WBAI FM----Moribund and unwell in NYC

[fasstrack]

This blog post from former BAI on-air personality Mike Feder was about racism and mismanagement at the station.

http://www.federfiles.com/archives/000063.html

I never listened much to Feder, but my friend Jeff, who was a radio junkie was a big fan of his storytelling. So when I found his memoir at a used book store I bought it, I found it to be very revealing and well written

He was great. His show was called Hard Work. He took over the Sunday morning time slot of Larry Josephson. He's a manic, ceaseless talker and it could be a bit much sometimes, but I loved his storytelling too.

Did you read what he had to say about BAI? His written insights are worth perusing. That blog piece was from '05 and things have only gotten worse.

I spoke to a friend who has two shows on and asked him what the hell is going on there, it sounds awful. His reply:

'We're on the verge of either a huge breakthrough or a huge fall'....

I remember seeing Archie Shepp's Attica Blues band at the Free Music Store. Don Cherry also did Relativity Suite there, and I recorded it from the radio to reel to reel.

What year did Shepp play there? I heard him there, not sure if it was that band. Must've been between '71-'73.

[Utevsky]

I'm very sorry to hear about this. The Pacifica stations were trail-blazers for community-oriented, volunteer-powered radio. But any "public" radio station is bound to experience controversy among its volunteers and supporters, just like other grass-roots organizations. Rivalries, jealousies and disputes over money and programming can rip a station apart. It's a terrible shame, because we need WBAI and a lot more stations of its ilk.

[fasstrack]

I'm very sorry to hear about this. The Pacifica stations were trail-blazers for community-oriented, volunteer-powered radio. But any "public" radio station is bound to experience controversy among its volunteers and supporters, just like other grass-roots organizations. Rivalries, jealousies and disputes over money and programming can rip a station apart. It's a terrible shame, because we need WBAI and a lot more stations of its ilk.

Looks lke they pulled through the recent funsraiser. Long way to go, though......

[Dave Garrett]

75% of staff, including entire news department and most of the on-air talent, laid off effective Monday:

http://blogs.villagevoice.com/runninscared/2013/08/wbai_pacifica_r.php

[fasstrack]

75% of staff, including entire news department and most of the on-air talent, laid off effective Monday:

http://blogs.villagevoice.com/runninscared/2013/08/wbai_pacifica_r.php

What happens now?

[Dave Garrett]

75% of staff, including entire news department and most of the on-air talent, laid off effective Monday:

http://blogs.villagevoice.com/runninscared/2013/08/wbai_pacifica_r.php

What happens now?

Some history and further speculation here, although from the general tone I'd say the author has an ax to grind:

http://observer.com/2013/08/the-excruciating-demise-of-wbai/

[PHILLYQ]

Looks to me that the next step is a sale of WBAI, they have a slot on the dial that is worth a lot of moolah.

[sgcim]

75% of staff, including entire news department and most of the on-air talent, laid off effective Monday:

http://blogs.villagevoice.com/runninscared/2013/08/wbai_pacifica_r.php

What happens now?

Some history and further speculation here, although from the general tone I'd say the author has an ax to grind:

http://observer.com/2013/08/the-excruciating-demise-of-wbai/

The NY Observer was founded by a wealthy Wall St. person, as a rag for fellow Wall Streeters. To say that they are overjoyed by the recent events at BAI would be the understatement of the millenium. The fact that one of their own has been running NYC for the last 12 years has made them happy beyond belief.

Ex-Organissimo member Christern was station manager at BAI in the 60s, and posts a lot on their Listeners' Forum recently.

Here's a list of people that were laid off:

The two hosts of "Wake Up Call, Felipe Luciano and Esther Alma

Hugh Hamilton

Earl Caldwell

Robert Knight

Linda Perry

Sharan Louise Harper

Jose Santiago

rebecca Miles

Cathy Davis

Sidney Smith

Ken Gale

Jenniffer Sindow

Yvonne Singh

Andrea Sears

Gracen Challenger

[fasstrack]

Does anyone know who the on-air replacements will be? I haven't been listening.

[king ubu]

http://www.villagevoice.com/2013-09-04/news/wbai-death-by-democracy?utm_source=Newsletters&utm_medium=email

[PHILLYQ]

http://www.villagevoice.com/2013-09-04/news/wbai-death-by-democracy?utm_source=Newsletters&utm_medium=email

Some quotes from Chris Albertson in the article.

[paul secor]

For many years, I listened to BAI. Over time, it got crazier and uninteresting and I just gave up. Maybe they should call it Radio Unlistenable and close up shop. If they did, I doubt that many people would care.

[fasstrack]

For many years, I listened to BAI. Over time, it got crazier and uninteresting and I just gave up. Maybe they should call it Radio Unlistenable and close up shop. If they did, I doubt that many people would care.

Sad but true.

[fasstrack]

Bump. Anyone been listening lately?

[mjzee]

Pacifica Seeking To Lease WBAI New York

[fasstrack]

So the signal can only be sold to a non-commercial interest?

[mjzee]

Correct, unless the FCC gave a special exemption. WBAI's position on the dial is unusual - nonprofit stations are usually positioned below 92 FM; those stations also tend to be underpowered and in a crowded position on the dial. 99.5 FM could be very valuable; I think they need to bring in some clever lawyers to do some haggling.

[fasstrack]

Do you think, given the signal's strength, that the FCC would grant that exemption? 99.5 FM is prime real estate.

[Christiern]

Hi everybody. I'm not really back, but I think I can be a knowledgable source of information when it comes to WBAI and its current demise. If anybody has a question, I'll be glad to answer it as best I can, so I will check in to this thread regularly.

WBAI is essentially operating on a commercial license. It was a commercial station when Lou Schweitzer gave it to Pacifica in 1959. Pacifica had to convert it in order to operate as a non-commercial station. There should be no problem reversing that conversion.

Pacifica is now allegedly seeking to lease the frequency to someone else for a five-year period. That time limit is as unrealistic as Pacifica's amateur decision-makers have been in the past 3 or 4 decades. I believe this is all a prelude to an outright sale. In the meantime, a lot of people—the opportunists who have made the station stagnant and created this mess—are in denial.

WBAI is dead and has, for all intents and purposes, waited a long time for rigor mortis to set in.

For more information, historical and current, you can visit my non-jazz, non-profit blog here.

[fasstrack]

What did Pacifica have to do to 'convert' it?

[Christiern]

What did Pacifica have to do to 'convert' it?

Apply to the FCC. I doubt if there was any problem. If so, Lou Schweitzer was well and widely connected. BTW, Pacifica's current interim Executive Director, Summer Reese, used to work with Gary Null. I suspect that she still may be, albeit not officially.

[fasstrack]

Anyone know anything about the building on Atlantic Avenue in Brooklyn BAI is supposedly moving into?

[fasstrack]

I mean did they purchase the building or will they be renting space?

[Christiern]

They want to purchase the building, but haven't the money—so they rent a part of it. This is where the offices are now located, but plans are to install studio facilities when the funds allow it. Much of this is the fantasy of Berthold Reimers, the station's GM, who has been there for three years, had no broadcast experience, and made no effort to change that. He has been an absolute disaster (told the Village Voice that he does not pick up the phone, because there are so many crazy people out there). The big mystery is: why has he not been fired?

The person who can do that is the interim Executive Director of Pacifica, Summer Reese. She is now in New York to do a live program this evening at 6. The announced purpose is to give a status update, but it will probably not be very illuminating. The WBAI that once was has been dumbed down and reduced to an unprincipled, unethical mess. I share the opinion of those who think it has been dead for some time, and I really don't think its last gasp as a Pacifica station is too far in the future, Very sad result of a succession of incompetent management, greed, inflated egos, and personal agendas.

Gone are the hopes I harbored for WBAI's future when I started my second blog in 2011.

[fasstrack]

How long can BAI broadcast from CCNY for? Is there a limit?