WBAI Radio's BOB FASS, and a personal radio restrospective
WBAI Radio's BOB FASS, and a personal radio restrospective
The
following is a long and rambling essay about radio and some very special
people. The motivation to write it,
though, comes toward the end of the essay. So feel free to scroll down to the bottom and
read about Bob Fass, and some recent news about him. Or just click on this link, then come back and
read this blog entry. The link and the matter
regarding Bob Fass are more crucial and time-sensitive than what follows.
Some 38 years ago when I worked at WBAI
it was a great thrill to be among the eclectic, freewheeling, Listener
Supported Pacifica Radio people. This was my maiden voyage into
Radio. As a child Iíd been in love with
Radio, always knew Iíd be in the radio business when I became an adult.
Growing up in New York City one canít just get a summer job
at the local station ñ this is, after all, the #1 market in the country. There are union issues and there's just no
place for a kid to cut his teeth when it comes to commercial radio in the Big
Apple. But this was The Sixties. WBAI, a listener supported Pacifica Radio station (and one of my
favorites, to boot!) relied on volunteers and all sorts of listener support. So I worked there, and was lucky enough to
start my career in the #1 market. Very
few broadcasters can claim to have made their on-air debut during afternoon
drive in the top market in the country, smack dab in the middle of the FM dial. And as a teenager, no less!
WBAI in the 60ís was a magical place, as
though a certain pure essence of what the 60ís was all about. WBAI was incredible. The people there and the commitment and
passion, along with the exciting time of man and politics made for radio ñand a
contribution to the pop culture and movements of the timeóthe likes of which has
never been duplicated.
The people, from on-air to back-office
to the techs and the administrative types, were what made WBAI so wonderful. What a place to get started, to learn the
ropes. And to interact with such a zany
and zealous group. I rubbed shoulders
with Larry Josephson, Steve Post, Bob Fass, and many others.
Larry Josephson moved to San Francisco,
and later moved out of the conventional (albeit off the main path) confines of Pacifica, over to a more mainstream public radio
distribution outlet. And now, what with podcasting (I hate that term) there
might be a resurgence of interest and listenership for him. Of course it would
help the process along if he sanctioned the distribution, and perhaps might do
a few new casts, as well. His Radio Foundation might just get a great shot in
the arm should it embrace ëcasting.
Steve Post left WBAI, then went back, then went to WNYC for
a long run. His morning show on WNYC-FM was priceless.
And then it was canceled. Why? Not for lack of following or
loyal audience.
It was due to bullshit research. Or maybe a better
way to state that is bullshit posing as
research, delivered in nicely bound reports by consultants who tell you what it
seems you hired them to tell you in the first place. The "consultants for public radio"are to blame. These are the people who
turned public radio into a blinders-researched self-liquidating listener
reduction cycle. They decided to identify a certain donor group, and then
advise that WNYC (et al, this shit is rampant) should drop all sorts of
programming not of keen appeal (or research score) to those comprising what the
researchers (sic) came to identify as a key financial
support listener segment.
As in this: underserve those who donate less (as a percentage
of the whole). These consultants took all the gems and individual
programs of appeal to the smaller audience segments -- those that that
comprised a multivariate overall group, and each as a stand-alone
"marketing sub set" (what a major dis to the audience) and otherwise
grossly underserved audience . . . and advised WNYC
to fuck them over.
You know, "super serve the core," a bullshit
catchphrase from the commercial radio people. I fought with these types of
idiots throughout my entire commercial career. These short-sighted so-called
researchers who defined a supposed core listenership group (usually not
properly qualified or matching the criteria that would tag them as such by the
standards of the ratings methodology - - thus rendering the data useless and
harmful-- but tell that to the idiots peddling that bullshit, or worse, to the
bozo execs at various broadcast chains who bought such drivel) determined that
a host like Steve Post made no sense. So
he is now doing but one single one-hour weekly
program. A tremendously entertaining weekly one hour program. You can listen to it online, and would be well
advised to do so.
Imagine the New York Times or The Washingtin Post hiring a bozo research
consulting group, and they offer up a report in which they determine that all sorts of departments, like Sports
(bad example, the Sports in The NY Times sucks), Business, Metropolitan, et al,
are not "core audience" enough, so drop 'em, and just do international
news and Op-Ed.
This is what contributed to the whitewashing of music
radio all over the country, and began the eventual elimination of anything
unique, special, local or individual. The Clear-Channelization Syndrome,
lethal to creative or locally minded programmers. Now, of course, you can go to any city in the
country and hear almost the exact same radio format, no matter where you are.
Gannett does this to a degree with their newspapers.
Apparently it is only the unencumbered distribution and
delivery system that is the internet that saves us from total domination by idiots
in blue-carpeted offices.
At this point it might be wise for me to
offer a bit of a disclaimer. I worked as
a consultant in the commercial radio business for well over 20 years. 20+ of the most exciting and fulfilling years
of my life. I conducted primary
research, designed and fielded studies, did statistical analysis and fielded Focus
Group studies, and developed programming, marketing, sales and promotion plans
for radio stations all across the country. My firm did this in markets large and small,
and in numerous formats. In some cases
we invented formats to fit a gap we perceived in the market. We had focus and direction on making
money. To do so we needed to please the
audience and score well in the ratings. We were always mindful that the advertisers
needed to be equally served, and that having listeners who liked the
programming and would respond to the ratings methodology (thatís how one gets
ratings) as well as a structure and placement for ads within the program
context were the ingredients for success.
I also published an annual study in conjunction with Arbitron (the main
ratings company) on ethnic audience listening habits.
Unlike some of my peers in commercial radio,
I never had a negative attitude about Public or non-commercial radio. I grew up in that arena, I knew it well. I respected it and was always gratified to
hear quality radio coming from that end of the spectrum.
An open mind combined with a love for the medium got my firm some interesting assignments during my
consulting career. Among them, included working with New York Cityís last major FM station devoted to serving
various ethnic communities via special programming. Some of that programming was locally
originated, some was brokered out. We
developed a cohesive identity and marketing plan that gave the station some
ratings-oriented identity, and also raised the billing significantly.
And despite not speaking Spanish we ended up
programming three stations and later developing an island-wide network in Puerto Rico. Radio
was our common language and passion, so translators and a bilingual staff made the jobs not
only a pleasure, but also a resounding success.
Loving radio meant loving it all. Heck, I even like CB and Ham radio, and would
cheer for Amatuer Radio enthusiasts and even appreciate dispatchers on
sideband channels who have good on-air presence.
So Enough of my WNYC rant. And side rant about
corporate-think dismemberment of individuality, free thinking, entrepreneurship
and creativity. The real reason I began this essay (which was actually and
originally an e-mail to Doc Searls and RageBoy in a somewhat different form) was
to bring some attention to a situation involving one of the great originators
and program hosts from free-form and listener-supported
radio, WBAI.
WBAI's one-time major hero and mainstay, now, like Steve Post,
down to one show a week, is in trouble. Bob Fass is in tough financial (et al) straits. But his friends (including Paul Krassner,
Marshall Efron, Larry Josephson and Steve Post) are trying to raise some money
for him. This is the man to whom Bob Dylan came for an interview, who also
showcased, interviewed, and played the likes of Phil Ochs, Tim Hardin, Abbie
Hoffman, The Fugs (and recurring individual appearances by "lead Fug" Tuli Kupferberg),
Timothy Leary, LeRoi Jones . . . the
list goes on and on. And it omits all the political types and many of the literary types who had a forum
for discussion on his program, Radio Unnameable.
Here's the link to a story about the fundraiser from Thursdayís New York Daily News.
I suggested to Doc and Rage Boy that their respective blogsí
readership is huge, and a lot of former New Yorkers, and of them surely a bunch
of one-time 'BAI listeners, might have an old synapse recharged, and maybe even send a buck
or two to the fund. Or more. Whatever one can; every penny helps.
Bob Fass is a living legend. He has been an inspiration to many and provided
a voice for countless activists, commentators, or new musical acts. He also gave air to Paul Krassner and Marshall
Efron when most mass media was scared to death of these ìshockingî
free-wheeling, non-edited, creative monologuists.
If you can help out, send something to the
fund for Bob Fass, please do so.
You can
honor a man who needs a hand now, as he lives. Do this now, rather than wait and do so some
time from now, posthumously, when it will mean more to those talking about it
than to the man himself.
