As Pacifica's new Chief Finance Officer, Sam Agarwal, flies in to attend a meeting called by the Empire State Building people, Reimers' secrets are going to be more difficult to keep. He is still cowering out of sight, but his cronies have been busy covering up for him. The ESB is now owed close to a million in back rent, piles of paid-for "thank you gifts" are collecting dust at Atlantic Avenue—which is said to be owed back rent—and Gary Null's lawsuit circles over the wreck of WBAI like a vulture with high hopes.
Have you any ideas?
Yeah, many ideas. However, none will be implemented, so, ultimately, a rhetorical question.
ReplyDeleteIf Sam Agarwal is for real, expect him to go the way of John Proffitt soon.
How many years has Reimers been "negotiating" with the ESB about the rent? Yeah...
OK, so here is an idea. WBAI should move out of 388, find an unused two car garage on the edge of town in someone's back yard that they can rent for about $1,200/month, erect a small antenna on the roof and save lots of money with that new set-up. They won't lose many listeners.
SDL
Mimi is hawking slavery again right now. Is WBAI back in beg-a-thon mode or just monetizing slavery for personal profit for one show?
ReplyDeleteSDL
Oh, it was just a nostalgic trip back to the last fund drive and, of course, Black History Month. I wonder if that phone number is connected to anything.
DeleteDidn't catc the intro... We're was Haskins? Where was Mimi? Has she returned to the Rosenberg Plantation? Is she making another album?
So many important questions.
I checked the archive and conclude that Mimi was a no-show. The squirt made a quick station break, played about 12 minutes of an unidentified jazz recording, then came back in (at an almost inaudible volume) and announced that we would be hearing "an encore presentation." Thoroughly unprofessional, true to form. The nature of that "encore presentation" tells me that it was the little squirt's choice. This guy has the brains of a lemming.
DeleteWell I'd say the place was in a bit of a pickle.
ReplyDeleteSure there are thinking out of the box creative emergency measures that could be taken that might even work.
But...
As SDL sez none of them will be thought of, and none of them will be taken. So...
And now for a naïve simplistic idea..Settle the lawsuit which would also address the premiums issue, create a new premiums policy allowing for modest but more meaningful premiums, respond to email and phone requests from listeners, leave the ESB for a more affordable spot (Times Square?) and catch up with the rent by postponing central svcs payments to Pacifica. Use underwriting to subsidize the cost of syndicated programming while redoing the programming grid with news/talk in the day and music/light talk/comedy
ReplyDeletein the evenings.
Assuming she is ambitious enough and/or stupid enough to agree, how about selling the station to Amy Goodman Inc. for $1 ? Debts would likely get settled (including those of Pacifica vis-a-vis Goodman), premiums would likely get mailed, Reimers and company would likely get the heave-ho, and something at least vaguely resembling good programming would likely emerge.
ReplyDeleteFrom Pacifica in Exile:
ReplyDeletePacifica’s CFO, reported to be in New York City this week with board chair Tony Norman to meet with the Empire State Building about the WBAI tower lease, abruptly canceled a planned public meeting planned for March 21st with WBAI listeners, staff and local board members.
This is the first I heard about it. I would have paid for the chance to tell off Norman and hear what Agarwal has to say. You've got to admire Norman for coming up with a great way to handle dissent. They just suddenly lose their connection. 'Genius'..and the Macchiavelli award for sneaky underhandedness goes to Tony Norman.
I heard Cerene say something about addressing the LSB but I dismissed it as her just trying to get a quorum to elect directors. Her group is already on Plan C which has something to do with Lynn Stewart's letter to the PNB.
I thought Lynne Stewart was supposed to be dead by now. That's why they let her out. More evidence for Gary Null's multicolored glop effectiveness.
DeleteKGT
I think they exaggerated the severity of her ill health, just as they apparently did in the Mumia case.
DeleteMaybe it was Ralph's POYNTER.
DeleteKGT
Indeed isn't "Lynne Stewart" the infamous friend of the JUC, and lawyer pal of the en-actors of that Egyptian terrorist massacre of tourists,...dead?
ReplyDeleteI mean that is why they let her out early. Being so close to her eternal reward in hell.
Although yes she's been causing mischief here, and about in that time since release.
Which beings up a point.
Can a deceased person of political usefulness be elected to any position within Pacifica? Is there any precedent. We came close with the near frying of the murderer, and famed Pacifica broadcaster Mumia.
Escaping 'his' reward has left the postmortem Pacifica election question up in the air so to speak.
Interesting promo a little while ago on WBAI. According to it, all the Pacifica stations will be adding five hours of Spanish programming every week. The promo was seeking people who wanted to do Spanish language programming. Why was it interesting? Because the people at WBAI can't find hosts laying around to fill a measly five hours of broadcasting without asking for audience members help. Well, one thing that I know is that this will be five hours less money that they will make during beg-a-thons.
ReplyDeleteOh, you also have to wonder who will get fired so this five hours can be added to the schedule.
SDL
I have heard that announcement several times and see it as yet another desperation move by the dumb dabblers.
DeleteIf they think more Spanish dj shows will help to make up for the growing deficit, I think they have a surprise coming. If these shows are conducted in the Spanish language, that fact alone will limit the audience and donations.
Listen to any of the PNB's meetings and you will understand why such a nonsensical order was passed. I am getting ready to post audio from yesterday's meeting of the "Audit" committee—it is an exercise in treadmill talk, a typical waste of time and money.
These people are not even good at being amateurs.
If the 5 hours were Spanish music, semi-classical or high-brow, it would lend credibility to the station and to the paying listenership. But take it from a bilingual person. All Spanish music programming over the last 30 years has been the same dreck you hear over all the Spanish language music stations in NYC for the last three decades. So, why should someone who likes Spanish dreck music listen to it on WBAI when he can listen to it on the dozens of Spanish-language dreck stations and as a bonus, get free Goya and Bustelo commercials.
DeleteAnother fine mess you got us into, Ollie.
KGT
KGT
The problem is not the language but the content. You can't just have the same programming in Spanish because you won't be able to replace the listeners who don't speak Spanish. If you have engaging content that appeals to the audience, it can work but I would avoid what KPFK does. They have one block of bland programming that raises nothing. Combined, they raised less than Roy of Hollywood who raised more money overnight than many daytime programs. I would consider smaller blocks and webstreams.
ReplyDeleteThis just shows lack of leadership. Its a good idea but you can't just decree it. It has to be planned out and be part of an overall change in programming. Too many folks are too wedded to their agendas to see the big picture. The managers are just trying to get to the next day so they keep playing the same old Gary Null type programming because it brings in money.
Notice, Sally O'Brien doesn't talk about Joanne Chesimard (Sista Assata Shakur) every second, now that we can finally snatch her culo up and bring her back. LMCO (laughimg my culo off).
ReplyDeleteKGT
Listen, Pacifica's putting on non-English programming has nothing to do with serving any communities. It is an admission of defeat - their English speaking audience is so small that they can't even make the meager amount of money they need to break even. Trying to open up another revenue stream based on language will fail miserably, especially if it is in a language being served already by other (many, actually) radio stations.
ReplyDeleteIf you really want to do foreign language programming, do ones that get good followings with a mixed Native language-English style, like Greek-American, Italian-American, German-American. These kinds of shows get those built in audiences that donate and sponsor. Ask any college or lease time station that has had these shows on for decades.
Another alternative is to have languages not really represented on radio but with fair sized populations in your area, since they have no real radio alternative available, like Romanian, Thai, Tagalog, etc.
No matter what, I don't think Pacifica can pull it off. It will take time and effort to get listenerships for these languages, and time is something Pacifica doesn't have.
WBAI is sinking fast, and hablando Castellano no va a ayudarlo.
SDL
I got it. John McDonagh should do Radio Free Eirann in Gaelic.
ReplyDeleteKGT
How about Mimi rambling in Swahili?
DeleteSDL
The horse ought to stop slinging stereotypical Indian fantasies (I hear enough of his guest's BS to make me ill) and face the unfavorable as well as the favorable facts.
DeleteToday's show might, for example, have been a two-sided discussion of a current case that has a 6 year old young girl's life ruined by an inhuman, idiotic blood percentage Choctaw law.
Mimi needs to amble back to the Rosenberg Plantation, free her slaves... and stay there.
DeleteOne thing was funny on Cane's show this morning. About 11:35AM some female caller had the doorbell ringing but wouldn't get off the phone to answer it. Eventually some guy in the background howled at her a couple of times to answer the door. Cane had the good sense to cut her off, maybe for her own safety.
DeleteSDL
I seem to recall that Spanish language shows with the exception of the dear late Ibrahim's show have a history of making very little money...has this changed?
ReplyDeleteThat may have changed (Reimers' figures are never reliable), but I suspect that other factors come into play here, such as word of the growing hispanic population. Who knows? think Chico Alvarez does a fine, professional job and plays good music (in English), but is it bringing in money? I think there may already be a disproportionate amount of air time given over to Spanish language programs.
DeleteI have to say that Santiago Nieves could do a good show when he wanted to. Also, Al Angeloro (or was he Italian) also knew how. Neither of them limited themselves to "Latino" topics. Santiago had a two hour interview with the now late Jose Torres. Both of them also worked for commercial radio outlets, which might explain it.
DeleteKGT
Santiago Nieves was a good guy. He and Mario Murillo were mortal enemies. Mario hated Santiago. Nieves hosted "Latino Journal" on WBAI and one of his main producers was Melissa MArk-Viverito, the current NYC Council Speaker.
Delete