And the winner is...

The following was sent to me this afternoon by Ed Manfredonia and posted on the WBAI-LSB-Public list by Frank Lefever. Frank's post was prefaced by this note from Mitchel Cohen. It is confusing, because Mitchel has long been Reimers' apologist as well as had serious clashes with Mr. Manfredonia. I cannot personally vouch for the veracity of this backstage drama, but the story it tells clearly has some basis in truth. For that reason, I put it on  the table, hoping that someone can shed more light on it and, perhaps, come up with some documentation.

So, let's hope listener-supporter Kainak-Daher receives the airfare owed her and thank those who share my strong desire to separate the wheat from the tare and clean up the Pacifica field.

Details of the "thank you gift" in question appeared on the WBAI website, December 29, 2015 (If you need to enlarge it, please click on the image below):

Chris,

I believe that this e-mail from Mitchel Cohen is very important and should be posted. The entire premium imbroglio is one Ponzi scheme. Just read the e-mail and read how WBAI cheats its listeners.

Thank you. Ed Manfredonia

_____________

FROM: Mitchel Cohen

SUBJECT: [WBAI Community Board] letter to WBAI 

I was forwarded this letter from a WBAI listener. I send it to you because this is a serious complaint about the way WBAI management does not prioritize its listeners, despite the extremely strenuous good will attempts by volunteers to reach out and assist them where possible. 

I am asking the CFO to gather the needed documents and issue a full report on the Gary Null paid retreats, because we have two sets of stories that are not even in the same ballpark, moneywise: WBAI management tells me that people call Gary Null's phone number to go on these retreats and not WBAI, and that WBAI has received no more than $8,000 from them. Steve Brown puts the figure at $28,000 from the last retreat and several hundreds of thousands of dollars over the last 2 years, and has provided some audio from 4 years ago but nothing recent that I've heard in which WBAI's number is the one to call. What's the truth here?

Since the costs are $2,000 apiece, these donations should be easy enough to track down and isolate.

I am also sending this to the Local FInance Committee and asking them to work with the CFO as to what's actually going on.

Thank you.

From: eloisebeyond 

Sent: Mon, Jun 13, 2016 2:45 pm

To Berthold Reimers and Andrea Katz:

Please allow me to introduce myself. My name is Eloise Krainak-Daher. If my name sounds familiar to you it is because I was notified back in February of this year, after donating my hard earned money to one of your fund drives, by Andrea Katz, that I was the winner of the one week retreat with Gary Null in Texas. I understand that the station earned over $25,000 from that fund drive.

Weeks went by and NO ONE CONTACTED ME FROM THE STATION WITH MY TRAVEL ARRANGEMENTS OR DATES despite the fact that I sent several e-mails to both of you and left several phone messages. NO ONE EVER GOT BACK TO ME. Can you imagine my emotional confusion and angst after being notified that I was the winner and was never give my prize?? I was furious.

I finally contacted Luanne Pennesi. She connected me with Gary immediately and Gary Null PAID FOR MY ENTIRE RETREAT STAY out of his own pocket. I had to pay my own airfare, which I expect WBAI to refund to me. 

What the two of you committed in no uncertain terms is outright FRAUD. Your gross insensitivity to your audience is the main reason that WBAI is dying. It is sheer mismanagement and ABUSE OF THE LISTENERS and I, for one, will no longer tolerate this negligent behavior.

For starters, know that I and all of my friends, who were shocked to hear how poorly I was treated by WBAI management, will no longer be listening to the station, nor will we be donating ANYTHING to your fund drives.

Next, I am reporting WBAI and its management to the NY District Attorney, the NYS Attorney General and the Federal Trade Commission. Many of my friends and co-workers who listen to the station also told me that they paid for premiums and NEVER RECEIVED THEM. After what happened to me they are also going the the Attorney General and FTC with their concerns.

How unfortunate that the management of WBAI is this incompetent and intentionally negligent to its listeners. Shame on both of you for lying to and deceiving your audience.

Eloise Kainak-Daher