It's Your Call...

This is a quick note to thank you for your support for the Justice & Unity Campaign in the recently completed Local Station Board elections and to alert you that the station is about to engage in additional elections.

Because of a process of "staggering", the Board is generally not changed all at once. Half of the seats were up in the mismanaged 2018 elections that ended in March and the other half of the seats will be open later this year. We will live (or not) with those combined results through 2021.

WBAI, like many organizations, is in delicate condition with a great deal on the line.

Our network avoided bankruptcy in 2018 but took a $3 Million-plus loan that put all our stations' buildings and contents at risk. The national board's promised repayment plan has not surfaced and we are 14 months into the 18-month reserve (that was withheld from the proceeds) of the interest-only 3-year balloon loan.

There is new national management with broadcast experience, but also with a bent toward contracting-out essential services, increasing 5-days across-the-week "strip" programming such as with Lopate and Hartmann, and reliance on Arbitrons / Nielsen's – the audience-measuring service used to price advertising. We'll have to keep an eye on the use of these things as solutions to years of managerial instability around the network and deep staff cuts at some stations.

Justice & Unity believes a mission-compliant station that is competently and creatively managed, with an active and committed local board that understands it role, can make a real difference to its communities.

To participate in the coming election, you will need to have, between last July and June 30, 2019, made a contribution to WBAI of at least $25 or volunteered 3 hours. For many of you, last year's contribution will cover your membership for this year, but please check your records to be certain, as you do not want to sit out this election!

If you're not covered by a previous donation, or if you want to give the station a boost, consider a:

Whether you love only one program or feel that WBAI is an irreplaceably vital conduit of information about addressing the daily struggles of historically marginalized communities (youth, people of color, immigrants, poor people, etc.), we know that in the face of the twin scourges of greed and arrogance in the white house, precariousness has spread to previously "safe" communities.

>More and more people are realizing that however we got here, we're all in the same boat. These are dangerous times for the planet and ironically, potentially great times for WBAI and Pacifica.

Please prepare to join us in the fight to increase the peace and share the knowledge. Make sure you can vote for Local Station Board representatives:

• Contribution: $25 to WBAI or 3 hours of volunteer work

• Eligible contribution dates: July 1, 2018 – June 30, 2019

• To donate, call (516) 620-3602, text "WBAI" to 41444, or pledge online at give2wbai.org

In solidarity,

Moira "Mo" Meltzer-Cohen

Ralph Poynter