WBAI Struggles

[Theater of My Mind]

Re: WBAI massive layoffs

The most unbelievable part of this is the fact WBAI's GM is staying on.

This is the man who has presided over the station for the past 3 years, leading it to the brink of disaster. He has proven to be totally ineffective at not only running the business, but keeping it solvent at all.

In the corporate world he would obviously be long gone, but somehow he's one of the only survivors here. That alone seems to point to how out of touch the decision makers at Pacifica are.

 

[RBRadioWaves]

Re: WBAI massive layoffs

The most unbelievable part of this is the fact WBAI's GM is staying on.

This is the man who has presided over the station for the past 3 years, leading it to the brink of disaster. He has proven to be totally ineffective at not only running the business, but keeping it solvent at all.

In the corporate world he would obviously be long gone, but somehow he's one of the only survivors here. That alone seems to point to how out of touch the decision makers at Pacifica are.

He'll probably be the last one gone. I.e: he will be the one who hands the keys over to (insert media conglomerate here) when the debtors are called in and Pacifica has to sell.

 

[Barry]

Re: WBAI massive layoffs

I heard part of the program with Executive Director Summer Reese and Andrew Phillips, the former PD that WBAI has brought back.
My impression was that they are down to earth management people, and were realistic about the station's severe financial problems. They made it clear that the station has a minuscule audience, and that it needs to increase it if it has any chance of being on a reasonably sound financial footing.
My guess is that WBAI could attract a larger (or less tiny) audience by cutting down on the talk and increasing music programming. Community station WPKN in nearby CT could serve as a reasonable role model. Even the mainstream talk stations such as WOR are facing declining audiences. Sure there could be some niche political talk programming, but I believe few people can tolerate the amount that WBAI has been providing.
Reese made an interesting technical comment with regard to leaving the Empire State building for a less expensive transmitter location. She asserted that among available transmitter locations, only the Empire State building antenna has the capability of effectively penetrating the "canyons" of Manhattan. Is that correct?

 

[Matthew Lasar]

Re: WBAI massive layoffs

Here's a question for you good folks: 'BAI pays $50k a month for its transmitter. Now the operation is moving its HQ to Brooklyn. Can't Pacifica *build* a lower power transmitter for itself? What's stopping this from happening?

 

[PTBoardOp94]

Re: WBAI massive layoffs

It isn't the transmitter per se they're paying for. It is the space on the Empire State Building where the transmitter sits that is costly. (Edited to add: Also, the power of stations is regulated. Stations shall maintain between 90% and 105% of licensed ERP.)

And they could move off of Empire, but it would damage the value of the signal and the range as well.

WBAI is short-spaced to WJBR in Philly and WRVE in Schenectady. Any move would likely trigger modern FCC rules requiring full spacing, and WBAI would be forced to downgrade to B1, unless the FCC would grant a waiver.

 

[XCountry285]

Re: WBAI massive layoffs

Cumulus to buy 99.5 and make it Rock 99.5?

 

[WNTIRadio]

Re: WBAI massive layoffs

Here's a question for you good folks: 'BAI pays $50k a month for its transmitter. Now the operation is moving its HQ to Brooklyn. Can't Pacifica *build* a lower power transmitter for itself? What's stopping this from happening?

The simple solution for that is to swap 99.5 with Cumulus for 94.7 + $10 million in cash. Would offer them a decent signal, some cash in the bank and give Nash a full market signal.

But these are people at Pacifica we're talking about here, who can barely make a decision to cross the street.

 

[Theater of My Mind]

Re: WBAI massive layoffs

Here are links to the Summer Reese's report to the listeners & call-in segment. She started late so you'll want to skip ahead to about 13:40 into the file:

STREAM: http://archive.wbai.org/parchive/m3u.php?mp3fil=107354537
DOWNLOAD: http://archive.wbai.org/files/mp3/wbai_130809_160000caldwellc.mp3

---

Also here are links to the final WBAI Evening Newscast. Skip ahead to the 26:00 point to hear farewell from Andrea Sears, and about 29:00 to hear goodbye from Jose Santiago (which continues in the Part 2 links)

STREAM PART 1: http://archive.wbai.org/parchive/m3u.php?mp3fil=107361189
DOWNLOAD PART 1: http://archive.wbai.org/files/mp3/wbai_130809_180000wbainews.mp3

STREAM PART 2: http://archive.wbai.org/parchive/m3u.php?mp3fil=107361189
DOWNLOAD PART 2: http://archive.wbai.org/files/mp3/wbai_130809_183000owsr.mp3

 

[disney fanatic]

Re: WBAI: layoffs next week (probably Monday)

That's a bad move in WBAI's part where the rest of the news department and airstaff go this coming Monday. There was only show that WBAI is doing on Sunday's is Max Schmid. He plays a lot of old time radio shows from its golden age, but I don't see Max Schmid leaving WBAI, but if he does, he will be on another or perhaps web streaming. I have not been listening to Max Schmid in years, but he still great playing old radio shows and hosting "Mass Backwards". In that case I don't see him leaving WBAI anytime soon.

 

[nd2023]

Re: WBAI massive layoffs

The listeners will be pissed off and donations will drop even more. And if the final payroll is coming from the transmitter fund, what happens if they don't replenish the transmitter fund? Hope Empire pulls the plug on 99.5

 

[XCountry285]

Re: WBAI massive layoffs

Better Choice: Cumulus sells 103.9 in exchange for 99.5

 

[Cosmopolite]

Re: WBAI massive layoffs

Disney, looks like Max has prepared for the inevitable. He streams a special edition of "The Golden Age of Radio" on YesterydayUSA.com Saturdays 11:00AM-1:00PM.

 

[Ai4i]

Re: WBAI massive layoffs

Hope Empire pulls the plug on 99.5

Y?

 

[reelyreal]

Re: WBAI massive layoffs

Hope Empire pulls the plug on 99.5

Y?

Nick, I agree that they're past the point of no return, but your pure hate for these people is just plain bizarre. Did they kick your dog or something? I'm not understanding why you wish for an independent radio station to be kicked while they're down so Cumulus can continue their death march for terrestrial broadcasting?

 

[ansky212]

Re: WBAI massive layoffs

Hope Empire pulls the plug on 99.5

Y?

Nick, I agree that they're past the point of no return, but your pure hate for these people is just plain bizarre. Did they kick your dog or something? I'm not understanding why you wish for an independent radio station to be kicked while they're down so Cumulus can continue their death march for terrestrial broadcasting?

So you're saying you'd rather have WBAI continue it's nonsense talk radio programming on one of the most prime NYC radio signals? Pretty much anything else imaginable would be an improvement on that frequency. Cumulus a death march? Love them or hate them, I commend them for finally putting country music on the air in NYC.

 

[nd2023]

Re: WBAI massive layoffs

Hope Empire pulls the plug on 99.5

Y?

Nick, I agree that they're past the point of no return, but your pure hate for these people is just plain bizarre. Did they kick your dog or something? I'm not understanding why you wish for an independent radio station to be kicked while they're down so Cumulus can continue their death march for terrestrial broadcasting?

I don't hate them, I just think it would be awesome to have an open frequency for DXing.

Plus, it's a waste of a full powered station.

 

[reelyreal]

Re: WBAI massive layoffs

Hope Empire pulls the plug on 99.5

Y?

Nick, I agree that they're past the point of no return, but your pure hate for these people is just plain bizarre. Did they kick your dog or something? I'm not understanding why you wish for an independent radio station to be kicked while they're down so Cumulus can continue their death march for terrestrial broadcasting?

So you're saying you'd rather have WBAI continue it's nonsense talk radio programming on one of the most prime NYC radio signals? Pretty much anything else imaginable would be an improvement on that frequency. Cumulus a death march? Love them or hate them, I commend them for finally putting country music on the air in NYC.

Country is on the air, that's great. Meanwhile, you can't play a song at a Cumulus station unless Lew Dickey personally scheduled it from Atlanta.

I think WBAI is a total disaster. They'll be off the air very soon. Yeah, they're a bunch of morons, but they're not malicious. They're not hurting anyone but themselves. They truly believe in what they're doing, they're just horribly misguided. I have a hard time hating on someone who isn't harming anyone but themselves.

 

[Ai4i]

Re: WBAI massive layoffs

I have a hard time hating on someone who isn't harming anyone but themselves.

Probably also hates my favorite president, William Henry Harry Harrison (look up his administration).

 

[Theater of My Mind]

Re: WBAI massive layoffs

I don't hate them, I just think it would be awesome to have an open frequency for DXing.

Plus, it's a waste of a full powered station.

The concept isn't a waste, just the execution.

Everyone here has basically said the only way to save that station is blow it up and go back to the drawing board. Well, that's pretty much what they're doing. The new PD sounds like he has some good ideas, let's see if they translate to some worthwhile new programming.

I think they still need to dump the GM, blow out their stupid board structure, start accepting some underwriting and endowments, and then start serving a larger audience that has money to give. No doubt all of these things need to happen very quickly if they're going to survive. That is, if it's not already too late.

 

[HHH]

Re: WBAI massive layoffs

Here's a question for you good folks: 'BAI pays $50k a month for its transmitter. Now the operation is moving its HQ to Brooklyn. Can't Pacifica *build* a lower power transmitter for itself? What's stopping this from happening?

The simple solution for that is to swap 99.5 with Cumulus for 94.7 + $10 million in cash. Would offer them a decent signal, some cash in the bank and give Nash a full market signal.

But these are people at Pacifica we're talking about here, who can barely make a decision to cross the street.

I still believe that WNYC might very well trade 105.9 + cash to Pacifica to put WQXR back on a full signal (99.5). WBAI would stay on the Empire on 105.9, albeit with a reduced signal in the burbs, but just fine in the city. WNYC might even throw in that WQXW 90.3 deal for Westchester coverage and/or give WBAI the WQXR/99.5 HD-2 signal as an incentive.