WBAI STRUGGLE: THIS WEEK
- More Time Taken for Imported Programming
- Laid Off Staff Still Waiting for Severance
- Organizing meeting (Coalition to Save WBAI) Tues. 9/17/13 – 7 PM
- Local Station Board meeting Wed. 9/11/13 – 7 PM
- Rock the Vote
- Some Community Announcements
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1. More Time Taken for Imported Programs
Effective Monday, September 9, the Interim General Manager cut further into local programming to re-air a rebroadcast of a program from California, instead of suggesting that WBAI’s own producers increase their coverage of Syria. Yes, we will be hearing a re-broadcast of the re-broadcast.
In fact, you will notice that the air is full of repetition. Mornings at 6AM sound the same as most mornings at 9AM; 5AM is the same as 10AM, and 8AM is the same as 3PM. This concentration of voices is far from any interpretation of community radio but it is consistent with the Interim Program Directors “vision” of eliminating WBAI’s “niche” programming and getting an audience that includes Rush Limbaugh listeners. To this end, we are told he is in negotiation to bring a superstar to morning drivetime.
The Interim Program Director and the Interim Executive Director who installed him remain in violation of Pacifica bylaws that require programming decisions and program evaluations be conducted in a fair, collaborative and respectful manner.
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2. WBAI’S Laid Off Staff Pool Is Growing and Is Still Without Severance Pay
Reports are that Ife Dancy, the sole female engineer at WBAI, has been laid off. The issue cannot be her technical skills; perhaps she lacked the facility to be an effective sycophant. The rest of the laid off staff have received pay for unused vacation time but have received no severance. Yes, they do have a union and SAG-AFTRA is welcome to share any progress on this front.
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3. Next organizing meeting – Coalition to Save WBAI, Tues., Sept. 17, 7 PM?
Location to be announced.
No meeting on 9/10, Election Day. Vote like you mean it!
Following on the 3 community meetings held this summer by the Coalition to Save WBAI, the next weekly meeting to plan next steps to regain local control of and strengthen WBAI will be Tues. 9/17/13 at 7 PM. Bring your ideas and energy to help save WBAI.
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4. Local Station Board meeting, Wed., Sept. 11, 7 PM?
At Alwan-for-the-Arts, 16 Beaver St., 4th floor (downtown Manhattan, down the block from the Bull)?
Trains: 4,5 to Bowling Green (wheelchair accessible); 2,3 to Wall St; 1 to Rector, J to Broad St., R to Whitehall St. (but R is not running uptown from Brooklyn)
Next year’s budget and plans to grow the station should be on the agenda. All meetings include time for public comment. Come and make your position about the changes known.
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5. Rock the Vote
A. Governmental Elections
Primaries will be held on Tuesday, September 10 in New York and Connecticut. New Jersey’s primary elections are over but school board elections are coming up.
Who rules, matters!
Get more information at: http://www.rockthevote.com/election-center/ and http://elections.mytimetovote.com/dates/default.html
B. Pacifica Governance
Some in Pacifica want to cancel local station board elections this year, which would allow board members whose terms would normally end in December 2013 to continue for another year. We are not sure if the national board will approve this and if so, we cannot be sure of the results of any court challenge. If elections happen, only those who’ve contributed at least $25 or 3 hours of volunteer time since September 2012 will be allowed to vote. Be sure that you’re eligible. If you cannot prove a contribution, give now to ensure that you will have your say.
Pledge online at www.give2wbai.org, or mail a check or money order for $25.02 today to WBAI, 388 Atlantic Avenue, Brooklyn, NY 11217. The $25 ensures your franchise, the two cents is your expression of dissatisfaction about management’s practices.
(The job of National Elections Supervisor has been posted. The start-by date should be ignored: http://pacifica.org/jobs_national.php )
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SOME OTHER COMMUNITY NEWS
CENTRAL PARK 5 BACK IN COURT ON TUES., SEPT. 17, 2PM
Support the Central Park 5!
Tuesday, Sept. 17 – 2 PM
Federal Court House, 500 Pearl Street, downtown Manhattan, Magistrate Judge Ellis
Travel: 4/5/6 to Brooklyn Bridge/City Hall; "J" to Chambers St.
(Be early; come prepared for the security check.)
Remember the Central Park 5? Five Black and Latino boys accused of the beating and rape of a female Wall Street banker in 1989, during a night of “wilding”?
Antron McCray (14), Kevin Richardson (14), Raymond Santana (15) and Yusef Salaam (15) were each sentenced to 5-15 years and jailed for 7 years. Sixteen-year old Kharey Wise was sentenced to 5-15 years and had been imprisoned for 13 years when Matias Reyes confessed in 2002. Together, that’s 41 stolen years.
Rather than lift the sexual offender label and offer some financial recompense, the City of New York has spent the last 8 years fighting these young men.
The CP5 go back to court on Tuesday, Sept. 17 – 2:00 PM. Stand with them. They are our sons, brothers, fathers, neighbors, friends. They are you.
Tell the city quit stalling and do the right thing!
Your presence continues to make a difference in this political case….
IMHOTEP GARY BYRD’S FAMILY NEEDS YOUR HELP
Khamit Byrd, son of long time broadcaster Gary Byrd, and his family is facing the loss of his eyesight due to complications of juvenile diabetes.
BRING LYNNE HOME
Lynne Stewart denied compassionate release by Judge Koeltl – Keep up the pressure on the Bureau of Prisons!
On August 9, U.S. Judge John Koeltl rejected Lynne Stewart’s request to grant her compassionate release, given her rapidly deteriorating case of terminal metastasized cancer. He simply accepted the prosecutor’s argument that he had no jurisdiction, and that only the U.S. Bureau of Prisons (under the Justice Department, i.e., the Attorney General) has the power to make such a decision.
Therefore, Lynne and her husband Ralph Poynter are urging supporters to step up efforts to contact the federal officials who can make such a release happen.
1. Get more signatures on the petition for compassionate release. Link at http://lynnestewart.org/
2. Write letters and make calls to:
PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA (202) 456-1111?, The White House, ?1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW?, Washington, DC 20500?
ATTORNEY GENERAL ERIC HOLDER (202) 353-1555, ?U.S. Department of Justice?, 950 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW, ??Washington, DC 20530-0001
CHARLES E. SAMUELS, Jr., Director (202) 307-3250/3062??, Federal Bureau of Prisons, ?320 First Street, NW?, ?Washington, DC 20534
Re: Lynne Stewart, #53504-054 Compassionate Release?
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