a mention of it in the mainstream media. It wasn't always so—not only was the media interested, it was also known to help us make it. The clippings you see below show how attitudes towards the station have changed. Abusers, misfits and opportunists made WBAI run out of esteem. 
Click on the image to make it readable.


18 comments:

  1. I see the Times finally got around to covering the situation at WBAI:
    http://www.nytimes.com/2013/08/12/business/media/wbai-fm-lays-off-most-of-staff.html

    I've heard that Esther Armah was among those sacked. I can't say I'm sorry. Hugh Hamilton is well-informed but, I think, has absolutely no concept of what dialogues and discussions are. On the other hand, Rebecca Myles is a real loss.

    Why Kathy Davis is still with the station is beyond me. Then again, I'm not as privy to the behind-the-scenes scenarios as you and others are.

    I love IP's comment to the effect that Davis is remarkable in that she's lived four decades on this planet and has been completely untouched by the Enlightenment. That's a classic!

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    1. I agree regarding the folly of dismissing Rebecca Myles—I guess it came down to a choice of keeping all three members of the News Dept. or letting all go. They should have kept them on and worked towards expanding that department. I don't know if the fired Kathy Davis, but she and Reimers are infestations, and their salaries could probably finance the News Dept., and then some.

      Indigo's observation is, indeed, right on the money—as it were.

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    2. Andrea Sears is continuing to produce news, as podcasts, at http://www.leftvoices.net. She is pursuing her passion.

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    3. That's great. Thank you for posting the url.

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    4. The following link works:
      http://leftvoices.net/wordpress/on-healthcare-why-not-go-all-the-way/

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  2. The Gary Null cult has almost destroyed the station.

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    1. As I see it: Apart from the fact that Null is a slick merchandiser who uses WBAI to cut his advertising cost, he indirectly must bear the blame for WBAI's parade of quacks.

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    2. Say what you will about Null - and believe me I am no Null fan - but I do not think he is responsible for the kooks and quacks - it is the people who are responsible for determining the programing of the station who are to blame for that, at least IMHO.

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    3. I used the word "indirectly," meaning that I don't believe he brought any of these people to the station—in fact, I'm sure he does not like having such "competition." What I implied is that Null's success in fundraising on the air lit a flickering old Edison over the bozos' head. Alternative medicine = pledges, we must have more of that. Of course, the focus was on the money rather than the product, so quacks were given air time indiscriminately. Like everything else these people do, it got out of hand and the healthy audience jogged off into the night while the Lourdes crowd came forth. Eventually, even they discovered that this was a scam, so they, too, stumbled into the night.

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  3. Justine and Chris,

    I highly value IP's contributions; however, I must insist on receiving credit for my comment on the Enlightenment bypassing Kaffy Davis.

    TPM


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  4. TPM:

    Absolutely right, credit where due. [bows]

    ~ François-Marie Arouet's drinking buddy, Indigo Pirate

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  5. It’s not difficult to imagine you hanging out in a café with Voltaire, Diderot, Rousseau, and Montesquieu. You have the mind of an 18th century intellectual and the manners of an 18th century aristocrat.

    It’s just that “Indigo Pirate” doesn’t sound French.

    TPM

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    1. Pirate d'indigo?

      I am indebted to the three of you for contributing intelligent thought and civility to this blog.

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  6. TPM:

    Thank you. I have not the grace of being French. I do, however, have Lettre de Marque et Lettre de Course kindly provided me by Kato Mariko of the Mouretsu Pirates, which I would hope would serve as bona fides.

    Chris:

    You're very welcome :)

    ~ Indigo Pirate

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  7. TPM: Je m'excuse. Vous doit recevoir le credit. Ma faute!

    (I''m sorry that I don't have diacritical marks on my keyboard!)

    Anon 5:16--I'm glad to know I'm not the only one who sees Gary Null as the leader of a cult. Maybe his followers will drink Kool-Aid made from his Green Stuff or Red Stuff or whatever he's peddling these days on WBAI.

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    1. Justine,

      Apology accepted. Thanks.
      There is a way to add foreign letters to Word or Word Perfect repertoires.
      I translate from Spanish to English and have added a Spanish dimension--accents, ñ,ü, etc. Don't want to use up too much space and abuse Chris's hospitality, but if you're interested in how to do it, e-mail me at mummifiedibis@gmail.com..

      TPM

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  8. As others have said I was cautiously optimistic after hearing Reese and Phillips but tonight, (Monday the 12th of August) interspersed with some OK stuff I heard a bizarre statement by Mimi Rosenberg who seems to be living in an alternate reality, the nutty Geoff Brady interviewing another candidate for the asylum and the ding bat Davis interviewing some mystic, so it seems that things have not changed that much yet. Maybe we have to wait a few days though to give the new regime to clear out all the garbage.

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  9. If WBAI wasn't such a close minded backward radio station and reported on stories like this...they would NEVER GO BROKE....But that is why a mob of black people in Manhattan beat him with fists, kicks, a traffic cone and wooden board until they fractured his skull. And why they were in the middle of doing the same to a Good Samaritan before the police arrived.

    All on video: Where at least 10 black people assaulted Washington, accompanied by the laughter, cheers, clapping, and encouragement of the nearby crowd.

    A woman in a dress is seen taking off her high heeled shoes to take part in the beating. Others yell, “We are from Yonkers, n—–” and provide blow by blow commentary on the assault.

    “That’s good footage, there.”

    “Hit him two more times.”

    “That’s crazy.”

    The assault took place in 2010, but the case did not come to trial until last month, when police released the video.

    Assistant District Attorney Lucy Cutolo told the jury: “I need to warn you that the video you’re going to see in this case contains graphic disturbing footage of possibly the most prolonged and brutal assault that you have ever, or will ever, see,” reported the New York Daily News at the January trial.

    Four were convicted of assault, others remain at large, unknown.

    One of the attorneys claimed the entire thing was a miscarriage of justice.

    http://www.wnd.com/2013/02/black-mob-beats-man-until-skull-broke/

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