WE MUST SAVE WBAI & PACIFICA, TO FOCUS ON THE REAL ENEMY!

Photo by Mitchel Cohen, Havana

RADIO WITH HEART. Pictured above is Rene Gonzalez, one of the “Cuban Five”, in Havana, Cuba, June 2013. Rene at the time was the only member of the Cuban Five who had been released after almost two decades in U.S. prison. Mr. Gonzalez praised WBAI’s fair reporting on the case of the Cuban Five and appreciated the t-shirt (designed by WBAI’s Uncle Sidney Smith) that Mitchel Cohen gave him. (Man in background is jazz pianist, Oakland activist and writer William Crossman.) All the Cuban Five are now free. To hear Mitchel’s interview with Cuban Five attorney Len Weinglass (now deceased) click here.

DISCLAIMER: This is not an official Pacifica Foundation website nor an official website of any of the five Pacifica Radio Stations (KPFA Radio, KPFK Radio, KPFT Radio, WBAI Radio, WPFW Radio). Opinions and facts alleged on this site belong to the author(s) of the website only and should NOT be assumed to be true or to reflect the editorial stance or policy of the Pacifica Foundation, or any of the five Pacifica Radio Stations (KPFA Radio, KPFK Radio, KPFT Radio, WBAI Radio, WPFW Radio), or the opinions of its management, Pacifica National Board, station staff or other listener members.

WBAI is in crisis, as is the entire Pacifica Network. The Local Station Board has done shamefully little to address the problems that beset us — and, for that matter, most radio stations. Instead, some at national Pacifica, which owns WBAI’s license (as well as others in Berkeley, Houston, Washington D.C., and Los Angeles), have caved-in to powerful U.S. government and corporate forces and are calling for shutting down WBAI and breaking up the network! Sale of WBAI, they  figure, would net them tens of millions of dollars that, they say, could be used to save the rest of the network.

Such “thinking” is delusional. Pacifica’s strength and importance is in our unity. And, as fascist movements grow in this country, Pacifica & WBAI are needed now more than ever, to resist fascism, racism and war and to uphold the Pacifica Mission. We say:

FIX THE PROBLEMS AND STRENGTHEN THE NETWORK, DON’T BREAK IT UP!

The station is in desperate shape financially.

• WBAI’s rent for the antenna atop the Empire State Building runs around $55,000 per month.
• We finally forced the station to move out of Wall Street (saving around $30,000 per month).
• We’ve moved the administrative offices to Atlantic Avenue, Brooklyn,
• We’re looking to build studios in that building, and re-unite the administrative and broadcast arms at one location.
• We’re exploring ways to use WBAI’s new website to expand the station’s reach.
• Volunteers have been tremendous in all facets of the station’s operations, especially, right now, getting out the premiums that listeners have already ordered and paid for.

WBAI needs your help! Please contact VOLUNTEER@WBAI.org and we’ll get back to you promptly. And ….. thank you!

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