That's not the job of a mayor. And there's no guarantee any new owner would "ensure" anything.
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WBAI Struggles
- Thread starter Theater of My Mind
- Start date
That's not the job of a mayor. And there's no guarantee any new owner would "ensure" anything.
Tom Leykis WBAI Question
What was his show like on WBAI?
What was his show like on WBAI?
I also opine that community radio used to be an important asset because it allowed access to the airwaves for all people, especially those traditionally denied access. Even a lily white, suburban kid like me was allowed on the air!
But today, with internet streaming available to all, I don't see the need as great as before. If you never play music, it's the cost of the bandwidth to stream which is affordable to almost everyone. Think about it...you can potentially reach almost 4 billion people with your message! This would be a great time for Pacifica to sell the station for $75-100M and find a 21st century way to advance progressive ideals.
But today, with internet streaming available to all, I don't see the need as great as before. If you never play music, it's the cost of the bandwidth to stream which is affordable to almost everyone. Think about it...you can potentially reach almost 4 billion people with your message! This would be a great time for Pacifica to sell the station for $75-100M and find a 21st century way to advance progressive ideals.
Just flip to Alternative, fill the void that many listeners are thirsting for, bring in the audience, make big advertising bucks and pay off all the outstanding debts. Plain and simple what is so difficult to understand. Do it right and be successful, the fans are out there, just grab them.
Democracy isn't easy or pretty. They're doing radio their way, and the FCC allows them to do it any way they want. For people who complain about boring corporate radio, they are an example of what happens when you have the complete opposite.
They're not commercial. They're not interested in being successful. This is about a mission, not money. That's why so few can understand.
Following Wavo's observations, I'd agree with you. Do a music format based on alternative or AAA or something of that ilk. Then do an hourly condensed newscast (like the ones WABC used to do in the Top 40 era, but less agressive) with references to the station website where either longer casts as podcasts or deeper written stories would be available. Then do 60 to 90 second features about the kind of things WBAI is known for, also with reference to expanded podcasts and stories in new media.
Ten to twenty times the people would listen for the music, if they keep the spoken segments to no more than 6 to 8 minutes per hour. The radio station would be a conduit to the online material and the expanded news and feature streams.
No ads, no selling out.
Some years ago I set up the programming for a station owned by the Catholic Church which was the project of the Cardinal for the region. His advisors wanted to do live mass, live rosary broadcasts and Bible readings. I told the Cardinal, with a bit of trepidation that such a format would do no good and explained how few would listen. I suggested they do a music format and insert inspirational or instructional messages like commercial advertisements in between songs. The Cardinal love the idea, and they continued to do that format for the next nearly 30 years until they decided to move their efforts to the Internet.
The point being that all messages and nothing to bind them is not attractive, particularly today.
When I hear a block programmed station, I know it is a disaster.
This is a world of "whatever you want and whenever you want it".
I do not know why so many non-com music stations insist on airing NPR and BBC-WS news;
it was acceptable in the twentieth century, but certainly unnacceptable in the twenty-first.
was the very secular sounding adult contemp one in Corpus Christie, TX; KLUX.
I emailed the president and he replied with the exact same thing you are saying.
This is a world of "whatever you want and whenever you want it".
I do not know why so many non-com music stations insist on airing NPR and BBC-WS news;
it was acceptable in the twentieth century, but certainly unnacceptable in the twenty-first.
The most attractive (soft sell) Diocese station I have ever heard (sporadic E layer skip)
was the very secular sounding adult contemp one in Corpus Christie, TX; KLUX.
I emailed the president and he replied with the exact same thing you are saying.
Have a listen to WJMJ Hartford sometime. It's a soft AC/oldies hybrid -- no hard rock, but soul oldies and uptempo pop are OK -- staffed largely by former jocks from WDRC-FM, the longtime oldies station that is now a classic rocker. There are a few soft-sell Catholic messages an hour, some tied to the upcoming song, but it all flows pretty well and the music and familiar voices are what drives the format. Of course, that's during the day. Nighttime and overnight are blocks of classical and jazz, which probably doesn't meet your approval.
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It appears several posts have been deleted by the moderator on this subject. They were probably deleted because they refer to another blog - the original poster had included a link to that blog (sorry, Frank!)
I made the point that I started playing radio at a community radio station many years ago. It was much like WBAI, also a Pacifica affiliate, but not owned by the foundation. The station was plagued by constant fighting and bickering which made operation erratic and problematic. I spent several years there and learned much about why these stations are, by and large, ineffective.
One thing I learned was radio listening, like all human behavior, has a psychology which can't be ignored. For example...radio listening is, with most listeners, based on habit. Patch work programming, where the listener finds something different every time they listen, is not going to generate an audience. The folks that run these stations, always by committee, fail to acknowledge the laws of human behavior. Many of them, although mostly with well intentions, have no idea how human beings use radio and believe that their ideas can be force fed because they are "truth." They consistently fail to formulate, and present, their programming in a way that makes it easy for listeners to use.
All these stations would do well to hire a consultant, with progressive leanings, to teach them how to effectively promote progressive ideas and ideals. It is not "selling out" to program the stations in such a way as to make it easier for people to listen. To gain an audience, stations must be predictable; if you ignore predictability then you have few regular listeners and your message has no affect.
I made the point that I started playing radio at a community radio station many years ago. It was much like WBAI, also a Pacifica affiliate, but not owned by the foundation. The station was plagued by constant fighting and bickering which made operation erratic and problematic. I spent several years there and learned much about why these stations are, by and large, ineffective.
One thing I learned was radio listening, like all human behavior, has a psychology which can't be ignored. For example...radio listening is, with most listeners, based on habit. Patch work programming, where the listener finds something different every time they listen, is not going to generate an audience. The folks that run these stations, always by committee, fail to acknowledge the laws of human behavior. Many of them, although mostly with well intentions, have no idea how human beings use radio and believe that their ideas can be force fed because they are "truth." They consistently fail to formulate, and present, their programming in a way that makes it easy for listeners to use.
All these stations would do well to hire a consultant, with progressive leanings, to teach them how to effectively promote progressive ideas and ideals. It is not "selling out" to program the stations in such a way as to make it easier for people to listen. To gain an audience, stations must be predictable; if you ignore predictability then you have few regular listeners and your message has no affect.
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Hiring a consultant would cost money, which they don't have. A consultant would expect his suggestions to be implemented. No one seems to have that power.
Too bad they would never hire a guy like you and Big A (they could never afford either one of you!) Just some plain ol' common sense would do WBAI wonders. WBAI desperately needs a BS filter, but one who understands progressive ideas. The world needs, especially now, well reasoned and expressed opposition and stations like WBAI are the perfect conduit.
Which is why these stations need real, empowered managers...not more committees.
I understand the thinking behind committees. But human formation of hierarchies is a survival technique and these organizations refuse to understand, and admit that there must structured power in any organization. Efficient organization of human capital requires that.
Inefficiency spreads like cancer is many of these organizations. I have always wondered why it is sold by some as "selling out" to try to maximize efficiency.
Take a look at that blog about WBAI. No respect for management, regardless of who it is. Try to enforce efficiencies in an environment like that, and you'll get a revolution. Another lock-out, like what happened a few years ago. It's a bad situation. I really don't know how to manage anarchists. They don't teach that in management school.
That would get them out of this jam but there would be another crisis to soon follow.
Do they really need a radio station to promote their agenda? Is there a better way to reach the American youth? Those are questions that should be discussed at their meetings instead of the constant back-stabbing and bickering. Why do they have no HD channels? There ARE radios out there...receivers can be bought for as little as $50. When I started in radio FM was a novelty; community radio and college radio were part of the genesis of FM where you could hear alternative programming with much better quality.
Why do they not have multiple streams? I know...money. But the sale of WBAI could provide a rather large pot for capital and a large streaming infrastructure could be rapidly built. If they insist they want an on air signal then trade for NASH or buy one of the AMs. The station I worked for required all kinds of magic to receive but people who wanted alternative programming went through the trouble to pick it up.
It appear Pacifica may be in real trouble as their tax exempt status is on the line in California. I hope a "white knight" comes riding in to reorganize, and revamp Pacifica into a workable organization. I'm not holding my breath...
I agree. Too bad most of them would have no respect for a guy like you or David. You're "sellouts"...
It's a slow day so I took a quick look at the 2014 audit for Pacifica.
They spent over $300K on consultants. For 5 failing stations...$300K!!! You have to wonder if they simply threw the consultant's report(s) in the trash.
Personnel expenses were just under $7M. yep...7 million bananas to create a operation running multi-million dollar red ink.(Maybe they COULD afford Big A and David!)
These guys should forget radio and join the Feds...these numbers are simply amazing!
For any of you that have donated money to Pacifica....do you smell a rat, maybe two? I doubt it is a criminal concern but the incompetence is overwhelming. Exactly how has this been able to last this long considering the amounts of money involved?
They spent over $300K on consultants. For 5 failing stations...$300K!!! You have to wonder if they simply threw the consultant's report(s) in the trash.
Personnel expenses were just under $7M. yep...7 million bananas to create a operation running multi-million dollar red ink.(Maybe they COULD afford Big A and David!)
These guys should forget radio and join the Feds...these numbers are simply amazing!
For any of you that have donated money to Pacifica....do you smell a rat, maybe two? I doubt it is a criminal concern but the incompetence is overwhelming. Exactly how has this been able to last this long considering the amounts of money involved?
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