Question Seven: How should the Pacifica Foundation find a wider audience?

 

 

WBAI Listener-Sponsor candidates

Marian Borenstein

Although the Pacifica bylaws state that the Foundation possesses the authority to manage the constituent stations of the network, I believe that it is in the best interests of the foundation to grant each station the greatest degree of autonomy possible. For example, in the selection and hiring of a station manager, as we are in the process of doing now, our bylaws state that the final choice of that person is decided by the Pacifica Executive Director – but only from a list submitted by the local board or its special subcommittee.

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Rolando Bini

no answer submitted

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Tibby Brooks

We have a wide audience, but we need to let more people know we exist!

Pacifica programming satisfies diverse needs—political, literary, musical, national and international—but we can’t assume that everyone we know actually listens to or is a member of WBAI. Yes, folks listen for information and enlightenment, but they also listen for pleasure and entertainment.

When we outreach at events, as the Justice and Unity members of the LSB’s Outreach Committee successfully and often do, we realize that we must improve our targeted outreach to the specific topic being covered. This is even easier to do over Internet blogs and sites. The whole world is not yet wired; therefore, we need to re-start our printed Folio, which the LSB has budgeted for the past year but management has chosen not to implement. This is work, but the payoff is audience.

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Omowale Clay

In keeping with our aim to outreach to our various communities through other media to promote the station, we should resume publishing the Folio to show a dynamic face of our station to the community, which the LSB has budgeted for the past year but management has chosen not to implement.

Here at WBAI, we board members can expand our ongoing outreach work to the many political, cultural and social mobilizations, rallies, and programs that the station participates in.

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Carla Cubit

Pacifica could consider advertising campaigns in newspapers, television, internet, posters, contests and interactive websites to promote its radio stations to help increase its listener audience.

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Lisa Davis

The Pacifica Foundation could build its audience via multi-media integration. In the digital age, people no longer just listen to radio. They interact with it online. I think it’s vital for Pacifica to have a strong Web presence. But also, Pacifica must not forget that there is no substitute for interpersonal communications face to face. So we must always think about events we could have that interact with and engage the public.

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Wellington Echegaray

There are many ways that Pacifica can find a wider audience, particularly by doing different forms of outreach in all communities. Specifically, I would like to work on building the audience within the Latino community, and with building Latino involvement with the station.

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Sara Flounders

All of the Pacifica Stations are an invaluable resource of programs and information that is now easy to download and share. Millions of people who are not in the range of different Pacifica station signals can now hear these programs.

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Robert M. Gold

The Pacifica Foundation should keep expanding the number of affiliates across the country.

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Seth Goldberg

To the extent that the station can become financially self supporting, then it will naturally gain more autonomy. To the extent that it is draining the rest of the network stations, they will naturally be more intrusive in our affairs.

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Jennifer Jager

Affiliate outreach is very politically important, However, right now Pacifica needs to concentrate on helping WBAI get back up to speed.

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Kenneth Laufer

By listening to experts like Steve Brown. We are very lucky we have him!

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Pat Logan

There must be a balance between Pacifica Network mandates and responsibilities and the maintenance of a good deal of station autonomy.

For example, in the area of programming, some high quality National programs should be produced with Pacifica having the authority to mandate that they be aired. However, the National Board should place a cap on how much air time must be allotted for such programs.

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Don Mathieson

no answer submitted

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Lee McClure-Come

A wider audience can be found by making sure diversity is enhanced in programming.

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Stefan S. Neustadter

We must expand or be fossilized. This expansion may be through stations or program franchising with community and college radio. We must avoid the craven goals as exemplified by the coup group.

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Bok-keem Nyerere

I believe that each station should have its own autonomy, and that national programming should only be aired when there is a national story of compelling interest to all our listeners.

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Bernardo Palombo

no answer submitted

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James Ross

Better programming!! WBAI has some excellent stuff, but not all the time and not at the best hours. We need to get our best programs on the air when the most people can hear them. National programming should be one component.

As far as I can tell, the programming evaluation and selection process at WBAI does not work well. This is a real problem that needs addressing by the LSB for the WBAI to thrive. Under the Justice and Unity control, of course, the LSB has ignored it.

Also, we need to make the audio archives more facile and searchable, so that people all over the world will stumble upon our programs by chance when they are web surfing. The audio archives is an excellent resource - now we need to improve the front end to make it as easy as possible for people to find them.

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Marianella Trioche

Local stations could advertise in small community local newspapers and in progressive publications.

Local board members, together with listener volunteers, should attend activist functions in order to bring literature concerning the station and to establish ties with the listening public.

Closer ties should be also be developed between the staff of WBAI programs and community organizations. This could lead to increased publicity to the public served by these organizations.

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