RadioPoetics.org

(via Steve Brown)
NEW WBAI PNB DIRECTORS:

Listeners:

• Nia Bediako (JUC)
• Carolyn Birden (Progressive Group)
• Jamie Ross (Progressive Group)

Staff:

• Kathy Davis (defeats Bob Lederer) (Progressive Group)

LSB ELECTIONS

• LSB Chair: Mitchel Cohen (defeats Vajra Kilgour)
• LSB Vice Chair: Andrea Fishman (defeats Lawrence Lucas)
• Treasurer: R.Paul Martin (defeats Baruti Bediako)
• Secretary: Seth Goldberg (defeats Berta Silva)

In case you haven't heard the good news, "our" side -- the Independents -- won the recent WBAI governing board elections by a gratifying majority (although part of the case is still in court). I will send out more information soon. But right now, I want to let you know that the first meeting of the new board -- a public meeting -- will take place tonight. Official notices about the meeting were sent out some time ago -- this is just my last-minute addition.

What has changed with the new board?
In the WBAI governing board election that took place in November 2007 (but whose ballots were only recently opened and counted, because they had been impounded by the court because of attempts by allies of the JUC to improperly influence the election), WBAI's thousands of listener-members voted overwhelmingly to repudiate the Justice & Unity (JUC) faction that has controlled the board and the station for the last four years.
During those 4 years of JUC control, the board's Independent minority (I am one of them) protested in vain as the JUC and its supporters harassed and engineered the illegal firing of popular producers such as Gary Null, Mike Feder, and Robert Knight. We protested in vain as much of WBAI's award-winning programming degenerated into unseemly on-air fights and private settling of grudges, instead of informing and inspiring their audiences. We protested in vain as the JUC and its allies virtually thumbed its nose at the listeners, causing nearly a third of our membership to depart the station, and tens of thousands of listeners (according to Arbitron) stop listening in disgust at what they were hearing (and often not hearing).
Most painful of all, the Independent minority had to sit by helplessly as the JUC board majority and its allies mismanaged station administration, personnel, fundraising and finances so badly that WBAI is now bankrupt and $500,000 in debt.
Well, we are no longer "helpless." The Independent board members are now the majority (heaven help us). WBAI's thousands of listener-members have overwhelmingly mandated us to turn WBAI around. If we fail, you will know where to lay the blame. This is an enormous task, and we are prepared to devote the time and energy required to complete it. Fortunately, we have enormous confidence in WBAI's newly appointed general manager, Anthony Riddle, and look forward to working with him towards achieving a better, stronger, healthier WBAI.
Regards,
Steve Brown