X-From_: john.halle at yale.edu Tue Dec 7 13:09:21 1999 X-Authentication-Warning: mars.its.yale.edu: jh284 owned process doing -bs Date: Tue, 7 Dec 1999 13:09:09 -0500 (EST) From: John Halle <john.halle at yale.edu> X-Sender: jh284 at mars.its.yale.edu To: dhenwood at panix.com Subject: Seattle on Pacifica MIME-Version: 1.0
Doug,
Would you mind forwarding this. (I'll figure out how to post to the list eventually.)
Since we're in the mood for doling out credit (rather than blame as usual) how about throwing a bone to Pacifica, in particular Democracy Now for giving consistent national play to critics of the WTO since it went on the air.
Having said that, maybe its time to revisit the Pacifica wars, the basis of which had to do with the balance of national versus local programming on the affiliates.
My local affiliate (WBAI) did not acquit itself well in its Seattle coverage. The nadir was reached on Tuesday afternoon: As demonstrators were being gassed and beaten, the drive-time call in show featured a two hour interview with an executive of an internet firm holding forth on the new vistas for minorities in the hi-tech economy. Not a word on this or many other locally produced shows the whole week about Seattle. My other station (WPKN) had virtually nothing, sticking to its usual fare of locally produced music programming.
If Pacifica critics-Ed Herman, Cockburn, etc.- are concerned about the NPRization of Pacifica, they would do well to have a look at what actually goes on the affiliates when they are free from "interference."
John Halle Assistant Professor of Music Yale University
CSMT: 203-432-4164, 432-2531 Dept of Music: 203-432-2985 Home: 203-785-9258