June, 2001

Dear Listeners and Friends of WBAI, For six months, WBAI radio (99.5 FM), has been in crisis. Since the midnight coup on Dec. 22, 2000 there's been a stream of firings, bannings, harassment, defamation, and censorship of the growing ranks of producers who disagree with this repression. So far, 21 staff members have been partly or fully removed from the air, including such dedicated activist broadcasters as Amy Goodman, Bernard White, Robert Knight, Mimi Rosenberg, Al Lewis and Deepa Fernandes. In addition, listeners, whose financial support has kept the station open for 4 decades, are denied access to the station and the Local Advisory Board has, for the first time ever, been unable to hold its mandated open meetings at the station.

As this crisis has unfolded, those who listen to the station have heard the dramatic shift in programming. Gone is "Wake Up Call," the grassroots morning show with activist-oriented segments on prisons, police brutality and international issues. Gone is "Building Bridges," the area's only weekly labor program, also covering community movements. Gone is "Al Lewis Live," an anti-racist program highlighting prisoners' struggles. Today, WBAI no longer sounds like the station that for 41 years provided fiercely independent coverage of community, national and global issues.

But there is also exciting, positive news! A strong movement to save our station has been growing throughout the listening area. In New York City, Concerned Friends of WBAI has developed into a vibrant structure. Mostly listeners, Concerned Friends also includes and welcomes the active participation of producers who disagree with the present management and representatives from the Local Advisory Board. Our work is strengthened by the close cooperation we have with groups like the Pacifica Campaign and Community for Progressive Radio.

The struggle to save WBAI has led to the formation of Concerned Friends groups throughout the listening area: Long Island, Rockland County, Westchester, New Jersey, Connecticut and the Mid-Hudson area. All of us work closely as we develop educational efforts, organizing materials and specific campaigns and projects that help us bring our message to more and more people.

In addition, Concerned Friends of WBAI continues to play an active role in uniting the work in this listening area with activists in the other four cities where Pacifica stations broadcast: Washington, DC, Houston, TX, Los Angeles and Berkeley, CA. Our common goal is to return "listener-sponsored" radio to the original mission of Pacifica as envisioned by founder Lew Hill —a progressive community radio network independent of corporate or government control.

In recent weeks we were deeply involved in the campaign to boycott the station's fund drive, an effort initiated nationally by the Pacifica Campaign. We agree that a vital part of the challenge to the looming corporatization and possible sale of our station is to stop the flow of money into Pacifica. Together, economic, political and legal tactics combine as a strategy to change the leadership of Pacifica and WBAI.

We will continue to ask people to not send contributions to the station. At the same time, there is something positive you can do with your money!

Our work to save WBAI, to defend free speech radio, to protect the rights of both paid and non-paid producers, and to ensure a democratic decision making structure that includes participation of listeners is far from over. Concerned Friends of WBAI must continue to organize protests, do the eductional work, work with elected officials and other prominent people, and help plan for elections of our Local Advisory Board.

We are asking for your direct and generous support for the movement to save WBAI. Concerned Friends of WBAI needs to raise money to carry out our very full program of organizing and educational work. Our only source of money is from people like you— people who understand how important this struggle is. We believe we can count on you...please don't let us down.

Before the day is over we hope you will take a moment to fill out the form on the "how to get involved" page and return it along with the largest check possible. Of course, no check is too small and we greatly appreciate all donations. Thank you.

The Coordinating Committee of Concerned Friends of WBAI
Concerned Friends of WBAI
PO Box 21711, Brooklyn, NY 11202
800-825-0055
www.wbaiaction.org