Thursday, June 19, 2014

Everything's coming up roses...


This took place Thursday morning from 10 to noon, but it was not so much a report to the listener as it was abother session of cronies patting each others' back. Berthold Reimers insisted that this be called a report with the listeners, but there were none in the studio, just members of the so-called JUC faction, the people who want WBAI to become a black station. Their metaphor for that is "community," and they seem to think that the intellectual level for a "community" station has to match their own, which is rather low.

In the opening audio clip, you will hear Berthold Reimers, delusions intact, claim that the seemingly endless fund drive met its goals, which it really didn't, even with extensions, and that the rent is now paid. There's a problem with that, as we learned Friday.

It turns out that two rent checks were refused and returned, which cannot have come as a surprise to Reimers, because companies like the ESB give their customers advance notice and make sure that you understand their rules. They obviously would not accept the two $50,000 cheques, because at this point they constitute partial payment. So there is every reason to believe that Reimers once again withheld the truth in order to make himself look less of a fool. This worked for a while, but his credibility is shot, Why he is still there, and receiving $100,000.00 a year is a mystery.

Here we hear his opening and everybody pitches in—yes, they really pitch in as if the fund drive were still on. The sad truth is, of course, that Reimers' optimism is utter BS.

Next, Reimers is at a loss for words as he asks Michael Haskins to speak and that, needless to say, is never a good idea. Haskins  blathers and announces a break, playing some music and the usual, tired promos. This is supposed to be a a report to the listeners, people who have just suffered through six weeks of boring, repetitive infomercials while opportunists picked their pockets. Well, it's WBAI, isn't it? Here is a mercifully shortened 6-minute sample of what I have just described:

As they prepare to take the first call, Andrea Katz steps in to correct something Haskins said and uses the opportunity to pitch for more money.... put us in your will, give us your grandmother's jewels, etc. And they wonder where the audience went?

More calls—this one from a lady who is outraged by what she has heard regarding Amy Goodman's association with WBAI. Reimers attempts an answer and Bob Lederer chimes in with a more articulate one. Another listener wants to see community gatherings, which prompts Reimers to bring up the so-called "gospel" show and his plan to make a pile of money from churches. When he suggests that WBAI has been "anti church," Haskins' ears go up. One listener calls for a de-emphasis on religion.

Here's an unwelcomed caller. Reimers attempts in vain to cut him short and soon gets help from Haskins. Not exactly in the old Pacifica spirit.

Here's a 23-minute segment with a typical assortment of current WBAI callers. Notice towards the end that Lederer is all for distributing the online weekly schedule so that people can see what wonderful programs WBAI offers. The problem is that this schedule not only is outdated and inaccurate, it is also singularly uninformative. They should never have discontinued the Folio.
Here are six more calls, one from a 40-year listener who wants to know what is going on with the rumored sale or frequency swap. I think you will find the answers given by Reimers and Lederer interesting, if not comforting. By this time, Haskins has taken full charge of the program.

And so we come to the parting words, garnished with a Reimers mumble. As you can see, this program never got down to the real programs. Reimers does mention, as an asidem that sime current programs will go and something new is coming in, but that's about it. He made no mention of a regular Youtube program wherein a not-so-funny attempts satire. From what I have seen, she is embarrassing, so it figures that Berthold Reimers wants her aboard. He doesn't seem to understand that WBAI needs original programs—we had enough of those download when Knight was getting paid for them, They never worked, but they served his own need for fillers. The excuse is that WBAI does not have the money to produce programs, but that's nonsense—its amazing what can be done with creative ideas and determination, and it is amazing how big a difference it would make to the character and quality of WBAI if opportunists were not allowed to squat year after year, and stagnate. New York is a treasure trove of young talent, eager to show what it can do.

11 comments:

  1. Indeed they are, living proof that there is one field of endeavor in which WBAI management and its pandering cronies excel: ADD (Audience Dumb Down). Few other radio stations—if any—can match the thoroughness with which these people discourage intellect.

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  2. There really isn't much to say about this Report. There were no revelations of any note from management or the guests. The listeners made no comments nor asked any questions of any interest.

    It was obvious that about half way through, Reimers and Hay-tie were getting annoyed with the callers, but I can't blame them. Most of the callers were primates who couldn't make any points and just rambled on like children. Hay-tie simply cut a couple off in mid sentance, and, kindly, spared us any more torture.

    This leads to the only revelation of the program - WBAI attracts a listenership whose intellectual abilities are even below the listenership of right wing corporate talk radio. At least those callers can get to their stupid points. It's pretty sad when callers to a Rush Windbag, Curtis Sleazewa or Michael Deadved are more intelligent. I guess this is why the hardcore left has given way to the limousine left.

    Anyway. There is NO hope for WBAI now because when management AND the listeners are all a bunch of morons, there is no one left to improve things.

    Well, maybe I will take Andrea's advice and go to the website and apply for the Program Director job. Seems no one else wants it...

    SDL

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  3. I feel great sympathy for what Yuseef Salaam's mother endured when he was wrongfully convicted and incarcerated in the Central Park Jogger case. However, that doesn't qualify her to be a radio host or commentator.

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    1. Sadly, she was the most vibrant personality on the show. However, I do agree with you. Add the intern to your sentiments.

      A Report With/To The Listener should only have the people in charge of running the station on the program. Also, In the old days, it was generally broadcast in the evenings, when listenership was at its peak.

      SDL

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    2. Yes, it was live in the evening, with a morning rebroadcast. It also was a REAL report, not the half-truth-cum-all lie, mutual back patting crap we heard yesterday.

      I wonder if Reimers knew that two un-cashed ESB rent cheques had been returned? His annual pay of $100,000.00 should qualify him as being guilty of grand theft.

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    3. I remember there was a time years back when Report To The Listener was dropped altogether. I forget under which junta, though. May have been Reed/Harris or started with Marxman. Anyway. The listeners started complaing and it came back irregularly, without even a promo for it.

      It was obvious from the first 30 minutes or so of yesterday's Report To The Morons that Reimers and company were just trying to eat up as much time with self-congratulations and laudations as possible to avoid the listeners. However, as we saw, there was nothing to fear. I KNEW I should have called and been the one person to really deal with matters. Next time, I will.

      SDL

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  4. No one seems to want to look at Amy Goodman and her relationship with Pacifica. There is no doubt in my mind that she has helped bankrupt it with her very high cost, paid or promised. Until that contact is terminated I don't see any hope for Pacifica. It still has TOO much overhead in costs. It need to operated on a shoestring budget , and some where along the line it forgot that.

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    1. As far as I know, Amy Goodman has not pressed Pacifica for the money owed her. She has pitched hard during their fundraising efforts and if what they say is true and she has a contract that Pacifica has failed to honor, that would be a matter for the courts to decide on. It is very likely that the stories are true and that Amy wangled a great deal, but she did not do that without some Pacifica help of questionable wisdom. Pacifica needs to be very carefully looked into.

      I have no special knowledge of that relationship, but I think it is safe to say that Amy cannot be blamed for steering Pacifica into bankruptcy when—as I understand it—she has raised more money for the foundation and individual stations than she has received from them.

      If I am wrong about all this, I hope a more enlightened soul will correct me.

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  5. There seems to be an uncritical acceptance of Amy Goodman across the board. It seems she is somehow above any sort of criticism, other than financial. This reminds me of the corporate media party line about Saint Hilary Clinton. Am I the only one who finds Amy Goodman a bit hard to take? Are there others who feel that although her program has solid reportage, perhaps it is not worth the $1million price tag? Does anybody perceive the neurosis in Amy's reportage of attrocities--how she conveys some kind of glee whenever presenting horrible stories? Personally, I have to turn the radio off when she does this. I find it weird, unprofessional, partisan, and antithetical to her credibility.

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    1. The "worthwhile moments" count has been lowered. Democracy Now! has been gentrified.

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