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An unvarnished blog that dips into the past and comments on the present of WBAI-FM, a once significant, intelligent New York radio station that for years has suffered chronic abuse from within and now nears extinction. Your comments are welcomed and will not be censored.
This is beyond sad. It is indicative of the complete mismanagement of the Pacifica network by Reese, Rosenberg, et al.
ReplyDeleteOne of the stellar things that the network has produced is being forced to its death by their incompetence. Disgusting.
Good riddance. I engineered for these characters when they were based here at WBAI. They were anti-western anti-American anti-Israeli from moment one.
ReplyDeleteAfter 9/11 they were regular apologists for the head choppers. When the Iraq war started they were cheering for the other side. Yeah you can be against your government when it's clearly wrong, but these bastards were cheering for the guys shooting our troops.
Fuck'em that crossed the line.
Amy was doing the same thing at the time till it became clear that the national mood was sympathetic towards our troops if not the war. I was there comrades I remember. Again I say fuck'em good riddance, and drop dead. I have never I mean never! forgiven them or the fools at Bai for their treasonous behavior of those awful days. This btw is why America hates the far left.
Sydney needs to be accountable - the always moody, angry Sydney was lucky to still have a job @ BAI with his behavior, including removing announcements he did not like. Sydney needs help and a new place of employment. He sabotaged the station when he was there!
DeleteThe problem with Sydney is that he tends to tell it like it is.
Deletethe problem with Sydney is that he is stupid. The Iraq war was stupid - now Sydney says he was in favor of it? What a moron!! Afghanistan was one thing - it was at one point a good war, but Iraq? People were tired of Sydney for years @ WBAI, but he refused to leave - instead he was sleeping all over the station, leaving his funk. Good riddance to Sydney!!!
DeleteThe Iraq war was indeed stupid—as are all wars—but Sydney Smith is not. In fact, he is head and heels above most of his former co-workers at WBAI when it comes to intelligence and erudition. The non-pacific remarks he made were obviously a reaction to the vehement anti-US outbursts and insane glorification of people like Muammar Gaddafi and Mumia expressed on WBAI by such opportunists as Robert Knight and the sprouting faction of black malcontents who see the station as a permanent haven for their own shortcomings.
DeleteI further suspect that this, and Sydney's refusal to go with the flow causes the kind of resentment we see in your response(s). Too often, and for too long WBAI has been plagued by having aboard and, indeed, at its helm, people who place their self-serving desires above the needs of the station. Were it not for such talented, dedicated producer/hosts as Sydney, the audience exodus would have taken place much sooner—were it not for the preponderance of closed-minded ego-driven staff and volunteers who outnumber them, we might not be engaged in this countdown to WBAI's total obliteration. .
This Saturday morning, Sydney's alternate week one hour time slot was extended by two (Simon Loekley being in Europe) and he delivered an exemplary performance—just the sort of intelligent, eclectic brew that used to attract new listeners to WBAI, and keep them tuned in.
Administrator - can you please make it clear that the kind of language featured in the above two posts is not appreciated here.
ReplyDeleteAs you can see, I published your comment and left intact the two to which you refer. I personally disagree with elements expressed by both posters in this case and, frankly, believe a border of civility may have been crossed, but I do not practice censorship. This does not mean that I will publish all submissions, but if you see it on my blog, you know that I have deemed it publishable—even if barely so.
ReplyDeleteThat said, I hope we can avoid name-calling among our visitors.
Chris and Anonymous,
ReplyDeleteI agree with your pleas for civility. Indigo Pirate is a good example of someone who can advocate a cause or criticize an opinion without lowering himself to vulgarity or ad hominem attacks.
I will monitor my comments more carefully to comply with the unwritten, but generally observed rules of civility in this valuable forum--even when the topic is one that evokes as much passion as the foreign policy of this armed madhouse of a banana republic.
Please accept my apology.
TPM
No apology needed, TPM, but another policy I have is never to refuse a sincere apology. :)
DeleteYou, and the other posters are quit right my emotions got the better of me. Though as we recall those were extremely emotional times. I should have found a more civil way to express my horror at the attitudes of some of my co-worker to our country being attacked.
ReplyDeleteWell actually for some of the guilty it wasn't 'their' country. Many wanting to see dead Marines were born elsewhere mostly the Caribbean. My youngest nephew has just returned from that War our longest which still rages. I was never 'for' those conflicts, but could never cheer the deaths of our troops. As I say I'm still very emotional about those times, and what happened at the station. Despite that I 'should' after all these years have found a non-hostile way of expressing it. My apologies.
It is a wonder that your emotional expressions are only verbal, considering what you have gone through at WBAI, only to be relegated to 55 minutes every other week, at an ungodly hour when the number of listeners can be counted on two hands and a foot. :)
DeleteSidney,
DeleteI've met you several times at the Wall Street Studio. You've always gone out of your way to be helpful.
I too apologize for my tantrum. I'm glad your nephew is OK and wish no harm to the other innocents dragged into the Empire's foreign wars. I do wish eternal torment on the Masters of War.
TPM