I sent this to Pacifica radio's interim Executive Director Bill Crosier Wednesday morning. Since WBAI is re-airing this premium again today and pre-empting good shows by doing so (just as it did yesterday), I'm making this letter public. - Mitchel
Dear Bill,
Have you heard the new premium that WBAI offers, the "Zapper". THIS IS NOT A PARODY! Please go to WBAI's archives at 9 a.m. (NY time) for Wednesday, May 10, 2017), to hear Goeff Brady and Tony Bates pitching this instrument. Click HERE.
This is VERY serious -- selling WBAI's listeners a battery-powered electrical device that they attach to their bodies, ostensibly to create a negative ion field that kills parasites.
EVEN IF IT WERE TRUE that it works in the way being pitched, WBAI should not be in the business of pitching and selling items of this sort. One accident; one unanticipated heart attack, interaction with some other medical device or medication, development of irritations, tumors, danger to one's pets, etc., and we'd not only have injured one or more listeners but be put out of business by the lawsuits that would ensue.
Tony Bates says, after 10 minutes or so, that "We make no medical claims." He seriously believes that that statement protects him and WBAI and Pacifica against any injuries. This is Tony Bates' stupidity, and his utter lack of judgment or understanding of the purposes of WBAI radio, the Mission statement, and the implications of his actions. It exemplifies his whole approach to WBAI and it is clear that he hasn't learned anything since his last time here. He cannot be allowed to remain at the station.
I am asking you, Bill, to stop WBAI's sale of this premium immediately, and to direct that Tony Bates be removed from any association with WBAI.
—Mitchel Cohen
I'm with Mitch on this one. Besides booting only Bates, though, they should get rid of Brady, too. This dangerous item comes through him and his show and guests
ReplyDeleteSDL
Absolutely. Bill should also invite comments on the programming and listen to them, weeding out the crap when he comes across it—that's a lot of weeding. A few programs could possibly be saved if the producer/host receives guidance or is replaced. They should all be told that no host/producer is guaranteed permanence and that longevity is commensurate with performance.
DeleteThere is a lot of "mission drift" at WBAI, because nobody is in charge. Long runs have to be justified, whether it's the host/producer or format that fails to meet the station's standard—Standard? Yes, there ought to be such a designation. Some shows are fixable, but there has to be something to work with—a few WBAI shows meet the qualifications that Mr. Hill and his fellow founders had in mind, but the dross Pacifica sought to counter now dominates a WBAI that sadly strives to attract the clueless and keep them in that state.
For several years, as WBAI slipped into obscurity and its listeners fled in search of intellectual stimulation, sanctioned squatters have shifted the focus to a small indiscriminate segment of the black NYC area community and the idiot posing as manager has given them free rein, acting only when personal animosity comes into play. Clearly, he should be kicked out as soon as possible.
Shows of no merit (the Blacks, Haitian All-Stars, the time wasted by Tony Ryan, R. Paul,
See https://www.quackwatch.com/01QuackeryRelatedTopics/Cancer/clark.html
ReplyDeleteI just thought I would re-post the Encyclopedia of American Loons page about the Crofts, for those who didn't see it when I posted it originally. This pair is truly nuts.
ReplyDeletehttp://americanloons.blogspot.com/2010/10/87-don-carol-croft.html
And as for parasites, maybe the zapper can help...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-CQ9qePJxDo
SDL
I used to wonder if you Chris might be too hard on WBAI but after hearing a few minutes of this clip, all doubt is gone. In fact, you may not be harsh enough. This zapper thing is just blatantly illegal and immoral. Berthold is paying ten grand for consultants to push bad programs on social media and now this. If he's just doing whatever he feels like doing, why doesn't he just get rid of the bad shows and plug in programming from California and from outside Pacifica?
ReplyDelete(JustAListener)
ReplyDeleteWhat if you drank some Double Helix Water then used the "Zapper"?
Would you turn into Superman or just explode from the chi overload?
So Tony is using the Zapper? Where on his body stick it up?... maybe I don't want to know!
A "chunk of orgonite"? But isn't orgonite deadly to beings that were born in Oregon?
Suppose WBAI should offer equal time and have shows on Creationism and "Gay conversion therapy".
BTW if you look at the comments on the "americanloons" page SDL linked to, you'll see a comment by a certain "Chris Albertson". Chris, nobody can say you haven't tried to promote the station - and you knew just where to find fans for the current version of WBAI!
Samori Marksman and Mario Murillo are responsible for this. Mario brought Tony Bates and Berthold to the station. Mario is directly responsible for this. He is a crook.
ReplyDeleteNice music being played right now. At least I am spared the zapper promo for a few minutes. They could at least update the schedule or make an announcement.
ReplyDeleteJames Irsay always delivers fine and/or interesting music, and he knows what he's talking about. One of the few gems in this heap of dung.
DeleteI have no issue with Irsay but I can't tell from the site what program is scheduled to air. Who is on the air during fundraisers? Are they doing regular shows or using their time to raise funds? Some shows never even mention WBAI at all. The PC show was listed but I heard the zapper promo instead. It just doesn't make sense to me.
DeleteA good sign that the PNB is meeting is the multiple messages from Cerene complaining about something. This time they had a new wrinkle. They passed the following during the closed session which preceded the open session.
ReplyDeleteWhereas directors Adriana Casenave and Cerene Robert’s continue to engage in wasting the board’s time with dilatory points of order and have a proven record of disrupting our meetings to the point that we can't see to the serious business of our failing foundation, I move that they be silenced via Maestro for the duration of the May 11th 2017, closed session and the entire upcoming May 11th 2017 open session.
Dear Chris,
ReplyDeleteBelow is a paradigm of financial stupidity that was authored by Frank LeFever, who admits to his ignorance of financial matters.
"During my own active membership in the WBAI Finance Committee, it was my impression that only two members had the qualifications to understand and deal with the relevant financial complexities.
"Here is a message sent by one of them [Noel Jameson] to the other [R. Paul Martin]."
R Paul Martin is an accounting innumerate. Martin has no comprehension of accounting, finance, tax, or contracts.
You cannot believe the absolute ignorance of Martin’s statements concerning financial matters.
Furthermore, LeFever, who boasts of having a Ph.D. in Psychology, once passed a lease to an attorney, whose license had been suspended. LeFever was upset that I opened the legal papers. The suspended attorney had overbilled an elderly couple, who suffered from dementia, and this resulted in his suspension.
LeFever intentionally omitted two past members of the WBAI Finance Committee, who possess MBAs in Finance- Edward Manfredonia and David Combs.
Furthermore, Noel Jameson offered to utilize his real estate license without charging a fee to find a space for WBAI. Jameson’s offer of assistance was rejected out of hand and WBAI moved to Atlantic Avenue- a move, which appeared to be pre-ordained by Mitchel Cohen and others.
If you need more information about the secrecy behind the move, I will gladly provide it.
Please note that LeFever was always proud of his academic credentials. At one meeting of the WBAI Finance Committee, LeFever mocked an individual’s lack of formal education (not R Paul Martin). The individual had made a grammatical error. I turned to LeFever and called him a wise guy, who always supported the ignorance of R Paul Martin.
Thank you.
Ed Manfredonia
Brain Stuff, Boku, zappers, organite, parasites, etc. This is really sounding like an old 1960s Italian science fiction film - Planet of the WBAItes.
ReplyDeleteThe spacecraft Buon Viaggio lands on the planet WBAI, only to find it inhabited by vegan parasites hell bent on attacking the crew and scamming their hard earned money from them. Needless to say, the crew fights back zapping the parasitic WBAItes with their zappers and tossing orgonite bombs at them. Starring John Saxon, Cameron Mitchell, Bertoldo Reimeri, Antonio Batesi, "Torta" Davisi and Garybaldi Nullio as the WBAItes leader.
It's a double feature with Mondo dei Ascoltatori Stupidi...
SDL
I don't know about Mondo dei Ascoltatori Stupidi, but I think Planet of the WBAItes is coming to Netflix in the original Jinbberish version, but with Ebonic subtitles.
ReplyDeleteI heard Cheatacitta' Studios has other WBAI related films in the works, including A Fistful of Falsehoods, Last Tango in The Commons, and my personal favorite, All Tthe Colors of the Premiums.
ReplyDeleteSDL
"Black Like Mimi" is going into preproduction this Fall.
ReplyDelete