tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4486287910626602438.post212248249050879771..comments2023-09-08T12:08:39.523-04:00Comments on WBAI: Telling it like it is...Chris Albertsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12056345320709233401noreply@blogger.comBlogger43125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4486287910626602438.post-16276661998368586372015-02-11T22:36:59.384-05:002015-02-11T22:36:59.384-05:00His perception, broad-based literacy and humor see...His perception, broad-based literacy and humor seems startling and refreshing now, but it was almost a seamless part of long ago WBAI.Chris Albertsonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12056345320709233401noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4486287910626602438.post-56022126045486463512015-02-11T22:33:10.272-05:002015-02-11T22:33:10.272-05:00Giving Haskins the benefit of a doubt is probably ...Giving Haskins the benefit of a doubt is probably naïve. He knows what he is doing, though ill equipped to recognize how detrimental to himself and BAI his behavior is. <br /><br />Someone once remarked that it was imperative for a returning Vietnam War amputee to be able to justify that conflict.Chris Albertsonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12056345320709233401noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4486287910626602438.post-48127352643541237492015-02-11T22:18:28.125-05:002015-02-11T22:18:28.125-05:00Whatever happens to WBAI, I want to hear more of M...Whatever happens to WBAI, I want to hear more of Malachy McCourt. I mean, how can you not love a man who says things like "I like fiction. That's why I watch Fox News."Justine Valinottihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10852069587181432102noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4486287910626602438.post-29071797401630319452015-02-11T22:17:01.930-05:002015-02-11T22:17:01.930-05:00Julianna Forlano and Kathy Davis had to be an all-...Julianna Forlano and Kathy Davis had to be an all-time low. It almost made me want to perform a Vincent Van Gogh operation on myself.<br /><br />I think Davis and Michael G. reinforce some of the oldest and worst stereotypes of African-Americans as good-natured buffoons. As others have pointed out, at least Kathy is, if nothing else, naive, but Haskins may well be playing to the stereotype to keep his job. In other words, there's mendacity behind the mask.<br />Justine Valinottihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10852069587181432102noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4486287910626602438.post-62919986227295616812015-02-11T18:13:17.547-05:002015-02-11T18:13:17.547-05:00More likely that the bozo in charge of such things...More likely that the bozo in charge of such things drank the whisky, It may get there, eventually. Perhaps a couple of years from now, when the thank you gifts are found in the rubble WBAI left behind.Chris Albertsonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12056345320709233401noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4486287910626602438.post-82662934237166738002015-02-11T18:08:11.901-05:002015-02-11T18:08:11.901-05:00Well, the broadcast isn't in the archives. Won...Well, the broadcast isn't in the archives. Wonder why? Did the irishmen spill some whisky on it?<br /><br />SDLAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4486287910626602438.post-21786340193894515292015-02-11T17:54:02.085-05:002015-02-11T17:54:02.085-05:00McCourt not only has one of the best personalities...McCourt not only has one of the best personalities ever on local radio, but also one of the best voices. He's just a pleasure to listen to, even when you want to smash him on the knee cap with a shillelagh for some of his opinions. I always enjoyed him overall and raise a pint to him. Hell, I'd buy him a pint if I ever were to meet him, too.<br /><br />Going to go check the archives for his rant.<br /><br />SDLAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4486287910626602438.post-82580039660213857422015-02-11T17:09:10.374-05:002015-02-11T17:09:10.374-05:00Malachy, whose support of and donations to WBAI go...Malachy, whose support of and donations to WBAI goes back to my time there, is, indeed, my age. I love his "rants" (a good one today) and think that bringing him in for a weekly talk back was an excellent idea. Not too many of those these days.Chris Albertsonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12056345320709233401noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4486287910626602438.post-81782019646665127332015-02-11T16:34:46.283-05:002015-02-11T16:34:46.283-05:00Malachy McCourt is 83 years old? Maybe there is so...Malachy McCourt is 83 years old? Maybe there is something in those brewed and distilled vitamin supplements he uses? Maybe what Null meant was that the cells the alcohol kills are the aging cells…<br /><br />SDLAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4486287910626602438.post-54492999381376027292015-02-11T12:11:43.540-05:002015-02-11T12:11:43.540-05:00That fits my assessment of Haskins' mindset, s...That fits my assessment of Haskins' mindset, so it comes as no surprise to me, KGT.Chris Albertsonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12056345320709233401noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4486287910626602438.post-32627229174942508072015-02-11T12:07:57.996-05:002015-02-11T12:07:57.996-05:00Sidney did not say "shut up," that's...Sidney did not say "shut up," that's the anonymous poster's wishful thinking at work.Chris Albertsonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12056345320709233401noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4486287910626602438.post-59248847587164205502015-02-11T12:02:15.003-05:002015-02-11T12:02:15.003-05:00Where did Sydney say "Shut up"? No one h...Where did Sydney say "Shut up"? No one here really hates Haskins. Most of us just think he doesn't have the talent ffor his position nor helps the station in any real manner.<br /><br />Anyway. You can't put people on the air because they may be nice people. Being nice doesn't guarantee a person can do good radio or be a good doctor, etc. Talent is often seperate from personality.<br /><br />SDL<br />Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4486287910626602438.post-1295135006227147172015-02-11T10:39:21.154-05:002015-02-11T10:39:21.154-05:00Chris: I just spoke to Michael G. by phone he said...Chris: I just spoke to Michael G. by phone he said he "doesn't read this blog and he only listens to things that uplift him and not to people who only want to throw stones". He says "he knows of you but doesn't know you and doesn't want to".<br /><br />KGTAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4486287910626602438.post-1170616992968284392015-02-11T09:42:08.570-05:002015-02-11T09:42:08.570-05:00Let's have an informal poll. Who would you ra...Let's have an informal poll. Who would you rather have; GhostHorseManure or RavenTurd? Now don't be greedy. You can't have them both.<br /><br />KGTAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4486287910626602438.post-91226073404531153292015-02-11T09:37:17.994-05:002015-02-11T09:37:17.994-05:00Hold thy tongues. If Haskins is axed then Shelton ...Hold thy tongues. If Haskins is axed then Shelton Walden will replace him. Oy vey.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4486287910626602438.post-5879604978056715382015-02-11T07:00:39.228-05:002015-02-11T07:00:39.228-05:00It is really a shame that so much hate is directed...It is really a shame that so much hate is directed towards Haskins. He is a good man, like Sidney has said. You should follow the advice of Sidney and shut up!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4486287910626602438.post-35121336666339201042015-02-10T23:38:15.506-05:002015-02-10T23:38:15.506-05:00Yes, Haskins should be among the many shown the do...Yes, Haskins should be among the many shown the door, but that will never happen as long as the likes of Reimers, Mitchel Cohen, et al call any shots.<br /><br />The morning show is remarkably off the mark, conducted by incompetents, and tangled in passé ideologies that only serve personal agendas. Preaching to the choir has never moved anything forward. Tired of being Nulled, Fassed, Savaged, Hoppered, Kathied and Ifé'd, only the listenership bust a move... far away, out of earshot. Chris Albertsonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12056345320709233401noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4486287910626602438.post-44698935067696167142015-02-10T23:09:24.728-05:002015-02-10T23:09:24.728-05:00Make no mistake, I think Haskins should be fired. ...Make no mistake, I think Haskins should be fired. He's by no means the worst of the lot, but I don't feel he contributes anything positive to WBAI to warrant his position. Even if he has to "go with the flow," one man's job isn't worth the damage he contributes. He is one of those people who few would notice if he disappeared from the airwaves.<br /><br />Also, for the format that the morning show is trying to have, I think they need some journalists who understand the faster pace of morning radio. Mornings are a time of limited listening, with 20-30 minutes being the personal average. Things have to be slam bang and compact. That's why I think DN should be on in the evening at, oh, say 6:00 PM. After all, there is nothing on the station at that time except 4th grade schoolyard antics. Goodman or Forlano? Come on...<br /><br />Nothing will change unless some real radio experienced GM and/or PD with NO friends at the station comes in and has nobody to defend.<br /><br />However, the show will go on with diminishing returns. After all, WBAI is helping some of its listeners to early graves. It's so nice when you have a believing set of guinea pigs ready to die for your premium. WBAI needs to air promos every hour telling people to put WBAI in their wills. If not, there won't be a payoff.<br /><br />Um, wait a minute. Fass is like 81 years old, right? Let's be resonable and think about something. What does he do for his health? Maybe people should follow HIS example, since he is a real living, breathing person, and not some bullshit premium. Null can come back and talk to us if/when he turns 81. Then I may listen.<br /><br />At least other stations put those warnings before an infomercial about how the following program doesn't represent the views of the station, etc. Although I think the old warning that the old astrology and tarot card phone line TV commercials used to have to put on was better - this is for entertainment purposes only. Funny how religious broadcasts didn't have to do that...<br /><br />SDLAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4486287910626602438.post-74012404774165871732015-02-10T22:43:22.693-05:002015-02-10T22:43:22.693-05:00SDL, you know that I am in total agreement with yo...SDL, you know that I am in total agreement with you and that I fail to see valid mitigating circumstances in the case of Michael Haskins. To me, and untold others over the years,WBAI is far too important to have its principles tossed into a dumpster by egotistical ignoramuses. Chris Albertsonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12056345320709233401noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4486287910626602438.post-33074365793989851482015-02-10T22:38:43.557-05:002015-02-10T22:38:43.557-05:00Your observations are quite correct, in my opinion...Your observations are quite correct, in my opinion, but he is a grown man who should have discovered and clasped the value of independent thought many years ago. One can move with the times without doing so slavishly. When Haskins fails to question even the most preposterous statements, he is doing himself as well as the listeners a disservice. A chronic betrayal of principles.<br /><br />I cannot agree with your assertion that Haskins is "forced to play straight man." He wants to keep his job and is willing to sell out in order to do that. He is his own worst enemy as he follows the party line, unless, of course, he does so out of personal conviction.Chris Albertsonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12056345320709233401noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4486287910626602438.post-59151704907427971562015-02-10T22:27:09.001-05:002015-02-10T22:27:09.001-05:00As I said, I hope you get a chance to have a talk ...As I said, I hope you get a chance to have a talk with Haskins. I also hope that you will ask him how he can, in good conscience, justify some of the stands he seems to take on the air. You might try to learn what he believes Pacifica is or should be about, whether he thinks the current WBAI has strayed too far from its original mission.<br /><br />I have heard Haskins lose it on the air when a caller's criticism hits home, and there are times when he very clearly indicates that he has redefined the term, "community." The morning show centers around him so he must bear responsibility for the path it has taken, a path that is clearly biased in favor of black people, at the expense of everybody else. I think it is very easy to understand why the listenership has dropped to an all-time low. The majority of the station's listeners could no longer relate to WBAI's message, and WBAI seemed no longer interested in relating to them. From management to station breakers, the priority had shifted in a direction where thoughtful opinions and honest news had, in alarming measure, become highly politicized propaganda for a small segment of the listening area's population; a station that sought to indoctrinate rather than enlighten; a station where artistic expression no longer showed vision, where it simply stagnated until its level was met by a far less demanding audience that embraced mediocrity.<br /><br />We are seeing the results of decades of abuse and ignorance. Were it not for hosts like Prairie Miller, James Irsay, Simon Loekle, and a handful of others (very much including you), WBAI would not only have perished, intellectually, it would have vanished altogether.Chris Albertsonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12056345320709233401noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4486287910626602438.post-73799432976881254592015-02-10T21:32:35.530-05:002015-02-10T21:32:35.530-05:00I think the hostility you see aimed at Michael Has...I think the hostility you see aimed at Michael Haskins is aimed more at his performance on the air than at him, personally. <br /><br />My take on him is shared by many with whom I am in contact, both in and out of the station: A go-with-the flow guy who probably means well, but consequently comes off as shallow. It never ceases to amaze me that someone as gullible and lacking in conviction can be a WBAI staff member for such a long time and, furthermore, given air time.<br /><br />I am of course not familiar with Haskins' station activities in the earlier years of his employment, but I don't think his intellect has diminished over the years, so I must assume that he was as unfit then as he is now when it comes to being a voice for WBAI. <br /><br />The morning show is his, but nominally so. Whoever comes in as iPD quickly takes over and spins Haskins around. He seems most comfortable in a black environment, so he welcomes that, wherever it comes from. One remarkable thing is that all the years spent at the station don't seem to have taught him much. He is still a painfully fumbling engineer, he still seems unaware of the listeners' need to be kept informed: if a show is not available at air time, he offers no explanation, no apology, and sometimes not even a station break. The free form approach has certain charm, but it is not a license to forget the station's obligation to its listeners, especially the ones whose donations pay the bills. The word for all this is, simply put, irresponsibility, and that easily translates into opportunism.<br /><br />If Haskins can tell YOU the truth, why can't he extend such honesty to the listeners? He not only embroiders the facts routinely on the air, he willingly, even eagerly, participates in deception.<br /><br />Where was Michael C. Haskins, your good friend, when you were railroaded by WBAI's self-serving "management"? I hope you get a chance to speak to him.Chris Albertsonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12056345320709233401noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4486287910626602438.post-45084573264579666742015-02-10T21:00:12.151-05:002015-02-10T21:00:12.151-05:00Taking into account what Sydney and KGT say makes ...Taking into account what Sydney and KGT say makes me wonder a bit more about something. Sometimes I feel like Hay-tie may be doing a bit of passive-aggressive sarcasm as an outlet so as to not lose his paycheck, having to tow the line. He may well be a very nice guy in real life, but I still think he acts like a dope on the air.<br /><br />Anyway, as I said on the Pacifica Romper Room list, I still want to see just one medically verifiable case of someone being cured of cancer by any of the "alternative" treatments offered on WBAI. Notice we NEVER have anyone shown to us with before and after medical records... Oh, why bother going on. It's like trying to disprove faith healing or speaking in tongues (i,e, baby talk)...<br /><br />SDLAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4486287910626602438.post-77149156485564128262015-02-10T20:46:51.278-05:002015-02-10T20:46:51.278-05:00Perhaps Kathy's biggest fault is her lack of j...Perhaps Kathy's biggest fault is her lack of judgement. She will occasionally make a statement that cuts through some of the crap that surrounds her. On the other hand, she has participated in some of the worst on-air scams, most notably that notorious Double Helix Water "cure-all."<br /><br />Her enormous naïvité is the brunt of much mockery, and understandably so, but you are right, her weight is immaterial, at least until she associates herself with Null, then hypocrisy seeps in. I never thought Kathy Davis was evil, but I do think she is a part of the problem, because her mindset is all wrong for Pacifica as Hill intended it and I knew it.Chris Albertsonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12056345320709233401noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4486287910626602438.post-33518268814821610562015-02-10T20:33:30.629-05:002015-02-10T20:33:30.629-05:00I agree. I like Michael G. He is forced to play ...I agree. I like Michael G. He is forced to play straight man for some of the outrageous claims of Gary Null and others. Gary says, "I can cure cancer with diet alone" and Michael says, "Wow. I didn't think that is possible. Why have they kept this from us"?, a line to Gary to say something about the Medical-Industrial Complex and the Pharmaceutical industry, to which Michael says, "I didn't think the pharmaceutical industry was like that. Thank you Sir Gary for enlightening us". Other than that, he is a great guy.<br /><br />KGT<br />Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com