August 8, 2001

Leid Banishes Democracy Now! From Master

Sources say WBAI's interim manager Utrice Leid has permanently banished Amy Goodman and her staff from producing Democracy Now! in WBAI's main broadcast studio. With no explanation, the decision to

interfere with the production of Pacifica's most popular national-news show was handed down to the DN staff today by Pacifica's National Program Director Steve Yasko, who is in New York (see post below).

The smaller production space is limited technologically, and could seriously compromise the production values of Democracy Now!--notwithstanding management's so-called fierce campaign to professionalize the network.

Sources say Yasko informed Goodman he would send up a clock.

Eileen Sutton

Banned WBAI Unpaid News Reporter

Pacifica Reporters Against Censorship

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August 8, 2001

Democracy Now! Harassed

Friends,

Sources say that minutes before air time this morning, and without explanation, interim general manager Utrice Leid once again threw Amy Goodman and Democracy Now! (DN) out of the master broadcast studio and into WBAI's Studio 3--a small, sub-standard broadcast space not suited to a national program. Leid last moved the show into Studio 3 this past May, when Democracy Now! was taken off the air for 3 weeks in New York.

Technical challenges abound. Studio 3 cannot accommodate multiple phone guests, and the clock--a critical component of professional radio production--has been broken for months. The clock in Studio 3 is in fact covered with gold foil. When Goodman commented on the clock to Leid, sources say Leid sarcastically told Goodman to go buy one. National program director Stephen Yasko (a staunch promoter of Pacifica's professionalism) also happened to be at WBAI this morning when the DN staff was racing to prepare. Goodman asked Yasko for a

clock. He then brought her one without numbers.

Other morning producers laughed as they watched Goodman and her staff hurrying to prepare Studio 3 for a complicated show. Sources say Leid mocked them by saying, *Watch them run. Watch them run.*

When a Democracy Now! producer asked Leid if DN would in fact be broadcast to the New York audience today, sources say Leid got right up into the producer's face and, in a highly agitated state said: *You do not talk to me. You are a producer. You do not question me. You do not interrogate Utrice Leid.*

Goodman has been warned repeatedly regarding her *Banned and Fired* sign off. Sources say that because of how bad conditions still are at WBAI, she still ends her show with a pointed reference to the results of the Christmas Coup.

Eileen Sutton

Banned WBAI Unpaid News Reporter

Pacifica Reporters Against Censorship