If you thought WBAI was a ball of confusion last week, you should see it now—they don't even know which side they're on. Alliances are going the way of principles and morale is in the Pacifica slop jar.
The schemers who cower under the ravaged JUC umbrella are aiding and abetting Manhattan Neighborhood Network's Dan Coughlin in his blatant effort to take over the operation of WBAI. It is believed that these on-and-off lemmings have before them a dangling carrot that promises jobs and/or power.
Last week Sally O'Brien ("Mama Mumia") devoted her heavily race-laced program in toto to a live FaceBook/phone video promotion of MNN's plot. The WBAI "studio" was strewn with Dan Caughlin's disingenuous "invitation" and the usual characters—including Morphed Mimi (Rosenberg) and Lederer spewed their JUC propaganda. It was totally one-sided and twisted until Max Schmed showed up and horrified the little JUCies with a reality check.
The schemers who cower under the ravaged JUC umbrella are aiding and abetting Manhattan Neighborhood Network's Dan Coughlin in his blatant effort to take over the operation of WBAI. It is believed that these on-and-off lemmings have before them a dangling carrot that promises jobs and/or power.
Last week Sally O'Brien ("Mama Mumia") devoted her heavily race-laced program in toto to a live FaceBook/phone video promotion of MNN's plot. The WBAI "studio" was strewn with Dan Caughlin's disingenuous "invitation" and the usual characters—including Morphed Mimi (Rosenberg) and Lederer spewed their JUC propaganda. It was totally one-sided and twisted until Max Schmed showed up and horrified the little JUCies with a reality check.
The latest bone of contention is a JUC commercial for MNN that has been airing on WBAI. The source seems to be JUC bozo John Riley, who promised a follow-up. However, Pacifica appears to have put a stop to this blatant JUC propaganda and it is believed that the cease and desist order came from the new iED, Mr. Livingston. If so, good for him.
The following is the note with which Riley launched the JUC's ill-advised, deceptive and now, banned MNN on-air campaign.
The following is the note with which Riley launched the JUC's ill-advised, deceptive and now, banned MNN on-air campaign.
Dear BAI colleagues,
As you may know, Manhattan Neighborhood Network has proposed a partnership with WBAI that offers many benefits -- financial, technological, and programmatic (summary letter from MNN here). After a recent set of meetings at MNN, many BAI producers are supporting this proposal. A new group called the Coalition to Save WBAI is holding a public meeting at MNN's East Harlem studio on Saturday, Feb. 10 from 3-6 PM to invite listener, staff, and community dialogue with MNN.
We would appreciate it if you could play the attached 1-minute cart for the Feb. 10 public meeting, prepared by Joyce Jones (Suga in My Bown)(sic) and Pam Brown (Morning Show).
We will follow this soon with a 5-minute cart with background information. We can also make Coalition members available for interviews on any of your programs.
Let us know if you have any questions.
Thanks,
John Riley
co-producer, Out-FM and Health Action staff representative, WBAI Local Station Board
A typically idiotic note from Berthold Reimers.
Sent: Thursday, February 1, 2018 7:02:49 PM
Subject: Re: [wbai-indy-caucus] JUC efforts on PSOA here in NYC
WBAI management is neutral as we should be - being the professional we are. However, we encourage all parties to talk, meet and put it all on the table and discuss the terms and conditions they will accept or absolutely not accept and give the final documentation to a lawyer to review - Whatever the outcome, the fact is that we should be rational instead of all you you trying to kill each other. It is pathetic. Deal with the facts and put them on the table.
WBAI will not act as a propaganda tool for either side - we believe that WBAI is a radio station and should focus on radio. Period.
Berthold
The latest from Tony Bates.
Dear WBAI Staff
It seems that some WBAI producers have found time to mobilize around their personal internal political preferences, some of the same whom decry a lack of time and resources for WBAI's fund raising needs. I am left to wonder how such a producer organized effort might actually have served WBAI had it been focused upon a unified Fund Drive effort.
As has been the case for years, WBAI has a zero tolerance policy for airing our dirty laundry, WBAI's airwaves belong to the People of New York. Our personal opinions and preferences about WBAI's internal politics don't serve WBAI or its listeners broadly. Rather its self serving and divisive, it continues to reinforce the image of WBAI as a place of bickering and division. That image destroys financial confidence, save that of the monied vultures attempting to steal our radio station and remake it into something 'other'. Our obligation as stewards of this great station is to put WBAI's best interest and image forward, not our worst. As a general rule, investors don't invest in divisiveness and failure. Our listeners are our investors and we ought to respect them as such.
Certain WBAI producers have abused their on-air privilege to promote interncine (sec) LSB and petty personal internal political ideologies. Any further such violations will be met with disciplinary action. Management is currently reviewing the previous violations and will follow up with transgressing producers 1 on 1. During my tenure, WBAI is moving away from the WBAI status quo, whereby we are are own worst enemy, working toward our own destruction, on our own airwaves.
Regardless of the position of the internal political faction which may own your allegiance or the faction with whom you're warring, both of which behave very much like the Democrats and Republicans, we at WBAI will be guided by the Pacifica Mission. Therefore commercials for MNN or any other entities involved in this NATIONAL BOARD / LOCAL STATION BOARD created problem, won't be airing on WBAI.
To put an exclamation mark on the point, WBAI IS A RADIO STATION, NOT A 'LOCAL STATION BOARD' STATION. Our duty as WBAI producers is to serve listeners in the tri-state area, rather than ourselves. Matters germane to the board belong in the board room, not on the air. This applies to both LSB factions.
Our actions are speaking louder than our words.
Let's focus our efforts on radio excellence, WBAI listeners love it.
Sincerely,
Tony Bates
Programming Manager
WBAI 99.5 FM
Please tell me if I have this right: WBAI does not own the license for its frequency. The license is owned by Pacifica. Therefore, the decision regarding whether to enter into a contractual relationship with MNN belongs to the Pacifica National Board, and the WBAI Local Station Board can only act in advisory capacity with regard to MNN. Is this correct ? (The reason I am asking this is that all of the sturm und drang at WBAI about this could lead one to think otherwise).
ReplyDeleteI don't know for certain, but what you say sounds right. I'm sure we'll have an answer soon.
DeleteAny movement on the California loan? Principle? Terms? Interest?
DeleteThere has been an odd silence regarding the much touted loans. Tom Livingstone is now Pacifica's iED and he has been given an important assignment that includes finding his own replacement. We don't know much about Mr. Livingstone other than what we find on his business blog. He has paid NYC a two-day visit, presumably meeting with Reimers, but there is as yet no sign of any positive changes.
DeletePacifica continues to crumble under a flimsy cloak of secrecy.
I see no chance of a happy ending in NYC.
According to Bill Crosier's farewell letter, ESRT told Pacifica that if they paid the $2 million ESRT would apply it to current (post judgment) amounts due, instead of the Judgment. Bill said Pacifica is consulting with their lawyers to see if ESRT can, in fact, do that. So, they're holding off on taking the loan because one if its terms was that it be used to pay the ESRT Judgment. Wait and see.
DeleteWhile they wait and see the amount owed pre and post judgement, Pension and penalties, wbai's rent and outstanding vendor debt continues to grow.
DeleteThat important fact is generally ignored in the endless discussions. With yet another marathon fund drive on the very near horizon, I think some of these people will at least start seeing reality.
DeleteAnd without open books at WBAI no one knows the true fiscal health and impact on Pacifica.
ReplyDeleteYes, that is a major problem—a coverup, I think. Listeners who donate during the marketing sprees (aka "fund drives") should be told how much the station paid for each "thank you gift" and how much of each purchase goes to the station. They ought also be obligated to give on the air a running tally and—when applicable—the amount that same item can be purchased for elsewhere.
DeleteThis is all very doable and failure to furnish such basic information can rightfully be regarded as underhanded.
Today's WBAI and the con-artists who represent it on and off the air should fired if (when) proven to be dishonest.
In the very rare premium package a long with a thank you note was a tax letter stating the amount that was tax deductible.
DeleteDonors have to be told the fair market value of the premiums they receive, because only the amount of the donation that it is above the fair market value is deductible.
DeleteThere is the additional complication which is occasionally referred to but generally ignored – WBAI's frequency was originally gifted to Pacifica in trust, as if in a form of entail.
ReplyDeleteThis is true only for WBAI’s frequency, all others being held by Pacifica in simple, straightforward terms, unencumbered.
Frequencies actually of course formally and legally belong to the people, not to the license holder, who holds the license formally and legally only in trust for the people. These two factors combined if not very carefully considered will at the very least restrict Pacifica’s options both for any hoped-for signal swap and also for any hoped-for outright sale and accompanying windfall.
With inadequate consideration of these factors they may, believe it or not, lose the frequency yet realize nothing for it, with it simply reverting to the government, Pacifica itself realizing not a penny.
Pacificans tend to ignore a great deal of reality, and they’ve ignored this one, finding it uncomfortable and inconvenient.
Similar, of course, to things like ignoring their contract with ESRT, or ignoring the actual language of that contract.
Pesky details, you know?
So annoying…
~ ‘indigo’
I hope the station goes to hell. It is a nest of thieves, charlatans and criminals. The late Samori Marksman and his Carribean henchmen are responsible for this shit. Amy Goodman has used the station as her own personal piggybank - she should be investigated and put in jail.
ReplyDeleteTHE FOLLOWING COMMENTS APPEARED ON THE PACIFICARADIOWAVES LIST:
ReplyDeleteSolvency starts with the programming. Pacifica is broadcasting bad radio that no one wants to pay to hear. It's not complex or hard to understand. We do dull radio and we defend our right to never change it tooth and nail.
Democracy has destroyed a great public institution. —Kevin White
___________________________
Practically we will have to discuss the implications for Pacifica and WBAI coming out of this whole once more which is unlikely. Will WBAI regain control of its signal and its station as a whole with a sustainable audience level and financial stability? Interesting considerations, eh?
My thoughts now? I don’t think any return to solvency is in the works, unless it becomes useful to some backer or another to turn us into a Democratic Party mouthpiece. There doesn’t seem any interest in management to returning us to our real mission by recruiting leadership capable of resisting the military-industrial-financial complex. The best minds seem to be in the Indivisible (and similar) arenas.
Sorry to be so pessimistic.
Unfortunately the PSOA cabal is not interested in an open forum where people with some knowledge of how things work could debate the issue: any forum they organize will be a sales pitch, no critical thinking allowed. No public media attorneys, no FCC experts, no one with credentials to explain the realities of a PSOA.
Keep your eye on the bouncing ball. —Carolyn (Birden)
_________________________
Hi
It was on Out FM that Bob Lederer last week or so talked it up as well.
Should not be allowed to use the WBAI airways to sell such double talk..
he and all who want a PSOA are fooling themselves.
We have much work to do but not to help privatize WBAI for Time-Warner please.
and please cancel the February CAB meeting.
HopePNB keeps its not for profit status and Trump is eventually impeached.
Berthold last week in a reply to an email he caught called me irrational when i called sideshow bob a traitor.
ever study quantum physics?
logic?
philosophy?
Organized crime and love are also at times not all that rational either.
Jack A DePalma
Brooklyn, NYC
MONDAY SPARK NEWS PREVIEW: Whenever a business or organization is on the ropes you can count on want-to-be heroes showing up to save the day. This scenario is now playing out in and around WBAI, New York. A new suitor, promising a miracle cure, is making an aggressive push to take over WBAI.
ReplyDeleteThat organization is the Manhattan Neighborhood Network (MNN), a company that operates cable TV public access channels. MNN has offered Pacifica’s National Board of Directors a “sweet heart” Public Service Operating Agreement (PSOA), a nonprofit version of a Local Management Agreement.
MNN has been recruiting WBAI employees and volunteers to be on “their team” for a takeover. MNN says it will be holding a community meeting on Saturday, February 10th [link] from 3pm-6pm at MNN’s Firehouse Studio at 175 E. 104th Street in Manhattan to make their case. Also MNN has produced a short infomercial [link] that supports have been airing on WBAI.
http://savewbai.org/2018/01/26/community-meeting-save-wbai-partner-with-manhattan-neighborhood-network/
MNN describes what they envision being in the PSOA in a letter to the Pacifica Board and its supporters within WBAI:
• MNN will house and operate WBAI at MNN’s facilities. Pacifica keeps the FCC license. No term for the PSOA is mentioned.
• MNN will assume all costs including staff salaries and rent for WBAI’s transmission site atop the Empire State Building.
• MNN will be responsible for all fundraising, programming, hiring and firing decisions and promotion of WBAI.
• MNN says an advantage to Pacifica is that the PSOA will “stop the financial bleeding” at WBAI. However, Pacifica will still be on the hook for all of the debts (estimated to be $8-million) incurred prior to the PSOA. Other advantages MNN says they offer include: Simulcasting WBAI on a cable channel, simulcasting some MNN programming on WBAI and providing WBAI producers training.
WHY THIS DEAL SHOULD NEVER HAPPEN
I have no idea if Pacifica’s Interim Executive Director is considering MNN’s offer and I hope they won’t. I am not dissing MNN – they seem to be doing fine work with the cable access TV channels – they simply are in a different business.
MNN is almost totally subsidized by cable franchise fees that subscribers pay to their local cable company. According to MNN’s IRS 990 for 2015 (the most recent available) in 2015 had total revenue of $9,070,891. Franchise fees made up $9,038,502 – 99.6% - of MNN’s revenue. MNN apparently has no income or experience in fundraising.
Also, Dan Coughlin, the CEO and President of MNN, has a history with Pacifica. He was Executive Director of Pacifica of the Pacifica Foundation from 2002 – 2005. Though his stated reason for leaving the job was to spend more time with his family, news articles from the time paint Coughlin as a secretive man who allegedly paid bonuses to himself and friendly associates at WBAI.
Coughlin was hired at MNN in 2006. According to 2015 IRS information, he was paid around $400,000 in salary and benefits that year.
"WBAI management is neutral as we should be - being the professional we are." HAHAHAHAHA!
ReplyDelete"Our actions are speaking louder than our words." He has a point there, when you think about it. However, their actions are based on stupidity, at the least, insanity, at worst.
Funny how some at Wbai decry keeping WBAI independent and radical, yet the same scum turn around and want to hand over the station to another entity when some jobs are offered to them.
SDL
Yes, that first line is among Reimers' funniest—the sad thing is that he might even believe it is the truth.
DeleteAs I have said before, we are talking about a mixed group of fools. Some see a pot of gold, some see a broadcasting career, other don't see a damn thing.
It's too late for them to see reality before it's too late—as it were. The only certainty is the deplorable fact that a bunch of ignoramuses and thugs have destroyed all hope of resurrecting WBAI and, I believe, Pacifica.
Any one have free time?
Delete"Greetings WBAI Staff,
International Working Women's Day comes to us on Thursday, March 8. WBAI Management are seeking a WBAI staffer or team willing to take on duties as coordinator(s) for the day.
Please respond to this email with your availability."