MEMO:  from Bill Weinberg to Utrice Leid

13 March 2001

44 Fifth Ave. #172
Brooklyn NY 11217
v-mail: (212) 631-1115
e-mail: billw@echonyc.com

WBAI
120 Wall St., 10th flr.
NY NY 10005

Utrice Leid:

After the broadcast of the Moorish Orthodox Radio Crusade on the
night of Tuesday March 6, you asked for the air-check of our program,
refusing my request for an explanation and stating that you "just needed
it."  I found this particularly strange since Paul Williams was observed
making an air-check in the adjacent studio, and he presumably could have
made a copy for you on the spot.

We have grave concerns that your demanding the air-check is another
way of intimidating producers, guests and listeners from speaking
their minds on the crisis at WBAI. We insist that when this crisis is in
the headlines and op-ed pages of the city's newspapers, it is no longer an
"internal matter" or "dirty laundry." During our broadcast we took pains
to steer the conversation away from personalities and even to defend you
from listener criticism. But we insist that "free speech radio" has a
responsibility to provide the listeners with a forum on matters related to
an institution which (after all) they pay for.

My schedule did not permit me to provide the air-check "immediately," as
you had demanded. However, as a gesture of good faith-and because we have
absolutely nothing to hide-I am providing it now, as I said I would be
able to last week. I do wish to clarify that I consider your demand
contrary to the spirit of free speech, and that I am not waiving my right
to refuse any such demands in the future.

Yours,

Bill Weinberg

for the Moorish Orthodox Radio Crusade & Ann-Marie Hendrickson,
co-producer
 

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