Former WAER staff express few regrets

Six months have passed since that day in April when five senior staff members were fired and WAER-FM88 was taken off the air. But for those who were involved, the memories linger on.

The end result occurred following weeks of confrontation and the breakdown of negotiations between Station Manager David Anderson and his 11-member staff.

"The final blow up was not necessary and I wish t hadn't happened," Anderson said. "It came to the point where that's where it had to go, but I do not regret having made the decision" to shut the station down.

The protest began last semester when Anderson proposed eliminating the station's diverse programming and adopting a single format. Staff members voiced objections to the format change saying it would not allow student input.

Currently a jazz and news and information station, WAER used to play a variety of jazz, new music and urban contemporary, a mixture of funk and rhythm and blues.

Dave Levin, former production director and one of the five fired, said he was disappointed with what he described as other students' lack of concern.

"We cared a lot about what input the student body would have on the progress of its radio station," he said. "The student body didn't give us a lot of support. I was naive as hell in thinking Anderson would be choked off by students. Students don't always band together on student issues."

While hard feelings and tension were felt on all sides, most students involved admitted the incident was a valuable learning experience.

"At the end of spring, I was filled with more naivete than I wanted to be," Levin said. "I believed that if we made enough of a stink, no one would go back and we would win. I believed that was realistic."

"We were naive to think that things would work out," he said. "We assumed that it was definitely out of the question that most of the staff would not go back. Ninety-nine percent were back by June 1."

Kesner, who currently works as a disc jockey along with Levin, at the Generic Bar, added he does have hard feelings for those who returned in the beginning.

"I feel stabbed in the back," he said. "I feel animosity for the people who went back on June 1. It (the new format) couldn't have gone on the air if people hadn't gone back."

While some old staff members have not returned to the station, most said they do not hold it against those students who now feel they can work within the new format.

"I recognize that it's necessary for people to go back," Levin said. "I just hate to see their pride, their self-worth squashed."

Sean McDonough, who is now working as a sportscaster for WCNY-TV, said the decision to return to the station should be left up to each individual. McDonough resigned his position as operations director along with the six remaining staff members.

"There comes a time when you have to realize the battle's lost," he said. "You have to salvage what you can. If the former staff can salvage some valuable experience, they should go back."

Joel Thierstein, who continues to work for WJPZ-AM99, said he encouraged younger staff members to return to gain more experience. He was the program director before he was fired.

While Greg Papa resigned as sports director with the rest of the staff in April, he remained as a sportscaster to broadcast the Syracuse Chief s games. He said he returned as sports director in August when it became apparent several previous sportscasters would be returning. Of those students who were fired or resigned, Papa is the only one who has returned to WAER in a managerial position.

"I'm here to do what I wanted to do," Papa said. "It's unfortunate it (the station) is not what it should be. I'm cold to that effect, but I'm not here to be a philosopher. I'm here to do what I can."

Papa added he had no problem working with Anderson because he said it is rare, as sports director, for him to come in contact with the general manager.

"I think we could've built on the staff instead of wiping it out and starting from scratch," he said. "I don't think we had a chance to work with the new staff."

The senior staff was in office less than two months before the firings occurred.

Anderson also said he wished he could have moved into the new format with his old staff.

While past staff members were unsuccessful in their attempts to keep WAER from going to a single-style format, most do not regret the fight they pursued.

"We did lose," McDonough said. "The station is going in a direction whether we wanted it to or not. But 99 percent of what we did was reasonable and with foundation." He said he regrets the name-calling that occurred between the staff and Anderson.

"I feel, morally, we won in all odds," he said. "I don't regret anything as far as the fight goes. I feel truthfully we were right and they were wrong. I don't think justice was done."

"I think we did the best job we could've ever done, but I don't think we could've won," he said. "We were working against innumerable odds."

"We did what we had to do," he said. "For awhile, I thought we were going to win, but it became obvious the administration was behind Anderson."

Regardless of the fight pursued and its final result, most old staff members said they were glad they had a chance to work at WAER.

"It was one of the most enjoyable experiences I ever had," Kesner said. "We were a real cohesive group and I miss it, very deeply. going there and being as creative as we could."

Levin said he feels like he has lost an old friend now that he no longer works at WAER.

"It's almost like a divorce," he said. "We spent 45 to 50 hours a week there. We were married to that station. I'd have to say we're still grieving."

Thierstein said that while he wished he could have done more at the station, his life goes on in other areas.

Student station has history of controversy

Controversy is nothing new to WAER. The station has been shrouded in one controversy after another during the past three years as students and the Syracuse University administration struggle for control of the station.

The following is an outline of recent events at WAER.

July, 1980—Thomas Hardy is hired as WAER's professional station manager following an extensive search, which students at the station agreed to.

June 12, 1981—Hardy replaces the station's constitution with one written by himself and John Prucha, vice chancellor for academic affairs. The new constitution gave Hardy final authority on all personnel decisions at WAER, including the hiring and firing of student staff members. Students respond by compiling their own "amended" version of the constitution and defy Hardy and his document.

August 24, 1981—Hardy with Chancellor Melvin A. Eggers' approval, violates University regulations and fires two student staff members, Music Director Patti DiSalvo and Promotions Director Jeff Mayer because of their "continuing refusal to conform to the professional standards of station operations and frequent defiance of management authority." When DiSalvo defies Hardy's orders and goes on the air for her regular 4 p.m. shift, WAER is shut down, under Hardy's orders, at 4:23 p.m. for 40 minutes. WAER resumes broadcasting with a makeshift team consisting of Hardy, Newhouse professor Rick Wright and Hardy-designated Music Director David Bernstein.

August 25,1981—Card key locks on Newhouse doors are changed, preventing students from entering the studios for their regular shifts. Bernstein and Wright tell Hardy they cannot operate the station alone any longer, forcing Hardy to let students in to work. Student disc jockeys return at noon.

August 31, 1981—After a storm of protest by student leaders and extensive local media coverage, Eggers orders Hardy to reinstate DiSalvo and Mayer.

Jan. 20, 1982—Hardy resigns because he said he found a better job.

Feb.,1982—Ron Harig, chairman of the ad hoc committee on WAER, is named temporary station manager.

Sept. 13, 1982—WAER is taken off the air by Harig at 9:40 a.m. when no qualified engineers are working at the station. This followed a dispute in which student engineers had their hours cut from 168 to 30 hours per week. In their place, DJs were to be trained to also serve as engineers as part of a cost reduction move.

Sept. 15, 1982—A DJ misreads a meter while performing engineering functions, causing him to push a wrong button and take the station off the air for 1 hour, 48 minutes.

Sept. 27, 1982—David Anderson is hired as WAER's full time station manager, replacing Harig.

April 22, 1983—Anderson takes WAER off the air at 3:18 p.m. after he fired five student staff members who refused to support the new jazz and news format. The remaining six staff members resigned. The station stays off the air except for Syracuse Chiefs broadcasts.

June 1, 1983—WAER resumes broadcasting on a regular schedule for six hours in the evening.

—David Robinson