Much of the battle now brewing has its roots in the 2001 so-called Christmas Coup, when a markedly conservative element within the Pacifica Foundation had attempted to take over the station, firing people at will and arranging to sell the signal for personal profit. Since both its charter and Federal Communications Commission license established the non-profit five-station network as listener-sponsored community radio, a relentless group of loyalists took the foundation to court and eventually won, regaining both the physical plants (in Washington, New York, Houston, Los Angeles and San Francisco) and the Pacifica mission from what they viewed as a cabal of opportunists. Having incurred a debt of no less than five million dollars in court related costs (from both sides of the aisle), Pacifica has since been struggling to maintain its stations with direct support from its listeners.
Through the ensuing years, another group of conservatives looking to cash in on the fat cow has attempted to wedge its way into controlling both the Local Station boards and their parent Pacifica Board, until, finally, last year, the group, rumored to be led and underwritten by multi-millionaire Steve Brown, has allegedly bought its way into a controlling majority. Thus, the current battle between the progressive voices of WBAI (known as Take Back WBAI) and the new board majority has grown into a war between progressive and opportunistic elements and marked by a series of vindictive actions.
Once in place, the new majority wasted no time in firing long-time WBAI Program Director Bernard White, and in reassigning then-station manager Anthony Riddle, who had refused to fire Mr. White on the grounds that there were no grounds to do so – not legally, anyway. New managers were immediately imported into New York with the intent of firing Mr. White and banning from the station key personnel whose politics at the station were, at the least, independent and vociferous.
Last April, more than 100 WBAI Radio supporters and listeners gathered outside the Wall Street office, protesting the firing of General Manager Riddle and PD Bernard White.
Sources close to the station have explained that, prior to this recent turnover, the five stations belonging to the network focused most of their programming on local community issues and concerns and, for the most part were in the hands of strong multi-ethnic coalitions. “The key here is that the local station board, which also sends delegates to the national board, is elected by both general listeners and by the largely unpaid staff. When loyal listeners don’t participate in those elections or stay in tune with the politics at the station, then ‘buying’ an election depends largely on how much who is willing to spend. That’s basically what happened here,” one source stated.
An unpaid producer of a weekly program, the source noted that the station has a "prime radio signal – dead center in the middle of the radio band. Back in 2001, the signal was valued at no less than $300 million. So, you know that whoever brokers the deal to corporate interests and from the inside is going to get phat rich.
"So far, the new group, largely white, were able to take over the station, replace the Program Director, reassign the General Manager away from the station, and ban whomever they felt threatened by – every one these moves was done clearly against due process and in violation of current by-laws. But who’s going to argue with those in charge? You’d have to take them to court, which itself is an expensive process. When you’re the one in charge of a network that already has lawyers on staff, you simply charge the cost to operating expenses, but an individual or unfunded group of individuals can’t do that.
“Meanwhile,” he adds, “this is not just affecting WBAI. It’s happened in San Francisco and in D.C. – and guest what? Most of the people fired were Black and Latino, along with Whites who believe in community radio and radical politics. It’s across the board.”
He went on to explain that there are two major camps. "The progressive coalition includes a group of white, black and hispanic progressives," he said.
“What the new heat has done is first, get rid of key personnel, then move in on local and independently produced programs, followed by replacement programs that are aired only from one source (like San Francisco) – what we call ‘syndicated’ programs. In the process, they’re changing the face of stations like WBAI and helping to eliminate from the airwaves programs that focus on radical issues affecting local communities.”
In fact, WBAI is the only broadcast medium in the New York City area that gives voice to alternative and revolutionary movements.
When she first came into office, another source close to the station said, Pacifica's interim executive director, Grace Aaron, had attempted to take over WBAI air signals by sending her own people to the Empire State Building, where the transmitter is housed, and alter the station’s ability to send signals or air its programs without interference. This was done without the station manager’s knowledge or consent. The attempt failed because, since 9/11, security over such things has intensified. Since she didn’t have local clearance, she couldn’t change the signal source.”
Having failed at that attempt, he explained, she proceeded to carry out her plan to rid the station of both White and Riddle. Upon doing so, Aaron brings in her cohorts to take over the reins – all of which happens in clear violations of by-laws and due process. “She follows this up,” he says, “by issuing a gag order throughout the network, clearly stating that anyone speaking on the airwaves against the current politics of the station will be taken off the air.
“That’s what they mean by ‘Free Speech Radio’,” another producer sardonically added.
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