When did WBAI first begin broadcasting under its original call letters?
WBAI began broadcasting in 1941 with the call letters W75NY. The station operated on an eastern frequency before shifting to 99.5 MHz in 1947.
WBAI began broadcasting in 1941 with the call letters W75NY. The station operated on an eastern frequency before shifting to 99.5 MHz in 1947.
Philanthropist Louis Schweitzer purchased WBAI in 1960. He then donated the facility to the Pacifica Foundation, converting it into a listener-supported non-commercial operation.
The United States Supreme Court decided FCC v. Pacifica Foundation against WBAI in 1978. The court ruled five-to-four against the station regarding censorship of George Carlin's Seven Words You Can Never Say on Television monologue broadcast in 1973.
The City Tax Commission denied WBAI's claim of exemption from New York City real estate taxes as an educational institution in March 1977. This ruling forced the station to sell the former church on the Upper East Side of Manhattan to pay back taxes.
The Christmas Coup occurred in December 2000 when a faction led by Utrice Leid padlocked the station and took control of the airwaves. This event initiated an intense battle between various factions inside and outside the station with The Pacifica Foundation.