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Paul
DeRienzo
Candidate Statement
Paul DeRienzo
pderienzo@garynull.com
Candidate Statement for Paul DeRienzo
My name is Paul DeRienzo and I am a life long New Yorker
with a long history at WBAI and Pacifica. I began as a
volunteer in the WBAI news room in 1986 and contributed to
the station's news efforts without pay until I was hired as
a reporter in 1992. In the same year I began a weekly late
night program called Let'em Talk that dealt with local and
international issues. During the Pacifica civil war of 2001
I partnered with long time programmer Santiago Nieves to
host the WBAI morning show. During that period I organized a
local of the union AFTRA at WBAI and I was the unit's first
shop steward. WBAI recently signed a contract with AFTRA
that was approved by a majority of WBAI's paid staff.
If elected to the LSB I will struggle to help WBAI and
its producers live up to the lofty demand of founder Louis
Hill's mission for the Pacifica Foundation, which owns and
is ultimately responsible for WBAI. Currently WBAI is
failing in some important areas that need immediate
attention. WBAI must not be allowed to devolve into race
baiting, religion bashing, violence promoting radio as has
unfortunately been allowed to occur on some programs. At the
same time we must continue to offer news and information
from sources not normally heard in the media and to provide
a real service to our listeners.
WBAI must reverse the firings and bannings that have
decimated the stations schedule over the past two years. We
must return Gary Null to his full schedule, while providing
ample time for new voices. The WBAI Evening News needs more
resources and Pacifica needs a new National News unit that
is fully unionized and prepared to cover national politics
and issues. We must reintroduce objective news reporting
standards to put an end to the current slide into
irrelevance that is gripping our news organizations. What's
the use of giving voice to the voiceless if nobody is
listening?
WBAI must broaden its base to reflect the cultural mosaic
that is New York City and its surrounding communities. We
live in the most vibrant city in the United States, yet so
much of that culture fails to find a place at WBAI. 99.5 FM
should be the place to go to hear everything from world
music to jazz, to theater, writing and art of all types. We
must not limit what we allow on the air to a narrow and
self-defined "politically correct" segment of our
community.
Finally, we must not ignore the need to make WBAI and
Pacifica financially viable and self-sufficient and rid
ourselves of the fear to be successful. We can attain Hill's
mission while earning the resources necessary to attract and
keep the best managers, technical staff and programmers
available and to provide decent living wages, with
appropriate benefits, pensions and insurance. We can only
achieve these goals if we put aside the bitter anger and
disputes of the past and begin to think of the future
welfare of WBAI and Pacifica. This is why I ask your support
in the crucial struggles that lie ahead.
Paul DeRienzo
November 12, 2003 |
