As the bozos in the bunker continue to tell us that WBAI has "turned the corner," and Berthold Reimers stays out of view, apparently issuing cowardly orders to remove or exile into the wee hours good people, the Pacifica National Board's Finance Committee held a public telephonic meeting that you might find illuminating. The first order of business is WBAI where, from what Brian Edwards-Tiekert injects, rent has not been paid since July 1 "because of pending lease negotiations". Listen to the proposed WBAI amendment that is read at about 29:15.
This meeting—which at one point sounds like Fass' Radio Unlistenable—was followed by an executive (i.e. closed door) meeting that probably had some interesting moments.
They are quite clearly in every sense at every level bankrupt.
ReplyDelete~ 'indigopirate'
Yes, and it does not help when principal players stay in denial.
DeleteNothing like these telephone conferences with all the sound effects and stupidity. I liked the guy sounding like he was jerking off to a porn video.
ReplyDeleteWBAI is the self-destructive, substance abusing, party hardy roommate that never covers their part of the rent, bills, etc. Everyone always has to make up for the loser. Eventually the other roommates realize they are paying as much as if they didn't have the jerk living with them and throw the bum out.
It's said that the addict has to admit to their problem before they can seek help. Well, no one is admitting to WBAI's problem - mostly lousy programs. Until someone with the power admits that most of the programs are putrid, the addict can't get the needed help of firing most of the parasites and loonies on WBAI's airwaves.
I have an idea. Move WBAI to the ghetto, where it's cheap to operate, and see how long they survive. Within days the station will be robbed and people shot by the poor downtrodden natives they love so much.
Anyway, how can you do a budget for WBAI? They don't even know what money they have, owe or will obtain by hook, crook or pitch.
I love the line that's always used about needing WBAI as an "alternative voice." Guess what. If no one listens to the voice, it has no effect; WBAI has no effect. When are people going to actually understand that WBAI has fewer listeners than college radio stations? I'll bet it has fewer listeners than the Latino pirate stations I hear every night on FM frequencies like 88.1, 89.3 and 91.9.
It's all a big joke of an amusement park for politicos. As long as they can get enough roommates to pay their way, they will enjoy. When people have had enough, WBAI will be homeless. Start by requiring minimum per hour beg-a-thon earnings for each show or automatic termination if said show.
SDL
Apropos sound effects, I found it somewhat amusing that there seemed to be snakes hissing throughout this meeting.
DeleteYour delinquent roommate analogy is a good one and, yes, people who stuff money into their mattress and feed bills to their wastepaper basket tend not to have a tangible record of their financial ping pong game.
WBAI used to provide an alternative voice, but that has long since changed. Nowadays, welcomed alternatives to WBAI dot the dial (to use an almost obsolete term).
Imagine what was said in the "executive" session that followed this committee scene.
Couldn't agree more- the Spanish pirates do actually have more listeners(lol
DeleteOnly David Wynyard can save WBAI.
ReplyDeleteKGT
Perhaps Kathy Davis can attempt to resurrect him. Her homeless angels might come in handy here, considering their alleged affinity for gay people.
DeleteOf course, Kathy's weekly midnight seances have yet to produce as much as a tap from Robert Knight.
@KGT: You really have to wonder if David Wynyard (aka Charles Pitts Jr.) came back if the flood of crank callers would follow. "Chickenhawk!" You know how much he hated to use the old tape delay.
DeleteAnyway, Wynyard would blow (pun intended) away any political program on WBAI at this time.
SDL
I only live a couple of miles from Harry Houdini's grave. I'll see what I can conjure up.
ReplyDeleteKGT
(JustAListener)
ReplyDeleteAt this point the problem isn't the programming, it's the completely inept management.
Even if there were more decent programs that brought more listeners, Reimers would squander any additional income.
Imagine what the financial situation would be had Reese not forced the layoffs last year. It's obvious those layoffs were required but Reimers would not do it. It's obvious the ESB rent is unaffordable but if left to Reimers nothing will change.
And the fact that Pacifica hasn't replaced Reimers shows they are just as incapable.
That's the primary reason I will not give to the station. When I gave in the past, there were shows I thought were poor quality and shows that expressed views that were downright offensive. But I was willing to support the venue to keep the good stuff on and allow a place where I could hear alternative views, even ones I disagreed with.
But now sending money to WBAI is akin to tossing spoonfuls of dirt down a bottomless pit. True, Reimers' regime is better than the one that proceeded it (I'm not hearing stories about employees and producers being physically harassed) but it's still not doing the job.
You can hear the unstated frustration in the committee recording. Pacifica desperately needs WBAI to have a manager to produce a budget and run the station and Pacifica cannot afford to pay over $8000/mo to have someone warm a chair in Brooklyn (even if he is a "nice guy").
I am in absolute agreement with you and have, in fact, expressed some of the same opinions. Programming and management are, however, related, so bad management breeds bad programming, and vice versa.
DeleteAs you suggest, having a dysfunctional national board is another major problem. Also, consider his handling of the Sidney Smith banishment, I wouldn't dub Reimers as a nice guy.
The number one reason I don't give money to WBAI is, indeed, bad management. However, I also have to weigh what programming I like against what I don't on the station. Simply put, there isn't enough warranting me giving money.
ReplyDeleteI always enjoy a different point of view, especially and extremist one, left or right. I don't get offended at all, either. However, I want at least a minimal intelligence to programs, regardless of opinions. WBAI doesn't reach that level of intelligence.
I do have to admit that I thought about giving money for the premiums on Off The Hook last week. However, when I heard Emmanual Goldstein say that they would be sent out as soon as OTH received flash drives from WBAI, I decided not to wait three years for the two collections, or have to drag WBAI into small claims court for a refund.
SDL
Did you hear Goldstein and Co. express their optimism regarding the Atlantic Avenue location? They obviously don't know how dire the situation is, that Tony Ryan is "building" the studio(s), and that rent for that place is also in serious arrears. These guys are usually more realistic... I wonder what happened.
DeleteGoldstein and company probably just don't know the entire story. However, to be fair, these days you can do up a professional radio studio very cheap. I wouldn't be surprised if Ryan and Sledgey set it up. Rent, on the other hand could mean them having to pull it apart sometime soon and move it to a new location.
DeleteGoldstein should just take OTH off of WBAI and do his own streaming show via the 2600 website. I doubt they would lose listeners, and would be able to do more hours and variety. Being on WBAI is just a waste of effort for OTH.
SDL
I know that it can be done for far less than the old days, but I was not so much speaking of the cost as I was on Tony "Sledgehammer" Ryan's technical knowledge. Think of all the audio problems that already exist on his watch. This is not a professional "Operations Manager," he only plays one on radio.
Delete(JustAListener)
ReplyDeleteSDL, I'm not surprised you were almost sucked into donating for the OTH premium.
That show with Steve Rambam was compelling.
I think of the ratings shows like Coast to Coast, and Alex Jones get (well I really don't know what those ratings are but they must exceed Pacifica's by multiples) talking about conspiracy and the occult while WBAI has real experts revealing important stuff but has no clue (or desire) to get the word out. (I miss Mike Levine. The things I heard on his show changed my view of law enforcement forever).
But you're right, you'd never get that premium unless 2600 did all the fulfillment themselves.
Reimers must have hypnotic eyes. Somehow the OTH crew went to Brooklyn and came back believing Reimers despite all the previous broken promises and the evidence he's not telling the truth.
Chris, so true about the way Reimers treated Sidney. I thought that moved Reimers from being merely lazy and inept to being lazy, inept and loathsome. Still, to judge him on the scale of 21st century WBAI management he's one of the nicer ones!
I, too, miss Mike Levine and I wonder what actually ended that show.
DeleteYes, the naiveté of the OTH people was a big surprise to me, especially since they have had such bad experience with Reimers in the recent past.
Sidney? What can I say? That is disgraceful and ugly—Reimers rarely comes out from under his rock, but he likes to talk about the WBAI "family" when he does. Such hypocrisy!
Alex Jones has been smart about making himself a leader in conspiracy circles. He knows he's marginalized and has taken full advantage of that weakness, utilizing shortwave radio and internet radio to get his message out. How many listeners can't be gauged on those mediums as there is no rating agency for them. However, it no doubt tops Pacifica's entire listenership with ease. Worldwide I would guess a few hundred thousand people per week. Even I catch him once every week or two. It's like listening to an "in your face" Null.
DeleteI think the OTH guys either don't know the whole story or were told to "shut up," if you know what I mean. Goldstein is sounding very tense lately, I noticed. I wonder if it due to WBAI or other matters.
Reimers is a slime - period.
SDL
Mike Levine is treyf.
DeleteKGT
Meaning?
DeleteThe ease of building a studio is much better these days. Most of the manufacturers of audio board have now gone to StudioHub for wiring stuff in. http://studiohub.com/ Simply plug one end of CAT5 or CAT 6 (Ethernet) cable into the board and the other end will have an adapter to RCA, XLR, quarter inch or whatever into your piece of equipment. Buy a box of adapters and a box of various lengths of CAT 5 and you can build a studio in just a few hours. A lot better thaqn the old days of tedious wiring.
ReplyDeleteThanks for that info. Any other links of use you could post? I am looking at setting up an internet radio station but don't know much about it yet.
DeleteSDL
Talk to the folks at Tekserve www.tekserve.com and tell them where you're coming from, and what you want to do. They deal with a lot of audio, video, broadcast, production, and post-production folks, and have for years.
Delete~ 'indigo'
Thanks, indigo. I haven't been to Tekserve since I had one of the first generation Mac G3s. I haven't even touched a Mac since OS 8.6. I remember how cool that computer was at the time. Well, I pulled it out of storage recently and couldn't even get on the web with it. How computer technology has advanced in a mere couple of decades.
DeleteSDL
Even if you're not running a Mac you still might want to drop by and speak to some folks. If nothing else it would likely prove a less expensive initiation than paying a competent professional consultant (there are a lot of self-professed amateur 'professionals' out there).
Delete~ 'indigo'