Creative Unity Collective joined the internal protest and quit. in the wee hours of Saturday, July 28.
Their sudden voluntary departure is contrary to Reimers' expected outcome when he set out to cash in on Leonard Lopate's misfortune (or was it just dessert?), so he has launched a little campaign to give the elusion that all is well (the old Reimers coverup). Several people (possibly Reimers or one of his cronies among them) have sent comment to this blog for posting. The idea is to convince us that the charges against Leonard are false or sanitized; to this end, Leonard himself has recorded a couple of spots that you might have heard on WBAI's air. This is clearly a concerted effort to whitewash (pardon the expression) the worst manager WBAI has ever had.
I will try to find these spots and post them here.
Then there is the ongoing disregard for Pacifica's principles, which could fill a small pamphlet. As you may have noticed, the most dastardly demon on the radio dial is WNYC—at least according to WBAI management and inmates who try to excuse their own ignorance. Well, they love to point their trembling fingers of shame at WNYC, insisting that it functions as a corporate shill and disguises commercials as underwriting spots.
True, it can be difficult to draw a line between the two, but underwriting is perfectly legal and is often considered by Pacifica as an option. Not at WBAI, no, no, no! That would be selling out! I think you know where I am going with that: hypocrisy is in their greedy blood. Have you ever heard something that sounded like a commercial on WBAI? Have you ever wondered who profits from many of these so-called "thank you gifts"? Does it not strike you as odd that Gary Null published a 700-page book and makes it exclusive to WBAI for two months? How can he afford that? Given all the generosity he likes to trumpet on WBAI, how does he make enough money to travel around the world and make professional films? I have often brought up the inexplicable holes in Null's tales, but he is not the only one on WBAI's air whose benevolence begs for scrutiny.
Apropos such things, consider the following:
Their sudden voluntary departure is contrary to Reimers' expected outcome when he set out to cash in on Leonard Lopate's misfortune (or was it just dessert?), so he has launched a little campaign to give the elusion that all is well (the old Reimers coverup). Several people (possibly Reimers or one of his cronies among them) have sent comment to this blog for posting. The idea is to convince us that the charges against Leonard are false or sanitized; to this end, Leonard himself has recorded a couple of spots that you might have heard on WBAI's air. This is clearly a concerted effort to whitewash (pardon the expression) the worst manager WBAI has ever had.
I will try to find these spots and post them here.
Then there is the ongoing disregard for Pacifica's principles, which could fill a small pamphlet. As you may have noticed, the most dastardly demon on the radio dial is WNYC—at least according to WBAI management and inmates who try to excuse their own ignorance. Well, they love to point their trembling fingers of shame at WNYC, insisting that it functions as a corporate shill and disguises commercials as underwriting spots.
True, it can be difficult to draw a line between the two, but underwriting is perfectly legal and is often considered by Pacifica as an option. Not at WBAI, no, no, no! That would be selling out! I think you know where I am going with that: hypocrisy is in their greedy blood. Have you ever heard something that sounded like a commercial on WBAI? Have you ever wondered who profits from many of these so-called "thank you gifts"? Does it not strike you as odd that Gary Null published a 700-page book and makes it exclusive to WBAI for two months? How can he afford that? Given all the generosity he likes to trumpet on WBAI, how does he make enough money to travel around the world and make professional films? I have often brought up the inexplicable holes in Null's tales, but he is not the only one on WBAI's air whose benevolence begs for scrutiny.
Apropos such things, consider the following:
More bits and pieces to come.
Click on green text for audio.
Trying to understand the root of this resentment toward Leonard Lopate by WBAI staff relative to a similar situation of recent vintage.
ReplyDeleteIf I recall correctly, when Tony Bates was rehired (as a consultant) his background was demonstrably worse than Lopate's, as Bates was ejected from Pacifica itself after a petition with scores of signatures was circulated. Moreover, Bates was hired into a position of direct contact and power over all the producers. I don't recall an outcry of the same magnitude, or any resignations. I believe Bates proved true to his past, as Gary Null recently stated on air that he could no longer work with Bates.
So, why the difference between the treatment of Lopate versus Bates?
Firstly, what I can glean is that Lopate concerns himself mostly with high-brow culture, and economically upscale urban pursuits - dining, art galleries, museum exhibitions, books. While WBAI focuses on the opposite end of the economic urban culture. Is it the class divide that so infuriates?
Secondly, there is the racial divide that drives most of WBAI's cultural focus. Have to wonder if Bates got a pass because he was on the "right" side of the divide, where Lopate is so clearly "wrong."
I have not seen this comparison made, though it seems to obvious. Why the fury over one, but not the other? Please correct and enlighten me.
I believe one of the reasons Bates was able to get away with his return without the controversy of Lopate is simpler than anyone thinks - fear. Yes, fear of being fired, derided as racist, etc. Also, take into account that Bates' antics were at WBAI and not elsewhere, which makes it an excusable in house situation, like Uncle Frank molesting the family kids. Yes, these people really do think like that.
DeleteRace plays a part. no doubt. Lopate is that Jewish liberal pansy leftie, but Bates is still a revolutionary black guy talking about repression, slavery, Blacks were the first Americans, conspiracies, etc.
Finally, I think Lopate represents what WBAItes hate - a WBAIte who went off to a successful radio career. No matter what these sociopaths say, Lopate (in the past Post, Adler, Laughing Cavalier, etc.) are what they want to be. They hate having that rubbed in their faces.
One good thing is how this imbroglio is getting rid of some crap programming, as well as showing us the faces of hypocrisy. I hope many more WBAItes follow the lead.
SDL
In my unhumble opinion all your points are very well taken – particularly, perhaps, the point as to the jealousy factor.
DeleteSo Teri is still on air in Princeton? Yay :)
~ ‘indigo’
ps: Is anyone else slightly amused by the fact that Pacifica's IED's are invariably duds?
Bates was at LA's KPFK for many years, also as Volunteer coordinator- but doing many tasks, full time.... before escaping to WBAI a few yrs ago ......
Deletethe reasons for his sudden exit was never made known to stakeholders or volunteers either.
Blue Buccaneer:
DeleteThe Laughing Cavalier, aka Teri Noel Towe, occasionally is a temporary replacement for hosts at WKCR.
During the Bach Festival at WKCR, normally the last seven to ten days of December, Teri is a force. He’s often on 4 or 5 days of the festival for 5,6,7, or 8 hour stretches.
He takes calls and is pleased when old listeners from his WBAI days call to say hello. He says vehemently that he has no desire to ever return to WBAI.
I'm sending a dime to cover the lost funds generated by these people.
ReplyDeleteNow that the IED is headed for the exit, Reimers is going into the deep end again.
ReplyDeleteA poorly produced spot, bad edits, stepping on special effects. Who cleared this for broadcast? Oh, forgot producers are empowered to control their air, broadcast quality be damned!
ReplyDeleteI made a post on my twitter about Lopates return recently and got this interesting return tweet.
ReplyDeletehttps://twitter.com/SirDarklust/status/1019045524387876864
SDL
One expects that flavor of reply from the outside. I am more interested in how—if at all—Reimers' decision to haul Lopate in is affecting the inmates. Good to see some real reaction, but look at all the bozos who underscore their lack of dedication to the original Pacifica concept by remaining silent or becoming apologists.
DeleteBut, if they were truly dedicated to the original Pacifica concept, they would have left long ago.
DeleteEven those who have reacted by quitting are full of crap. They didn't quit when poisons or obvious bullshit were being hawked on WBAI. They didn't quit when the very premiums they offered weren't being delivered. In fact, they just kept offering the premiums and excuses.
DeleteThese people are all full of shit.
SDL
An excellent—if obvious—point. Having neither talent nor anything of substance to share with the station's severely depleted listenership, most of WBAI's producer-hosts realize that 99.5 is their dead-end street.
DeleteThey won't admit it, but they know, so they just lie there—as it were.
From those who live in transitional neighborhoods, you don't move, you improve, why cede to the negative, if you do they win.
DeleteI'll look at all these posts later , gotta get back to mimi and ken's special on haiti .
ReplyDeleteHear Gerald Horn and the word slavery alot . How exciting ! NOT!
In Bai world there are only 2 places on earth outside the U.S. Haiti and Africa. How sad .
Earlier today, PBS news had a report on current day slavery. They showed black people being sold by black people. One of the young men they interviewed had been sold three times.
DeleteAn uncomfortable fact that Haskins and his slavery-obsessed BAI racists don't want to be mentioned on what they think is "free speech" radio. Channel 13 ran an actual video clip of a contemporary sale.
Remember that the African slavery trade was started by the muslimites in places like Zanzibar. The Western based African slave trade didn't start until centuries later.
DeleteSDL
Slavery, in many forms, most of them cruel if you happened to be the slave, is very nearly universal throughout human history – until the coming of the scientific and industrial revolutions. It’s only at this point, with the coming of rapidly growing productive possibilities, that slavery begins to viewed as a moral question.
DeletePeople are remarkably selective in their view of history. Very nearly no one is interested in an honest attempt to comprehend the past, as well as is possible. People instead view history to celebrate themselves, to excoriate others, to score advocacy points for their favored positions.
In that sense Pacifica is simply an extremely ineffective example of the approach.
Diogenes will always have a nearly impossible time.
Not a popular fellow. Never will be.
Next time you find someone interested in grappling with the ironies, the complexities, and the subtleties of searching for the truth in history, buy them a drink. They’ll have had a rough day.
~ ‘indigopirate’
It's unpopular to use the old saying "history has to be viewed in the context of its times," but it's true. Trying to judge 500 years ago by our more enlightened modern views is absurd. 500 years from now, I wonder how things will be viewed.
DeleteI think morality is in a devolution now, and slavery, among other horrors, will become the norm again. My great grandmother used to say that Hitler was ahead of his time. Sadly, I think he will be seen as a hero, as I believe the moral compass will turn backwards.
SDL
Future Guy: They actually ate meat? They actually smoked that stuff? They actually lived their whole lives in this one small part of the planet? Did they really only speak one language?
DeleteHow could they breathe that foul air? My God. How could people live like that? Its disgusting. Its a wonder these 21st century primitives didn't destroy themselves.
This morning Michael G. played the classic R&B song by the Platters, "The Great Pretenders" after playing a redundant,"encore" fund-raising promo starring former WBAI executive Tony Bates and Gary Null pushing another one of the latter's "energy" formula premiums. Edward Bernays would have extremely proud of Haskins "subliminal message".
ReplyDeleteHaskins also made sure to mention the age of the spot— it was a year old. He strikes me as not being the nice person he so strenuously tries to portray, Having had his awful morning show reduced from five to two slots, his vindictive nature has been brought to the fore.
DeleteHaskins is determined to keep his gig. He said recently that he is turning into a Trump supporter due to immigration. He told a friend that in the past there were too many immigrants from the Carribean on WBAI. He mentioned specifically Mario Murrillo, Samori, Utrice, Valerie Van Isler & even Berthold. He said that these people needed to be purged and replaced by Americans who have a true sense of the community otherwise the station will collapse.
DeleteRealizing the sole focus of this blog is WBAI - but since WBAI's debts are spread far & wide, and some programs are 'shared' or replayed from 1 to another Pacifica station, then why is information "from the west coast" ignored and made irrelevant [here]?
ReplyDeleteKPFK had Null and Bates for a long time before now.
https://www.google.com/search?num=40&safe=active&source=hp&ei=8XdgW4PKCOeC0wKV94-IDA&q=kpfk+gary+null&btnK=Google+Search&oq=kpfk+gary+null&gs_l=psy-ab.3..0i22i30.3784828.3791587..3791894...2.0...264.2564.2j13j3......0....1..gws-wiz.....0..0j35i39j0i131j0i22i10i30.gRN_Ri5-X7M
+ shows:
2018 SUMMER FUND DRIVE - Give2WBAI.org - www.give2wbai.org › 2018 SUMMER FUND DRIVE
This 10 Audio CD series by awarding winning radio host Dr. Gary Null offers exclusive ... Gary Null's Special Police State Pack - 20 CD set ... Truth and KPFK.
+
[2013] https://angryscientist.wordpress.com/gary-null-news/why-gary-null-has-left-kpfk/
a blog story here which is very laudatory, supportive of Gary, and paints him as victim, no blame written by "Stephen M Brown". This contains 6 comments thru 2015-2016.
+
Reading here re Gary Null's continuing selling his stuff/pgms/retreats/etc. / monopolies in NY causes wondering if he was still at LA's radio too, so we looked, anyhow.
so then there is the recent google search for a KPFK 2018 listing with Null connected there too but - but not.
Separately only found 2 mentions then on Tuckman's show blog. KPFK's most ardent promoter of Null is the "Something's Happening " show, who for many long years had Null on frequently. But a recent search of this programmer's website found only 2 listings: for "Gary Null" - which means what ?
Notice that now.... no stuff of any color is being sold there tho.
http://www.kpfk.org/on-air/somethings-happening/
https://shprogramguide.blogspot.com/search?q=gary+null
"... JUNE 19 20108 = Vaccination Update "Energy Medicine, the New Paradigm
to Displace the Medical Establishment" by Richard Gale and Gary Null Progressive Radio Network, June 12, 2018 "
+
"...JANUARY 30 2018 = Vaccine Update "The CDC, Vaccination, and the Deep State"
by Richard Gale and Gary Null =Transcript: http://prn.fm/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/Politicalization%20of%20Vaccines.pdf (Progressive Radio Network, January 21, 2018) http://prn.fm"
so, KPFK or Pacifica stakeholders can find No explanations for Roy's /Gary's maybe divorce or separation - after so many years together ? or maybe their mutual partnering is just not aired any more on KPFK for reasons not clarified - as transparency and honesty seems to be a big problem at all Pacifica radio stations. always.
And yet, all those many, many prior profitable times - the many years @ LA's airing 6 full hrs/every Tues nite - in every/ all fund drives ++ premiums-promotions sold w/o mention of how much $$ was paid for products - while on "something's happening' show, Roy was very promotional of all Null did, said, sold, etc.
Then what happened to that union in LA ? All that may be apparently OK enough for Null to still continue selling now in NY ?
How do 2 people leave KPFK and appear now on WBAI ? Transferred ? By whom or why ?
That info is Never mentioned tho.
Isnt it obvious? The GMs have total control. There is no oversight of the GMs. The LSBs have been neutered and the PNB seems determined to maintain the status quo at all costs.
DeleteShaming as a marketing tool? How does that foster community as in community radio. as per Andrea Katz
ReplyDeleteKudos to Gloria Browne-Marshall of Law of the Land who "SHAMED" her listeners into becoming BAI Buddies and landed 11 new Buddies this morning during her 1 hour program.
She told them "shame on you for seeing me in the street and saying you are my Buddy when I only have 1 BAI Buddy!" Her listeners stepped up.
Good going, Gloria!
Shame or desperation? Reimers is leaning hard on all producers to get BAI buddies. Not a bad idea but most give small amounts a month. That means Gloria will bring in about $100 a month extra.
DeleteIf others duplicate that, then that could amount to something but there is the question whether this is new money or not because the records are inaccurate.
I met Jay Smooth once and liked him.
ReplyDeleteI gave him a ride home because he was with some friends of mine.
When he learned I was a teacher, he told me about some educational programs for young people that he was involved with.
I don’t like hip-hop, but Jay Smooth seemed like a good guy who was committed to community service.
And he was smart and hip.
Creative Unity’s show sucked.
So did Jeanie Hopper’s hideous program.
I hope Margaret Prescod doesn’t quit: I would prefer she committed suicide.
I dislike Lopate for the same reason i despise Dan Rather.
They’re phonies.
Rather is not a journalist. He’s a state department mouthpiece.
Like Lopate, he had a staff to prepare his reports.
I doubt he ever did a real investigation in his life.
And he lied. He lied about Iraq. He lied about the JFK assassination.
He lied about other things.
If there were space, I’d provide a list.
Perhaps I will in another comment.
Lopate never read any of the books of his guests.
His staff did resumes of the books for him and provided him with questions.
I’ve said often that he is glib and smug and arrogant.
He is also stupid.
I could never stand to be in a place where his show was being played.
His voice and and the content of what he said was typical NPR rubbish.
I hope Lopate quits or commits suicide.
Null too.
I hope Haskins runs himself over with a bus.
Reimers? Nail him to a cross and stand it in Central Park.
Maybe he’ll inspire a religion.
If sound bitter, I am.
WBAI was my station for more than 20 years.
I resent its hijacking by a bunch of ignoramuses and incompetents.
I've moved on--I don't want what's left of WBAI to be returned to us.
I just want almost everyone affiliated with its present incarnation to suffer horribly.
Well, no equivocation there.
Deletelol
Delete~ 'indigo'
NPR sucks. It is bland, boring and corporate.
DeleteIt has been a final resting ground for mediocrities like Margo Adler, Cokie Roberts, Nina Totenberg, Lenny Lopate, and many other second and third rate “journalists”.
Because it accepts funding from corporate scumbags like Monsanto, Entergy, The Waltons, The Eli Broad Foundation, and The Gates Foundation, its reporting is compromised. You will never hear about research on the dangers of GMOs from Jeffrey Smith, William Engdahl, or Dr. Arpad Pusztai; nor the broader dangers of corporate control of our food supply and the use of toxins like Round-Up from Doctor Vandana Shiva, or from authors Marc Lappe and Britt Baily.
Don’t expect to hear comprehensive analysis of the insanity of nuclear energy from Dr. Helen Caldicott, Karl Grossman, Harvey Wasserman, Arnie Gunderson, or from Stephen Wing — who documents the untruth of the claim that there were no deaths as a result of the disasters at Chernobyl or Three Mile Island.
Don’t expect to hear Jonathan Kozol or Danny Weill dismantling the lies of Arnie Duncan and the destroyers of public education; don’t expect to hear Cecilia Farber, John le Carré, Peter Duesberg, or Rebecca Culshaw challenge the AIDS paradigm.
And you’ll never hear real journalists like Patrick Cockburn, William Blum, the Parentis, Bruce Dixon, or Glenn Ford, challenging the blatant lies of Bush,Obama, or Trump and their spokeslackeys like Hillary Clinton, John Carey, Samantha Powers, Condoleezza Rice, Henry Kissinger, Zbigniew Kazimierz Brzezinski—and Trump’s parade of nincompoops.
Good radio stations have always been rare. The Telecommunications Act of 1996—one of President Clinton’s many crimes, have made them rarer.
The demise of Pacifica is due to many factors: the influence of the DNC and The Nation magazine crowd have contributed. But probably the biggest factor has been the change of the rules of governance.
Right now, the radio station of Columbia University, WKCR, is the only station I can bear to listen to.
I'm in total agreement with you. The WKCR station programming is variegated, eclectic and sometimes contradictory, but the volunteer students do an excellent job in their presentations despite being in the overwhelming shadows of Phil Schaap, Sharif Abus-Salaam and judge Sid Gribetz. The big difference between WKCR and WBAI, in my sole personal opinion, is that the former doesn't assume its listeners are unintelligent.
DeleteResponse to the Pacifica Maven - I too, was bitter. I hated Samori - a former producer, used to say if Samori had a heart attack while he was talking to him in his office, he would cut the phone lines and lock the door behind him! Errol Maitland, the worst producer that ever existed @ WBAI was another garbage man that needed to be removed. Mario Murillo ruined the station, M. Saudia McLaughlin needs to be removed too - she stinks! WBAI needs an enema now!
Delete