492 Cafe

Radio with a View

• Johnny's Ambush! (4:30, 3.2MB)

Someone calls Radio with a View to challenge WMBR's questionable payola scam of selling air time.

Think about it. If public radio stations began offering air time as a fund raiser "premium," wouldn't people be outraged?

WMBR's Dave Goodman is caught and challenged in the act of selling air time, he uses a variety of tactics to dodge the issue and discredit the caller, but in responding to the question, Goodman admits twice, that there's quid-pro-quo, before immediately reversing his statement!

Hypocrate Dave says this topic should be discussed "off the air." But he also routinely tells people he believes in open forum discussion!

Dave's errors in this exchange include:

• Telling the audience how to stage an "ambush." (nice going!)
• Calling WMBR a "Public" Radio Station (the license is held by T.B.C./M.I.T.)

But WMBR management has a history of questionable conduct. For example, it's illegal to sell call letters, yet when the well-monied Ted Turner desired the WTBC (Technology Broadcasting) call letters, they were voluntarily handed to him (not sold) and the call letters WMBR were taken by M.I.T. Radio. As if by magic, (and again, as with the scam Goodman defends here, with no quid pro quo...) WMBR "finds" a big pile of money for equipment upgrades! Did this money come from Ted Turner? That's Johnny's understanding!

"Johnny" rests his case and calls on WMBR to stop this unethical practice of selling air time! Stations are bound by the FCC (and any sense of ethics they can muster) to air what's in the community's interests, not to sell air time at $150.00/hour.