Pacifica under cork...

Just as counting Donald Trump's lies inevitably becomes an exercise in futility, so it goes if one sets out to chronicle the instances of mis-judgement and ineptitude that forge a path to Pacifica's obscurity. I use the term "obscurity" rather than death, for even the most generous of principled listener-supporters knows that the Pacifica Foundation has been on life support for many years and that the prognosis shows no sign of improvement.

We who admired Lew Hill's concept and took delight in seeing it blossom, always knew that it was—by its very nature—an ongoing work in process. My own involvement began as a volunteer at WBAI, but I later had the good fortune to play an active role at the Foundation level. We owned three radio stations and shared with a growing listenership the compelling spirit that fueled them. It didn't matter that we (listener-sponsors, volunteers and paid staff) had our artistic and intellectual differences—in fact, that was as it should have been—but we had as a common goal the perpetuation of founder Lew Hill's determination to create a significant voice in the wasteland that commercially-driven broadcasting was becoming in the late Forties.

With defiant integrity, whether expressing political or artistic observations, we kept our eyes and ears on the road ahead, while never losing sight of the past. We made no special effort to maintain a high intellectual level, but raising it was instinctive; as was gaining and developing our listener-sponsors' trust.

In the past few years, not only has that trust been shattered—the listenership has reached the nadir principled quality broadcasting could have avoided. I can speak most authoritatively about WBAI, but it is obvious that the disease of greed, inflated ego and ignorance is Foundation wide.

What used to matter, no longer does, what used to shine brightly, has become dull and utterly insignificant, what once enriched our intellect, misinforms. 

This blog was born out of love. When I resumed listening to WBAI after a long tuned out period, I was appalled by what I heard, but did not see it as a hopeless situation. I soon realized that the people at the helm knew or cared little for the station's remarkable birthright—it brought me back to the late Sixties when Larry Josephson and Steve Post seized an opportunity to fill a managerial vacuum created by Frank Millspaugh's considerable shortcomings. This is when they trampled all over Pacifica's principles and created for themselves personality-based shows that launched the dumbing down of WBAI's programming that now—decades later—has brought WBAI to a sub level of listenability.

When my offer of advisory assistance was ignored by management, I knew that I was fighting an uphill battle; it became clear that the station was undergoing a drastic downgrade under a managerial staff that had its own agenda, if any. I eventually decided to make this blog a forum for discussion and a platform for venting and whistleblowing. As we approach an access count of one million, I have given up any hope I had for restoration.

Currently, manager Reimers has all but disappeared and Linda Perry has been given the task of repairing the pathetic program schedule, but while some dross has been heaved, the racially biased leitmotif seems to have intensified. The message, of course, is that WBAI's "community" is ancestry-based and there is no sign of the kind of substantial improvement WBAI would need for  it to be taken seriously again. Giving credit where it is due, Linda Perry has cleaned up the act of some destructive predecessors, but Reimers is still there, simmering the books and pulling the wrong strings as he collects his $110,000.00 salary; ineptitude reigns and the Pacifica National Board fights and fizzles behind its closed door.

Below, are some links that sample the output of what has become New York's least meaningful radio station. I will be adding to this from time to time, posting notification at the top of the blog, but here is a look at a recent SPARK NEWS issue wherein Ken Mills is his usual informative self, and a painful moment from the dreadful Morning Show that has Michael Haskins singing "Somewhere Over the Rainbow". That he rebroadcast this "performance" on last Tuesday's show lends a hollow ring to his self-criticism. That Linda Perry hasn't taken Haskins off the air bodes ill for her restoration attempt. 

Then there's the contentious upcoming Pacifica election. One wonders why the PNB hired Mr. Drew to benefit from his advice, then ignored it when he gave it. One wonders less why Mr. Drew resigned.

Read/listen on...

Pacifica's involuntary transparency as observed by Ken Mills' SPARK NEWS.

Haskins sings shamelessly

Graeme Drew letter of resignation.

November 13 Marathon report reflects another Reimers failure to grasp reality.
Here, too, is the full meeting.

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As always, WBAI's path of self-destruction is perfectly timed. The just finished, painfully low-yielding Fall fundraising marathon ended about ten days ago. Reimers' assurance that the vital multiple phone line system was being reinstalled turned out to be just so much hot air (what else is new?), but now Max Schmid declares mission accomplished (see his notice, below). Waiting until the six-week WBAI garage sale has tanked is in keeping with the ass backwards approach we have come to identify with Pacifica. Oh well, the rummage rip-off reopens December 4th... will the phones ring? Will David Rothenberg, Max, and others operating a personal WBAI franchise sell more of their junk? Will these people ever learn? 

From: Max Schmid <mschmid@wbai.org>
Sent: Saturday, November 17, 2018 2:18 AM
Subject: Re: [wbai-indy-caucus] Master control

...we have most of our old phone numbers back! We again have ten lines in MAster, plus two VIP lines, restoring full functionality. We also have the old marathon number back, so now Rothenberg can give out one number that rings on several extensions.