NYC Radio: Non-Com WBAI Announces Lay-offs

Summer Reese, interim executive director of the Pacifica Radio Network, choked up as she announced Friday afternoon that legendary New York radio station WBAI 99.5 FMwas laying off its entire news department, and the majority of on-air talent.

According to The Village Voice, the lay-offs are effective Monday.

"Today I have concluded union negotiations with SAG-AFTRA, regarding proposed layoffs here at WBAI, and with a very heavy heart, and very great difficulty, we will laying off virtually everyone whose voice you recognize on the air," Reese said.

Approximately 75 percent of staff will be laid off. "We are only retaining those staff critically necessary to operational functions at this station," she said.

"We have barely made our transmitter payments," Reese explained. WBAI's transmitter, located at the top of the Empire State building, is leased to the station at a cost of about $50,000 a month. In March, WBAI raised $500,000 to protect the transmitter, after the station was threatened with eviction for non-payment of rent.

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