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Long Time NYC Radio Station Threatens To Go Off Air Without Help
You may have heard of WBAI-FM. It's a veteran listener supported radio station in New York City that's been on the air since 1955. But it may not be around much longer.
It's rare when a radio station that old, and on the FM band no less, is threatened with extinction. But the long time independent progressive broadcaster finds itself with a huge debt to the building that houses its transmitter. And if it doesn't pay up soon, the signal could go silent after almost 70 years.
“WBAI is facing an existential threat. This is not hyperbole. WBAI owes $150,000.00 to 4 Times Square which houses our transmitter, which enables us to transmit our signal to reach a 90-mile radius,” says WBAI General Manager Berthold Reimers. “But WBAI could be shut down at any moment and that would be the end of WBAI.”
Can't remember the last time I heard a New York City radio station warn listeners it might go off the air. WBAI boasts a left-leaning format and is unique among endless commercial stations in The Big Apple, which is what makes this story so unusual.
It doesn't appear from their fundraising page that they're even close to their goal, but it's not clear when the drop-dead pull-the-plug date might happen.
WBAI 99.5 FM NY Launches Tower Fund Campaign To Continue Transmitting Signal In New York
- RadioAaron
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Re: Long Time NYC Radio Station Threatens To Go Off Air Without Help
These guys have refused to cater to more than a super-narrow target, have had non-stop infighting and corruption, endless informercials for medical scams and basically no ratings. Would be foolish for anyone to check more good money after bad.
- Paul Jeffries
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Re: Long Time NYC Radio Station Threatens To Go Off Air Without Help
RadioActive wrote:
It doesn't appear from their fundraising page that they're even close to their goal.
That's putting it mildly.
PJ
ClassicHitsOnline.com...The place where all the cool tunes hang out!
- markow202
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Re: Long Time NYC Radio Station Threatens To Go Off Air Without Help
That would almost be an example of a Toronto Station needing fundraising to stay on the CN Tower lol
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Re: Long Time NYC Radio Station Threatens To Go Off Air Without Help
These guys have refused to cater to more than a super-narrow target, have had non-stop infighting and corruption, endless informercials for medical scams and basically no ratings. Would be foolish for anyone to check more good money after bad.
Speaking of which, they made not need the transmitter money if the FCC pulls their licence. It's part of an inquiry the Commission is holding into the station's odd business practices.
"...the FCC said the inquiry arises from allegations that WBAI broadcasts of the Gary Null Show, Christine Blosdale Special and Off the Hook included descriptions of price information, “inducements” to buy products or services from guests and calls to action.
“The products and services were created by either the respective WBAI program host or their guests on the shows, and purportedly related to the topics of their respective program’s discussions and interview topics,” the FCC said. “The Petitioner and Objectors allege that the WBAI program hosts promoted these products and services without proper sponsorship identification.”
FCC inquiry examines WBAI’s on-air fundraising practices
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Thread Starter- Paul Jeffries
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Re: Long Time NYC Radio Station Threatens To Go Off Air Without Help
It doesn't appear from their fundraising page that they're even close to their goal.
That's putting it mildly.
PJ
When I first checked around the time of RA's original post, they were a little over $6,000 in donations. When I checked about an hour or so later, they were a little over $9,000. Checking a third time just now, they're a little over $1,000 in donations. I wonder what happened there?
PJ
ClassicHitsOnline.com...The place where all the cool tunes hang out!
- RadioActive
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Re: Long Time NYC Radio Station Threatens To Go Off Air Without Help
I have no idea but it brings to mind one of my all time favourite TV sketches. It appeared on the Steve Allen Show in the 60s as a telethon to help eliminate Prickly Heat. They had the absolute worst talent and after days on the air, they'd only raised about $127.15
When they next checked the amount, it was down to $27.15, because the talent was so bad, viewers started withdrawing their pledges.
It was hilarious and the last time I saw it was in the early 70s, when I went to visit my sister in NYC and saw Allen at Carnegie Hall. They played it during the show as one of their most remembered and requested skits.
We didn't have YouTube then, but we do now and of course, it's on there. It's a bit long for today's short attention span crowd at 22 minutes, but it's a reminder of what TV variety shows used to specialize in. And I guess it didn't work, because we still have prickly heat today!
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Thread Starter- Saul
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Re: Long Time NYC Radio Station Threatens To Go Off Air Without Help
There's even a nod to DX, albeit the term is not mentioned...so that sure dates it!
- RadioActive
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Re: Long Time NYC Radio Station Threatens To Go Off Air Without Help
It is definitely a product of its time (1967) and there's no way they'd do a 22 minute sketch on TV today. I find the pace a touch slower than I remember, but I recall thinking it was great when I first saw it. Never thought I'd see it again, but who could have imagined YouTube and that somebody would still have a copy?
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Thread Starter- Marc1178
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Re: Long Time NYC Radio Station Threatens To Go Off Air Without Help
Is it a threat or a promise?