An unvarnished blog that dips into the past and comments on the present of WBAI-FM, a once significant, intelligent New York radio station that for years has suffered chronic abuse from within and now nears extinction. Your comments are welcomed and will not be censored.
There is nothing left of them now other than their past and the echoing hollows of their passing.
ReplyDeleteLet us hope that some aspects of that very distant past may yet be preserved.
~ ‘indigopirate’
As I understand it, funding comes from central services payments made by the stations. The stations for the most part can't meet expenses and pay central services on time. The best bet is to find an entity willing to at least retain the archives temporarily. There has been talk about finding different funding models for the archive. I don't know anything about that. Perhaps a restricted account dedicated to PRA? Hopefully, this will help people understand the need to change the programming. More listeners means more money including more funds for the archives.
ReplyDeleteThey also hold a one day beg-a-thon on Pacifica stations for the PRA. Sadly, the PRA is not a priority at Pacifica, even though it is the only worthwhile thing about Pacifica.
DeleteSDL
Today the air went dead when Gary Null was about to "reveal" which plutocrats support Hillary. Funny how that happens--and how sincere (insert sarcasm) Haskins sounds when he apologize for "technical difficulties."
ReplyDeleteI think Null actually orchestrates such "hacks" because he really needs to believe the whole world is against him. Large segments might wel be, and really, I can't blame at least some of them.
What in the hell is Babbling Bob babbling about? The man makes no sense to speak of.
ReplyDeleteSDL
Did you expect intelligent thought?
DeleteNo, but this morning's was particularly bad, even for him. He literally made no sense.
DeleteSDL
WBAI is turning into BLM/FarraKLANs NOI CB Radio.
ReplyDeleteThe fact that they are once again running this shameless scam is proof that Haskins swallowed whole this fraud by a slick N.O. Con artist. This happened back in the Wall St. fraud and Reimers clearly bought into the scam, overestimating Haskin's ability to tell the truth, so he ordered more of this questionable product than his snake oil hustlers could sell.
DeleteNow, after what appears to be the least successful fund drive ever, they feel compelled to regurgitate thi fraud.
Apparently, Louis Gates was involved in a book on the same incident and Waters is very upset about that--the writer of that book, a Mr. Rasmussen, is white man. Waters, with grunts of agreement from the WBAI clowns, says that only a black writer could do that job right.
A well run, professional radio station would invited the original author and Gates in for a two-sided discussion. WBAI's reliance on lies and historical fact-twisting could not withstand the embarrassing unmasking that is inherent in airing more than their own presented side.
I thought the beg-a-thon was over. Haskins and some howling lunatic are hawking slavery books like preachers.
ReplyDeleteSDL
And, to make matters worse, this particular repeat includes that ridiculous bicycle bell.
DeleteI don't think theSe two losers- or empty-headed Reimers understand that time does not turn a sow's ear into a silk purse. The N.O. con artist sold Haskins bill of goods.
DeleteWBAI just went to dead air on the middle of "Democracy Now". It is 8:20 AM on Friday morning.
ReplyDeleteWho cares? I watch it on CUNY-TV, on occasion. I wish WBAI went dead 24/7/ 52 weeks a year.
DeleteKGT
"Dr." Majid Ali must "kick up". He is a super schmuck as opposed to the other regular schmuck producers; there is no other reason to have him on. Berthold Reimers is Capo di Tutti Capi. Hopefully soon he will "Swim Witt Duh Fishes".
ReplyDeleteKGT
ah.. prescod going back to the bai mission of educating the community about slavery at every
ReplyDeleteturn . After all they haven't covered any black "issues" since way back
when Kathy and Ken's show did it at 1 oclock .
I was getting worried .
Bird head Ron Daniels must not be getting far with the reparations coat tails he so strenuously grabbed a hold of over a year ago. Now he has switched to pushing for President Obama to pardon a dead old scam artist, the never so honorable Marcus Garvey.
DeleteInstead of clinging to straws in their feeble attempts to draw attention (and money) to themselves, why don't the bozos who squiggle to WBAI's air try to come up with something positive to do. The fact that their audience is of a significantly low number does limit the damage they can do to a young generation of black Americans--but they keep trying. Amazing!
We will all be better of when their ignorance and egos finally tear that mall down.
Are you hearing the LSB candidate "debate"? Pretty much same old shit. When a caller brought up the Black Nationalist junk, he was basically shrugged off. And these people still can't figure it out...
ReplyDeleteSDL
Exactly , It's like the open secret nobody wants to touch .
ReplyDeleteSo they keep tip toeing around it , blaming it on
anything and everything else . Pretty Sad .
One of the JUCs was trying to be slick when he pretended it was the guests who came on the air regurgitating all that racism. The hosts had the right to get them off their program. Either this JUCcie isn't listening to the station or he has a problem with reality.
DeleteSomeone said that Reimers is on another vacation. Expenses paid, no doubt.
It never fails. We have a candidate forum. I put out some new ideas which SDL has supported in the past and he blithely dismisses it. Yeah SDL. I avoided that question because I'm trying to grow the audience and change the programming. I'm not wasting time with some idiot who may be a plant. BTW why is Mitch calling us? He's a candidate for crying out loud.
ReplyDeleteI was pretty happy with the forum. We had a good civil discussion. There was some back and forth regarding fundraising, the boycott of LSB meetings and the need to evaluate and change programming.
Your participation was excellent. I wrote a longer response, but it disappeared. Hope I can try again tomorrow... Have not been well for the past few days, so l'm bedridden with my iPad, which opens the door wide for mistakes and disappearances. I did, however want you to know how well you did.
Delete@Michael Ochoa: In reference to your comments about me, I would genuinely like to know why you feel that way.
Delete@Chris: Take care of yourself and heal up.
SDL
I just turned on WBAI and heard Michio Kaku and immediately turned off the radio. I cannot listen to a sophisticated, highly learned program flanked by slavery restitution and white bashing. Michio Kaku is not a breath of fresh air; his erudite programs facilitate the race haters by keeping WBAI afloat in this perverse mode. Michio Kaku: You don't need WBAI. Stick with CBS. Norah O'Donnell is a lot prettier than Mimi Rosenberg.
ReplyDeleteKGT
Michio Kaku does not need a stumbling, unmanaged, closet-based Brooklyn outlet. The intelligent audience has fled over the years of WBAI's systematic downgrade. We have reached a point where the mere telling of a truth is a shocking anomaly.
DeleteI first heared Michio Kaku on BAI many years ago, long before he was on CBS (I guess he's there. I don't know.) But I thank Michio Kaku for his long time commitment to disseminating cutting edge science through this station.
DeleteHe is too good for WBAI's leftover audience, but he is also hear on outlets that still have an audience.
DeleteWhile it's impressive when anybody earns a PhD, here's my problem with people like Kaku, Neil DeGrasse, Bill Nye, etc. Are they educators or "media personalities"? When I read anything about Richard Wolff(still doing his BAI show), all I see is ego. I'm in f*****g demand, baby! I'm HOT! If you're so hot, then why do you sound like you're talking down to your audience? Like they literally have no knowledge at all about economics? I have 10 years teaching experience. And I don't like being talked down to.
ReplyDeleteIf Kaku is so smart, why is he wasting his time with Pacifica? Because his "management team" (agent, attorney, manager and others) tell him to go where the checks are. Science has to be 100% entertainment. Nothing controversial. Nothing about climate change being man made. Everything has to fun, exciting! No boring depressing stuff.
ReplyDeleteNow, is it illegal to be well known and well paid? No, it's not. However, if I was a well known scientist working in the media, it would bother me that the corporate media thinks that Bill Nye The Science guy is THE ULTIMATE AUTHORITY on climate change. He has zero background in climate science. He was a bored Boeing engineer who decided he wanted to be on TV instead. Now he's a multi millionaire that always shows up on "climate change debates". Then again, the founder of the Weather Channel thinks climate change is a f*****g joke.
7:00 AM and WBAI has been off the air for some time now. Getting some pirates on either side of 99.5, though.
ReplyDeleteSDL
I was listening when it went off the air at 1 o'clock this morning. They don't seem to be in a hurry.
DeleteDon't worry, not like more than six people are missing them.
DeleteMaybe it's a podcasting training event...
SDL
The self-proclaimed Earth Angel was off today of course we got earth mom. I'm still bedridden and speaking this to my iPad, so please excuse any ridiculous mistakes which it invariably makes. Good morning!
DeleteAnd a big good morning to you, too! I wish you the best, Chris.
DeleteSDL
Thank you, SDL,
Delete10:50AM sounds like a silent transmitter is on.
DeleteSDL
Yes it's gone from hisses to crackles.
DeleteThis just came in and I came across it I thought I would post to the airport with using only my iPad I'm on able to work with it so please excuse the wrong I saw that but there is an information in it thank you
ReplyDeleteFrom: Berthold Reimers
Dear all,
Concerning WBAI being off the air please see e-mail about temporary shut down by the Empire State for maintenance and repair. I am in contact with Tony Ryan (although he is out sick) and Jake Glanz our tower engineer.
We will keep you posted.
Thanks,
Berthold
[I removed the individual contact info and phone numbers - MC]
Please note this electrical shutdown scheduled per the below communication in on.
FROM: EMPIRE STATE BUILDING ED DRISCOLL
DATE: 8/17/2016
SUBJECT: ELECTRICAL PANEL REPLACEMENT
DATES: 8/27/2016.
TIME: 0001HRS 0800HRS
Power Shutdown Notice: There will be a Power Shutdown scheduled for Saturday, 8/27/2016 beginning each day at 0001 HRS and concluding at 0800 HRS. During this shutdown we will be replacing a Main Switch in the Power Vault. As this work is not on the Tower, weather is not an issue and consequently we have no need of contingency dates. Thank you for your cooperation and if you have any questions please give Ed Driscoll (212-400-3312) or Shane O’Donoghue a call (212-400-3328)
Building to provide access to 84.5 Power Vault to Geller Electricians performing the replacement.
Power Shutdowns:
Suites/Broadcaster Recommended Shutdown Status
8102E TOWERSTREAM Off or Auxiliary Site
8102W UNIVISION RADIO Off or Auxiliary Site
8103 RAINBOW BB ESB Gas Gen Set
8104A FDNY Off, Auxiliary Site or Tenant Generator
8104B WBAI PACIFICA Off or Auxiliary Site
8105 ADVENT INDUSTRIAL Off
8107 WBLS Off, Auxiliary Site or Gen Set Operation
8205 ARCHDIOCESE OF NY Off or Auxiliary Site
8207 ESB MAST LIGHTING Off
8501 EMMIS Tenant’s Generator
8509 SKANSKA (WABC MICROWAVE DD LEVEL) Off
E1 CON ED Off or Auxiliary Site
At 0001hrs, the Power will be shut down at the above noted locations. This shutdown is scheduled to last eight (8) hours in total. At 0800HRS, the new panel will be energized and all affected locations may return to normal function.
---------------------
1. It is now almost 11:00 AM, so the shutdown is, obviously, taking more than 8 hours.
Delete2. The ESB email is dated 8/17/2016. So (again, obviously), WBAI had ten days to make contingency plans, and did nothing.
Typical inefficiency. John wrinkly of the LSV made an announcement finally explaining him briefly what was happening but he posted the announcement an hour or two after we were supposed to be back on the air these people don't care they don't know and they need to go .
DeleteIt's 20 minutes after 11 and they just came back on the air.
He did not take long for WB AI to mess it up again but they're back again we have a lot of ineptitude in that little closet on Atlantic Avenue.
DeleteHow come WABC or WCBS or WINS are not shut down for maintenance and repair?
DeleteKGT
My guess is that this is because the stations are operated as radio stations not little toys for amateurs.
DeleteJust checking: the internet streaming is working. They are broadcasting bigot radicals, so I wish both were shut off.
DeleteKGT
So far, I have heard no bigotry and the radicalism I've heard is not of the kind that I wouldn't except I don't know why you're complaining if I need to complain about this is not it.
DeleteI take it back.
DeleteKGT
The CFO suggested at the last PNB meeting that the KPFA GM review the programming at WBAI and WPFW due to his experience in East Coast radio markets. He was responding to a question about finding ways to increase revenue. Do you anything about him Chris? I think his name is Quincy McCoy.
ReplyDeleteUnfortunately, I am not familiar with that person but it seems to me that the evaluation should be more of the managers of the stations before it gets to the programming although the programming is absolutely vital. We have two managers who obviously are not doing their job. What I say about thee WPFW manager is based entirely on a distant impression, but I am very well acquainted with Reimers' long record of deceit and colossal ineptitude.
DeleteThe station has not had a real program director in at least two years and now Reimers has taken it upon himself to change the programming he has moved things around he has introduced new programs and every decision he has made is a disaster. The man simply does not know what are you doing is unfit for the broadcasting business.
Evaluating the programming is absolutely vital, the station has turned to a black station and it's more so with every week and it's not good black radio that we are hearing it is absolutely the worst. So, as long as that is in place it does not make much sense to do anything until Reimers Is fired and replaced by someone who knows the business.
From what i know about him, he hasn't done anything to really stand out from the rest of the current Pacifica mngmnt.
DeleteThat would make him a very odd choice as a problem solver.
DeleteMuch as I have tried, I cannot come up with a single positive action or decision made by Reimers in his five years or so at WBAI.
Actually KPFA GM Quincy McCoy is a good choice. He was former Program Director at WNEW and has over 30 years of radio experience. He worked as chief of operations for Salon Studio at Salon.com and vice president of Radio for MTV Networks and Rhapsody America.McCoy has worked as a major market on-air personality, program director and operations manager.
DeleteMcCoy was Director of Promotion and Special Projects for Fantasy Records. He was the Urban Editor at Gavin Magazine where he won the Peter Brock Award for feature writing. McCoy was also on the board of Youth Radio International, and published No Static: A Guide to Creative Radio Programming (2002).
That is very impressive you don't see many people with that kind of background on Pacifica so maybe that is not such a bad idea at all. The name was kind of familiar and I now realize it must be from you said he worked for fantasy records so that's probably where I came across the name might even have had dealings with him thank you.
DeleteYou're welcome. Get better soon. He's having to deal with the Pacifica culture, and I'm sure it's a difficult challenge. He has crazy on air people like Dennis Bernstein, Bonnie Faulkner, Layna Berman and many others. And off air PNB, LSB, iED, and Tracy right in his backyard. A number of unpaid staff at KPFA are organizing to try and use his recent letter to eliminate paid staff. (Yaay! Free airtime for crazies!) Because paid staff reductions has worked so well at WBAI and WPFW.
DeleteMakes sense. Yes the paid staff a solution has just done wonders for WBAI-- look at the station now, thriving happy people morale high and programming you can't touch with a stick.
DeleteBy the way I wonder if that notorious transmitter that they have is the same one that I purchased oh so many years ago and had put up on the amp is a building. Could it be?
I've been surprised (unless I've missed it) to see no comments on the apparent imminent demise of Off The Hook and The Personal Computer Show. Though nerdy, they at least had good content for those interested. And that they survived this long I assumed meant they actually drew an audience. Oh, I forgot - of course - that's why they have to go.
ReplyDeleteThere were plenty of comments a few threads ago about the TPCS cancellation. Go here and scroll down to see:
Deletehttp://wbai-nowthen.blogspot.com/2016/08/profiling.html#comment-form
SDL
There has been some comment, but not enough. Trapped in bed with my iPad and unable to get to my iMac I am very limited in what I can do but suffice it to say that I don't think off the hook is in trouble right now but the PC show is definitely gone after next weeks show. I hope someone else will comment, I will be glad to post it.
DeleteIt looks like Education at the Crossroads will move over into the next slot which is now occupied by where we live I think that's the name of it the O'Brien Mumia show. The guy who runs the first show is a little bit worried because they're all in on the same wavelength and Reimers has yet to say what he is doing with where we live. I cannot imagine that he would get rid of a black show the foments hate and racial division, so it will probably find another slot.
ReplyDeleteSally O'Brien is not black enough? LMAO
DeleteKGT
WBAI listeners were treated to Berthold Reimers long awaited *REPORT TO THE LISTENER* this morning from 1 AM to 10 AM. Listeners heard exactly what is planned to pull WBAI out of it's financial tailspin. In between telephone calls, BAI'ers heard samples of WBAI's new air-sound, coming Real Soon Now. Fans also heard exactly how WBAI's new state of the art studios would be financed and built. Show reviews are in: "Nothing's like it." "I was stunned into silence." "The moment of silence for Monroe was a nice touch." "BR is a humble man. He was so quiet about how much he had done to save Pacifica."
ReplyDelete