Local Advisory Board Statement on the January 23, 2001 Meeting

On January 23, 2001 the Local Advisory Board (LAB) of WBAI met at 120 Wall Street, the 10th floor, at the studios of WBAI for the purpose of holding a meeting. This is not an unusual event. The LAB and the committee of the LAB have met at WBAI for over 25 years.

Any general meeting of the advisory board must include public access for the purpose of public comment by the community which the radio signal services. This is an FCC mandate included in the Public Broadcasting Act. It is not unusual for members of the public to participate on LAB committees as well.

This particular LAB has often created a forum in which any number of topics and concerns regarding the station are raised. Often members of the staff, paid and unpaid, as well as members of the listening community gather to voice issues of concern. It has been a body that has listened and often responded to these concerns by sending letters and passing resolutions to the National Board of Pacifica. This is also stipulated in the Federal Communication Commission mandate. We function in part to pass on concerns to the National governing body.

We have for many years passed on concerns to the manager of the station and more importantly to the national staff and to the Board of Directors of the Pacifica National Foundation. We function as a voting body where resolutions are created, discussed and voted on all within an agenda. It was via this process on January 9th that the LAB unanimously agreed to hold our monthly public meeting at the station on January 23rd. There was discussion that given the tense atmosphere the station is currently operating in this request could be denied. But we felt an obligation to go ahead for this very reason.

The LAB has documented its discussions in the minutes kept at every meeting. We have been actively working to communicate with both the local and national management at Pacifica. We have written, spoken and traveled to national meetings at our own expense to discuss many of the issues that are now in contention.

During this troubled time for the Pacifica Network a committee of the LAB met diligently to find a new home for WBAI and the LAB spearheaded a capitol campaign which raised over 200,000 dollars after the successful move. This is noted only to make the point that this LAB has worked to create a better environment for this station. It has never been told that any loss of property or damage of property came about because of public meetings. This LAB has worked earnestly, consistently and faithfully month after month to support the mission of Pacifica. It was in support of this very mission that 9 people were arrested on January 23rd.