What Sort of Programming Should WBAI Offer?

[Barry]

According to an article in InsideRadio, Summer Reese the Interim Director of parent organization Pacifica stated, “We have to evaluate all the programming, ...We wouldn’t be in this state if the programming were reaching a wider audience.”
If WBAI is able to soldier on as a result of staff cutting and an increase in donations, what should they be airing that would serve a greater share of the population in this area, and perhaps lead to more successful fundraising?
Let's focus on what we think they should be doing, rather than once again dwell on their numerous issues.

 

[Theater of My Mind]

No matter what anyone answers, it will never happen. The whole organization is paralyzed by layers upon layers of boards and committees, network, local and union leaders that need to vote on everything but can't agree on anything. Management by committee is what got them to this point and it is what will finish them off.

 

[nd2023]

As I said in another thread, WBAI is analogous to Occupy Wall Street. A large percentage of the population support Occupy Wall Street's ideas, and showed that support by donating to them, visiting Zuccotti Park, or participating in the marches. However, of those supporters, a very small percentage actually camped out at the park longer than a weekend. WBAI appeals to those radicals that would camp out in a city park. It should change its programming to appeal to the larger amount of people that just support Occupy Wall Street, but aren't so radical. There are so many liberals that would never listen to WBAI.

Or better yet, appeal to both sides of the political spectrum by flipping to a commercially viable music format. WBAI can actually profit from it, and use those profits to buy an AM station to broadcast its far left programming. There is no reason a company with a signal like 99.5 should go bankrupt, because even an iPod on shuffle would make money with that signal. It's one of the best signals, with no adjacents nearby, just co-channels in Wilmington and Hartford. Yet it performs dead last in the ratings, even during the peak of Occupy Wall Street. It's beaten by out of market stations that can't even be heard within 30 miles of the city. Even FM News 101.9 had several times the cume.

 

[KML0224]

Co-channel in Hartford? The closest to that here is WPLR-FM 99.1 in New Haven, WLZX-FM 99.3 in Northampton, MA and WEZN-FM 99.9 in Bridgeport, none of which are in the Hartford/New Britain/Middletown radio market.

 

[XCountry285]

co-channel: 99.3 Ellenville, NY (Hudson Valley)

 

[Steve Green NEPA]

This is anecdotal, but what the heck.

On the rare times I tune in terrestrial radio anymore for music (emphasis on the word 'rare') , the nighttime fare, as I work, comes largely from WRTI Philly, and its jazz. I can listen for hours.
I can get them via either of two area translators.

Thing is, WRTI is Classical during the day, and jazz only at night, with some jazz during the day on weekends.

Maybe I just happen to use them as background fare at the right times, but I've rarely heard them do a fund-raising thing. For the matter of that, the last request for donations I heard was during the day, when they were playing things like opera and the Warsaw Concerto. The point is, if there are holes in the shoes of WRTI management/ownership, I haven't heard them send up an alert signal.

Well anyway ....
All of the immediate, relatively modern-music scene seems to've been scoffed up by New York City radio. With all the crossover songs and the position jockeying it's as though ten music stations are aiming for the 30-40 demo.

And since the Standards are actually newer than either Classical or Jazz, with both the latter two supporting WRTI and its 15 or so translators .....
Why not a dayparted format?
Standards in the day ; Jazz at night.

Just a thought.
I'm WAY out of either demo. Too 'young'. But I'd listen, and I'd donate. Perhaps other boomers would as well. A lot of that music was our parents' music, so the familiarity factor is there.

 

[HHH]

As I said in another thread, WBAI is analogous to Occupy Wall Street. A large percentage of the population support Occupy Wall Street's ideas, and showed that support by donating to them, visiting Zuccotti Park, or participating in the marches. However, of those supporters, a very small percentage actually camped out at the park longer than a weekend. WBAI appeals to those radicals that would camp out in a city park. It should change its programming to appeal to the larger amount of people that just support Occupy Wall Street, but aren't so radical. There are so many liberals that would never listen to WBAI.

Or better yet, appeal to both sides of the political spectrum by flipping to a commercially viable music format. WBAI can actually profit from it, and use those profits to buy an AM station to broadcast its far left programming. There is no reason a company with a signal like 99.5 should go bankrupt, because even an iPod on shuffle would make money with that signal. It's one of the best signals, with no adjacents nearby, just co-channels in Wilmington and Hartford. Yet it performs dead last in the ratings, even during the peak of Occupy Wall Street. It's beaten by out of market stations that can't even be heard within 30 miles of the city. Even FM News 101.9 had several times the cume.

They take some hours and devote them to the arts. Programs like, for example, Phil Schaap's excellent daily series on Charlie Parker which is heard on WKCR. Some cool ethnic music presented in English. Acoustic music programs.

This way, they could retain their profile as a distinctive service.

As a matter of fact, if I remember correctly, WBAI used to broadcast far more arts programming years ago.

I believe that it is only the past several years that more and more politically-based programming crept into the schedule, so that now it is almost all that you hear.

 

[chrocket87]

Alternative rock.

 

[nd2023]

Co-channel in Hartford? The closest to that here is WPLR-FM 99.1 in New Haven, WLZX-FM 99.3 in Northampton, MA and WEZN-FM 99.9 in Bridgeport, none of which are in the Hartford/New Britain/Middletown radio market.

Isn't there a translator for La Bomba 99.5 in West Peak?