WBCQ RESPONDS…AS DO I
My E Mail to Allan Weiner was answered with an open letter to yours truly, which caN be read using the link below. it seemingly explains why 11L/RNI will no longer be heard on Planet Radio. http://www.wbcq.com/
Well it seems my standard shtick has gone unappreciated by some WBCQ listeners. At least what has long been my ‘act’ did not sit well with many, so we have been dismissed.
I guess I am as clueless as many of you believe me to be, and you may be right.
Nonetheless, I am so clueless I am uncertain just what comments offended WBCQ listeners and staff, among others.
Then again, I had a bad habit of offending other broadcasters back in my Pirate day, and was wholly unaware that what I thought was funny, was anything but. I guess in 20 years down the line, I learned little about where to draw the line even though I thought I had.
Yeah, I feel misunderstood, but obviously contributed to anger and animus while not intending to. That is no excuse, just the truth.
So if that is the case, I plead guilty and will leave it at that. As I have stated to many listeners, go to the archives and listen to any shows. If there is any malice to be heard in my comments, I cannot find it.
As for the Big Guy who also gets blame, I cannot speak for him, but I don’t think we have ever engaged in ‘gratuitous venom’. But then again, the opinion of some is unlikely to be mine.
As I’ve apparently offended many, it matters not at all if it was unintentional. But the charges that I have been nasty is pure BS. I strongly disagree with those assertions.
Since the fire, I’ve done precious few shows on WBCQ and they have hardly been nasty or venomous to the very people who enabled us. Well, we just disagree and go on our way duly chastised. Another lesson learned, and for that I probably owe my former enables thanks.
But I contend that the line between shtick and nasty has not been crossed by me. My act is longstanding, but ‘biting the hand that feeds me’ has never been my intent. Obviously I about chewed it off.
Just know it was never the intent of this broadcaster to be nasty, and I do not believe that was the case. Nevertheless as you feel that is the case, you did what was right by you, your staff and listeners. My apologies are real if belated. As we both are oceans apart on the charges that I’ve been nasty, I accept blame regardless.
It seems too many people disagree with me, but I hope those that do will let me know so on or off the air.
WBCQ enabled us and for that my gratitude is real. Yes, that may mean nothing to the staff and management in the end, but that is the fact. You carried us for a long time and what I thought was programming good for the station, proved to be anything but. I am sorry that was the case. I wish you nothing but the best regardless.
However I insist the allegations that recently we have taken our ‘nastyness’ much further is not based in fact. OOFAH! But hey, we just disagree.
Recluse that I am, I was indeed out of touch with my enablers. My fault and my mistake. Imperfect asshole that I am, I was hardly the perfect guest. I just gave my best radio. That other listeners to the station felt what I did was nasty, indicates a lack of knowledge of what I do, or an inability to get my act. So be it.
As many of you know, I have been considering quitting this broadcasting grind for some time. Perhaps that time is in the future, but not quite yet. We shall do the occasional Internet show, including one this weekend.
But it is obviously time to look back and reflect. I am not one to go back and listen to old shows, that is a big waste of time. But I take Allan and Company at their word, I obviously upset people so despite my not believing I did, and certainly did not intend to, I shall redouble my efforts to not do the same to others in the future.
Although I have no desire to do a show all about this Sunday (and will not), I’d appreciate calls or E Mail from anyone citing just what actual nastyness, not shtick I engaged in. You may beat me about the head if you wish, that is fine.
MY broadcast code has always strived to be like that of Doctors, basically ‘Do no harm’. However it seems, regardless of my intent I have. Although I disagree, I obviously inflicted pain to some, accept blame for such and wherever in the future I lay claim to an open mic, will take the lesson of my time at WBCQ with me.
I ask you please not annoy WBCQ staff if you disagree with their decision. We will not be coming back and have no wish to. Considering the fact that we were so misunderstood, while I felt I was providing programming I could take pride in, I now feel as if I picked Allan’s pocket. That is not a good feeling at all, but all I can do is strive to become a better person that it seems I am.
There are no ‘good’ guys or ‘bad’ guys here. Frankly I feel barely sad at all about our seemingly self inflicted demise, as compared to how I feel about being the source of agita for those people who were responsible for my radio career.
We too Allan, broadcast out of the love we have for doing so. Both you and I spend money we don’t have to offer an alternative views and our unique vision of radio. Thank you one last time for spending yours to enable mine. Overall I think I delivered the goods, and can move on knowing that. And while I ponder what other possible peripheral rationale lead to our axing, I leave without bitterness or anger and truly do hope your ongoing venture continues to thrive.
John L.
P.S.
As it would be more than slightly incongruous to use our old E Mail address (WBCQRADIO), while it shall remain active for some time, please address all future E Mail to our new address:
July 9th, 2009 at 11:28 pm
Talk about the WBCQ thin skinned Excuse … I don’t Buy it for second !
I think it’s political … Like some Bible thumping HYPOCRITE or right wingnut threatened to pull out or got all his bubba’s to complain … like they do on broadcast radidio … cuzz “he” didn’t like JL’s show!
FRee Speech my eye ! (the brown one)
JL abuses everyone equally WITHOUT malice… that’s the show !
If you GET the show you know very well JL holds WBCQ and it’s staff in the highest regard! I repeat if you G E T the show !
The botton line he who pulls the PL-259 calls the shots………..
July 10th, 2009 at 12:00 pm
John — regular listener for 10-plus years (I’m a sick bastard). I never heard you say anything that was “over the top” in relation to WBCQ.
It’s an old broadcasting tradition for comedians to make fun of how cheap and stingy and crummy the station is.
Look at what Letterman does at CBS (and used to do at NBC), or what Bob & Ray did years ago at ‘OR and ‘INS. In my never-to-be-humble opinion.
Now, what may have happened off the air, I have no knowledge of, so I’ll reserve judgment.
But as far as the on-air content … don’t beat yourself up too much.
I will make a colortini this Sunday and listen to the webcast as it streams through the computer, and I do hope you get some “over the air” coverage again someday, too.
(How ’bout making the program available to LPFM stations to run?)
Jay in Pittsburgh
July 11th, 2009 at 7:49 am
1. The truth be known you have betrayed everyone I spell it out quite eloquently here http://radiojambaintenational.blogspot.com/ it is a shame that you are jaded and negated to see the writing on the wall. Fact be know Allan is RNI, you sir are 11-l so lets keep it real. Do you recall when your friend Randall betrayed you? Do you recall when your friend Lee betrayed you? Envision that 0ver the coarse of 11 years. And you are surprised? To be honest it isn\’t surprising, for christ sakes Hal Turner was surprised when the feds showed up and he cried much like you are. Notice any similarity\’s? You need to get away from your \”friends\” PALLY. You do a great show but they drag you down. Look where it ended. By the way be sure to tune in for RNI this sunday, I have something special planned.
Warmest Regards,
Kracker
Note: My server flagged this comment as SPAM which I could therefore not post as a comment, so I resent it myself to my web site so Kracker would not think I was censoring his follow up to my personal E Mail to him. It appears here unedited.
July 12th, 2009 at 2:56 pm
I was just reading all the comments about what was going on with you & Allan, I “met” bigsteve in chat years ago, he is your MAIN problem. He’s hurtful, sarcastic, and doesn’t give a shit about anyone’s feelings. He was putting down a DJ in iwebradio, and he pissed me off, once I confronted him on it, he started to back track saying he didn’t meant anything by his comments, and as I told him at the time he should THINK before he opens that BIG mouth of his. He’s got no consideration for anyone, all he wants is to hear is HIMSELF talking !! The person you need to get rid of is bigsteve & continue your friendship with Allan.
Meg
July 14th, 2009 at 1:52 am
I send (small) funds to John (to help pay for server time), and I send equally small funds to Allan (to help pay for air time). Despite the split, I will continue to send these small funds in both directions.
I never heard anything on John’s show that I ever considered to be anything other than parody of WBCQ. I fondly remember the (limiting) “free speech” comedy sketch put on by John with Allan calling into the show as part of the setup. Does anybody else remember that one?
Parody on a free speech station never hurt WBCQ’s reputation that I could see. But I do think that limiting parody on a free speech station could actually be more hurtful in the long run to the station, and that isn’t good for any of us. The “powers that be” sure as hell welcome these kind of differences, after all, this gives less interference (so to speak) to their own “amaze the natives with bread and circuses” cellophane light-shows (in 1080p! Whoopee!).
Both of you are pioneers in your own rite. There are only a few among the few who will accept the challenge for free speech when it entails the risk of the inevitable knock on the door by the authorities. Both of you have walked the talk. While politics and technology are constantly merging and converging through the march of time, none of us are here for a long time, and I would hope that differences would be patched up between those whom I would consider to be mutual friends and patriots of free speech.