The following statement, prepared on behalf of a group of listeners from the Coalition to Save WBAI, was presented at the WBAI Local Station Board meeting on August 14, 2013. The Coalition meets every Tuesday at 7 PM at 60 Wall Street (corner William Street), in the Atrium (lobby). All are welcome.
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In a meeting held on Tuesday, August 13, a group of WBAI listeners came together to discuss the devastating and sweeping changes to WBAI-Pacifica Radio that were announced by the Pacifica Foundation’s Interim Executive Director Summer Reese and the newly appointed Interim Program Director Andrew Phillips in an on-air WBAI broadcast on Friday, August 9, 2013.
We contend that the overall decisions represented by these pervasive programmatic changes, the firing of most of the paid staff, the destruction of local programming and the appointment of Andrew Phillips were made in an arbitrary and autocratic fashion with no overall staff or listener involvement. As such, the changes abrogate the democratic process stated in the Foundation’s by-laws and are opposed to the Pacifica mission as well as the tradition of autonomy at the station.
We, who have supported and sustained WBAI Radio as a community station throughout its more than 50 year history, are profoundly concerned and outraged by the recent and projected actions of Pacifica and local management. Management, without consultation or local input, has replaced the very essence of WBAI's unique programming and community mission with a model from another region of the country. In community radio, one region's programming does not fit all. Additionally, Management has squandered multiple opportunities to raise money for the station by refusing to entertain creative on-air fundraising, such as a proposed Radiothon, and numerous off-air fundraising recommendations, targeted direct-mail and social media campaigns, various development proposals and grant-writing schemes, proposed and developed by staff and listeners.
We, therefore, demand a vote of No Confidence in Summer Reese as Interim Executive Director of the Pacifica Radio Foundation and call for her immediate resignation.
We demand a vote of No Confidence in Berthold Reimers as WBAI’s Station Manager and call for his immediate resignation.
We reject the appointment of Andrew Phillips who was imposed as WBAI's Interim Program Director without due process and in violation of the station's by-laws.
We reject the usurpation of local programming at WBAI and its replacement with programs from other regions. We demand that the programming maintain its community focus, especially for the underserved and minority populations of the tri-state region, with news, information, arts and culture relevant to our communities.
We demand the recall of all staff who have been laid-off by Pacifica and WBAI management.
We demand that an investigative committee review the finances of WBAI and the Pacifica Foundation, for mismanagement of funds, negligence, and the “wasting of the public assets”. Because there has been no fiscal transparency and least of all accountability by management, we also demand an independent fiscal audit to provide information on all financial matters, including the disbursement of funds in all arrears, including to various “consultants” and as well funds that heretofore were available and have now been denied to, or withheld by previous funding sources to WBAI and or the Foundation.
In summary, WBAI must retain its autonomy and have local control of its programming, finances, staffing and public assets. WBAI must remain New York's community radio of the people, by the people and for the people.
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