WBAI Fights to Survive
Just a turn below Z100, a popular top 40 music station, sits WBAI, a non-commercial station devoted to alternative viewpoints. For almost 50 years, it has been “speaking truth to power,” supported entirely by its listeners. But with a tough economy and an expensive lease, the station finds itself begging for support in the midst of its month-long May fund drive.
The annual rent at WBAI’s studio totals nearby $340 thousand and its Empire State Building transmitter costs an additional $241 thousand per year, according to Local Station Board chair Mitchel Cohen.
Donations are down at WBAI
Why not simply leave 120 Wall Street for a cheaper space?
How does WBAI compete with mainstream news giants? By presenting alternative viewpoints to a story. In certain instances, stories picked up by WBAI were later picked up by mainstream sources such as the New York Times.
The station is also a forum for creative talent. Musicians can harp on social and political themes without fear of censorship or ratings.