WBEN: Squadrismo Radio
Last week, I relayed the story that South Buffalo-based blogger Mike Blake wrote about, having to do with odd threats emanating from what can only be called the WBEN morning zookeeper and his virtual entourage of dummies – a pack of dubiously big-balled squadristi. Not content merely to brook no dissent on his radio program or on his popular, selfie-laden Facebook page, this person has lobbed threats against numerous people in recent days, including Blake’s brother, Patrick – a Buffalo firefighter.
Friends of a paranoiac fascist zookeeper lob poorly spelled threats at radio listeners
You see, Patrick called WBEN during the zookeeper’s show and joked that a backup on the 33 was due to someone having fallen asleep during that day’s program. It wasn’t a prank call – it was just a joke. Here it is, complete with Bauerle’s best Alex Jones impression:
http://podcast.wben.com/wben2/3887120.mp3
For those unaware, a listener (my brother) called Bauerle and reported that an accident on the 33 was caused by motorists falling asleep while listening to his show. That’s when things got strange. According to my brother, a man sounding like Bauerle, phoned him from a private number. In a whiny voice, he called him an A-hole and said he ruined his show with his phone call.
It didn’t end there. My brother then received threatening texts from people associated with Bauerle. One informed him that we “know a lot of people”…
This led to a barrage of insults from the zookeeper and his friends, and on Monday, Blake added some additional examples to the mix.
Evidence of a crime?
One of my favorites comes from someone whose daddy works for Verizon, and this Bauerle hanger-on threatens that daddy might shut off Blake’s paid-for Verizon contract.
Daddy is a regional guy! Daddy will shut you down!
Patrick Blake committed no crime, and broke no rules by calling in to a radio show’s call-in number to make a joke about the host. It wasn’t mean-spirited; it wasn’t even a “prank” call. What’s far, far more alarming is that the radio host’s ego is so hyper-fragile that a throwaway joke that he could have removed from air using the station’s delay became an obsession so stark that he didn’t just whine to Blake, but got other people to complain about how this somehow, magically, affects the radio host’s “livelihood”.
I corresponded with Patrick Blake on Monday, and he notes that most of the texts came from numbers marked “private”, as well as the Florida number shown above and a Texas number. None of these threatmongers have the stones to contact Mr. Blake by a phone number that can be traced or is otherwise evident, because they know they’re likely committing the crime of harassment. When Blake tried to call the numbers back, the calls wouldn’t or couldn’t go through.
While none of the messages or texts directly threatened bodily harm, they all demanded that he “back off” his one joke phone call “or else”. Blake believes that several of the messages came from people who were cops or had some other connection to law enforcement.
Blake says, “I called WBEN and told what was happening to a guy that said he was a manager. He told me it was above his pay grade and he would put me through to Tim Wenger. I left a message with him but never got a call back. After about 10 calls to my phone I called their *930 call-in number, and told them if they did not stop I would give out their address . After that i got a crazy text saying i had threatened to bring force against WBEN and my phone would be shut off. I never threatened anyone and this was after many calls to my phone.”
When I asked Blake whether he had kept any of the voice mails he received, he replied, “Most were just music like the Adam Sandler song “you’re an asshole” and some other song about “Jesus loves you but everyone hates you”.”
As I documented last week, the station’s program director and head of operations pretends that his morning host and his squadristi aren’t completely out of control.
As anyone who has ever sent a letter to the editor in Buffalo news can attest, this is common in WNY . . . I’ve had numerous calls to my home after submitting such a letter. Most, of course, rant and rave . . .One called me a “f*in polack.” All calls came from “private” or “blocked” numbers.
I do not approve, nor do I condone the behavior, but it is for the most part harmless. Unless an actual threat is received, I’d stop getting my panties in an uproar over this one.
Seems to me that if someone thinks lying to a call screener to tell a joke is a horrible offense that the last thing they’d do is send out their blackshirts to harass the caller.
Thinking they might have been another color. Not sure if Verizon guy’s Dad lets him wear a black shirt in public, could be construed as part of a satanic cult.
After years of doing a bad Rush Limbough imitation and still being the number two guy in the number sixty market, he has now decided to be a mini ALEX JONES.
I think it’s time to “Francesa” this asshole. What comes around goes around.
for all the tough talk that the right wing hate mongers spew, they sure are a sensitive bunch!!
Still wishing for a local lefty talk show with a rating over 0.001? Or the return of Air America (see previous)?
Still looking for the local equivalent of RedState or Breitbart?
You missed your calling.
What about right down the fucking middle… that’s a thing too for fuck sake!
I only caught a few minutes of the dickholes show today around 11:30 but they were talking about the government buying bullets to kill American citizens. Someone please tell me I walked in to the middle of a big prank.
@google-d342f733952ced9a9836107811dbb79f:disqus would it be so bad to at least have a show that welcomes diverse viewpoints?
Jim: They DO know that the story you mentioned is BS, correct?
Oh, they don’t? Sorry…I thought I lived in the real world.
Mr. Blake, the time has come.
Since they won’t stop harrassing you-and WBEN can’t or won’t rein in the clowns- sue all of them for everything they’ve got. And I mean EVERYONE.
How long would Bauerle have lasted in a South Buffalo high school cafeteria or study hall if a spitball like the one Patrick Blake flung at him seared his very soul as it apparently did? I think the Brothers Blake are in line for a community service award, Mike for his dodgeball in the face blogging style and Pat for hanging on line over 15 minutes to shatter Bauerle’s febrile psyche with a wisecrack that wouldn’t even bear repeating on a given Friday at Doc Sullivan’s. I just hope nobody gets their Dad after me. Wow.