The following anonymous brief is the first I have heard from someone who attended last evening's public meeting at 388 Atlantic Avenue.
If you were there, please post your impression—how many attended, etc. Typically, WBAI simply continued airing the old infomercials.
The town hall discussion went pretty well Chris. There was a lot of criticism of Reimers and Bates especially about treatment of producers. There was also criticism of producers for not promoting more or doing things like station ID breaks. There was also talk of expanding outreach and marketing efforts. The biggest problem appeared to be lack of communication from and to management. —Anonymous
Let me be direct about something
ReplyDeleteToday was a positive meeting and a lot of opinions were expressed to get a lot of stuff off ones chest
We need a town hall a month right now. We need people from the other stations participating with us and we with them so we can have serious cross station dialogue
This can be accomplished by having a ton of others on conference calls via smart/iPhones. These cannot be Potemkin village affairs but honest critical and let's try to move positively forward and create something new and mind blowing
One must give Dingeman credit - he has hung in there for years - he is a hero - he exposed Samori for the political fraud he was and he exposed Mario for the crook that he is.
ReplyDeleteWere any zappers or orgonite on display?
ReplyDeleteSDL
The deafening silence makes one wonder if recollections of this meeting were zapped.
DeleteDid, perchance, someone give Cerene....?
While sparking brief moments of unintended comedy, Mimi Rosenberg's crudely applied layers of burnt cork absorb and eviscerate credibility.
ReplyDeleteHer routine never really worked, except on the reality impaired.
Did anyone see the news reports about the study of DNA taken from Egyptian mummies? The findings show that their DNA was similar to people from Mesopotamia and the Arabian peninsular; and had little or no similarity with the DNA of people from Africa south of the Sahara. So much for the nonsense WBAI peddles about the ancient Egyptian pharaohs being black.
ReplyDeleteI heard a BBC piece on that. it included an interview with one of the scientists. Of course, like you, I immediately wondered if the WBAI bozos will have enough courage to discuss it. They might feel compelled to do so (perhaps a questioning caller), but there is no way in the world that they will accept the possibility.
DeleteThis is just one area in which they have painted themselves into a corner—in this case, they made fools of themselves by falling for cons perpetrated by the likes of "admiral" Garvey, "Dr. Ben", John Henrik Clarke, and other fraudsters.
What will it take for the listener-supporter-victims to realize that WBAI is in the hands of lowlifes?
"What will it take for the listener-supporter-victims to realize that WBAI is in the hands of lowlifes?"
DeleteNothing. These are The Remnants, the true believers, the dumbest of the dumb. They simply won't let go to the only reality they know.
SDL
I’m in agreement with SDL as to this question re WBAI/Pacifica.
DeleteThere’s a chance they’ll emerge from the present crisis with even less presence and relevance than at present.
There is, however, an analog to the present situation. The power curve takes many forms, both biological and physical. This is a helpful example of the physical consequences of getting behind the power curve, and then attempting to ‘save’ the situation.
It looks like this https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q2qqKwndFW0
Those are the two possible outcomes.
Choose one, and place your bets...
~ ‘indigopirate’
Certainly, the pilot in your video knew more about flying a plane than the people in charge at 388 know about running a radio station—and look what happened to the aircraft.
DeleteIt seems information is available at WBAI Chris just not easily accessible. According to someone who attended the staff meeting with Bill Crosier, the phone bill is paid off and they can begin installing phones. It was $50,000 but they got it down to $14,000. No more call center by October fund drive. Someone mentioned a donation of computers two years ago but they are gone. That would probably help if they want volunteers answering the phones again. Its all a bit too much. What's next? Using tarot cards to write budgets?
ReplyDeleteI think Reimers is already using Tarot cards, as well as imagination to come up with his figures. My good impression of Bill Crosier was strengthen by our meeting this week—I will do what I can to support his challenging mission, but—as I told him in person—he must rid the station of Reimers and Bates, and get Program Director who has the right judgement to fix the current, disastrous schedule
Delete.
You met Crosier in person? Or am I more drunk than I think I am after trivia night at the local bar. What? Please explain.
DeleteSDL
We met at my apartment yesterday.
DeleteCool! I guess a Pacifica boss is willing to talk to people from the past in this case. That is indeed impressive! I respect that openness to listening to people from Pacifica's history.
DeleteSDL
I, too, see that as a very positive sign, very different from what we have seen in recent years.
DeleteChris,
ReplyDeleteI believe that 20 individuals attended the meeting- and they were the usual suspects.
As soon as I met Berthold Reimers and Tony Bates I knew that they were frauds- and I said so.
As for Jim Dingeman, he backed Berthold for many years. Berthold and Dingeman named the individuals to the Community Advisor Board. Ergo, it is nonsense to praise Dingeman. Dingeman is a cog in the wheel of the Berthold Reimers juggernaut to failure.
Ed Manfredonia
Your assessment of Jim aligns with my own impression, but I always thought his intention were acceptable even if his road to realizing them often were less so.
DeleteTwenty attendees is not impressive, but this was almost treated like a clandestine event. I heard no mention of it on the air, read no announcement on the website. A "public, all are welcomed" affair?
Dingeman is well respected at WBAI for his efforts to remove the Samori stench from the station. He has battled with Robert Knight, Dred Scott Keyes and Mario Murillo - his fights with them are well-documented - he has the scars to prove it.
ReplyDeleteIf Jim battled with Knight, Keyes and Murillo, he has got to be a bit of alright, as the Brits say. Samori seems to have had his balanced side, but if it is true that he brought the armchair street people and their crap to WBAI, he gets no merit badge from me.
DeleteI feel like every time I have tuned into bozo radio for the past several days I only hear the dead woman and her non-survivor's guide thing.
ReplyDeleteSDL
That does appear to be the entré on today's menu.
ReplyDeleteApropos that, I was apparently right in my recollection of related copyright infringement. Here's a post from R. Paul tht I lifted from RadioWaves:
"Gwen Scott’s set of disks was illegally copied by Berthold for years as
a premium. He had no right to do it when she was alive, and has no right
to do it now that she is dead. If he is still doing it, as it seems he
is, he is guilty of engaging in a federal crime punishable large fines
for the foundation and jail terms for those involved. Someone in
national management needs to find out if illegal copying is still going
on. If they fail to investigate after being put on notice, the officers
and board will all be liable and at serious risk of fines, jail, or both.
I will note that at the WBAI local Finance Committee meeting held on May
5, 2017, I asked my usual question of the General Manager, I asked if
all of the premiums being used in the current 'thon were licensed. He
said that they were.
Over on the bleepin' blue board we had a little discussion of that, and
one person was skeptical about the licensing of one current premium and
of the "Eyes on the Prize" premium that was offered some months ago. I
had specifically asked the General Manager about the "Eyes on the Prize"
premium because I'd seen it being duplicated on the DVD duplicating
machines in the back of the station. The General Manager was adamant
that it had all been licensed and WBAI had the permission of the
copyright owners to duplicate the DVDs.
I know that about two and a half years ago at a local Finance Committee
meeting the General Manager said that about 90% of the premiums were
licensed. Yeah, under 100% can be a problem. I think I made a point
about that in a Treasurer's Report at the time."
Look online for the website for Gwen's DVDs and contact them asking if WBAI is either buying wholesale DVD sets from them or licensed to make and sell burns. If anyone does contact the website, they may want to send along RPM's above posting.
DeleteSDL
Why am I not convinced by the GM saying he has permission to duplicate copyrighted material even if he is saying it adamantly? Perhaps if he produced some documentation. Its not difficult. Most producers are happy to give their consent as long as they get credit especially for non-profit use.
DeleteThis is a GM with a history of lying that goes back at least as far as the interview that garnered him this position.
DeleteThe absence of any kind of written proof speaks volumes. A one-sheet license from Scott is all that would have been required—perhaps Sandy blew it away. Pacifica or WBAI should maintain a file of permissions granted them for what essentially amounts to resale.
I often wonder if Mike Savage, Tony Ryan and others who offer commercial music as "premiums" have any legal arrangement to do so. I mentioned this to Bill Crosier, so I hope it is looked into.
I just don't buy that WBAI has any deals to burn stuff. if they did, even one agreement, Reimers would be shouting it from the rooftop.
DeleteThe problem, as I have said numerous times, is that WBAI is so small, no one even gives a shit to move on them for anything.
SDL
Of course he would, but the man is morally corrupt and he has so polluted the air at WBAI that his reality is toxic. There is a good reason why Berthold Reimers fears the truth—this illegal activity is a part of that.
DeleteGreat piece on Amy Goodman and Democracy Now
ReplyDeletehttps://www.indybay.org/newsitems/2016/01/05/18781542.php
Thank you for posting this 2016 piece. It's lengthy, but the attached audio makes it manageable.
DeleteNice article. How much of it is true Chris?
Deletemost of it can be verified - Samori was a dupe - he created a monster(Amy) - he told many that he made a mistake with Amy. Samori thought he was an honorary Jew, but they played him for a fool.
ReplyDeleteOne must wonder if the left is capable of anything other than endless ineffective kvetching, accompanied by equally endless internal fratricidal factionalism.
ReplyDelete~ ‘indigopirate’
Reading the posts on Nalini's listserv, I don't wonder why you wonder. Ingrown gripes.
DeleteIt seems to be an eternal verity, a bitter and an embittering eternal impotence.
Delete~ 'indigopirate'
The left are like competing sects of a religion, all trying to be more righteous and pure than the other sects.
DeleteSDL
In short, the left are not always right.
DeleteThese days the left exudes more fascist tendencies than the right. So...
DeleteSDL