Question Thirteen: Should the station consider relocating the studio to other facilities? Where and Why?

 

 

WBAI Listener-Sponsor candidates

Marian Borenstein

There is no doubt that we have to move the station out of Wall Street and into an owned facility, because the rental costs are bleeding us to death. No other station in Pacifica has the level of overhead expenses that we have—we’re in the most expensive real estate market in the country. There are several working class neighborhoods around the city that would be suitable homes for WBAI. As soon as management initiates a capital campaign for funds to finance a move and a mortgage, the Justice & Unity Campaign members of the board will fully join in a major effort to bring this about.

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Rolando Bini

no answer submitted

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Tibby Brooks

We definitely need to get out of Wall Street to a home of our own in a welcoming community, meaning a working class neighborhood, released from the outrageous building security regulations which are so alienating to our staff and volunteers. This might enable us to expand into a multi-media center. As soon as a permanent station manager is appointed, Justice and Unity will work with that person to begin the capital campaign for our own warm home.

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Omowale Clay

There’s an urgent need to get out from under our huge studio rent on Wall Street, which escalates every year, by moving to a facility we own. Also could be an opportunity to expand to multi-media center. Justice & Unity is ready to launch a capital campaign as soon as there is a permanent general manager in place. It would be best to move to a low-income neighborhood somewhere in NYC, to be closer to one of communities we serve.

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Carla Cubit

Pacifica could consider relocating closer to a "Router" if it wants to find a hotspot to increase its signal strength to reach a wider audience or relocating and combining other facilities if it wants to save money on operating costs.

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Lisa Davis

Yes, WBAI is paying exorbitant rent and it continues to escalate. This is contributing greatly to the financial situation that WBAI currently faces. Once there is a permanent General Manager, we in Justice and Unity are ready, able and willing to work with him or her on a major capital campaign to raise the funds necessary to move into facilities that the station owns. We’ve also been talking with other National Board and National Office staff about ways they could help us succeed in making this much-needed move.

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Wellington Echegaray

I think the station is paying too much rent on Wall Street. We should look for a new home for the studio, preferably in a community that can appreciate what WBAI does for its listeners. Justice & Unity is ready to work on a capital campaign, and I will be very happy to be involved in the search for a new home. We should especially be looking to buy a new studio space.

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Sara Flounders

The Justice and Unity Campaign is committed to working with the soon-to-be hired permanent station manager, to begin to build a capital campaign in order to be in a position to buy a building or a floor of a building for the station. The station could and should move from the Wall Street area of Manhattan but because WBAI is a radio station with many staff, volunteers and guests needing access at many different hours, the office needs to be in a place that is accessible 24 hours a day by mass transit from all the boroughs and NJ and Long Island. There are such areas that are easily accessible in Brooklyn and Queens.

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Robert M. Gold

I realize that it is very expensive to remain where we are and I think that perhaps a move can be made to Brooklyn or the Bronx to save money.

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Seth Goldberg

Perhaps. It's a complicated question. Probably not in the immediate future, due to the moving costs.

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Jennifer Jager

Would be helpful, if the Building Fund has not been spent.

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Kenneth Laufer

We should try to buy a permanent studio location, or, better yet, have a person donate a location. We should not be afraid of, or resentful toward, a rich person who wants to help WBAI. Of course, there can be no strings attached to his/her helping the station.

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Pat Logan

Everyone reading this recognizes that WBAI not only should but must relocate to a less expensive space, ideally one that Pacifica and/or WBAI owns. If I am on the LSB when options are discussed I will, as a woman, demand that it be located in a neighborhood which is relatively safe at all hours and, as a blind person, do all I can to make sure that it is, if anything, closer to public transportation than our current space. To accommodate staff and volunteers it must remain within the five boroughs.

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Don Mathieson

no answer submitted

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Lee McClure-Come

If other facilities are cheaper, then a move would be good.

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Stefan S. Neustadter

WBAI is in altogether too expensive quarters as part of a coup that had commercial visions of grandeur. A move evaluation has begun and needs to become a higher priority at the station.

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Bok-keem Nyerere

The station should definitely be getting ready to relocate. Downtown Brooklyn, Queensboro Plaza, Queens, or Harlem should be among the places we’d be looking to move to. These areas would have lower rents if we’re not able to buy our own building, and transportation would be accessible. We should be looking for a big enough space to accommodate meetings and other events, or perhaps to share with other like-minded organizations. This is something I very much look forward to being involved in, as mentioned above.

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Bernardo Palombo

no answer submitted

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James Ross

Yes. We need to save money on rent. However, people should understand there will likely be no short-term savings from such a move. Moving is not a solution to our immediate financial crisis.

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Marianella Trioche

Yes, we should relocate the station as soon as possible. The rent of the studios in Wall Street is huge and it increases every year. We should try to move into a facility which we own. Justice and Unity has a plan for a capital campaign, which hopefully will be implemented as soon as a new station manager is ready to do it.

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