I can’t believe they are moving Democracy Now earlier. I wonder how many other stupid and inconvenient programming decisions they will make.

I will seriously have to consider boycotting BAI fund drives if they don’t start being more considerate to the listeners.

Pigs and rats and garry null! What else?! Sad sad sad!

This is an excellent article. The move to remove Bernard White and the rest of his thugs and criminal friends is long overdue. God bless Kathy Davis because she has been under attack from Bob Lederer, Bernard White and his criminal friends for years. The station is moving forward with skill and confidence!!

tristate listener

It’s really sad, John Tarleton and Indypendent, that you are being played like this. Surely, there is a piece of the WBAI pie promised for the indy-crew. But that doesn’t make this blatantly one-sided reporting acceptable. It’s more like a PR campaign. You are really losing credibility.

Tarleton, since you have jumped in the fray so enthusiastically, why have you not covered any of the serious organizing going on against these authoritarian changes? Why did you not ask Pacifica head why she lied and said WBAI was being evicted when it wasn’t true? Aren’t you at least pretending to be a journalist? I am sorry to sound mean, but this is getting ridiculous, and insulting.

Are you just not to going to mention that Gary Null is an AIDS denier and a documented racist? And business partner of millionaire spammer Steve Brown who is trying to put WBAI in his pocket? Do you not know that?

Really, Tarleton, don’t go out like this. You now have a responsibility to tell the other side of the story- which you will hear echoing through many community organizations in NY. Get in touch with the people, man!

I am not a member of any faction, just a listener/lover of WBAI that has done the research on my own and figured out the dynamics of this not-so-complicated powerplay. I am also a journalist which is why this misuse of the page offends me so much.

What’s with the puff piece, Indymedia???

Read this. It’s a bit long. But worth the time.

“CIA INFILTRATION OF PACIFICA”
http://aconstantineblacklist.blogspot.com/2009/02/cia-infiltration-of-
pacifica-radio.html

Some pseudonymed person, probably, Fred Nguyen, wrote:

IIRC it was MITCH COHEN who knocked down DISABLED producer BILL DIFAZIO at the Left Forum in broad daylight. Cohen shousted that he is the Chair of WBAI’s Local Station Board and can take City Watch off the air!

Still waiting for the much-promised corroboration of these oft-repeated charges. Where are the witness statements you said would be forthcoming?

For the record, I didn’t knock down Bill DeFazio at the Left Forum or anywhere else. DeFazio didn’t fall to the floor. And I didn’t shout (nor did I “shoust”) anything about being chair of the WBAI LSB, nor threaten to take City Watch off the air.

This is how the JUC operates — fabricate charges and hope that if you make enough of them, that something will stick. But there is no “there” there, and the truth will out.

Meanwhile, WBAI seeks to regain its balance and has made the first steps towards achieving an end to the Democratic Party orientation of many of the table-setting shows.

Mitchel Cohen

It’s a beautiful day. I would really rather be enjoying it. But since Tarleton didn’t do his job, I feel compelled to clean up after him.

Here is a letter from the fired General Manager of WBAI, Tony Riddle, who is still employed by Pacifica and thus has much to lose by speaking out. But he does so to show how the people taking over WBAI exaggerated the financial crisis to their own benefit:

—- Original Message —–
From A Riddle
Date Wed, 27 May 2009 10:40:13 -0700 (PDT)
To WBAI Staff Notices
Subject “Half of What You See, And None of What You Hear….”

To My Friends At WBAI,

I have had a few moments out of the fussing and fighting at WBAI and I have to admit that that much is not a bad thing.

People disagree about the basic issues and fight for control of the station and its resources. I understand that. I understand that sometimes you win and sometimes you lose and that always you find a way to fight for what you believe in.

There are those who believed the station would run better without me as GM. They have a right to believe that. That they got what they wanted ought to be sufficient. Evidently, a few people need to invent justifications for their actions as well. Ridiculous rumors circulate daily. No one has the right to lies. So, let me set the record straight, before it is carved into stone with other Pacifica “urban legends”:

One

· WBAI did not get two eviction notices.

· WBAI did not get one eviction notice.

· I did not hide the non-existent notices or any other notices from anyone.

· WBAI’s arrears in rent were discussed in private conversation, and at local and national finance meetings on a regular basis.

We were significantly behind in rent at Wall Street. In late March or early April, the owner sent a “Three Day Notice to Quit.” This is a predicate notice: Pay us or we will begin the legal process to collect or evict. It is a warning. It is the only one we got during my tenure.

The owner didn’t realize we’d sent a major payment of $43,000 five days before. When the owner found this to be true, he asked us to prepare a reasonable repayment plan, which I did with the knowledge of the National Office. I added to it a payment plan to catch up on the Empire State rent.

We made the first payment for 120 Wall on time. We paid the entire Empire State rent owed a full month ahead of schedule.

Anyone who says otherwise is confused or misleading. But now there is no excuse for either.

Two: An “I told you so.”

nnounced in meeting after meeting that WBAI was $200-250,000 short in revenue for 1QFY’09. This was increased in second quarter reports and meetings. Time after time I tried to correct this error. I frantically called the late Fall PNB meeting. I sent written explanation. I argued verbally when I was present. I tried in the weekly GM meetings. I tried at the LSB meetings. At some point, I gave up, because it didn’t matter: No one would hear and we weren’t doing that well otherwise, anyway.

It was a technical accounting issue. National Office instructed me to include in the FY’09 budget expected collections in October and November of pledges made in the Fall Drive. But for the first time, the Fall Drive was in spread over two fiscal years—FY’08 (September) and FY’09 (October). So, when we brought in the money, if the pledge was made in September, we booked it for 2008. If the pledge was in October, we booked it in 2009. So, much of the money budgeted in FY 2009 came in, but was accrued to FY 2008. We were only a few thousand dollars short on that drive and nothing else could account for such a difference. We were not $250,000 or $300,000 or $400,000 short. The repetition of this inaccuracy wore me down over time. It alarmed all of Pacifica. But I could not undo it once it became legend.

If you go back to the audit report given in the most recent PNB meeting, you will hear the listing of how short each station was in FY 2008 according to the auditor. You will hear the confusion of the speaker saying, I paraphrase, “The auditor reports that WBAI is about $100,000 short of budget for 2008. We don’t understand this. We think it should be closer to $400,000. We’ll have to figure out what is wrong here.” (Please excuse my memory.)

If you are still following at this point, then you understand that the bulk of that so-called short-fall is the money collected in FY 2009 but accrued to FY 2008. It was there, just like I said. Finally. It makes no difference now; it was a misunderstanding of Pacifica’s accounting which made a bad situation at WBAI look horrible and opened us to attack. It did not affect the bottom-line, only the narrative.

The End

Undoubtedly, this narrative will be attacked because there is nothing more offensive in our Pacifica world than the narrative which contradicts the legend of the week. I do not intend to argue with any further attacks on this because, in the end, it does not matter. I am out of the GM position now. Many changes will be made. All that matters is that WBAI be healthy and relevant. It is not an easy task, so I wish all who endeavor success.

This is my official statement on these matters. If you have questions or disagreements, please refer to the above statement as many times as necessary. Thanks.
Anthony Riddle

Mitchel - the unnamed “antiracist producer” was almost certainly Sheila. The characteristic writing style is hard to miss.

which makes the nom de plume choice interesting.

is mitchel cohen back from reading his poetry to folks in europe who don’t speak english?

I renewed my subscription during this fund drive ONLY because Bernard White and Tony Riddle were fired! I canceled my subscription in 2004 because Bernard White canceled Gary Null’s show. This was one of the stupidest things a Program Director could do–fire one of the top two fundraisers and lose 25% of your listener sponsors (approximately 20,000 down to 15,000)! This was done right after LSB elections where the JUC received a majority of the votes. The ink wasn’t even dry on the certification before Bernard fired Gary. This was a racist, vengeful, and vindictive act–not to mention financial incompetent. I hope Gary will return to the station. He brings a POSITIVE energy with him that contrasts with all the NEGATIVITY of the other programs.

I applaud the new management for starting to make programming changes. Democracy Now! should be on earlier AND should be rebroadcast in the evening considering all the money Pacifica pays for this program.

I will vote in the upcoming LSB election. If the JUC wins a majority and Bernard White reappears at the station, I will not renew my subscription.

Wanting Null back makes one a “good level-headed listener”?! Give me a brake!

The Song of the Zeitgeist (Not!)

[den verstorbenen Dichter um Verzeihung erbittend]

At the base of the Foundation, the stones are shifting.
The station’s honchos have come, and the honchos have gone.
The big does not remain big, and the small does not stay small.
The night has twelve hours, and then comes the dawn!

[Nach dem falschen Zwielicht, rot daemmert der wahre Morgen, Genossen!]

Tony Riddle “misspeaks”. A “Three Day Notice to Quit” is an eviction notice.

While he says they never got an eviction notice, he admits:

“We were significantly behind in rent at Wall Street. In late March or early April, the owner sent a “Three Day Notice to Quit.” This is a predicate notice: Pay us or we will begin the legal process to collect or evict. It is a warning. It is the only one we got during my tenure.”

Hard to believe he’s that confused about the basics that anyone familiar with landlord-tenant law knows. But maybe he is.

Talk about racist stereotypes!
Did you read that post by Zizes???

In case you haven’t heard, “BIRDS OF A FEATHER STICK TOGETHER!”

Mitch Cohen is suing WBAI. He’s the lead plaintiff.
Linda Zizes is a plaintiff, too.
So is James Ross.

They don’t want poor people to vote in wbai elections.
They stole the last election.
If they can, they’ll steal the next one.
Cohen was caught at the station hacking into wbai’s computers.

Ask them why they don’t oppose millionaires like Steve Brown being able to buy off producers by contributing thousands of dollars to their shows.

Ask them why they don’t want to put an end to unfair campaign financing - y ou know, the way the corporations can buy off Presidential candidates by contribuint large sums of $$$ to their campaigns? Brown pays and this crew kiises his a - -.

To address just some of the lies the JUC generates in such numbers as to defy correction and leave lingering doubts in the minds of people who haven’t the time or resources to research the issues:

(1) “Mitch Cohen is suing WBAI. He’s the lead plaintiff. Linda Zizes is a plaintiff, too. So is James Ross. They don’t want poor people to vote in wbai elections…”

I am one of the plaintiffs also. You can see the ACTUAL details of the suit at http://radioactivist.net The “don’t want poor people to vote” canard arises by our insisting that “poor people” meet Pacifica bylaws requirements the same as other people: If they request waivers, attesting that they want to be WBAI members but can not pay the $25 dues AND are unable to contribute 3 hours of volunteer time during the entire year preceding the deadline, they need to FILE those requests before the deadline.

Cerene Roberts handed out waiver applications at a meeting the JUC organized in Newark, collected them and (apparently) mailed them all in herself, in a batch. This raises questions as to the validity of these people’s desire to become members, as well as their inability to provide 3 hours of volunteer service during the entire preceding year. MOREOVER, Cerene mailed them in AFTER THE DEADLINE.

(2) “…They stole the last election. If they can, they’ll steal the next one…”

No, what we have found so far during the lawsuit (which JUC-allied lawyers have dragged out for OVER A YEAR AND A HALF), is that if it was stolen it was stolen from all of those who were not sent ballots, were promised but not given replacement ballots, or were sent ballots too late to be used. MOREOVER, the votes of most of those who did receive replacement ballots WERE CANCELED.

(3) “…Cohen was caught at the station hacking into wbai’s computers…”

Mitchel does not have “hacking” expertise. Mitchel was trying to help get the backlog of PREMIUMS sent out. He WANTED to access the data needed to find out who were owed premiums, but was not given access. Under Bernard White’s supervision, Ayo Harrington accumulated a backlog of over 5,000 premiums not sent out — delays of over a year.

The JUC has a real “paranoid” stance as regards membership data. For good reason, I think: they have had unlimited access for the past 6 years, via Cerene Roberts, Bob Lederer, and Ayo Harrington.

They also blocked the “no-brainer” normal business plan of telephoning people who had pledged to ask that they fulfill pledges (if credit card info is not given when the pledge is made, c. 50% do not pay up). This could have boosted our revenue significantly — perhaps enough to avoid those eviction notices — but JUC did not want non-JUC members of the LSB to have even those limited lists of names and numbers (divided up among the LSB volunteers) needed to make those calls.

I think one of the parts of our lawsuit should not really be a part of the lawsuit because the law already covers it: if a member has a legitimate purpose, the membership list must be provided within 10 days (unless a judge can be persuaded that there are VERY good reasons why it should not be) . So whay did Dan Siegel direct his lawyers to fight this tooth and nail? I’m beginning to think he was afraid we’d find some evidence of SYSTEMATIC tampering with the list used to mail out ballots.

Ummmm, errrr, duh.

A 3-day notice means you will be evicted if you do not pay. It is the legally required first step in an eviction proceeding. WBAI is still there because the national office borrowed the money from the other stations to pay the back rent.

WBAI is bankrupt — it has fewer assets than debts. This means the other Pacifica stations’ resources have been drained to pay WBAI’s debts. This also means that Pacifica as a whole will be bankrupt soon, as the unrestricted cash resources of the network are nearly all depleted. Look at the audits, if you care to know the facts.

As of 9/30/08 Pacifica as a whole had

$6,343,882 - unrestricted net assets
- 565,772 - long term receivables
- 3,300,594 - property and equipment
- 57,050 - intangible assets
- 254,929 - premiums inventory

$2,165,537 = Net unrestricted liquid assets, including $3,503,230 in pledges receivable.

In other words, Pacifica did not have enough available cash to pay its debts on 9/30/08.

A VOICE: “… It’s up to all of us to get involved and help WBAI be the kind of resource it can be for the movement for social change. Let’s not feed the fires of factionalism and ethnic nationalism. Let’s reject the hierarchies of the Stalinists. Let’s move beyond ego-centric concepts of “ownership of these air slots by any sort of posse/clique. This all will take a lot of effort from a lot of people…”

First effort needs to be recruiting forward-looking new members ($25 or 3 hrs volunteer service before July 1), and recruiting forward-looking candidates for the LSB election.

The chief Stalinists at WBAI are members and allies of the WWP, which has managed to put one of its leaders (Sara Flounders) on the current LSB as part of the JUC slate.

Beyond the emergency (short-term) need of recruiting participants, the next job is getting real INFORMATION out to the ~ 15,000 eligible to vote. One place to start is http://radioactivist.net

Amy Goodman and Juan Gonzalez Issue Letter to the New WBAI Management, and to the Staff, Listeners, and Supporters Expressing their Dissatisfaction with Recent Changes. 

(FOLLOW LINK FOR WHOLE LETTER:
http://www.facebook.com/note.php?note_id=184195110261&ref=mf)
 
The entire text of their letter follows, but the headlines are:

1.  Dissatisfaction with the change in broadcast time of Democracy Now from
9 AM to 8 AM, as the beginning of the end of popular, local program Wake Up
Call.

“This decision disturbs us deeply and we ask that it be reconsidered.”

2. Dismay at the firing of Bernard White by the new regime

“Given Bernard’s decades of dedication and devotion to ‘BAI , the way he
was treated lacked basic human consideration.”

3. An assessment of the dysfunctional status of governance and the lack
thereof at WBAI since the Coup ten years ago
           
  ” ….. we urge that the scheduling of Democracy Now (should) not be
used as a weapon by the current management of WBAI against its opponents.”

These concerns of Amy Goodman and Juan Gonzalez echo the concerns voiced by
the Take Back WBAI Coalition.  We announce them to present further proof of
the problematic nature of the current changes at WBAI and enlighten the
people as to the reality of what is taking place.

Lynne Stewart

FOLLOW LINK FOR WHOLE LETTER:
http://www.facebook.com/note.php?note_id=184195110261&ref=mf

WBAI has not been relevant for about 30 years. Tune it in on any given day and the programming doesn’t sound any different from what the station was doing back in the Margot Adler, Pepsi Charles, Bob Fass, James Irsay days. Only differences are the current personalities are cosmic dumb and the producers are watered-down losers. No wonder so few people have been supporters in the past decade. You’d think that during the Bush debacle and in its wake, that station would have plenty of gist to bring in significant listener numbers. Instead, you have pretentious noodlebrains like Gary Null (apropos name, to be sure) as the station’s standardbearers.

The station hasn’t operated in the public interest to any significant extent for a generation, so Pacifica should sell it off to commercial interests and end the charade already.

BTW, I was a supporter of the station many years ago, but dumped it because the outlet hasn’t changed very much since its early 1970s heyday, although the entire American and global experience is much different from what it was two decades ago. Ho-hum to WBAI.

I listened the other morning. It was the new manager talking about how all the new faces are black– just like the old, fired faces, so it’s going to be ok. Huh?

Heard the Report to the Listener today - thankful we have adults in charge. Bernard White was going to send the station into bankruptcy with his plan to diminish the station to nothing. White headed a group of criminals and thugs who bullied and frightened Kathy Davis and others to fear for their lives. Bernard White threatened Mike Feder in the WBAI men’s room some years ago and caused Feder to leave in fear. The new GM had to get rid of White for the station’s long term safety. White is in touch with ex-offenders and criminals who will sabotage the station if they had the chance. Williams is aware of this and has taken security measures to protect the station. Maitland needs to be watched too - he will be removed soon too - he is a threat to station security. Station was in debt - put there by White and his cronies - White is dangerous, so is Harrington and even some of White’s overnight buddies too - the big fat guy. The IGM is aware of this too - BAI will be cleaned out and truly independent and progressive programs will be put in place such as Chuck D and many other good people. Williams would be wise to keep and eye on Dred Scott Keyes - he too is an White ally -SERIOUS threat to the station - she is CERTAINLY aware of KEYES!! I hope she is AWARE OF KEYES!!

It’s sad that the indypendent’s tarleton is so willing to jump on this bandwagon. I have not really followed the situation at WBAI, but I object to what I understand is the coup leaders’ lack of transparency, procedure and basic human values. There was nothing about these issues in the article.

I thought that the University of Missouri Journalism School taught a more “balanced” approach.
Or is it that Tarleton’s piece is the “right” balance?

This is all a good example, from what I have seen, of what Christopher Lasch called “the infantile Left.” Instead of facing facts and acknowledging the truth, the racialist JUC is pretending that all would be well if we just put Mugabe supporter Bernard White and co. back in there: to finally mismanage the station and bankrupt it into the ground.

I’ve got news for those with less than their sufficient share of brain cells: radio stations do not operate on ideology. They need money. Money will not be obtained if the listeners are continually disgusted with the old racialist rants. And money will not be able to be maintained if it is continually squandered.

But the magical thinking of these racialists is that all we need is for our authoritarian Daddy with the politically correct skin color (as opposed to the new crew who is just as black!) to come back, and the trees around wall street will all start sprouting greenbacks.

Grow up! This is just a leftover from the Stalinist Popular Front/black nationalist posturing of the 30s!

I don’t remember Null or Knight insulting anybody. I do remember that Null is not much of a fan of the Democrats, and a much bigger fan of Ralph Nader–that may be the real reason why White–who has made ridiculous, purely posturing, ultimately pro-Democrat statements on the air about how each race ought to create its own political party– canned him.

Null has created his own network, which I would rather listen to than these old racialists anyday of the week. It has the ralph and mya show–the only show I can hear on WBAI which adopts a consistent class struggle perspective. Maybe we can persuade him to air his 3 pm internet show on WBAI–that’s worth looking into. But not if the old racialists come back. As for Knight, he’s a reward winning journalist. and we should really roll out the red carpet for him.

And what about Mike Feder? White pushed him out, almost physically, by following him into the bathroom and towering over him, creating in general an atmosphere of intimidation. Let’s get Mike back from satellite radio and back on WBAI where he belongs!

But again, none of these guys is coming back if White comes back.

Wow, I can’t believe all that is happening at Wbai, which I listen to at least 4-5 days a week. I used to listen every day, and pledge, but not lately. It’s the same old, same old. I listened to most of Gary Nulls shows regularly when he was on Wbai, and I liked listening to him until I noticed that he has some serious character issues that needs attention. One of the issues is that he’s a ego maniac, and, I also think he has some racial issues that he needs to get past. I Didn’t care much for Bernard White either. Is Errol Matlin gone from the station? I haven’ t heard him on the air lately. Please tell me that he is gone. It was very difficult to listen to him. Just because you work behind the board, doesn’t mean that you should speak over the air. Do the station and the listeners a favor, keep Null and White off the air.!!! and, while your at It, get Kathy davis off the air too, she sounds depressed all the time, and is not so friendly. I’m not siding with anyone, just saying It as I see It.

Mack Bronx, NY