Here's another audio clip that painfully demonstrates how your money is being wasted and why the listenership has long since disappeared over the horizon and out of hearing range.
I have never met Reggie Johnson, but I understand that he is one of the few congenial and genuinely warm people on the station's current staff. He is, however, not at all suited for the task handed him by the pea-brained "management," that of announcer. Reggie tries, but is unable to make it through a simple English sentence without falling over every other word, torturing basic grammar, and making it clear that he himself does not understand what the author meant to relay. In other words, while he undoubtedly means well, Mr. Johnson takes no pride in his work—it wouldn't take him much time to prepare himself. He also has the option to let a computer read the text for him, the option to not come off as a second grader with .
Lack of preparation characterizes WBAI's chaotic mishmash of inferior offerings, with "chief announcer" Michael Haskins being another case in point. However, while these two salaried voices and others heard regularly are decidedly not suitable for access to an open microphone, the fault lies with WBAI's singularly inept management.
I should point out that Reggie Johnson's station breaks have vastly improved lately—in content as well as delivery. However, neither Reimers nor Bates, his crony/stand-in seem the least bit bothered by recurring, inarticulate blather such as assaulted our ears during this week's "From the Soundboard". Here is an excerpt from a much longer segment.
You're a little harsh on Reggie but you have a valid point regarding preparation. Its never good to have the same person just talking for more than say 10 minutes without a break of some kind. I think the overnight shows should pre-record most if not all their shows. It would also make it possible to get co-hosts and guests. They should also try to avoid mentioning their time slots as much as possible. A lot of people listen via the archive or online from other time zones. No need to mention that its 4AM and you're out of coffee.
ReplyDeleteI want to put the blame on Berthold Reimers, but he has yet to show himself as a man capable of sound judgement. Bates, on the other hand, is skilled at delivering his lies and he is in a position that gives him responsibility for what goes out over WBAI's air.
DeleteQuality control and responsibility are not aspects that a radio station operator can take lightly. What listeners hear when they tune in determines whether they stay tuned or return for more—when they hear such embarrassing rambling as Reggie tends to deliver, their intelligence is insulted.
Anybody who works at WBAI—staff or volunteer—must be made aware of the fact that they are the face of the station. It is not enough to tell them that a brief list of words should be kept off the air or that their personal commercials may not contain the price of the product or service if none of the money goes to support the station. They should be thoroughly briefed, made fully aware of the important role played by listener-supporters, told that "free form" radio does not equate with sloppiness or a midnight fossil's incoherent uttering, etc.
They should know how and when to make a station break, how to handle listener calls, even when they contain criticism of the station or their "show." If they have ideas that might improve their own program or the station, in general, there should be a front office wherein open minds listen.
In short, anyone who represents WBAI—on or off the air—needs to know important procedures and the possible consequences of not following them.
At WBAI, we have management in name only—totally unfit untouchables whose lack of command gives self-serving opportunists a free pass to create their own rules. There are no overseers, no person in authority who is capable of seeing the whole picture, the mis-scheduled programs, the out-and-out duds.
And just as there is no perceived program oversight, so neither is there anyone who can handle or take fiscal responsibility. As with our new "government", lies are the new truth.
The problem of running glaringly outdated money pitches did not exist years ago, because fund drives were few and aired live. When no mention is made of a pitch being a rerun, the fraudulence of that pitch is compounded. Prescod has claimed that only 15 copies of a package are left, drive after drive, year after year. Those three calls that "just came in" may well have been made a couple of years earlier, etc. It all boils down to a lack of coordination and disrespect for the contributing listener. Ultimately, of course, it adds up to an unprincipled radio station that stresses marketing of questionable goods and services over enlightened, intelligent programming.
It is not Reggie's fault that his broadcasting talent has been over-estimated, but he needs to correct that, even on his own initiative, as he seems to have done when it comes to station breaks.