5 thoughts on “WBAI, NYC?s non-commercial, listener-supported radio station, has few Latino employees and fewer Latino programs. What do you think should be done?”
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ROOM FOR NAMBLA
The thing that turned me off about WBAI a few decades ago was the fact that they allowed the National Man Boy Love Association (NAMBLA) to broadcast their depraved philosphy.
I called once to protest (I was a subscriber until then) and was told that the station’s philosophy was to all allow all ‘non-mainstream’ groups to air their views.
I wonder whether WBAI continues to promote the same philosphy. My point is this, if they still hold the same views, at least with respect to the rights of pedophiles, I would not weep one tear if they were shut down; not to mention that I would not want my culture aired on those bands.
“Community” radio
WBAI is an important radio station with some contradictions. On the one hand it’s a resource for in formation and analysis that isn’t available any where else on the airwaves. That’s especially significant given the times we’re living in, and how important it is for people to get information that the mainstream media doesn’t provide; for example, Iraq.
On the other hand I’ve recently noticed on BAI an increasing absence of programming that addresses issues that are important to the Puerto Rican and Latino community in this city and surrounding areas.
There is some Latino oriented arts programming –music shows such as Ritmo con Aché and New World Gallery on Sunday afternoons, and the literary Perspectives on Thursday afternoons. La Nueva Alternativa, which was broadcast mainly in Spanish, was off the air for some time. I heard it’s back but I don’t know at what time and haven’t heard any promos for it.
There was the public affairs program Our Americas, which focused on issues in Latin America and the Caribbean. I haven’t heard that one in a while, though I heard it’s returning. There is also, I believe, Cuba in Focus. There may be others, I don’t know. But there is no programming on WBAI that focuses specifically on local issues that are relevant to the Puerto Rican and many other Latino communities in BAI’s listening area. At one time the only program that was doing that was Latino Journal, but that was taken off the air several months ago and I haven’t heard whether it will be returning. In the meantime there hasn’t been a program scheduled that does what Latino Journal was doing – dealing, I think for the most part, with local issues specifically relevant to Puerto Rican and other Latino communities. Even when it was on Latino Journal had one hour of airtime per week to deal with a very broad range of Puerto Rican and Latino issues and stories. Some of those local stories are covered on WBAI’s evening news but that has been cut back from two broadcasts, at 6PM and 11PM, to one at 6PM.
New York has the largest population of Puerto Ricans outside of the island. It’s also the home to numerous other Latino communities – some well established, others rapidly growing. Outside of occasional stories I haven’t heard those communities represented on Community Radio WBAI. Ironically, listener supported WBAI is currently in the midst of a fund raising drive. I think that in neglecting a large Puerto Rican and Latino community it may also be failing to bring in many potential supporters.
That brings me back to my original statement; WBAI is an important radio station with some serious contradictions. For example – at a time when the mainstream media is generally speaking with one voice, WBAI is offering critical information and alternative points of view. There is also health related, cultural and programming that is unavailable elsewhere. However, the under representation in Puerto Rican and Latino programming – especially of local community issues and stories, is a glaring contradiction for a listener supported “community” radio station.
So what do we do? I don’t think that withholding financial support is the answer. The station is too important in a larger context, despite its contradictions. The stakes are too high. If you’re a BAI listener and have concerns call, E-mail or snail-mail the Station Manager and Program Director. I know that there have been meetings, at the station, of concerned Latinos. There has also been some communication to the management regarding programming concerns, though I don’t know what the response has been. If you’re not familiar with the station, listen to it for a few weeks and make up your own mind (99.5FM).
HIDING BEHIND CONTRADICTIONS
I think its disingenuous to skirt the issue of the “contradictions” that reveal an ethic or ethos that should concern the community at large; especially in light of the debacle of sexual abuse in the Catholic Church.
To me, it is not good enough to suggest that because WBAI/Pacifica Radio may broadcast information on issues important to me concerning Vieques or the electoral process, that I should be willing to turn a blind eye toward practices that are odious to me — certainly to the children of community.
I believe that the true believer in a cause or causes develops a morality and ethical posture that is consistent. In other words, the person that is fundamentally against bombing Vieques is also against abuse against women and children, against abuses of the work place, and so on. The person who honestly holds these positions does not demonstrate the contradiction of saying, “I believe these things but I also believe that is is OK for pedophiles to express their views (not to mention practices) openly”
Sorry, your plea for WBAI does not stand up. True advocacy has a fundamental ethos of liberating humanity from oppressive behavior; and it does not make exceptions for the abuse behavior of depraved cohorts.
RE: HIDING BEHIND CONTRADICTIONS
In response to Red Planet’s comments: I’m assuming that your response to my posting was a reaction to what you considered to be my response to yours. I want to make something very clear. My comments regarding BAI are not a response to your posting. My comments were a response to the topic in the forum regarding concerns about the under representation of Latinos on WBAI. If I had wanted to address your statement I would have posted a reply directly under it. Regarding your comments, I felt that it would have been irresponsible and inappropriate to comment on a program that I didn’t hear first hand. There was no skirting of issues.
As for your posting, I have say that as far as I’m concerned intentional harm to any child, in any form, is pernicious and abhorrent. I’m particularly sensitive the issue and familiar with it. Children are the most defenseless victims in any society.
The issue takes on even greater significance given what’s taking place now in the Catholic Church. The revelations show the lasting harmful impact, into adulthood, of abuse – and of institutions as well as adults turning a “blind eye”.
However, as I stated, I never heard the program that you referred to on BAI. I’ve been listening to the station for thirty years. I’m not an apologist for the station and I’m not saying it didn’t happen. I’m saying I never heard it. I don’t listen to the station24/7. I have heard other things on the station that I’ve taken strong issue with and I’ve handled it by calling the station and speaking to people that are in a position to address the concern. I also know that other listeners do likewise – on and off the air. I’ve seen concerns addressed.
I’d say that if you have a complaint, let the station know – if you haven’t already. Document it. What program was it? When was the program on? What day? What time? Who was the host? Who was the producer? What was the context? Do you have a copy of it? Under whose watch did it happen?
BAI is part of the Pacifica Network. There is nothing in Pacifica’s mission or that I’ve heard in BAI’s current programming that would indicate any sanctioning of child abuse in any form. The station has been under several managements and program directors over the past several years. Many producers are volunteers. The content of one program or the views of one producer don’t speak for the station or it’s mission any more than the views of participants on this site represent the site’s management or mission.
It makes no sense to me to hold the current station and it’s programming responsible for some thing that may have happened in the past, especially when that programming does not reflect the station’s values and when there is no programming that I know of, currently, on BAI that in any way condones child abuse in any form. Especially, also, when the current programming is so valuable given the times we’re living in.
If I read your response correctly, following your line of reasoning, anyone who supports the station, whether they are critical of it or not can be said to be turning a “blind eye” towards pedophilia – or in my case “hiding behind contradictions”. Does that go for all the producers and hosts and employees and guests and listener supporters? I don’t think so. Does that go for all the community activists, political leaders, artists, musicians, poets, writers and cultural workers whose voices have been heard on the station’s airwaves over the years? Does that include the parents who have lost their children to police brutality – for whom BAI was and is an outlet to have their stories heard while other media outlets are indifferent? I don’t think so. Does that include all the foreign dignitaries as well as other everyday people who filled St. John’s Cathedral to honor one of the station’s Program Directors when he passed away a few years ago? I don’t think so. It’s estimated that over the past twelve years an average 4,500 children have died each month in Iraq as a direct consequence of this country’s policy. Children. You do the math. BAI is one of the few media outlets that have been covering that story in detail. Its estimated that a few Saturdays ago around 200,000 people attended an anti war rally and march in Washington DC; the largest demonstration of its kind since the Vietnam War. They did so in part to protest this government’s policies regarding Iraq and the impact on Iraq’s children. While other media outlets barely covered it BAI broadcast it live for 8 hours. No commercials. Are all the people who tuned in all over the country and all over the world on the radio and the Internet turning a “blind eye”? I don’t think so. The list goes on and on.
I am not an apologist for BAI. I do think that it is possible to see the value in something while being critical of aspects of it. As I stated, it makes no sense to me to hold the current station and it’s programming responsible for some thing that may have happened in the past and when there is no programming that I know of, currently, on BAI that in any way condones child abuse in any form. Apart from that, I’ll also restate that it would be irresponsible of me to comment on a program that I did not hear.
I think that the topic question posed in the Forum is one worth discussing, that’s why I responded initially. I hope that whatever dialogue develops in response to the topic is constructive; otherwise it’s defeating the purpose of this Forum and this resource in general.
RE: RE: HIDING BEHIND CONTRADICTIONS
I appreciate hearing from you.
The organization in question had a regular program on the station. That is a historical fact, check the archives. Dont ask others if they have tapes or copies of the programming; what when or where.
I uttered a sad chuckle when you defended that many producers are volunteers, suggesting that somehow their programming does not fall under the ethos or programming policy of Pacifica Radio. I wish you had said that occassionally your airways are invaded by ‘pirates’ who broadcast this depravity on your bands; and that you regret any such occurence…but you did not.
You raise a syllogistic question which is unfortunate. If a tree falls in the forest, yet you were not there to see it fall…guess what: it created a noise. Why…because you know from personal or empirical evidence that when an substantial object falls against a surface. one of the results is that noise is created at impact. You do not have to have been there to hear if a sound was created.
By the same token, once the archives show you that NAMBLA was programmed on Pacifica Radio, and once you know what the organization represents, according to your personal declaration, you should find it odious — without having heard it.
Also, what on earth can you mean by questioning what the context was. The context is called pedophilia.
Turning a blind eye would apply to those people who are aware of the history, not those younger and more recent listeners who are unaware of the programming history. Once aware of this history, if the information is rationalized away or elided, then I would say that person is turning a ‘blind eye’
If Pacifica Radio or WBAI would make a declaration against that type of programming, then I would be the first person to say, “the past is the past” Until I hear such a declaration, I can only assume that the station would still be a vehicle for that or other depraved cohorts.
At the time, I did voice my views to the station and discontinued my support. If you found the station unwilling to declare itself against such programming, would you be willing to do the same.