WHO KNEW?

by CdPNY

(853 words)

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There are activities afoot here in NYC and it is my duty to tell you all the good things that are happening in the WBAI listening area so we don't all get discouraged waiting for the lawsuits to bear fruit. Here goes.....

There have been three larger meetings and some smaller committee meetings in response to the bad behavior of the Pacifica National Board last September and the Amy Goodman saga a few weeks ago. Thanks to Leslie Cagan and Beth Lyons, two of the Pacifica National Board members for getting these meetings started. Now it is up to the listeners, LAB members and friendly staff to sort it out despite the distractions. Committees were formed and even the chaotic meetings have continued. People are interested and passionate and that is a good start.

The Pledge Drive

WBAI's listener-sponsors pledged $921,000 in October to help subsidize WBAI's daily operations. Much of the talk to raise funds was couched in a vague cloud of "there are elements out there that don't believe you will support a listener-sponsored radio station. We want to prove them wrong". I guess it worked. Not a lot of transparency but a good snow job since people still are not being told much, but they pledged money anyway. The threat of losing Amy Goodman from Democracy Now! made the situation critical and there was a buzz on the air for a week. Listener groups like CdPNY aren't being given any airtime by WBAI management , but on the plus side, management is allowing the newly formed group - Concerned Friends of WBAI - to play a cart on the air and to announce the meetings. Hence, increased interest.

Concerned Friends

Due to misunderstandings and the fear of possible hidden agendas, CdPNY has been denied a reserved seat at the Concerned Friends table. (Concerned Friends is made up of only two members from each committee.) We are disappointed at this turn of events, but the good news is that folks from CdPNY will sit on Concerned Friends anyway, by virtue of being members of the LAB elections committee. The debates about the LAB election have become quite contentious. One camp sees the value of the election campaign as a way to involve the voices of listener-sponsors, while another camp thinks now is a bad time to take energy away from the attempt to educate the listeners on what is at stake.

The reappearance of Nan Rubin

In a curious development, Nan Rubin, former Chair of the WBAI LAB, has crawled out of the woodwork and was seen informing the people at one LAB meeting and one listeners meeting about how things worked. Nan Rubin has worked in concert with former Pacifica National Board member and ex-Pacifica treasurer June Makela in the past, at the Funding Exchange. Nan Rubin has also held a high executive post in the Corporation for Public Broadcasting front group, the National Federation of Community Broadcasters (NFCB), which Lynn Chadwick headed before entering the Pacifica radio world. Nan Rubin is also employed by NPR. As a biographical description of Nan on one internet web site notes:

"Rubin is the powerhouse behind Community Media Services in New York City, a consulting firm of one, which has been providing management and fundraising assistance to public television and radio stations...and foundations since 1985. Her services include...board training and development...program marketing and distribution.

"Rubin was one of only three women chosen by National Public Radio to evaluate new digital satellite equipment...

"Rubin learned many of her skills during 6 years as Director of Station Development at the National Federation of Community Broadcasters (NFCB)...which she helped found..."

Given Nan Rubin's connection to NPR, Chadwick and Makela, it seems contradictory for her to now be fighting the good fight. We shall see if her influence will permeate the movement here in NYC. Her name has also been associated with the Prometheus Radio Project - a hands-on low power FM advocacy group. She sure gets around......

Nominations to the National Board

And another thing.... It seems that the WBAI Local Advisory board has ignored all requests to refrain from nominating people to the Pacifica National Board. Some members of the LAB want to nominate a particular person but did not feel it was appropriate to obtain the approval of the listeners attending the meeting last week. The man was "out of town" and they didn't want to give out his name. It was later leaked that perhaps one of the LAB members, a former chair, was also being hoisted into the line-up as well. All these decisions are being made without a democratic process. There is so little discussion between the groups. For a radio station which is in the business of communication we would do better with 2 tin cans and a string.

Finally --

On a final note..... On Oct. 31, 2000 there was an article in the yuppie paper, The New York Press titled "WBAI is its own Worst enemy" (http://nypress.com - search WBAI). It was by Norman Kelly, a former producer. The mail is still raging about the subject. Check it out.

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