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| WBAI Pacific Radio Trouble | ||
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Current Events: February - March 2001 Pacifica Radio Station WBAI in New York City, first (or second?) of the Pacifica Foundation Radio Network, was originally founded as 100% Listener-Supported Public Radio dedicated to truth and excellence in news reporting, unhindered by corporate ties or political agendas, dedicated to community involvement and embracing cultural diversity, including a voice for minorities. It was intelligent radio which aired dead European high culture (for example reading War and Peace in its entirety, playing the lesser known musical pieces by Brahms), interesting art with little current commercial value (ragtime recitals), the innovative and culturally diverse (solo gourd recitals, glass harmonica, Afro-pop); with intelligent commentary and in-depth perspective on art, history, and current events. A group of station managers have, over recent years, been imposing some restrictions on content which many of the radio journalists and hosts believe is not in the original spirit of the Pacifica Foundation, has been degrading the quality of the broadcasts, and is contrary to the reason they work and volunteer (lots of volunteers) at the Pacifica Radio Stations (WBAI-New York, KPFK-Los Angeles, KPFA-Berkeley, KPFT-Austin, WPFW-WashingtonDC, etc). Recently the Managers locked out broadcasters at WBAI who they identified as trouble makers, censored broadcasts reporting the events by altering the broadcasts (splicing the tapes) without permission (something that had not been done before at Pacifica). There are rumors that the owners (?) are looking to make the radio station "commercially viable" and are looking more to corporate sponsors, possibly to sell the station and make it into a commercial station. I don't know if these rumors are true, but I do know that some reporting has been censored due to commercial interests. I am concerned. For additional information, check these links: |