Last week, when Pacifica's interim (we need to change that) Executive Director, Bill Crosier visited me during his brief stay in New York, I told him of my belief that WBAI's drastic loss of audience can, in large measure, be attributed to increasingly inept, dishonest programming.
In that connection, I mentioned Tony Bates' pitching of DVDs that blatantly exaggerate the history of African influence and achievement over the years (as if the truth were not sufficiently impressive) and the embarrassment of various amateur doctors pushing bogus "cures", etc. Bill was not learning anything from me that he didn't already know, but he has a tough—if not impossible—task to perform, so the more he hears about the wrecking of Pacifica, the better.
I also brought up Geoff Brady's weekly program, "In Other News", a one-sided super marked tabloid of the air aimed at the gullible, which serves as free promotion for self-published loonies. In that connection, I mentioned the "Zapper", a recently offered fund raising premium that has been likened to the banished and infamous "Double Helix" water, an alleged miracle cure-all. Overwhelming complaints finally forced Berthold Reimers to flush the Double H drops, but history repeated itself during the last five-week beg-athon when Brady introduced the Zapper. This is a battery-charged gadget whose properties even Ripley would have questioned.
Bill Crosier, a scientist, told me that it was bogus and, indeed, to his credit, he pulled the plug on it. This did not sit well with Geoff Brady who decided to challenge Pacifica's iED on the air last Monday night. Here is that segment of Brady's show:
Another negative aspect of WBAI's programming is the abominable technical ineptitude that often makes it virtually unlistenable. A graphic case in point is Michael Haskins' work. He calls himself the station's "chief engineer" and boast of having been there for decades, but listen to what he foisted on his handful of listeners last Monday morning. This is a long sample and, since it has no substance, I suggest that you limit your listening to spot checks, but the man can't read a simple sentence and he has no sense of dynamics, so the volume is all over the place, from barely audible to explosive. Worst of all, of course, that this perennial bozo is as uninformed and hare-brained as Trump. His morning show is, in every aspect, among the worst shows on WBAI.
Think about how bruised Brady's ego must have been over the premium pulling to have Crosier come on to defend his decision.
ReplyDeleteSDL
Yes, and thank you for pointing this interview out to me.
ReplyDeleteLast night something (maybe a intergalactic reptilian?) told me to go see what Brady did Monday night. Needless to say, I was rather stunned, especially in how Brady shows himself to be totally devoid of ANY sense of scientific research or deductive logic. I think it's a good example of how suckers get hoodwinked into believing in all sorts of crackpot things.
DeleteSDL
Again, still beating up on Haskins - Haskins has been chief announcer since 1996 - he is doing the best he can - he is under pressure to toe the political line and the racial line too. In addition, the equipment is not the best. Be a good uncle, Chris and cut him a break!
ReplyDeleteHaving been "chief announcer"since 1996 does not speak well for a guy who cannot read a simple sentence smoothly nor ad lib without resorting to cliche'ed broken English. As for his technical ineptitude, I know that Reimers has them working with outdated substandard crap, but blaming the equipment for Haskins' inability to even maintain level is belied by the fact that others have no such problem using the very same board and microphones.
DeleteGiving Haskins and other incompetents a "break", as you suggest. Is to encourage an, indeed, betray the listeners.
Listening to Haskins is kind of similar to listing the the once great Bob Fass. The lights are on but no one is home.
DeleteHaskins is a 3rd rate hack and nothing more.
DeleteSDL
At first I was annoyed that Crosier actually bothered to talk to this idiot but then I realized he actually did us a favor by identifying it correctly on air as complete BS. I wonder if Brady has a piece of the zapper/orgonite money since he seems to be the only one upset about it being pulled. The whole clip sounds like a premium at least from his part of it or he could just be pandering to his listeners. Who knows? I do know that Bill Crosier is perhaps a better person than I am because I certainly would not tolerate lectures on the Pacifica mission from the likes of Brady.
ReplyDelete@Anonymous - I can assure you Bill Crosier is a better person than all of us. :) :) I can only wish I had half the tolerance he has and even half his ability to stay polite in the company of idiots and the rest of them.
ReplyDeleteIt's too bad that Brady did not bring up the reptilians. That would certainly have convinced Crosier that Brady's belief system is rigorously scientific.
ReplyDeleteThat clip was great I can't stand Brady. He's absolutely gullible yet arrogant at the same time. Crosier was very polite especially considering Brady was trying to goad him into a fight and obviously has zero scientific knowledge.
ReplyDeleteBill Crosier needs to rid WBAI of quite a number of misfits; Brady is certainly one of them , but replacing the misfit-in-chief, Reimers, and his coterie must come first. Hiring a manager whose brain is developed, someone who recognizes the true value of Lew Hill's Pacifica (as Bill Crosier does) should make all the difference. Of course, funds need to be raised, but honestly—the scams and chronic disregard for truth must cease.
DeleteI am not coming up with original thought, just reiterating the obvious, which routinely appears to fall on deaf ears.