The following letter is also available for download in PDF format.
Friday, July 20, 2018
Subject:
The exploding crisis at WBAI-FM 99.5 in New York—The exploding crisis here at WBAI-FM 99.5—A PRODUCER’S VIEW
Message:
I don’t want to start this message out saying I’m one of a number of “concerned producers” at WBAI-FM. That’s a cop-out phrase we’ve used too damned often.
What I AM is a reasonably principled person among many who can not and WILL NOT abide what’s going on here at this flagship station of The Pacifica Network. A reasonably principled person who has co-produced and co-hosted a program here at WBAI for the last thirty years alongside Jay Smooth who terminated doing HIS program, “The Underground Railroad” due to the now-media-documented apparent lunacy on the part of WBAI’s leadership over the hiring of Leonard Lopate as an on-air host.
There is no way to say the following delicately.
How...on earth...is it okay for a station (its leadership) that has championed itself as a media bulwark against retrograde forces opposing progressivism to just go out and bring onto its airwaves an individual terminated seven months prior from the number one public radio station in the number one market nationally during peak afternoon time for (as WNYC put it):
“violating WNYC's standards for providing an inclusive, appropriate, and respectful work environment”?
???????
This decision was made by fiat. No discussion amongst the producers or on-air talent here—particularly the women producers and on-air talent—as to whether they were comfortable with a documented bully-er, harasser being paid to broadcast in their midst. Most producers found about the hire via the news about our station hiring a host who (and I repeat this for emphasis) WAS TERMINATED IN SPITE OF HIS FUND-RAISING ABILITY FROM THE NUMBER ONE PUBLIC RADIO STATION IN THE NUMBER ONE MARKET. And after he was pulled aside and given one-to-one counseling on proper workplace behavior towards marginalized people/subordinates. WBAI brass cravenly brought this man on board, mercenarily citing Lopate’s fund-raising potential while pooh-poohing WNYC’s investigation’s findings about the host’s behavior while conducting himself in a radio environment.
How is THAT okay? How is that EVER okay?
If it’s all about the dollars—great! Why not have ‘BAI just go for it! Let’s bring on Harvey Weinstein to do on-air movie reviews? (“Two grabby hands up!”) Or Kevin Spacey can grace our air discussing tips for young actors wanting to get ahead in their careers. (Pun unintended) They’re not doing anything right now. I’m SURE they have wealthy friends ready to fill WBAI’s / Pacifica’s fund-raising coffers too. After all, as stated by WBAI’s general manager, it’s really all about the money:
“Once we have all these people listening to us for him, this is ultimately an easy form of marketing. There should be no question that our numbers go up for all the other shows because of their quality that no one knew about.”
—WBAI General Manager Berthold Reimers on the Lopate hiring
This is a station which has hosts deeply allied (and rightfully so) with the #metoo movement. A station that supposedly champions equality, justice and is not about buttressing the status quo of sexism, yet...here we are, with Leonard Lopate hired on with a six-month contract at a 30K salary. Pacifica is paying a documented sexual harasser and workplace environment nightmare $30,000 to fundraise for it. This “there is no such thing as bad publicity” canard is insane. That’s what’s going on here at your New York flagship station.
If things here at WBAI were NOT so terribly dysfunctional, Lopate’s potential hiring could have been discussed in-group with producers and on-air talent to garner feedback. If things were OPEN and operational like a properly working institution there would be some dialogue, WOULD HAVE BEEN some dialogue. But that has NOT happened. This has been forced upon the station either on some twisted whim by the GM/local powers-that-be or the same with tacit approval by the national board or higher-ups beyond him. In other words...YOU. If that’s the case, then this letter is moot one would suppose, because it would mean that there is organizational support for this decision is to bring Lopate on with no care as to the comfort, safety and well being of WBAI’s woman programmers, administrators and on-air talent.
We’re hoping the latter is NOT so.
Finally, there is the simple fact that most of us here at ‘BAI found out about this “hire” after the fact, and those of us—a considerable number—who are to say the least, TROUBLED by the on-air change have had ZERO outlet to address this to WBAI management. A “management” that has over the last few years nearly (mis)“managed” this institution into broadcasting from an alley via tin cans and string more times than we can remember thanks to well-documented financial malfeasance, infrastructure neglect and a clear inability to handle the most basic of situations for a broadcast entity—i.e. payment of our antenna fees. Not to mention a management group that not at all ironically has ALSO grossly mishandled harassment/improper behavior situations IN OUR OWN STATION over recent years. As news broke about the hire, said station management has taken a decidedly Trumpian tone, defending Lopate vociferously in social media (particularly through abuse of the station’s Twitter feed), noting that they knew more about the situation that got him fired and what we knew and WNYC knew was somehow wrong. THIS “station” tweet (which was eventually deleted) was posted after the article in Columbia Journalism Review was posted:
WBAI 99.5 FM @WBAI • 2H
No proven sexual or physical allegations by WNYC!
The “Trumpian” adjective was NOT hyperbole.
As the furor raged, fellow producer Jay Smooth—whose show spun off from the show I do, The Creative Unity Collective Show and precedes it on-air, challenged ‘BAI’s management publicly and then received the following response:
WBAI 99.5 FM @WBAI
Replying to @jsmooth @RadioPacifica
Dear Jay. It’s so good to see you involved with WBAI. Management so rarely sees or hears from you. Perhaps you could use some of this extra time to get some BAI Buddies for your program.
Is THIS professional? Or is it petty? THIS is what the station’s public, managerial, promotional face has spewing from its virtual mouth. In addition to all the other debacles cited, it is NOW publicly mis-managing its air talent. And yes, THIS tweet was also withdrawn. As were others from a vile internet brigade championing Lopate’s hire and trashing Jay’s simple questioning of motives that were re-tweeted by whoever controls WBAI’s Twitter feed. Is this a rogue broadcast management junta acting out of turn or do these people “in charge” have your backing? And if they do NOT...
What do you intend to do about it?
Do you care?
Does it matter to you that based on this broken, intransigent stance by station management that Jay has now walked away from his program at WBAI yesterday? THE longest-running Hip Hop program in New York City because he cannot abide being part of a radio entity that would sign off on bringing a toxic Leonard Lopate aboard with no apparent care for the folks at the station most likely to be affected by his known tendencies?
Jay was the station’s most prominent on-air personality OFF-air as he was on constant call as an in-studio guest for numerous nationally broadcast cable news programs, and the station management’s choice to force Lopate on us AND THEN go out of its way to denigrate him (Jay) for not being afraid to have an open problem with it (as I TOO have had per the CJR article) has forced his hand on principle.
After 25-plus years on-air here. That is shameful. Pure and simple.
Laying this out for you this way feels almost silly. You’re all smart people. We all know you’ve read the news in recent days about Jay’s departure and why. I’m sure you know about this situation and MORE.
Oh.
Wait!
HERE’S WHY WE’RE LAYING THIS OUT!
It’s because nothing has happened and because of that the assumption is that you simply CAN’T possibly be in the loop about these events!
No call for a town hall. No reaction or reprimand for the station leadership’s ABUSE of the social media account to personally attack a producer/host. No comment whatsoever about this awful situation that threatens to rend this sixty-plus year old broadcast institution asunder AFTER its reputation has been trashed.
Not. One. Single. Word. About. (AGAIN) The hiring of an on-air personality a mere seven months removed from a justified firing from the most prominent local public radio entity for mistreating marginalized members of society...because he can make us some money. Never mind the ironic reality he will almost certainly COST the station money from an enraged and activated donor base.
That’s why this was written.
So. As the Notorious B.I.G. once said, “If you DON’T know, now you know.”
And if you knew, why haven’t you done anything as yet? More importantly, whether you didn’t know before or somehow DID, what pray tell do you intend to do about it, and WHEN?
As in NOW?
Not sitting around waiting forever for your answer as I know what I’M going to do,
Yusuf Lamont
Co-producer/Co-host
Creative Unity Collective Show—@WBAI-FM, New York
Good letter, Yusef. The face remains is that there is no solidarity @ WBAI. The corruption is thick @ WBAI. When Robert Knight was having sex with Valerie Van Isler in her office @ WBAI, no one said anything even though everyone knew it was going on. When Jesse Keyes was stealing the station blind, no one cared. No one cares - the station is a cesspool, always has been, always will. The turds are thick!
ReplyDeleteCheck out the huge new article in the indypendent paper singing the glowing praises of lopate and his show. And paid for with listener money. And who knows published where else as well. Issue 238 page 22.
DeleteHow can there be solidarity? The loss of studio space destroyed the sense of community, dysfunctional or not, once you came through the doors of WBAI producers had the chance to interact and create synergy. Now BAI is floating in the FM band, producers coming in, going on air and leaving, others, dropping off their programs, and yet others calling in, or FTPing the content. Jesse stealing was something no one wanted to confront, including management because of his violence and thuggery.
ReplyDeleteLamont doesn't get it Chris. Reimers, McCoy et al do what they want when they want. They answer to no one. If they want all Lopate all the time, so be it. If they want all polka all the time so be it. The PNB is too busy choking on the debt. Tom is headed for the exit.
ReplyDeleteRespectfully disagree. I think Lamont gets it very clearly, I just wish it hadn't taken him so long.
DeleteThe PNB isn't chocking on anything, i.m.o., but neither are they getting anywhere.
BTW, anyone notice that Haskins this morning gave his pathetic show a new name: Metro Morning. I think he should forget about that silly name and learn how to read fluently and operate the simplest audio equipment. Actually, he should be out there, somewhere, looking for that evasive clue.
Maybe Metro Mourning would be more appropriate.
I hate Lopate too—not just for the allegations of sexual harassment.
ReplyDeleteI think h’s a pompous mediocrity who thinks two dimensionally.
Yusuf Lamont and his ilk are angry because Lopate is a white man.
It’s okay to pay talentless mediocrities like Reimers, Davis, Bates, and Haskins hundreds of thousands of dollars when they utterly lack talent or even competence. They’re not even very likable. But they are people of color.
However, paying a white guy and giving him so much air time ruffles the feathers of pompous black chauvinists like Yusuf Lamont. Screw him.
A plague on Lopate’s house and upon Lamont’s. And a bigger plague on the enablers of grifters like Reimers, Bates, Davis, Haskins, and Lamont. What WBAI has become is their handiwork.
Who the hell is this jerk Lamont to say anything now? Where was he when WBAI sold all sorts of fake crap to their listeners, and then doesn't even send it out? Pacifica Maven has it right. He only cares because Lopate is a white, successful radio personality, even if he's a scumbag and had a fall from grace. Lamont also only cares about "mistreating marginalized members of society," and no one else.
ReplyDeleteLamont just shows the resident hypocrisy of the bigoted phonies that permeate WBAI. He should go buy a mirror and stare into it to see what he and his cronies look like.
Maybe Lopate DOES belong on WBAI, since he seems to have the right attitude to fit right in with the rest of the scum.
Chris, don't be taken in by any moralistic platitudes any of these scumbags may spout. It's all self-serving and fake. Just ask where they were when the station was hawking snake oil, cancer cures, etc. There lies your answer. They are ALL scum, every one of them, or they would be long gone.
SDL
I, too, have wondered why and lamented the timing of these walk-outs. Pacifica people have a history of double standards and delayed reactions. That said, I have to wonder if these afterthought exits don't deserve a measure of merit when compared to no reaction at all.
DeleteBuried in my own recent history of finding fault with many things WBAI, are several instances when I suggested a concerted effort by staff and volunteers: emulate the listenership's action and independently tune out. Over the past decade or two, these once loyal supporters have either ceased or reduced their input. In retrospect, i regret not having pushed the idea of positive, work-stoppage unity—not that I have the power to stem the tide through this blog, but I might have helped to spark some thought and held up a mirror to the internal ennui.
So, why indeed did it take so long for a handful of cast members to bolt? Why was it but a handful? Why have the majority continued down the path to oblivion?
Where do the values lie?
I think Reimers gave us the answer. He's pushing these people to get BAI Buddies, and they can't. No doubt they've gotten spoken to about it. Add to that, a successful white guy with a following comes in and gets a salary of $10,000/month with expectations of making money, and they get all pissy, and bow out before they get raked over the coals, since they aren't so important anymore. Lopate is just a preemptive excuse.
ReplyDeleteLet's take Null and Goodman off the next beg-a-thon and not interrupt these shows with prerecorded premium programs. Make these whiners pitch and earn money. WBAI will be broke by the end of the beg-a-thon.
They have no morals, not one of them.
SDL
Why I will never be a BAI buddy:
DeleteI just sent a minor donation to WFMU. Very well executed website, I chose Paypal instead of a credit card. The WFMU website sent me there to make the transaction and brought me back to the WFMU secure site. 10 minutes later I get an email thanking me for the donation, and verifying where they should send a hard copy of the thank you for tax purposes. *And* they followed up with a person calling thanking me for the donation.
On the WBAI side, many years later, I'm still waiting for a thank you or the premium to arrive....
Excellent point. I forgot to connect the dots the way SDL did. Of course since the bai buddy records are out of date, they could just make up buddies.
DeleteHaving not only donated to WFMU but going up there for a day to help get premiums ready to mail out, I can vouch from personal experience that they take their marathon responsibilities seriously. I also saw some work being done to keep the website up to date.
DeleteAlso, maybe WBAI can be like kids and make up imaginary BAI Buddies. Could be tons of fun, giving them names and attributes of various sorts...
SDL
So is the responsibility for maintaining the CRM records moving to to the Pacifcia National Office?
DeleteOr better yet, are there local records of "Buddies" and donors, or they did the records mysteriously vanish as well? (keeping in mind the donor list is typically a non-profit most valuable asset)
is there another "Buddies" list, and whose account is seeing deposits...
DeleteA forensic audit is way overdue....
DeleteLeonard Lopate is now interviewing a former "convict" and now vice president at David Rothenberg's "Fortune Society" and who has been a staple at WBAI's Saturday morning show "On the Count" for a while. I am tired of listening to apologists for people who are actively engaged in criminal activities on a daily basis for whatever sociological reasons.
ReplyDeleteYes, indeed and—for some odd-yet-obvious reason—those years coincided with years of healthy, intelligent trusting listenership, wide respect and the need for only one brief annual on-air fund drive.
ReplyDeleteIn short, good, visionary radio and a dedicated crew. If we had a Bonnie, she did not lie over the radio. :)
wonder who is the biggest racist on bai ? So many to choose from .
ReplyDeleteLike Bob Law, Gary Byrd, Howard Jordan, Prescod, Gloria Brown, Ron Daniels, Haskins,
Sam Cruz ,John Kane , Basir the "education " at the crossroads guy. etc....
It's funny that they think that everybody else but them are racists.
Or i should say anybody that's not black or brown . What morons .
You left out Mimi Rosenberg, who thinks that every white person other than herself (assuming she does not think of herself as black) is racist to the bone.
DeleteAnd right on cue , mimi doing the mumia apology routine .
ReplyDeleteMore dishonorable mentions on the race based garbage shows on bai Harriet Cole , the best of the best duo , wuye jacobs, and Malika lee whitney , sally obrien and ofcourse mimi rosenberg.
ReplyDeleteAnd they can't figure out why nobody is listening .