WBAI rally

1/6/01

On Saturday, Jan. 6, hundreds of WBAI listeners converged in front of the station's studio at 120 Wall Street to protest the recent firings of WBAI's station manager, program director and a producer of the popular early morning show Wake Up Call. The estimated 500 to 700 listeners carried signs supporting local independent control of WBAI programming, a mainstay of progressive journalism in NYC and home of nationally syndicated Democracy Now!

Many listeners (and staffers) feel that Pacifica's firings signals a move away from progressive, independent journalism and towards more traditionally accepted liberal positions, such as support for established Democratic Party positions. For more information, listen to WBAI at 99.5 FM in the metropolitan NY area, or use Real Audio to listen at http://www.wbai.org. where the firings are the topic of many programs and listeners phone calls. Online, see http://www.wbai.net for alternative views and listings of the many sites involved with the crisis at WBAI.

Click on the thumbnails below to navigate through a slide show of the 1/6 demonstration. Solidatity!

1 Police barricades in front of WBAI studios at 120 Wall Street 11 Defend Free Speach Radio Save WBAI 111 Raise Your Voice for Health Care 1111 Stop Censorship Democractize Pacifica 11111 Democracratize WBAI Rehire Fired Producers
1 Police barrica... 11 Defend Free S... 111 Raise Your V... 1111 Stop Censor... 11111 Democracra...
2 Stop Corporate Takeover of WBAI 22 Ben Buell holding sign 222 Pacificia National Board Censorship WBAI Equals Free Speach 2222 The scene in front of 120 Wall Street 22222 WBAI Not Corporate Radio
2 Stop Corporate... 22 Ben Buell hol... 222 Pacificia Na... 2222 The scene i... 22222 WBAI Not C...
3 Hands Off WBAI 33 Mimi Rosenberg of Building Bridges Community Labor Journalist on WBAI called the takeover an attack on progressive journalism 333 Rosenberg emphasizing her point 3333 Sign refering to Pacifica appointed program manager 4 Many the firing of Station Manager and Wake Up Call Host Bernard White shown here was politically motivated
3 Hands Off WBAI... 33 Mimi Rosenber... 333 Rosenberg em... 3333 Sign referi... 4 Many the firin...
44 Having White and his producer rehired is one of the demands of the protest 444 Young and old listeners attended 5 The Midnight Coup refers to the changing of the locks after the firings 55 Democratize WBAI Stop Banning Producers says Matthew Smith 555 Ben spoke about a youth group dedicated to protecting the progressive reporting of WBAI
44 Having White ... 444 Young and ol... 5 The Midnight C... 55 Democratize W... 555 Ben spoke ab...
5555 In front of the corporate puppets journalist Bob Lederer reports on health issues for WBAI and is editor of POZ magazine Keep WBAI Corporate Free
5555 In front of... Keep WBAI Corpor...