Lew Hill founded the Pacifica Radio network in 1949 in Berkeley. The five Pacifica stations were the first listener-sponsored radio stations in the country and were the model for NPR. Pacifica was left-wing and proud of it. For decades they show others what free speech is about. The archives of their radio shows belong in the Smithsonian. They are national treasures.
Well, at least I hope they end up in the Smithsonian because right now the archives are in desperate shape as is the rest of Pacifica Radio. A June 15 auditor’s report expresses “substantial doubt” that Pacifica will survive. This sad state of affairs has been a long time coming.
Ah, you say, this most certainly must be due to right wing evil agendas, right? Wrong. Instead the collapse of Pacfica into endless conspiracy theories, junk medicine, and psychotic internal politics is due to the inmates running the asylum.
Marc Cooper used to have a show on Pacifica until he ran screaming from the room. Doug Henwood still has an excellent show but it is deliberately being marginalized because he criticized their “disgraceful premiums.” Both are respected lefties with decades of experience.
From a Facebook discussion on Pacifica.
Marc Cooper: Not that anybody’s left to care very much. Pacifica Radio now officially bordering on collapse. And. no, it has nothing do with the CIA or the FCC. It has to do with the network being taken over by idiots a decade ago as the rest of the Left clapped like trained seals. Chickies are now coming home to roost. Good night and good riddance.
Sorry to disillusion you but Amy Goodman is part of the problem. She unethically used her show to undermine the network and to allow the current boobs to take over. As soon as they did, she “privatized” her show, Though created by Pacifica, they gave it to her for free and signed a $5m sweetheart contract with her to fund her with no accountability. Better you not know the ugly truth.
Doug Henwood: Marc nails it here too. Amy and Juan Gonzalez supported the gang of idiots around Bernard White who drove WBAI into the ground. Only to be succeeded by the idiotic Tony Bates, who promoted conspiracies and health quackery. WBAI’s net worth is now over -$3 million. Negative
I originally thought the collapse of Pacifica was due to a conspiracy. It’s not. It is due to the incompetence of the Left made worse by maggots who don’t care what shlock Pacifica is spewing as long as they have a market for their lunatic fringe health remedies and bizarre conspiracy theories on DVDs. (Such drek is used as premiums and the station pays for them plus they get promoted on shows.)
What a sad end to a once progressive institution. But Cooper is right, “Good night and good riddance.”