Just when one thought that things couldn't get weirder or more tragic...it does. In an insanely big way too. There was a double suicide at our radio station. Not actually in the studios, but two of our hosts committed suicide together.
John Littig, and Lynne Rosen who did a self-help positive living program apparently came to the edge, and went over. I could launch into my cynical feelings about all that feel good 'new age noise', but let it go.
I'm sorry they were quietly suffering. They gave no outward sign that there was trouble,..but then folks rarely do in these situations.
As I said below I think. This has been a seriously Hellish 30 day period at Wbai.org. A station in a broadcast network founded by pacifists in the late 1940's.
Locally here at WBAI New York we were seriously behind in our finances thanks to Hurricane Sandy. Because of this we nearly lost our transmitter at the top of the Empire State Building.
We lost our facility studios, and offices in lower Manhattan. We were flooded out.
The waves came 21 feet high! To the second floor over the traffic lights, and wrecked the systems in not only our building, but most of the iconic skyscrapers of downtown.
We had to relocate far uptown to the campus of the City University of New York.
To put a cherry on the icing the staff went unpaid for a month all sorts of internal labor chaos plus fist fights over the need to radically change our programming, and then our dear friend, and on air host Ibrahim Gonzolas passes away.
'Then' we have our own mini-Jonestown event.
The local papers are having a filed day with us. Any publicity is good publicity they say especially if they spell your name right.
WBAI it's spelled the way it sounds.
Yeah it's been real.
Stay Tuned.
*(...btw it's the anniversary of "D-DAY". I have some thoughts on that I'll post another time.)
You are the last good thing about WBAI Sidney! Back in the day it was the cat's ass! Now a shit hole.
ReplyDeleteThese "feel-good" jerks were a joke and so is Gary Null. Who in his right mind takes buffoons like that seriously? There is a lot of other shit on the station that I shut off the minute the babble starts. Is Amy Goodman still there? I tune into her show on the web.
But you, Sidney, you are the last of a breed. May your tribe increase. Alas, I fear it is too late to save the station. Utrice Leid was the last straw. I think you were standing next to her when she wouldn't let Amy into the studio back when she pulled her fascist stunt over a decade ago? What a frickin gang of galoots!
Where the hell is your new site to replace Q.O.? Is that still in the works?
That's awful. I was real sorry to hear about your friend Ibrahim passing. This last is just way over the top. This sure has been a brutal month for you.
ReplyDeleteWhen Pacifica was founded it had an empire to oppose and the economy was booming. Now that the economy's irrevocably contracting, what will Pacifica do if the empire starts unraveling before our eyes? It's just not the same world it was in1948.
I hope that once the rubble stops bouncing you may find some pleasant respite from harsh realities by creating a fresh boy blog or website. Maybe something about those ball-jointed dolls...
Zaek
I've been waiting for the web site. But failing that another tumblr or blog are just fine too. I really liked Q.O. Hope to see some good news soon.
ReplyDeleteWhat the fuck is going on? Ibrahim died in his sleep? You know Unc, that station has been & will continue to make the producers & the listeners sick in the mind, spirit & physical health. I don't listen anymore. Ironically, any time I do tune in all I hear is shows on magic potions, "GET HEALTHY WITH WBAI" I know you & the rest of the saddle pals have given so much, literally blood, sweat & tears & I can't handle what the station has done. And you actually walk into the den of evil....I fucking shudder. Susan from Brooklyn
ReplyDeleteand the other two, I can't,
ReplyDeleteI'm still sort of shell shocked with all that's been going down. Don't know what to say.
ReplyDeleteHowever I'm glad you good comrades have come around I loves ya all.
Peace to you.