Friday, April 17, 2015

WBAI: Drifter Radio in New York


When the Pacifica National Board's Finance Committee met last Tuesday, they did so with rare civility. Perhaps the gravity of the current financial situation had something to do with it, perhaps it was the realization that figures reflected in spreadsheets are often at variance with each other. We have long known that Berthold Reimers and reality don't get along, but what often is generously written off as "optimism" on his part is, in fact, chronic lying. The man got the job under false pretenses around 2009 and he has somehow managed to maintain the absurd charade of having skills that never manifested themselves. 

Figures speak louder than words. As Reimers and his lackeys continued to paint a false picture of prosperity being just around the bend, the location situation grew ever shakier and the bills piled up. If you have been following the stories circulated regarding the Atlantic Avenue property, you may recall that Reimers led the staff to believe that WBAI was purchasing the building at 388 and would be renting out parts of it. That sounded great and it was assumed that something was being done to come up with the down payment. No longer having to pay the high rent at Wall Street, that saving alone would make the purchase easier. In the meantime, there was this kind offer from CCNY's WHCR: they would rent WBAI a studio for $5,000 a month. Great, that arrangement would assure WBAI a broadcasting location for two, perhaps 3 months—WHCR had plans to use the space for an expansion.

Well, three months passed, then four, five, six.... and still no sign of WBAI moving. Quiet as it was kept, Reimers had put WBAI's rent in arrears at CCNY as well as at Atlantic Avenue and the Empire State Building. All this while telling the staff that things were swell—he even had Mitchel Cohen believing that the New York station would probably end up supporting the rest of Pacifica. The farce took another turn when Reimers had the NYPD called to the NYCC campus to arrest Sidney Smith on some unproven charge. The cops came, decided that there were no grounds for arrest, and left. Reimburse then ordered his sledgehammer man, Tony Ryan, to confiscate Sidney's campus pass and escort him off the premises, "banned for life." To this day, Reimers has never contacted Sidney to explain his bizarre firing, but the head of CUNY decided that the WBAI charade had crossed the line, so he ordered WBAI to abandon the space by March 31. With no place to go, Reimers did not comply, so—as R. Paul Martin puts it, WBAI became a "squatter". Word was now put out that an architect and designer had been hired to turn space at Atlantic Avenue into a studio. Tony Ryan announced on the air that he was personally putting together a studio there, at his own cost. As you will hear on the following audio, that is just another stall. How long will CCNY put up with Reimers? How long will it be before WBAI is forever silenced?

Here is R. Paul Martin's report to the Committee on WBAI's situation.



And here is more of the meeting. The first clip leads up to R. Paul's report. The second is what followed it.



81 comments:

  1. Not sure if I wanna waste my time listening to their board meetings. What makes me curious, is why CCNY does not evict the BAI studios, and more interestingly, why was Sidney banned from the studio. What was his conflict with Reimers? and finally, if all of the left wing volunteers did not want to bring the heat on Sledgehammer Ryan or the former members of the black panther party masquerading as security, why did no one call Reimers on the floor when he called the cops in on Sidney, over, apparently, nothing?

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    1. All good questions, BB. We've heard some explanations, but everything coming from the Reimers camp is highly suspect. Is he an opportunistic imbecile? I think that is certifiable.

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  2. Did I hear that WBAI is still paying $50,000/month to the ESB? I though Reimers claimed they were getting a cut rate during the alleged negotiations over the rent.

    I still want to see proof that WBAI was asked to leave CCNY, whether due to the Smith fiasco or for other reasons. I kind of think if they were “asked” to leave over the Smith matter, it was more of an excuse because they were wanted out beforehand.

    Anyway, this all sounds like the same old stuff. [beep boop]

    SDL

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    1. You may well have heard that about the ESB rent, although Reimers claims it has been reduced to something like $25,000. His word is worthless and I find it very hard to believe that he has spent nearly a year "negotiating" with the building's lawyers. This guy juggles the listeners' money around to cover his inept management. Consider also that he hasn't been paying the rent at 388 Atlantic and he was seriously in arrears at CCNY when they allegedly told him not to bother.

      I also wonder if the outrageous removal of Sidney Smith wasn't the last straw. WBAI had already overstayed its welcome at the CCNY location. Besides, as I pointed out in my post, the stay was only supposed to last a month or two, because WHCR had plans for the space.

      The next fund drive is scheduled to start May 4, but they ran an old Blosdale at 3AM, then re-ran it at 4AM—it was an infomercial from October 5, 2013, complete with announcements of phones ringing off the hook. The product for sale was a 6-CD audiobook, "Your Brain on Love," and the price was 12 monthly payments of $20.83. That comes to $153.96, as opposed to Amazon's total cost of $43.83. I called the number and someone answered, "Thank you for calling WBAI, how much do you want to donate?" Sounds like they have hired a call center... I wonder how much that costs.

      It is, indeed, the same old stuff, as you suggest, but the situation becomes precariouser and precariouser, as Alice might have said.

      Delete
  3. I have said WBAI should run an infomercials once or twice a day to make some money during non-beg-a-thon times, but not at 3AM! Jeez. How about at 6PM Monday - Thursday...

    By the way, Goldstein said on OTH that all the premiums for the show have been sent out- No, wait. They were all delivered to WBAI to be sent out. Well, how often have premiums just layed around WBAI never being mailed out. I'm too tired to count.

    Reimers reminds me of the one episode of The Honeymooners, where Ralph does a coin toss bet with Norton. "Heads I win, tails you lose."

    Peter Piper pounded down several pints of porter...

    SDL

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    1. The infomercial double run was followed by "From the Vault," but the on-line schedule and archive list it as "Project Censored." How long does it take to change a listing? They just don't care. The schedule is virtually useless and its design has never taken advantage of the technology—people ought to be able to click for updated info, such as subject and guests. The title of the program is of even less use when it is incorrect.

      Ridiculous management—every instance of neglect, sloppiness or bad judgement is another self-inflicted wound.

      Delete
  4. (JustAListener)
    Not worth wasting time complaining about the fine points of the schedule when it looks like they'll be no schedule.
    Hearing the Pacifica CFO really underlined how hopeless it is.
    Is there really a possibility of meeting this year's audit deadline? Another year of CPB funding getting flushed away.
    But Raul thinks everything's fine - hey, no big unexpected expenses! (of course the expected expenses far exceed the plausible revenue).
    To borrow from recent events, it's as if Reimers, Salvador and the rest of the PNB have locked themselves in the cockpit, make cheerful announcements to the passengers while watching the altimeter unwind. Meanwhile RPM is pounding on the door trying to get someone to pull back on the stick.

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    1. What is so amazing to me is that they (Reimers, et al) must know the reality of the situation and seen it coming, yet there is no sign of anything being done about it. Shifting bad programs around, adding a few new ones and telling the few remaining listeners that there's a new day a-comin' is not a solution. They have wasted two or three years during which something might have been done, and Pacifica's Board has remained virtually comatose.

      A station desperately in need of direction and professional advice relies on inside amateurs while ignoring calls and e-mail from experienced people wanting to help. If that is not insane, I don't know what is.

      Delete
    2. The reason WBAI gets away with their nonsense is because they still have enough idiot supporters who give enough money to keep the station afloat. The parent company does nothing to straighten things out, so why should anyone lower level? As long as they get their salaries and/or get to play, they are not threatened with losing their jobs. At a commercial station, a lack of profit would shake things up.

      Let's remember that Pathetica didn't even care enough about getting CPB money to do some paperwork. You think a ruling board like that cares about anything else? No, not at all. It's just a place to play politics, as long as just enough suckers send them money to keep them afloat.

      Now let's look at how little WBAI cares. They hire Murillo to further marginalize the station and lose even more listeners. Who is going to do anything? Has one - ONE - PNB member even made a motion that if a station doesn't break even, the GM and PD are financially penalized or fired? How about an annual job performance review? Nothing.

      No one is in charge here. Add LSBs playing politics, and you have a kindergarten without any teachers. Everything Pathetica is about what people can get out of it for themselves. There is no chance of punishment for your actions, only for being on the wrong ideological side of the fence.

      Pathetica is NOT a radio network but a political party trying to find itself. It just happens that they have five radio stations. Now, if you look at it that way, maybe things become clearer. Politics come first and radio second, if at all.

      Reimers is out for his paycheck, Murillo is an ideologue and sociopath making a second paycheck, Null gets free advertising every day to make money for himself, Goodman is making good money, etc. Who is going to stop them? No one has any power. Tell me who can fire these clowns Monday morning. No one. No one has the power.

      Just remember this: WBAI survives because of Gary Null and Amy Goodman. Those are the weak links. Oh, if they should break. Null isn't as smart as I thought he was. He is the one person who actually has the potential power to do something, but he doesn't make his move. He could easily TELL WBAI what it's going to do or he'll leave. What is WBAI going to do? Null has his PRN and can move out.

      Simply put, if you know you won't be punished, what is to stop you from doing something?

      SDL

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    3. There is power out there, SDL, but it isn't in the hands of a cohesive group: it's the people who fall for the "buddy" gimmick and buy the over-priced crap WBAI markets. By now, few give a rat's behind, but there was a time—even 3 years ago—when a concerted effort could have made a difference. The media is no longer interested in WBAI, except when its existence is threatened, which is why I suggested a long time ago that the caring staff and volunteers make a move that the press will notice, and keep up a momentum until the seriousness sinks in. That is the only way to get the attention of departed, disgusted former supporters. It's way too late for any of that.

      Null is not the answer. He is slick and glib, but he is also naïve and wishy-washy. He will threaten all kinds of things, but never seems to carry anything through. He obviously needs WBAI, so I think those online listener figures he throws out there are—like so much else he says—nothing but Hooey..... Hooey, I tell you!

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    4. I agree, Chris. The supporters ultimately hold the power. But they obviously like what they hear, or are at least tolerant of it and afraid to not support WBAI. You know how they fall for the give money or we'll disappear stuff. Once upon a time, the listeners would demonstrate in front of WBAI. That is the past.

      Anyway. With listeners like Myat (spelling?), the elderly woman that always calls WBAI with her racist and paranormal rants, what can you expect? Hell, I guess she likes what's on WBAI so much that at this moment she is on the phone with George Noory on WOR babbling some paranormal crap. Yeah, some pack of supportrs. WBAI has indeed Garnered the margins of lunacy in trying to ad Brown to the black hucksterism.

      Null? I really don't know. He just needs to hook people on the first shipment of powder or pills to have a new customer. But if he makes 30%ish of WBAI's money, he has potential power.

      I made a killing on the Netflix earnings quarter this week. I always give a bit away to charities when that happens, as it's my way of spreading some wealth. WBAI won't be one of those charities.

      SDL

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  5. Off topic, but ultimately important to radio as we know it.

    Norway to switch off FM in 2017
    http://radio.no/2015/04/norway-to-switch-off-fm-in-2017/

    SDL

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    1. It makes sense for Norway to do this. The morph to an all-digital system should be easier there than it currently would be here, because oil has made Norway a wealthy country, and they have used that money wisely. I don't know their current poverty statistics , but you can bet that they are nowhere near as serious as here.

      Delete
    2. Well, this article has certainly made the rounds on radio forums since I posted it here. To be fair, I want to say I originally got the link from http://swling.com/blog/

      The real question is how the Pathetica bozos will even be able to afford the equipment needed for the inevitable switch-over down the road, if they are still around.

      By the way, shortwave and AM (middle wave to all non Americanos) is going to give way to Digital Radio Mondiale (DRM) technology eventually. In another few years, all our old radios will be useless or in need of a converter. Forced obsolescence to keep the money rolling into the corporate world is the business model.

      SDL

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    3. When I grew up in Europe, radios generally had Long, Medium, and Short Wave bands. There was also a green "eye" that indicated how tuned in one was. I assume that "middle" and "medium" are the same thing.

      When I came here (in 1957), dedicated FM radios were rare and expensive. The answer was to buy a tuner, the most affordable of which was made by Granco.

      Delete
    4. Basically, AM, Medium and Middle wave are the same area of the band. FM didn't really come into popular use until the 1960s here. Later even in other parts of the world.

      I have seen and/or played with radios from the cheapest to most expensive models made for Europe and Asia. Even the cheapest old units had some rudimentary SW band on them. An FM option wasn't common until the 1970s.

      Non radio enthusiasts, ignore the following:

      There is actually a good reason for this. In many countries, there is a limit to the number of radio stations and transmitters on the air, which are often government owned (more so in the past than present). However, as you need to service a country/region over hundreds of miles, you need to be able to efficiently broadcast using a limited number of transmitters. AM won't cover the region enough (you'll need relays). FM is out (too many relays needed). SW is the way to go, because you beam the signal to the ionosphere, it bounces back down to Earth and covers hundreds of miles with ease and one transmitter. It's cheap and efficient.

      Another thing, in Europe there were/are some of those pan European music stations, like the German Rundfunk, Radio Luxembourg, etc.

      I'm actually amazed SW is dying these days. You can get a great portable AM/FM/SW radio for $80. You'd think it would be fertile ground for more indie stations. Unfortunately, there is no way of getting a listener demographic, so advertisers don't like to spend money there. Hence, all the religious crap leasing time.

      Anyway. Is there a Pathetica virus out there? The Globa24 station I mentioned a while back that was playing DN, Kaku, etc. is now involved in a fight between former members making accusations of financial improprieties.

      SDL

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    5. I can understand why SW has faded. I imagine those who might have kept it alive are today's Internet surfers—not as romantic, essentially missing that thrill of discovery I used to feel when I stumbled upon an interesting signal.

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    6. I had to go looking for Granco.

      https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BV0rUFGKwsE

      https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C29Wtubaqm4

      SW was effected by three things:
      A) The Cold War ended. The Cold War was the pissing contest for both sides to use radio to propagandize each other. Before the World Wide Web it wasn't easy to hear the other side directly.
      B) World Wide Web.
      C) BBC dropping out of most SW broadcasting in favor of WWW delivery. This caused a domino effect.

      However, there is still plenty on the airwaves. Some countries are, in fact, fully embracing SW. China, Cuba, Romania, etc. are still using it for news and views, but added a lot more culture bait seemingly to get tourism. Turkey loves it for denying the Armenian genocide...

      SDL

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    7. Two Nazis were assigned to the Baltic Sea island (Christiansø) where my grandparents lived during WWII. It is a very small place (population 140) and my grandfather had his battery-operated radio in the window, usually tuned to the BBC on the SW. One of the Nazis, hearing the BBC, asked him politely to turn it down bit.

      Delete
  6. Phil Schaap is just now kvetching that WKCR is totally broke and needs $$$$$$$$$$$.

    KGT

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    1. I heard him do that yesterday, complete with those annoying yells. He routinely twists and embellishes jazz history, but he's probably being truthful when it comes to the station's situation. He spent some time complaining over the malfunctioning playback equipment, and used the opportunity to plug his own online store, where you can even buy his autograph.

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  7. this is more of a question than a comment , regarding gary null and the power or lack of power he has on bai.
    It seems to me, bai needs null more than null needs bai . That being said , you gotta ask ,why does he stay on
    bai . Obviously , love him or hate him , he is their top money maker , at least he was , and i'm assuming he still
    is . So by definition he has influence , which translates into power . He could leave bai tomorrow, and i don't think
    it would impact him monetarily or credibility wise or lack of , and could even help at this point not being associated with this
    train wreck . So again , why does he stay? Or maybe a better question is , why doesn't he leave ? I guess the same
    holds true for Amy Goodman . Why wouldn't the top few shows on bai get together and demand massive change , or
    they pull out . They have nothing to lose by doing something along those lines. Ofcourse this would have to take place
    over time but you get the idea . Now again whether you love him or hate him , think he is a genius or completely full of
    shit , or somewhere in the middle , is not the issue . Just throwing it out there. Reply

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    1. p.s.- Michio Kaku doesn't need BAI. As a matter of fact, BAI and Pacifica lower his credibility and taint him as a leftist extremist rather than a nonaligned, rational scientist. With his CBS morning news gig, he SHOULD dump Pacifica.
      KGT

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    2. Agree. I often wonder why Michio Kaku lowers himself to 99.5.

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    3. Kaku is a committed leftist. He has been @ WBAI for a long time. He was on the committee that hired Samori back in 1994. He is much beloved by the WBAI insiders, but he was smart to market himself.

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    4. A few years ago WBAI held a benefit lecture by Dr. Kaku at the Ethical Culture Center. You could also pay extra for a prior book signing session and get a copy of his recent book, "Physics of the Future". At least that was the impression. I paid gladly, and brought my copy of Dr. Kaku's textbook on field theory along. I figured he'd get a kick out of seeing it and signing it (and I'd get some motivation to tackle it seriously...)

      We early birds stood in a line extending down to the basement for twenty minutes. The organizers were friendly and disorganized, which was an improvement over the sullen hostility you felt in the BW era, but not a big one. We received our books in brown paper lunchbags. The session turned out to be an interview of Dr. Kaku by Robert Knight in front of a small audience, and then Dr. Kaku took a few questions, then the two of them hustled out by a side door, and the lecture began upstairs.

      (That was the first time I heard or saw Robert Knight in action, and I was taken aback... enough said.)

      The lecture was not bad for what it was... pretty much what Dr. Kaku likes to talk about. Because it was WBAI the technology broke down. Anyway I never did get to meet Dr. Kaku, and my impression was that he wasn't keen on getting too close to the audience.

      J.

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    5. Thank you for that snapshot, J. Knight used to tell callers that he loved them... it had a hollow ring. I think it was pretty obvious who his real love was: the man in the mirror.

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  8. Not true. Null needs WBAI. It gives him credibility. The pay to play stations on AM and FM and the internet are "tainted", but if he is on "not for profit" WBAI, he has to be genuine. WBAI is like a destructive cult. I have been following Scientology for the past 2 weeks since the HBO documentary and I notice the similarities between BAI and Scientology and Jonestown, for that matter. Null, the healthiest man on earth, is addicted to BAI like a crackhead. And BAI is scared shitless to dump him, not necessarily due to money but because of fear of the unknown. Amy needs Pacifica also for free advertising.She doesn't make her money from it but needs it for publicity.
    KGT

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  9. When's the last time kaku did a new show with new interviews? Not repackaging shows from 2010-12?

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  10. Null doesn’t “need” WBAI or Pathetica, in a strict sense. I don’t think it makes many new customers for him these days. It serves to reinforce his doctrine (and sales) for those already worshipping at his alter. The thing is that WBAI gives Null a broadcast radio voice, which is useful, as many of the older people who listen to WBAI don’t have computers or internet access, as they have stated when calling in on shows. Would Null be seriously hurt if he weren’t on WBAI? No. Would he be slightly hurt? Possibly.

    Amy Goodman would probably be fine without WBAI. The good thing in her case is doing a straight out news show.

    I like Kaku when he sticks to science, which is his forte. Once he starts talking politics, however, you see he’s a whacked out doctrinaire leftist. His one problem with Pathetica will be if anyone ever notices Pathetica and its bigotry. Kaku is syndicated on lots of stations, nationally and internationally, which would be a lot to lose if Pathetica ever rises above the radar again. Also, from what I understand, he has a large following of kids as listeners.

    OK, so would people like Null, Goodman and Kaku be hurt by not being affiliated with WBAI and Pathetica? At the moment, probably a little because of a loss of an outlet, but in the long run, who knows. WBAI and Pathetica are so under the radar and out of purview right now that it doesn’t hurt them, but if anyone ever takes notice of the race hatred espoused by Pathetica and its stations, it could be injurious to their reputations to be affiliated with the entity. Money talks, bullshit walks, as the saying goes.

    A while back on here I state that WBAI was a cult. I am glad to see others are beginning to view it this way also. WBAI uses the textbook paranoia and persecution claims to keep its sheep ever closer and more isolated from outside influences. Add the ever present tithing demands, and you have a classic cult environment.

    SDL

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  11. One of the Bunker Bozos must read my posts. Look at the addition of non beg-a-thon infomercials playing once or twice a day. Prescod is hawking some slavery stuff right now, which will probably do decently. In fact, if it makes $1,000 - $1,500, it will have done its job.

    SDL

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    1. Desperation has set in early this time. The drive is scheduled to start May 4 and run into the first week of June, but we know it will be extended. People are tired of Reimers' game. I still believe it will all be over by the end of this year, I just hope the guilty are treated as such, and not made into idolized "political martyrs."

      The "Mumia" obsession has gotten totally out of hand. Is Haskins' bus driver license still valid?

      Delete
    2. 3:33 AM and the your favorite Natalie & Gwen extendomercial is on. Yup, WBAI stole my idea for twice daily extendomercials, without even a thank you...

      Remember, there is no honor amongst thieves, just thieves. When it's over, the jackals will turn on each other in moments.

      I don't pay any attention to Mumia. He's nothing but a political rallying point for deluded dunces.

      Funny, not too long ago one evening I had a bus driver who reminded me of Hay-tie. Don't know if it was him or not, though. Maybe I should have said "Hay-tie" to him...

      SDL

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    3. Careful what you ask for, it could have been Haskins and he might have steered the bus to Jeanette LaTour's Voodoo Emporium, to meet Berthold, the owner.

      I, too, heard the 1000th airing of Natalie's gift to Gwen this morning. Middle-of-the-night infomercials have not done so well on WBAI, but Reimers' ignorance knows no bounds.

      It would be interesting to know what costs are involved and what the net figures are for these commercials. The mere fact that the reported tallies don't reflect the real ones is fairly reliable proof of dishonesty. We were never told how well or poorly that so-called "gospel" concert did, who made money on it, etc. The Africa trip probably did not make any money for WBAI, but it was free advertising for the people who staged it. Ditto any number of "offers."

      A scumbag operation is what WBAI has become.

      Delete
    4. Yeah, WBAI doesn't get the details. When I say air one extendomercial a day, they miss the part where I say early evenings. They only got it right one time. Dummies.

      Daulton's concert wasn't his. It was an independently promoted tour he got his name attached to for the local gig. I doubt WBAI made much of anything. The gig may have made money for the promoters, artists, etc. However, very little would eventually trickle down to WBAI. Daulton is using WBAI to try to make a name for himself in the gospel music scene. That's the be all and end all of it. He's a good fake who should move on to televangelism.

      Did the Africa trip even happen? I didn't hear of a single WBAI oriented booking. WBAI has a bad history with the vacation package deal. I remember the Cuba trip in the early 1980s was a financial disaster, as heavily as it was promoted. I recall hearing like four people went on it.

      Back in the 1980s WBAI had a few ship cruises around Manhattan. The first one did well. What did the dummies do? Why, get greedy! They then ran two more right after that, where the second broke even and the third lost money. It would have been a good idea as a big ass annual event, but not three within a few months of each other - overload and no longer a novelty.

      SDL

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    5. Aint it the truth! WBAI either ignores or drives into the ground good ideas from the outside. Of course, mistake number one is to regard listener-supporters as being on the outside.

      Delete
  12. just listened to green streets , which was pretty informative, not a bad show, really. But sadly and predictably , we must have yet another black history lesson with Dred Scott Keyes talking about how the J Edgar Hoover. was watching black authors .
    No new idea's or anything interesting here . Sounds like just an old regurgitated story of how the black man was being held down by their white oppressers . I'll wait for the morning show to hear something interesting , yeah right ! haha
    .


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    1. I tuned in at the beginning of Dread's history rewrite. He thinks he's slick, doing it by omission, but his little mind is a see-thru. When he told me that Hoover (aka "Mary" according to PBS) only went after black people, I quickly pushed my Bye Bye Bai button.

      Apropos the morning show, the dreary duo (Haskins/Brown) were truly embarrassing this morning—almost more so than usual—and our bus driver irresponsibly came to work for the second day with a bad, flu-like cold. When that silly woman was conducting a phone interview, he was coughing into the console microphone, which should have been turned off. I wonder how many people he affected.

      Delete
    2. Hey, at least the Irishmen show is on at 10:00AM. I hope someone sprayed down the studio tonight, as I'd hate to see Malachy get sick. However, he is so well pickled, he may not be affected.

      Of course, Thursday at 10:00AM is the John Kane repeat the same 3 stories over and over again show. Kane claims he listens to Fass, right? Then why can't he pronounce Fass name properly? He always says "Fos." Now "Farce" I would understand, but not "Fos."

      Keyes is just a bigot in the Bernie White mold. Do I need to say more?

      Know what WBAI needs at 3:00AM? An extendomercial for Null's Knockout Powder. Yes, if our late night programming doesn't put you to sleep, Send us $100 for a bottle of Null's Knockout Powder. Not a bad idea. Null needs to get to work on this alternative to sleeping pills.

      Eh, I'll stick with AM Coast To Coast with George Noory on WOR 710AM...

      SDL

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    3. Even if they spray the studio tonight, Haskins will be back sneezing in the morning... this time he has Mimi, who IS something to sneeze at. Kane should emulate Fass and fall off the air.

      Null's Snorganic SleePowder™ I love it!

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    4. Forget sneezing at Mimi. I have several ball gags that would be of excellent use in that annoying loud mouth of hers. I still think she and Mitch should have a sequel where they are a married couple.

      What became of Hufnagel, by the way? Did she go to enforcement and get taken in for a straight jacket? She was really nuts.

      I am surprised Null doesn't have a sleep aid. You think it would sell very well.

      SDL

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    5. "Midnight with Mitch and Mimi" His words are always slanted, so he should be able to get them in, edgewise.

      Were she black, we'd soon be seeing a "Free Huffie" campaign.

      Null should be working on "Null's SlowTalc"™ A fine powder, inspired by Amy Goodman, that slows down your speech.

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    6. Goodman should make a CD/book course called How To Pitch For Profit, and hawk it via late night TV extendomercials.

      "Linden, New Jersey, teach yourself how to pitch for your college tuition. Cleveland, Ohio. Buy the course and pitch for your grandmother's operation. New York City. Buy one for a homeless person, so they can pitch for food on the subway..."

      Yeah, she'd be the next extendomercial star.

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  13. Is it me or is Davis losing it more and more every week? She's now totally nuts.

    Just as I type that, who should be her first caller but the rambling Mrs Racism and Paranormal...

    Jeez, at least Geoff Brady was funny. Davis is just sad.

    SDL

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    1. She just said, "It's good to have smart listeners." That's funny, coming from WBAI!

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    2. Did she add, "Too bad WBAI drove them all away..."?

      SDL

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    3. No, but Kathy measures intelligence by a very different yardstick.

      Delete
  14. Kathy? Kathrine i say, Kathrine damn it . haha

    ReplyDelete
  15. I'll bet if Kathy loosens her Bo Derek braids, it will improve the blood-flow to her brain and she will improve as a broadcaster.

    KGT

    ReplyDelete
  16. just tuned in , and guess what their talking about .? wait for it .............
    yet another show on blackness . nothing new or interesting here!
    Did anybody hear that big clicking sound? That was people like
    me tuning in to see if anything was worth listening to , than after
    saying to themselves . oh that again! see ya ....

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Trying to make money from fear mongering, race hate based conspiracies and perpetual victimization is all WBAI has left anymore. It just won't work. I guess the current management is a good example of what happens when a corrupt and ideologically blinded group of people are given a radio station and allowed by the parent company to run it carte blanche.

      Sadly, if you listen to WBAI for news and views of current events, you'll be even more ignorant of the world than listeners to right wing corporate talk radio. Just listen to the morons who call into WBAI, when shows take calls. They are barely capable of speech, let alone thought beyond lynching, UFOs and ghosts.

      More and more marginalized, fewer and fewer listeners...

      SDL

      Delete
  17. Perfect example , Jordan Journals . one of many . Nothing new or interesting here .
    Just whining . And talking about their " white oppressors "

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Jordan is so boring I forget to ever even mention him here. He's just repetitive and rambling, like a Latino John Kane. Ever see a cat or dog when it gets fixated on something and won't leave it alone? Yeah, that's Jordan, Kane and some others.

      And for the bit of listening I did to Fass last night, I feel I may have been blessed with his longest and best ever "ummm... errrr... uh.... errr.... ummm.... uh... uhhhh..." at one point.

      SDL

      Delete
    2. I think the terms "repetitive" and "rambling" describe many of WBAI's perpetual amateurs and, yes, the "B" in its call letters could well stand for BORING. The station's steadily mounting obsession with racism (real, historic and/or imagined) and the descending intellectual level of "shows" and hosts are not negated by the token sprinkling of intelligent Pacifica-worthy offerings.

      Fass? Well, he had a fine singer-songwriter on this morning, but he, himself, was his usual unlistenable self.

      Delete
    3. "Jordan Journals . one of many . Nothing new or interesting here .
      Just whining . And talking about their " white oppressors"-------- while they take that affirmative action.

      KGT

      Delete
  18. equal time for free thought . their having a discussion on racism and white previlage .
    now there's a subject that's not heard enough of on bai, Tim Wise is on , I wonder if
    he is related to MImi Rosenberg? Wow , too much is never enough on bai !

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Too bad WBAI isn't a restaurant with a buffet, because the food would be crap but cheap and plentiful. In fact, their motto could be "More than you can eat!"

      Equal Time For Free Thought is WBAI's pseudo-atheist program, essentially. WBAI doesn't have the guts to put on a real atheist show any more.

      It's just laughable to hear the haters on WBAI. Imagine going through life being a loser like that? Just blaming others all day long for your failings? Pathetica IS the right name...

      SDL

      Delete
    2. What really gets me is the ignorance and total lack of foresight. I realize that there are super naïve people out there. but this isn't just handwriting on the wall... its a blinding, blinking neon sign that reads: GAME OVER.

      Murillo has begun to shift the focus from out and out hate mongering racism to something that retains the venom, but also fits into his own, narrow political beliefs mold. This may have bumped up the overall quality of programs slightly, but it has not broadened the scope, so the problem of appealing only to a small segment of the potential audience remains. Murillo is caught up in the same "black and brown" groove that has rendered WBAI irrelevant to most people and the new voices he has recruited tend to be morally bankrupt opportunists who follow the acceptable party line.

      WBAI will not survive. It needed and never got dedicated, competent management and staff.

      Delete
  19. Where is Dominic Florio? He did great atheist programming.
    KGT

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yeah, Florio was good and both did the show live and took calls. I wonder why he disappeared from WBAI.

      SDL

      Delete
  20. I haven't looked at Nalini's list in a week or more, so tonight I decided to do some catching up. I just took 4 Motrin...

    Now I realize there is absolutely no hope for Pathetica and WBAI. Those people have simply gone totally insane almost to the last one. I should see what the quantity prices are for straight jackets and send them out to the nuts for free.

    When the most active listeners are as crazy as the people at Pathetica, nothing can be done.

    Lost cause...

    SDL

    ReplyDelete
  21. morning show spewing it's usual race based nonsense. talking about the mets and yankees , but not about the games this weekend , but how few blacks are on the teams . Then about how few fire fighter's there are in the FDNY
    But on the flip side the NBA is about 80% black and the NFL is about 70% black . (black and brown,i should say)
    Maybe i should write a book about that inbalance haha .... amy goodman following up with more blackness ....

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I heard that, too, and noticed that Michael Haskins was steering the show in that direction. Do they realize how transparent their racism is? That so-called sportscaster, breathless Samori Benjamin, is another hopeless misfit retrieved by Murillo. He used to be heard on the show what that awful anglo-african "playwright" was the host, and all he did was ask black basketball players dumb question.

      Delete
    2. I always get a good laugh out of the racism in sports debates. Listen, the team owners, regardless of the sport, are out to make money and don't give a damn about race. The only color they see is the green of the Dollar bill. They will hire anyone they think can make them more money. You'll see how the biggest racists become color blind when there is money to be made. Money talks, bullshit walks, as the saying goes.

      Anyway, I tuned in at just the right time to hear Mrs. Racism & Paranormal make her senseless call and get cut off. For once someone realized she is a nut.

      SDL

      Delete
    3. A nut? Yes, certifiably, a member of the MumiaMaddox menagerie.

      Delete
  22. I think WBAI should do a special fund raising program: a debate, via phone lines, of course, between Mumia and Leonard Peltier as to which one of them is the more genuine and important political prisoner. Co-hosts of the debate could be John Kane and Mimi Rosenberg. The listeners would be able to vote as many times as they want by calling in with a pledge of $25.00 per vote. You know this would make money.

    SDL

    ReplyDelete
  23. WBAI must have a rich listenership, considering Blosdale thinks they can all afford $1,000 or $5,000 pledges. Insulting twerp, isn't she? And I still haven't received my "Thank you" from Reimers or Murillo for giving them the idea of running extendomercials outside of beg-a-thons.

    Oh, and the 5 DVD set is $49.00 on amazon.com, which is a savings of $201.00

    http://www.amazon.com/The-Great-Lies-History-5-DVD/dp/B0058DM03O/ref=pd_bxgy_mov_text_z

    Actually, what I am curious about is how much they are pulling in and if they will cut into the pledges during the upcoming beg-a-thon. If they do cut into it, that will tell you the limit of the money WBAI can get from The Remnants.

    SDL

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I didn't know they were running that again. Ironically, WBAI has itself become one long-running collection of lies, and that includes what Blosdale avers in her pitches.

      The end of April is just a few days away, does anybody think Reimers will pull out? The occupation was supposed to last one or two months, but it has been a couple of years. The man who came to dinner.

      Delete
    2. Hey, SDL, I just had my Mac read to me that long response Bill Propp posted to you re. Radio Unnameable. As you know, I am persona non grate on that board, so I couldn't respond to Bill there. That said, his rambling was rather pathetic, revealing, as it does (to me, at least) how stuck in the past he is. He mentions that you weren't around when Fass was king of the night air. Well, I don't recall him ever having been that popular, generally speaking. Anyway, that was many moons ago—Bob and his show never moved with the times and he has neither the talent nor the personality to keep up the momentum he once enjoyed. One problem is that he never was that show's main attraction and those who were have either died of or distanced themselves.

      Bob's ego has no expiry date—his show, however, had one.

      If you want to post any or all of this on the BlueBoard, feel free to do so, SDL.

      Delete
    3. Posted :)

      SDL

      Delete
  24. My post hasn't popped up yet on the BB it seems. Maybe tech trouble as it sometimes has? I tried to put it here, but it goes over the character limit. Have an email I can send it to? Maybe a thread on the thread would be good?

    SDL

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Ha! My name sends up a red flag that brings out Mr. Censor... R. Paul Censor, that is. :)

      Delete
    2. Now, let's be fair. The BB sometimes has tech trouble that stops posts from showing up or show up after a some time has lapsed. I'm not accusing RPM of anything. I haven't been told I'm banned or censored, so I am giving him the benefit of the doubt.

      I am going to try to send my response to Propp again to this sight. I may have to do it in more than one part due to character limits. Feel free to put it back together, if you wish, or make a thread of it.

      SDL

      Delete
    3. RPM has it set so that it re-routes to him for approval any post bearing the names of the banished. If, for example, you mention "Chris Albertson", "Carolyn Birden" or "Mitchel Cohen", it goes straight to him. So would Sheneeka Albertson or Mumia Cohen. He then determines that they are not among the Banished, so he releases the post. That can take hours or days.

      Delete
    4. Seems so. I just did a test post and it went right through.

      SDL

      Delete
    5. I'm setting it up for posting tonight.

      Delete
    6. Possibly yet another show has been contaminated or" infected" with the "black Plague " that has
      been going around the station.
      Sadly , Letters and Politics is giving daily lessons on white privilege and slavery etc etc... now ,or
      at least has been for the last 2 days . Just when you thought you were safe . Hopefully it will
      clear up . Get Well soon letters and politics !

      Delete
    7. I noticed the Letters & Politics turn, but hope it is a result of the Baltimore incidents and, thus, more akin to news than to new direction.

      That said, this is definitely a disease at WBAI, and the hatred grows with every day.

      The only cure is a boxful of pink slips, with the first one placed on the desk under which Reimers hides.

      Delete