On Friday, we reported on the sale of Benton Harbor, Michigan's city-owned, low-power FM radio station. The state-appointed emergency manager has closed WBHC and listed the equipment and the license on eBay for $5,000. Under Michigan law, an emergency manager can do just about anything he or she wants, including firing elected officials and moving to abolish the town. Selling the station is just one more executive action, really, regardless of how the city feels about it.
As of Saturday afternoon, the auction of the public's station had drawn three bids, with -- I think -- two from actor and human rights activist Ben Patrick Johnson. Right after eBay posted the third bid, of $5,200, the listing disappeared.
What gives? Eclectablog, where Chris Savage has been covering the story, sends over a comment on one of his posts in which someone suggests that you can't sell an FCC radio license without permission from the FCC. An industry site called Radio Info reports the same, writing that "the FCC must approve any transfer."
Another group following the story, the nonprofit Public Radio Capital, provides support for acquiring and building public radio stations. Erik Langner says Benton Harbor's license cannot be sold and transferred on eBay. Instead, Langner says anyone interested in the station would have to go through the usual procedures at the FCC, like proving the new owner is based in Benton Harbor and not out to make a buck.
Public Radio Capital already gathered the listed price of WBHC and would like to help keep the station going. "We want to make it possible for a local nonprofit to buy it," Langner says.
We've got a call in to emergency manager Joseph Harris to see whether Benton Harbor's station is still for sale.
Leave a Comment:
I think the reason the emergency manager in Benton Harbor put the radio station on eBay was to humiliate the residents just a little more.
I think so, mean sobs
I agree with you
I think this is just vulture capitalism. The state is liquidating all the assets of the community.
This is just an example of what Mr 1% would advocate for federal assets if we are stupid enough to elect him.
It wouldn't suprise me if the GOP suggests we sell our National Parks to the highest bidder. I wonder what a luxury box on the side of Yosemite Valley would go for?
Limited government is just a way of letting the rich cotinue the looting of America.
Kids it is so much worse and more real than that. When a Nation is invaded and occupied, that is the first thing the invaders do? They seize control of communications - radio and television.
The EMF has just REMOVED a local radio station!
If King George had done that, it would have been listed on the Declaration of Independence. There is something here that REALLY stinks.
#Eclectablog, this message is for you specifically.
Do you remember in the Godfather, who one of the rival families made overtures to the Godfather's family? He said that whoever came forward with a message from the other family was a traitor - and it turned out to be the charactor played by Abe Bagota.
The radio station smells like spoils. The EMF tried to fence it on E-bay, but you can be sure that the new owners are already lined up and the radio-station is a pay off. Just who that is will be made clear with the first broadcast under new ownership and management.
Eclectablog...PLEASE WATCH/LISTEN for new developements. The body is still on life support, but the very first organ has been sold. Whoever owns/manages the radio station will be a proxy for the governor and the EMF. Problably a backer of some sort. It is almost certain that they'll be having a ton of ads on air hawking Koch Industry products - but they just may surprise us.
Remember, this is the media take-over by a hostile govt. Who the new owners will be and what is said on the station will yield information far beyond mere facts. The radio station will become a window.
They did not want some liberal activist to have it.
Great news, go Maddow so glad you around to help
So much for "small government"!! Now can we fire the "Emergency manager" for usurping the democracy of Benton Harbor?
Yea, those mean old Republicans...wait, huh...the emergency manager was appointed by a Democrat Governor? Well, that puts this whole thing in a different light.
RobDon, the guv is a GOPer.
The emergency manager for Benton Harbor Mich was appointed by Rick Snyder after the Republican controled congress signed the bill into law. Whole new light look it up
The emergency manager was appointed by a Republican. Please check your facts before posting.
Actually Benton Harbor's Emergency Manager Mr. Harris was appointed by Governor Jennifer Granholm. RobDon is correct. However, there were changes to the Emergency Manager law passed under Governor Rick Snyder, which expanded Mr. Harris' powers. As reported in April of last year,
http://www.fox17online.com/news/fox17-benton-harbor-appointment-of-emergency-manager-stirs-controversy-20110418,0,3214064.story
Wasn't this sort of local takeover by Royal Officers the sort of thing that drew the ire of the Colonists in 1776, and was enumerated in the Declaration of Independence? (Remember, in the list of "He has..." clauses that Mr. Jefferson so eloquently put down on parchment...)
@RobDon: The governor of Michigan is not a Democrat, you ignoramus, Mr. Snyder is a Republican who will be on his way out soon.Granholm has been out since 2009 and Snyder gave Mr. Harris full power, which was not the original intention of the then governor. He was supposed to be a manager with only the power to over see the finances. He was not supposed to buy or sell or take away property from the citizens. So, the appointment was changed in 2010
No, the appointment wasn't changed. The rules or power might have changed, but not the appointment. See my note below your next post for more observation.
My first thought, having seen the story on TRMS, was that I would happily donate 100 bucks to a purchasing agent that was intent on donating the station back to the office of the Mayor and ONLY the office of the mayor. This way, the town still retains a voice of democracy even if no other trappings.
even better would be to raise funds to buy it and transfer it to a non-profit license holder working with the Occupy Movement. Occupy WBHC - broadcasting the truth the Emergency Manager doesn't want you to hear!
Good luck. Emergency Mao can still come in and seize it. That's what a dictatorship does.
Whaddya mean... not a bad idea either. A local czar can't seize private property, and they couldn't silence someone with an FCC license anymore than they could silence TRMS. Hmmmm. When does the next next auction start and where do I send my check?
Doesn't the GOP whine about the so called Czars in the Obama administration?
Now they are faced with installing one in Benton Harbor and not a peep out of them!
Uh, the "takeover" and emergency manager was done by a Democrat Governor.
"Uh, the "takeover" and emergency manager was done by a Democrat Governor."
Rick Snyder is a republican.... nice try!
robdon step away from fox news a.k.a the scifi channel
"robdon step away from fox news a.k.a the scifi channel"
That's like asking a junkie to step away from smack!
I can back up my reality...which by the way, corresponds with actual reality. Gov. Snyder is the current governor, not the one who appointed Harris. If you have evidence or a source showing the emergency manager was appointed by a Synder, please by all means, let me know. I want to give you ever opportunity to admit your oversight, if you'd like.
Rob, it's not important which governor appointed the EM, nor is the identity of the EM important. The problem is the law, which was under Gov. Snyder amended into the draconian monstrosity it now is. The EM is using the arbitrary powers the new law gives him, that is all. Under the old law he wouldn't be able to do what he is currently doing. The problem is EM law and the changes that have been made to it, not the EMs themselves nor the question of which governor first appointed which EM.
My only thought will be how will the US fares if the GOP wins.
If Republicans win the election which is not possible, but if they cheat and win, the Ryan Plan will go into effect immediately. We can expect a lot of CEOs being paid by tax payers as a lot of government agencies will go private.
I partially read his plan. If everybody goes for this then they just did not read it. It is extremely unfair to those who have been suffering already. It will really be an immoral injustice. Not one decent person would feel good just taking care of the debt in a way that will hurt so many.
Ryan talks about "our children" and the legacy “WE” are leaving them, the debt and taxes and so on. He does not want to leave "our children" this legacy.
The problem is that he is not really talking about the children of the bottom 85 or so % who share only 7% of the financial wealth in this country. He is talking about the children of the top 15% of the country who now (thanks to the 2 unpaid wars and unemployment and policy making of the powerful) controls more than 93% of all the financial wealth.
So, when the Republicans talk about share sacrifice they are just asking the middle class and the working poor to pay more taxes but they do not want their wealthy, cronies and fraternity brothers to pay any. In other words let the children of the working poor and the middle class pay MORE taxes in order to keep the children of the top 15% paying LESS.
The children of the bottom 85% are already sacrificing enough, just by having parents who are plagued by low wages and high prices of goods and services. Right now there is at least 30% of people in the US who are unsure from where is their next meal coming. Even if that was only 1% it would already be too much for the good, concerned humans to know and still sleep well at night without caring.
So, If the Republicans win this elections we can expect the Ryan Plan take hold and only their children to be taken care of for decades to come. So, be aware that when they speak of "our children" they are not talking about "ALL the children in the US", but about THEIR CHILDREN.
To me that is more of a class warfare than to have a fair tax code for everyone and to have those who are already benefiting by paying the low wages and from having high prices of goods and services, pay more. And by giving those on the bottom of the totem pole a break.
Santorum is a bigger holier than thou who wants small government for the top 15% who controls over 93% of the wealth and more government for the rest. I supposed a government agent in every bedroom to make sure there is no birth control going on. There will be a black market for condoms and birth control pills. What an idiot!
Santorum said during one of the debates that he doesn't care if he gets criticized for being on the side of Walmart because Walmart will not take the jobs overseas. Which may be true over here they pay low wages keeping a lot of their employees on welfare. They did something worst, they manipulated and coerced their supplier to move to China leaving here a lot of unemployment and poverty. I wonder how big a check did the GOP leaders get this quarter. And how much of that portfolio is for Walmart stock.
Santorum, says we share their values. No, not if their values are guns and miss quoted Bible passages. Apparently he does not have a benevolent concern for others. Where does the GOP gets the idea that peaceable people carry their Bibles on one hand and their guns on the other. Just because that is the way the US has operated through out history, that does not mean is Godly. Jesus did not carry any weapons and yet has changed lives. Ghandi did not carry any weapons and yet changed history. Mother Theressa did not carry any weapons and changed countless of lives. Rosa Parks did not carry any weapons and changed the history of the US.
Monk, I agree with a lot you've stated, although admittedly I don't know all of the changes, I do know that it broadened the power. I would note that the administrator hasn't changed, so if Gov. Granholm had confidence in him (and may still) I think that counts for something.
My point is that so many here (and as always, I'll admit, the same proportion on the Right) don't know the facts, don't search things for themselves, they simply have a one track mindset and they force everything to fit it.
I mentioned in two places a Democrat appointed the emergency manager and immediately multiple people assume that is wrong because it doesn't fit their paradigm. This is why the current Fox News vs MSNBC News, attack the opponent instead of voicing your vision, etc. fails miserably in helping the process. IMHO.
I thought you were going to say that Mitt Romney bought the station.
He could run political ads 24/7 until the election. Then sell it back to the people for triple what he paid for it
While we are watching and listening & wondering where the rest of Michigan's citizens are during all of this, we should remember this: Hitiler didn't overthrow the German government; he was elected.
Actually, Hitler was not elected. He never held any elective office in his life. The Nazis came to power because they held the largest number of seats in the Reichstag. They didn't have a clear majority, so the political establishment tried several coalitions in an effort to keep the Nazis out of power, but the Nazis did everything they could to destabilize the political situation. Eventually, as each attempted coalition failed, the desire for stability overcame the desire to keep the Nazis out of the government, Hitler was appointed chancellor by President von Hindenberg, and the Nazis formed a coalition with the main conservative party. The Nazis then set about eliminating all political opposition, and their coalition partners, and made the NSDAP the only legal party in Germany. In short, the Nazis came to power not through democracy as democracy, but through the exploitation of the institutions of parliamentary democracy and with the aim of overturning democracy.
Trust me, Snyder did not run for governor on the things he has done. Niether did the state legislature.
St. Joseph, Michigan is a rather wealthy city right next to BH. When I lived there in the early '70's, the citizens of St. Joe often referred to BH affectionatly as "Benton Harlem". They want the beach all the way to Bridgman and are using their money and influence to manipulate state law and literally yank that city out from under it's residents who are powerless.
You are EXACTLY correct!
The Benton Harbor public park that was now privatized, was left to the children on Benton Harbor by a wealthy couple who owned it and left it in the name of their dead little girl. It was left to the people. Was taken away from the people and practically given to a private company who will built a golf course and club for the use of the wealthy, I suppose Summer Resort, where the annual membership is $5K per year. The average annual salary of the residents is $30K per year. Their taxes were raised and they will not be able to afford it. The manager contends that it will bring jobs to the city. Again, policies to protect wealth since the average job will pay only minimum wage. Where do you think you can live with that kind of pay in the US? Again, keeping the poor poorer and the wealthy getting the benefits and privileges on the backs of the working poor.
I call that class warfare on the part of the GOP.
"I see in the near future a crisis approaching that unnerves me and causes me to tremble for the safety of my country. . . . corporations have been enthroned and an era of corruption in high places will follow, and the money power of the country will endeavor to prolong its reign by working upon the prejudices of the people until all wealth is aggregated in a few hands and the Republic is destroyed."
-- U.S. President Abraham Lincoln, Nov. 21, 1864
(letter to Col. William F. Elkins)
Ref: The Lincoln Encyclopedia, Archer H. Shaw (Macmillan, 1950, NY)
FCC be damned.. the Governator said sell the station and license and his will be done.
Didn't the FCC read the Michigan law..? The Dictator does what the Dictator wants.
Now just get rid of the damn radio station before those locals say another word about it. Can't have any of those radical "free speech" ideas breaking out anywhere.
Great investigative reporting, Laura. Well done.
What gives? Eclectablog, where Chris Savage has been covering the story, sends over a comment on one of his posts in which someone suggests that you can't sell an FCC radio license without permission from the FCC. An industry site called Radio Info reports the same, writing that "the FCC must approve any transfer."
So their really samrt emergency mgr didn't have enough sense to check with fcc laws to see if it was legal. sounds like he missed out on some of that take over education dumb***
I had been wondering about that since I heard Rachael say the license was added to the eBay listing. It's been a long time since I worked in free air radio but I didn't think the rules had changed. You can't sell an operations license, can't transfer it. If you aren't able to operate the station, the license dies. The new owners have to apply to the FCC for their own license. Also, since it's a free air station rather than cable, the new owners have to either retain the FCC licensed station engineer or replace him/her with an FCC licensed station engineer. You can't run a free air station without someone in residence who has proven to the FCC that they know not only how all the gadgets work but knows the legal limits for operating them.
It would seem the city manager is operating in a vacuum when it comes to Federal Communications law. What a surprise.
rick Snyder is the republican govenor of the state of Michigan, in the country of the usa. did faux at least teach you about states?
Wait a minute! Are you saying there are laws the Emergency Manager must obey? Doesn't that violate the imaginary Tea Party version of the Constitution?
Additionally, the FCC itself does not charge a fee for LPFM (low power FM) licenses. So, wouldn't it be wrong to try to sell it to someone else? WBHC 96.5 FM was an LPFM station, license granted on Nov. 30, 2005, and set to expire on Oct 1, 2012. Only the FCC can grant an LPFM license, and it is for noncommercial educational broadcasting only. It is not available to individuals or for commercial operations.
While researching, I stumbled across the Prometheus Radio Project website, which states that new FCC regulations will soon allow the expansion of available LPFM licenses. Many people were pushing for this, so that local communities can have a larger voice, unrestricted by commercial interests. Perhaps the Benton Harbor Emergency Manager saw this coming and decided to nip it in the bud? Below, please see an excerpt from the website, concerning civil rights on the airwaves:
http://www.prometheusradio.org/content/civil-rights-airwaves
Excuse me. How can the "position" of Emergency Manager even be constitutional? Hasn't someone, somewhere, filed a lawsuit?
That's pure evil. Caligula of communism.
How can the position of Emergency Manager even be considered constitutuional? Isn't anyone challenging this in the courts?
Jean Klock Park, donated TO Benton Harbor, FOR Benton Harbor, is the target of the Republicans who have built a new PGA golf course and 1% community just to the north of BH. Harris should get around to that sale fairly soon. He'll claim usage has declined, but not mention the closure of the park to the public for many months.
This is what happens when people actually do investigative reporting.
Now could someone do some investigative work on the voter ID laws? Voter suppression is the least covered topic by MSM. It is an election year and MSM is silent.
And no one mentions that Benton Harbor is about 90% black; don't think there's any racism going on, d'ya?
NAAAAAH.......couldn't be any racism here... (she said, her voice dripping with sarcasm).
Actually, I think Rachel DID mention it on the show when this story first surfaced.
Just a nom de plume, but chosen for effect. Mr. J.N.Klock was Benton Harbor's Mayor, and largest benefactor giving several city parks, and much in donations to community institutions. His legacy lives on in Jean Klock Park (the half mile of public beach, located on Lake Michigan, the city enjoys)
Mr. Harris' actions include several ignorant and illegal acts. Among the acts most disturbing is the dismantling of the civic fabric of our community through dissolution of city boards and other interference in matters completely out of his depth of knowledge and skills. The proof of my claims is in the results of state ordered audits which indicate Mr. Harris has not made any progress on deficit spending through his consolidations of fire and police and elimination of city employees. Taxes have still not been sent to the proper taxing units and after more than a year employee contributions to pension funds have been used to pad the general fund revenues (a major violation of IRS regs).
The closing of the radio station is just another in his long line of destructive acts here.
If anyone here can influence events, they better hurry. Mr. Harris has his eyes on Detroit, and the possibility of selling off that city piece by piece. I truly believe Mr. Harris hoped all along to get a promotion based on his vast experience in that city. Joe's previous stint in DET as finance director was ill-fated, but he speaks of little else and could it be a coincidence he insisted his time in BH was done just as word of DET needing a manger was being floated. Joe says someone may finish-up here... What's NEXT?
Now if only they could appoint someone to take over and close PBS the right would be ecstatic.
They have already attempted to put text books in schools that ignore the truth about the founding fathers and give credibility to the myth of creation. They have tried to break up unions.They have envoked travel restrictions and even tried papers please type of control.Still think these right wingers are just nuts or are they attempting to destroy democracy in favor of a theocracy with strict controls over the masses?
After considering all the ramifications of the radio station on the people of Benton Harbor the most logical explanation is that the people in charge don't want the public to know what is going on in their own town. I can remember sitting in front of our radio when I was a kid and waiting with baited breath for the Shadow, Amos and Andy, Lone ranger and many more. But mostly the news of far away places of wars and threats of wars or the news from right next door. This is the news that affects us most when bad things happen to people in our own town or our own block. Now, just like then we must keep an open heart to the plight of others and help when we can even though we don't have much. If it is shared with others it will always be enough or more than we need it is the law of the universe. No one group of people or org. can control this law it is unchanging, always has been always will be. God Bless the people of Benton Harbor that they may find freedom from tyranny.
Benton Harbor is occupied. And not in a good way. As I said earlier, the first thing an invading and occupying force does is seize communications of radio and television. The EMF has just done this.
Whoeve winds up with the radio station is going to Tokyo Rose for the fascist Snyder govenorship. Pay attention.
600,000 taxpaying US citizens of Washington DC still wait for restoration of full voting rights, revoked by the US Congress as well as abolishing all elected offices to this day (no more US Reps, US Sens, US Gov, State Reps, State Sens, US President elections) starting 25 years after 1776, and 12 years after the start of the US Constitution (1789).
Although only a 2 line simple law of US Congress is needed to fix this disenfranchisement, 1st line severing the area of Washington DC from the US Constitution Federal District clause (Article I-8-17), and a 2nd line converting the (new and ordinary) territory of DC into a full state to end this disenfranchisement, it will never happen because Conservatives hate the liberal Democratic voting base of DC, and have repeatedly blocked any effort to restore any and all voting rights in DC.
Although US Presidential elections were restored to DC with a constitutional amendment, the 164 year gap in Presidential elections was between Thomas Jefferson in 1800 (3rd Potus) and LBJ in 1964, that did not restore the other elections Americans expect.
No judge (local, state, federal) with jurisdiction over DC jurisdiction and citizens has been appointed with advice and consent of the people of this city.
The last full Congressmen for the area converted into DC, were US Reps. Thomas (MD-2) and Craik (MD-3), and US Sens. Howard and Hindman of Maryland.
I was so mad about the emergency manager law in Michigan (recently a vote on it was not allowed on the referendum!) and what is happening to Benton Harbor (and other places in Michigan) that I wrote and recording a song called the "Benton Harbor Blues". The song is free to download on my music website at
http://www.muswellhillmusic.com/music-2/new-songs-by-falicoff/
The lyrics are:
Verse 1
Shut Down
Back Stabbed
Turned Out
No Vote
Call the News
Nothing to Lose
They sold the view to a golfing few
That’s why we got the Benton Harbor Blues
Verse 2
Joe Harris
Klock Park
Commissioners
Their shot
Town Confused
Maddow too
They sold the view to a golfing few
That’s right we got the Benton Harbor Blues
Chorus
Benton Harbor Blues
Benton Harbor Blues
Where you got no vote
Cause the town’s been revoked
Better shine the Governor’s shoes
Or you’ll be singing the Benton Harbor Blues
Verse 3
Knocked Out (alternate “Koched Out”)
Mayor Cooke
Stripped down
Flim Flammed
ALEC-Kazamed
Jack Nicklaus Fans
They sold the view to a golfing few
And that’s why we got the Benton Harbor Blues
Verse 4
Font Size
Too Small
Recall
Off-line
Fire in the Mall
No one to Call
They sold the view to a golfing few
That’s why we have the Benton Harbor Blues
Chorus
Benton Harbor Blues
Benton Harbor Blues
Where you got no vote
Cause the town’s been revoked
You better shine the Governor’s shoes
Or you’ll be singing the Benton Harbor Blues
Repeat chorus again