Very late last night (D22), while most people with lives were partying, the Pacifica National Board siezed WBAI in New York. A program in progress was stopped by an on-air diatribe by the "new" boss. It appears the Pacifica crisis has escalated once again.
Bessia Wash, the instigator of much of the trouble at Pacifica, crossed the Delaware last night, while most people were distracted by Christmas/ Hanukkah parties. She rode or flew from DC up to NYC, and took over WBAI. This is Pacifica's New York affiliate where Amy Goodman produces Democracy Now! and started changing locks and firing people.
Listeners have rushed to the station on Wall Street. It appears there is some kind of physical confrontation brewing, but news is sparse. Listeners had planned to occupy the station after the New Year, when the new GM was to take over, but they were caught off guard by the timing of this illegal lockout.
Coming as this does on the heels of the Folk Scene cancellation at KPFK, and other labor problems at WBAI, there's no doubt that the Pacifica board is on the offensive everywhere.
I wonder if any of this is timed to get the new order into place before George II takes over.
URLs:
Free Pacifica/ Demonstration Updates:
http://www.radio4all.org/freepacifica/index.html
New York IMC:
http://nyc.indymedia.org/
WBAI Message Board:
http://disc.server.com/Indices/137196.html
In solidarity with NYC radio people,
-- .- .-. -.-. --- -. ..