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News :: Miscellaneous |
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Pacifica's NYC Station Refuses to Air Democracy Now |
Current rating: 0 |
by Paul R.
Email: paul (nospam) mediageek.org (unverified!)
Address: urbana |
07 Jan 2002
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On Monday Jan. 7 progressive radio news program Democracy Now returned from four months of exile to the Pacifica Network, but wasn't heard on Pacifica's New York City station, where the program originates. |
On Monday Jan. 7 progressive radio news program Democracy Now returned from four months of exile to the Pacifica Network, but wasn't heard on Pacifica's New York City station, where the program originates. According to the program's website, the scheduled guest, filmmaker and author Michael Moore, was in New York and called in to do his interview. Not hearing himself on the radio he asks, "Where am I?"
The following press release from the Democracy Now staff tells the full story.
Also see this earlier newswire post for news of DN's return from exile: http://urbana.indymedia.org/front.php3?article_id=3661&group=webcast
News Release
January 7, 2002
For immediate release:
Contact:Karen Pomer (310) 463-7025
Kris Abrams 646 522-2089
NEW YORK (January 7)After a five month ban, the award-winning national radio program Democracy Now!, returned to Pacifica Radio's airwaves on Monday. But the show's home station WBAI in New York defied a directive by the new listener-backed Pacifica National Board. The board ordered the show back on the air in its original time-slot (9-10am EST). By not broadcasting the program, WBAI continued its policy of censorship and the firing and banning of producers.
Democracy Now! was banished from Pacifica airwaves in the midst of an attempted corporate takeover of the only independent radio network in the United States. Todays return came as a result of a two-thirds majority vote of the new board, required by last month's legal settlement which moved the Pacifica crisis closer to resolution.
"This is a critical day in the history of Pacifica Radio," said Leslie Cagan, the chair of the new Pacifica board.
"I just want to say how much I love you, how much I like your show," said activist-comedian Dick Gregory, who was the swing vote on the board mandating that the ban be lifted and that Democracy Now! be restored. "I'm glad you're back."
After discovering that Democracy Now! was not airing live on WBAI, filmmaker Michael Moore, a guest on the program, called the radio station from Democracy Now!'s studio as the show broadcast live to ask "Where am I? I don't hear myself on WBAI."
Moore was attempting to reach WBAI's General Manager Robert Daughtry. A receptionist at the station then put Moore's call through to the public affairs director, who said the station would not air the program. Moore's on-air confrontation with the only Pacifica station that refused to air Democracy Now! comes days before the new Pacifica National Board will meet face to face in New York this weekend. Los Angeles station KPFK also censored the program, refusing to broadcast it at 9 am, its usual time slot-- which has the largest audience. The station only aired it at 6am. WPFW in Washington began the program ten minutes into the broadcast and censored the end of the show in which host Amy Goodman dedicated the program to the banned and fired at WBAI and KPFK.
Also appearing on the program were activist-comedian Dick Gregory, a new member of the Pacifica National Board, Professor Noam Chomsky, Leslie Cagan, the new Chair of the Pacifica board. New York Daily News columnist and Democracy Now! co-host Juan Gonzalez returned to the program after a year of leading a campaign to win back Pacifica. Fired WBAI programmer Bernard White also appeared on the program.
"Today was a tremendous victory for pro-democracy media activists around the country who have fought tirelessly to return Pacifica to its original mission: to go to where the silence is and say something," said Democracy Now! host Amy Goodman. "It is not surprising that our home station WBAI censored today's live broadcast. This is a station that continues to fire and ban producers."
Democracy Now! is Pacifica's flagship national program and its host Amy Goodman has won numerous journalism awards. Rather than ending the show after Pacifica banned it, Democracy Now! expanded. In addition to broadcasting on Pacifica station KPFA in Berkeley, the program aired on community radio stations around the country and, in the largest public media collaboration in the country, has begun broadcasting a daily national TV show which airs on Free Speech TV channel 9415 of Dish Network -- and public access cable TV stations nationwide.
The new Board majority is determined to return the 50+ year old listener-sponsored network to its peace and social justice mission. One of the first moves of the new board was to vote at their first board meeting, a conference call to bring back Democracy Now! Among the issues yet to be resolved are the return of banned and fired producers at WBAI and a resolution of a news stringers strike against the Pacifica Network News. |
See also:
http://www.democracynow.org
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