Bauerle and the Newsworthiness of it All
Consider for a moment why the Buffalo News story about Tom Bauerle’s apparent psychiatric episode exists. This sort of thing happens every day, and when there’s no arrest, it won’t even make it into “Police & Courts”. The cops were called, so it might merit a names-redacted story in the Amherst Bee blotter.
We knew of this story on Thursday. Geoff Kelly and I looked into it, spoke with sources, and otherwise weighed its newsworthiness against the obvious privacy issues concerning a psychiatric episode of a public figure. We didn’t roll with it because (a) let the man get help; and (b) let’s don’t cheapen the seriousness of mental illness. With no arrest, we didn’t think it was worth aggressive pursuit.
The News disagreed, and I ask you to consider the question of newsworthiness.
I hope Bauerle – with whom I vehemently disagree on most everything – gets the help he needs. I hope that his right to possess firearms is curtailed, as this sort of psychiatric episode is exactly why the mental health provisions of the NY SAFE Act exist.
However, this is a personal medical matter and one affecting perhaps his neighbors, but not you or me.
Here is the audio clip everyone is talking about, from December 30th. It is chilling.
http://www.trendingbuffalo.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/01/bauerle12-30-13.mp3
Sorry for bad grammar, typing, or links. I can fix it later, as I m out of town and did this on the phone.
“Shooting” from the hip, Alan?
Classic case of using a cliche because you think it sounds clever but it actually makes no sense as Alan explained he and his editor deliberated quite a bit before deciding not to go with this.
Yes they certainly do an excellent job of tooting their own horn in regard to what they must consider their admirable restraint. I really haven’t come across a piece as smug and self righteous as this one in awhile. Even if you can get past the self congratulatory tone you still have to deal with trite Bedenko qualifiers such as him needlessly explaining how much he disagrees with Bauerle. No fooling Al. You only write for Artvoice.
HAHA
That’s exactly what I thought of the piece. It seems you are attempting to try and paint the unhinged Bauerle as a sick and sympathetic character in order to question the Buffalo News motivations. Christ I didn’t think that was possible.
Now that’s humorous.
I didn’t question the News’ motivations. I questioned the story’s general newsworthiness, based on the fact that the psych portion of it shouldn’t be public, by law. My intention was to get people thinking and talking about the line where private incident becomes public information.
Mission the fuck accomplished, wouldn’t you say?
Yet Alan started a blog post about the issue and has allowed comment on the issue. How is that “Not going with it” ?
I believe the public has the right to know about Tom’s behavior. His show attracts like minded anti-SAFE Act fanatics. He has used the airwaves to generate support for protest marches and other behavior. It seems to be only a matter of time before he incites his listeners (poor misled folks that they are) to violence.
I used to work at WBEN back in the days when Larry Levite owned the station.
People remember WBEN as a news station – the #1 pre-eminent news outlet in this market. Many people are still under the misconception that WBEN is still a news outlet, when it actually is right wing propaganda 24/7 with a few minutes of “rip and read” info.
The SAFE Act is just the latest in Bauerle’s string of paranoid rants. He has a so called “intelligence expert” who he sent to spy on an East Side mosque. Prior to the election of 2008, and after, he accused Obama of creating FEMA camps to incarcerate citizens and use Americorp workers to imprison fellow Americans.
He has been off the rails for years…I hope the News’ story will help him get the help he so desperately needs.
I am ‘anti SAFE ACT’ and I’m far from a gun fanatic. How easily the left pulls the right’s card when it suits them. Hypocrites. Don’t let facts get in the way of your opinions on things, conservatives don’t when they open their bible so why should you? Right?
I like your comments, I’m a right wing Christian who “hates religion”
(: Thanks for being honest!
That is what is so sad in all this. WBEN is unfortunately out of habit STILL thought of as a legit news/info source. Their listeners believe they’re getting accurate info when they hear Bauerle, Limbaugh, etc. This is true of these type stations all over the country. No wonder more than half of the GOP still thinks Obama is from Kenya. Just dumb. The managers of WBEN should be fired.
Wenger doesn’t care. It’s all about the money.
If this doesn’t convince you to listen to, say, WBFO…CBC Radio 1 or 680 News…I don’t know what will. None of those stations traffic in this kind of crap, and certainly their bottom line isn’t hurting.
I am a right wing ultra conservative who believes just about anyone should be able to buy a gun.
Anyone who has listened to Mr Bauerle will agree he has serious issues and though I am supportive of very few gun laws, people with mental problems should never own a gun.
Bauerle needs help and should not have a gun anywhere near him. He will harm himself or others.
True, however we all have “mental problems” so were is the line, who decides???? that’s the problem, and yes if someone things trees are people , then obviously that person probably has mental issue that falls under your “no gun” policy. HOWEVER, is this all true, no matter what your opinion is on the truth of these supposed statements, it would have to be decided in front
of a judge.
“True, however we all have “mental problems” so were is the line, who decides????”
When you think a tree is a person and you believe the Governor has people watching you and signaling each other with flashlights while you are walking around your yard with a loaded gun – – that goes beyond someone with normal day to day stress. Listen to the guy one day and you realize he is one step away from the deep end. It rarely ends well for people like him.
Hope he saw the sale at the supermarket – tin foil, extra strength on sale this week only! Stock up as you always need more hats!
In light of all that Bauerle has said on this issue, your accurate statement about his fitness to own a firearm is incredibly ironic.
Who decides who’s mentally fit to own a gun? Who doesn’t have physiological problems? Which psychological diagnosis warrants gun restrictions? This is the age of voyeurism, where everyone wears their heart on their sleeve, nothing is private, and tact is an obscure notion. I agree with the author, I disagree with most of Bauerle’s opinion but the stigma and taboo mindset in relation to mental illness is still in the stone ages. There are plenty of people with an axe to grind regarding gun ownership and most singing loudest are hypocrites. You can’t cry for equal rights and constitutional liberties while simultaneously advocating for the suppression of the rights of others.
Someone who exhibits paranoid personality characteristics, insists that the governor of the state has sent officers (with footwear that don’t leave tracks in the snow) to his home and brings a loaded gun into his backyard – explaining to a police officer that the tree in his yard is actually a human being sent to spy on him,,,THAT person should not have guns in his possession.
Nor should that person take to the airwaves daily and spout his paranoid delusions to followers who somehow believe that WBEN is a leading source of news in this community.
Hard to argue with that.
all true, if all true.
“Gun Rights” are unique in that no other right or liberty has such potential to take away the very life (and liberty) of others. All rights come with some limits and responsibilities, the 2nd Amendment is no different and is invoked most often by those with an extremist agenda or “axe to grind”.
I think the desire to own or play with weapons meant only for mass murder indicates a possible mental health issue. My father was a WWII combat veteran that landed at Normandy, fought in the Battle of the Bulge and earned the Bronze Star and Silver Star. He witnessed horrible carnage and often said that “something just wasn’t right” with those that are fascinated and enthralled with weapons and firepower.
Your father is so right about this. I befriended a neighbor when I was in my 20’s, he was in his 60’s. One time we were having dinner and the topic of his being in WWII came up. My ears perked up, “what did you do?”. “Machine gunner on a B25.” “No kidding, did you shoot anyone down?”. “Yeah but I’m not proud of it”. End of conversation, and lesson learned.
And I think people who make gross sweeping generalizations about gun owners also have mental issues. I own multiple firearms and I lean far to the left on most issues. I don’t give my firearms sponge baths and sensual massages and I certainly don’t treat them as an extension of my manhood. I happen to enjoy target firing, loud explosions and gadgets. I also like loose leaf tea and the company of my gay friends….oh and I hate religion. Maybe your labels aren’t as accurate as you hope they would be.
it just shows they don’t have a clue if this is how they go after gun owners. typical. Also as a person that is “mostly” on the left, TY for being so honest and stating the truth .
LOL. Love your post. Nothing wrong with gun ownership, it’s just the paranoid nutjobs who bring lots of negative attention to their own cause, like TB. Requiring gun registration is reasonable, and it’s not a govt attempt to take them away—of course try explaining that to a clinically paranoid person..
Well…they are a bit draconian with the SafeAct. To me it’s the liberal version of the patriot act. The statistics don’t lie. Knowledge is power…unfortunately nobody really has the humility to talk less and read more. Who wants to be wrong? Not the endoctrinated…not on any issue on any side. The fact is what the general public think is an assault rifle is nothing more than a normal rifle with parts on it that make t look like an assault rifle. I wouldn’t want to be in a combat situation with an AR15 anymore than I would want to be in a race with a Dodge Neon with a hood scoop and rear trunk spoiler. Read, listen, learn, deduce then talk…it makes for much better debate….and Bauerle is a douche…nothing more than a slim version of Rush Limbaugh
Mike, I am a gun owner, my comment was directed at the fanatics that are obsessed with bigger, badder, and deadlier firepower. We all know these guys, they are extended family members, co-workers, or neighbors and they tend to be on the paranoid and or racist side (see the Buffalo News site for examples) They hate Obama and Cuomo and believe they are “patriots” defending the Constitution when in fact most are simply defending their own selfish interest. Some even make threats of treason or threaten to murder police officers or any government agent that “comes for their guns”. This small minority of “gun nuts” (and tiny percent of our population) drive the agenda and push the debate beyond any reasonable bounds. The majority of Americans want reasonable gun regulation as one tool towards reducing gun violence.
it just shows you don’t have a “leg to stand on” in “this debate” with your petty comments. First off who says Tom is “enthralled with weapons and firepower”
and what if one was “enthralled with weapons and firepower, maybe they are meant to be a ballistics engineer.
OK let ban gus guys, b/c if someone likes them ,dan dat means something is wong DERP.
“Who says?” Tom says, his show was little more than a tirade focused on “gun rights” and a mouthpiece for his fellow crazies and hate mongers.
Tirades regarding the bill of rights , how dare he
If the Bill of Rights were just the 2nd Amendment that might be true. Funny how the gun nuts allow no dissent, no debate, and no compromise in their quest for purity. The 1st Amendment has no place, at least among their ranks and any that stray from the group-speak are quickly excommunicated.
I am in no way condoning or attacking Tom B. You on the other hand are in the cross hairs (so to speak)
Hate Mongers? You stated that your father was in WWII.
Well in case you missed that class the war was in no small part related to mass govt. killing of a disarmed civilian populous, that was demonized by that same govt. Fact the issue of mass killings hyped by the media such as NEWTOWN are nothing (Though they are still in no way condoned) next to the mass killings carried out by governments against their citizens. Can you say NAZI Germany, Red China, USSR, Cambodia? This, “it can’t happen here” is the head in the sand land approach to the real world.
http://www.canadafreepress.com/index.php/article/47844#.UtQWE-Uo7IU
On July 2nd, 2008—Obama delivered a speech in Boulder, Colorado in which he promised the creation and establishment of a “Civilian National Security Force.” He further promised it would be “just as powerful, just as strong, just as well funded as the US Military.”
Exactly who is he protecting the sheep from?
From the Declaration of Independence: “For protecting them, by a
mock Trial from punishment for any Murders which they should commit
on the Inhabitants of these States:”
This is the Govt. view of the Constitution,
“Stop throwing the Constitution in my face,” Bush screamed back. “It’s just a goddamned piece of paper!”
You have a government, that does as it pleases. Kills without conscience, any and all it pleases. http://www.fear.org/scott.html
http://people.duke.edu/~gnsmith/ruby/valor.htm
http://prfamerica.org/speeches/4th/ViewThruDelusion.html
Federal judge Edward Lodge decreed that the state of Idaho could not prosecute Horiuchi for killing Vicki Weaver, that what the agent had done was “necessary and proper.” The judge blamed Vicki Weaver for her own death. Lodge decreed that “it would be objectively reasonable for Mr. Horiuchi to believe that one would not expect a mother to place herself and her baby behind an open door outside the cabin after a shot had been fired and her husband had called out that he had been hit.” Thus, if an FBI agent wrongfully shoots one family member, the government receives a presumptive right to slay the rest of the family unless they run and hide. A citizen’s duty to bow before law enforcement, in Judge Lodge’s view, trumps a spouse’s duty to a mate in mortal danger.
This has zero relevance to the topic at hand.
Canada Free Press is little more than the Drudge Report of Canada.
Besides, the Tin Hat Alliance meeting is three doors down to the right. Alex Jones is waiting for you so he can start the meeting.
It has everything to do with the topic. You loosers always show yourselves with the attack the messenger aproach.
I just hope that sometime (real soon would be good) you get the Donald Scott treatment from your rulers armed thugs.
What Tom B thinks is of no matter to me, but anyone that has blind trust in the system and those that slither abouyt in it are fools.
I bet you were one of those hand wringers that were all up set about the chem weapons and Syria. But when it was done to Americans it was all good with you.Blind obedence to an evil government is not patriotism. It is folly though.
This has nothing to do with attacking the messenger and EVERYTHING to do with being off-topic.
BTW, you want to threaten me? You’re DONE. Consider your message FLAGGED. If we’re lucky, you’ll spread your paranoia somewhere else.
Flagged?
Where did I threaten you?
I just want you to have a chance to experience your rulers armed thugs. I won’t be there for or against you.
Come back to comment when you can pass Hooked on Phonics.
Is that Latin?
Looking forward to the day he is no longer “on the air” to spew his venom. Your 15 minutes is up Tom.
The argument could be made that his 15 minutes were up long ago.
I’m with Alan; I vehemently disagree with nearly everything Bauerle says….but I’m not going to kick someone when they’re down. HOPEFULLY, Tom gets the help he so clearly needs and Entercom decides to take WBEN down a better path.
Entercom is the same corporation that has no qualms about programming hateful opposing political views in the same market. They’ll get Bauerle some token help, mouth some platitudes over how concerned they are, and immediately calculate how they can maximize revenue now that Bauerle is off air.
And they’re that way with their stations(at least locally); witness them taking the ax to “progressive” talk on 1520 a few months ago and switching it to running ESPN Radio. Never mind, of course, that they already have WGR doing sports-they did it to undercut Cumulus’ Sports Radio 1270 the Fan.
That’s one of the reasons why I call the stations at 500 Corporate Parkway Entercorpse.
Sick of local radio stations telling us what to listen to. Now on Sirius satellite radio..
Especially since WGR and WWKB are often running the SAME network feed at night. The SAME thing on both frequencies for hours. Nice job, FCC.
Thank you Reagan, Bush I and even Clinton for the de-regulation of the broadcast industry. Too bad the 1 AM, 1 FM per market ownership rules weren’t still in play. Radio went to hell the minute corporations were allowed to monopolize markets. Seven stations in a single market? WTF? Yeah, thanks government, because that certainly serves the “public interest”.
If I were head of FCC chair, the first thing I would do is kill the broadcast monopolies. But it’ll never happen, because the NAB, NRB and record companies own the FCC.
The above audio clip of the Dec. 30 show indicates “file not found.”
If WBEN had done the right thing and not allowed him back on the air I would agree The Buffalo News was out of bounds. Since they did not, the public has a right to know the mental status of someone feeding them his (and likely soon to be their) opinions.
I am with the author, Bauerle and I are on different wavelengths. I hope he gets the help he needs, and WBEN does the right thing by not letting him back on the air until he does.
Alan – Almost a year ago to the day, you published a blog with the following headline”
“Buffalo Talk Show Host: al Qaeda better than the Government
by Alan Bedenko (@BuffaloPundit) – posted 6:15 am, January 29, 2013”
Of course Tom Bauerle’s current issues are newsworthy. A year ago you correctly expressed outrage and bewilderment that so many WNYers “liked” Tom’s paranoid comments back in Jan. 2013. You also wondered how a NY lawmaker could appear on this show and not question his statements.
WBEN has provided Tom a huge bully pulpit to spew his paranoid rhetoric – all for their profit and ratings success.
It is time for him to go quietly and get the help he has so desperately needed for so long.
Seriously, WBEN management should be held responsible for the airing of his reckless daily musings. What was once a great radio station has become a cesspool of extremist and delusional conservative conspiracy theories. A news station sponsoring gun rallies? Really? What a disgrace.
I ejected WBEN from my car radio presets quite a while ago.
It’s one thing for him to say and advocate for things that I think are crazy in a crazy way. It’s a completely different thing for him to have a psychiatric episode. I think the former is fodder for discussion and mockery. I’m not so sure about the latter.
I’m listening to this and just thinking to myself “this is typical Bauerle.” Haven’t listened to him but maybe two times since I worked there, but nothing’s changed. Delusional rants, put out there strictly for the controversy and subsequent money train.
He really needs a new schtick.
Alan, I admire you and Artvoice’s stance to not run with this story. I wish the Buffalo News had used the same discretion. As a former reporter, I was often hearing rumors of public figures’ sexuality, bad marriages and mental illnesses. More times than not, I took a pass on such stories. Not only did the News’ quite lengthy piece smear Bauerle, but they may have opened themselves up to a lawsuit since they clearly violated HIPPA laws.
And for the record, unlike this forum, the News has blocked its comments section on this story. Funny how they want openness and freedom of information from elected officials when it comes to police reports about public figures, but when it comes to their readers’ opinions, they suddenly turn into the Chinese government.
I can only imagine what the comments would have been like!
But I agree with the News’ running the story. His show reflects his paranoia. He has 3 hours a day to speak out on any and every conspiracy theory he likes – unsubstantiated stories that listeners tend be believe because it is coming from Buffalo’s one and only “news” station.
EXACTLY. Ever hear Tom breathlessly hang on every word from that nutjob Doug Hagman? Bauerle surrounds himself with people as nutty as him…and imbibes Limbaugh and Fox News daily on top of that. How could he NOT be nuts by now?
And before that, Steve Quayle was one of his sources.
There are three online stories regarding Bauerle, comments are being accepted in two at the BN.
I’m not an attorney or a medical professional, but I don’t think the News is bound by any provisions of HIPPA. It would seem like a very significant curtailment of freedom of the press if it was illegal to report on a public figure’s medical condition without permission. As I understand HIPPA it is in place to prevent the medical system to misuse/share private medical information it has, not as a blanket gag order for the press and public. Not to say that News was ethical or appropriate in printing this information.
The News and public would have to get the medical information from a source with knowledge of it. If the information comes from anyone other than the patient himself, the information was released and obtained illegally.
That’s not how HIPAA works, like previously said, it’s not a gag order on anything medical. HIPAA only covers medical professionals and organizations that are in direct care of the patient. His doctor can’t talk about his obvious mental issues. His mom could if she wanted and HIPAA would remain out of the picture. A doctor not involved in his care could say whatever they think his issue could be, once again not HIPAA.
So, if someone calls the cops on you and they shoot you over to ECMC for a psych eval, I should be able to get that via FOIL?
Unless a the police force is a “covered entity” under HIPAA (as far as I understand they are not, though I’m not an expert) then yes, a FOIL would be valid. T
Looking at the covered entity information, cops are not covered entities. However, what I originally posited was that getting any additional information beyond the police information I got would have run into HIPAA problems, and I think I have a problem with the cops revealing the mental health information of people, whether they’re public figures or not.
Once the EMTs took over then it’d all be covered under HIPAA, but who knows where the information came from. Could have been a family member or a neighbor with intimate knowledge of the situations. Cops revealing mental health info, for me, isn’t that big of a deal because they are not really going to have any information that is not obvious (mainly because are not diagnosing). The police report was probably simple as “man acting erratically (with elaboration), sent to XXX via XXX for mental observation.” Nothing too personal
The News didn’t publish his diagnosis, just the facts surrounding the police report. It’s left to the imagination what the diagnosis is, therefore I’d be surprised if there is any HIPPA violation. On Bauerly, it definitely seems he has some mental disorder, but the News didn’t have to report it. All you had to do was listen to his show, broadcast daily to all of WNY, to figure it out.
The Bufnews used unnamed “sources” – as well as launching a invasive crusade to inform readers and any possible employer in an effort to continue their obvious efforts to end his radio show – I also agree totally with, “However, this is a personal medical matter and one affecting perhaps his neighbors, but not you or me” –
Its not a “Gun issue” – perhaps if a doctor feels he needs to restrict his access until he has sorted things out – then I am fine with that. This isn’t a “Legal Issue” no threats were made by Tom against anyone – yes he held a legally owned hand gun – no he didn’t point it at anyone – no shots fired and Officers were comfortable enough with him not to immediately surround and disarm him – they walked his property with him. He willing agreed to every request they made of him.
The police were called to his home (during the Blizzard) because his neighbors were concerned about him and about their safety. That in itself raises serious concerns.
His rants against the SAFE Act are just part of his meme – he also believes Muslims on the East Side of Buffalo have started a school to train terrorists, the President of the United States is setting up FEMA concentration camps for people like him, and the DHS and NYS are in cahoots to go through everyone’s medical records. He also compared the president and governor to alQuaeda and said they are more dangerous and need to be stopped through violence if necessary. So yes, he has threatened both the president and the governor in a public forum.
His delusions would be laughable – but given his 15 hour a week forum on one of Buffalo’s largest radio stations – they are frightening.
Couldn’t have put it better myself. Where is WBEN’s accountability for exploiting for years the ramblings of an obviously ill person?
Although I praise you for taking a principled position, I don’t agree that this is a purely personal, medical issue. Thinking a tree is a man suggests an issue that is at least partially medical, but he airs his “personal” paranoia in a very public forum, and the News article has helped me — and presumably others — to better understand the roots of his paranoid beliefs, which it now appears are both political and psychiatric in nature. And if he is psychiatrically delusional, and receives treatment, I for one would be very interested to learn if and how the treatment affects his paranoid worldview.
n/m
Alan, It’s seems is though there’s a double standard with you reporting on and the Buffalo News closed public comments on a featured article. You seemed to want to protect Tom’s story from the public, as if he’s not a public figure. Is it not newsworthy because you say so? Don’t hide behind the HIPPA law and say its a private or personal issue, this type of behavior would be reported on in a NY minute if it was an ordinary citizen. It’s not doubt Tom has fans and foes, but not to report when it’s one of your colleagues shows bias on your behave. If you want to help Tom, just make sure you report the facts…
Read Alan’s second paragraph again.
I did, and to clarify “With no arrest, we didn’t think it was worth aggressive pursuit.” Police are summoned to many suspicious acts with no arrests, we know because it’s reported all the time. Now, whether or not it’s a newsworthy topic should be left up to the individual who’s reading it…
That’s not how it works.
The issue is this – when we learned there was no arrest, the newsworthiness dropped considerably. What little we did learn about his apparent psychiatric episode consistent entirely of information that could only have been gleaned by people blatantly violating HIPPA. Now, the matter is public record and instead of jumping up and down with glee because a person who repeatedly called me a “lunatic” has issues, I’m wondering what it was that led the News to run with the story when we didn’t. This isn’t some case where one media outlet is using the name of, say, a youthful victim of a crime and we aren’t. We weren’t going to be the ones to break this story because we weren’t convinced it WAS a story. But now that everyone knows, I think there are things to talk about with respect to what happened, both substantively and procedurally.
Fair enough. But it has already gotten tired.
Alan, I appreciate you responding personally that’s shows you are consistently looking at the comments and have a conscious with regards to your reporting. I’m not sure if this is a publicity stunt or just the way it is. I just get concern when a reporter or newspapers say they didn’t think it was newsworthy. I occasionally read Artvoice for a different opinion or take on most articles published in the news. I became concerned and commented because I read this story in the Buffalo News this morning and became suspicious when I saw the comment section closed and as I stated you didn’t seem to think is was newsworthy. As the day has passed on some articles that were published have been removed and that’s very suspect. Thanks for your response and clarification on why you did not report the story. I can only imagine what will the Buffalo News response on why no comments well allowed on a featured story.
It’s HIPAA.
I never believe everything I read in the news, I know first hand they will fabricate (and I use that word politely) in order to advance an agenda.
Being a conservative in a Leftist hellhole like Buffalo is bound to take its toll on you.
I tried to listen to the audio but it says “File not found”.
Another website has at least the first part of that audio.
http://www.trendingbuffalo.com/life/bauerle-missing-audio-recovered/
And this tape is exactly what makes Bauerle’s recent exploits even more newsworthy. I seemed to notice Bedenko and Kelly feel the same because they posted it as well.
http://www.trendingbuffalo.com/life/bauerle-missing-audio-recovered/#comments
I assume they mean this one, I agree 100% with your comment 9:
Don’t believe I have come across an article regarding a local issue in a while that seems to subtly hold itself in such high estimation and pat itself on the back for not giving into negative journalistic impulses that plague lesser news gathering organizations. That’s quite a trick. If you had any real credibility you would just delete this nonsensical mess you posted in the name of ethix and hope that most will forget it ever existed.
Excellent point.
What point?
Uh maybe the “newsworthiness” of it? I assume that is the point of the piece isn’t it? It’s hard to tell from everything below the title I know. I will tell you I have been listening to Tom Bauerle’s program on a regular basis for years now and during that time it has been obvious for a the last year or so that he has been heading in a downward spiral. His almost lustful fixation on weapons and his pathological disdain for our governor is precisely what makes this story “newsworthy” in many people’s minds. If you want to defend Mr Bauerle that is fine, just don’t make allusions toward a news outlet doing their job as somehow being invasive to an unbalanced media figure’s privacy concerns.
I don’t think Alan’s defending Tom per se; he’s had quite a few run-ins with Bauerle in the past.
You know what would really go a long way in helping one understand the.tortured logic of this piece? Little things, ya know like facts and details. What is the.information AV had on Thursday? How did it differ from what the news had? I believe if these and other matters were revealed in the piece it would go a ways in helping the layman such as myself understand the viewpoint of the piece.
The point of the piece is to get people thinking and talking about what makes this a newsworthy story. An interesting one, sure. A luscious bit of karma, maybe. Something for us lefties to lick our chops over and say, “I told you so”? Probably. But is it NEWSWORTHY. Should we have this information? It’s a post to get you to think.
Well it definitely got me thinking, not so much about the tragic Mr Bauerle (who appears to have become a minor player in the piece) rather more so about you and AVs surreal take on a pretty cut and dried situation.
You’ve trolled well.
Pardon me but piss poor writing, inane rationale and a superior attitude usually draw my ire.
Why?
Possibly because it feeds into what you stated in the piece you were against? If it is such a non-issue why not let it fade? I’m not the only one here to notice this either. If this was a media column (which maybe it is I dunno) you could maybe make the case that you were merely responding to what you see as abuse by the News but that falls by the wayside when you post a link featuring the unhinged Bauerle. Seems to me you want it both ways here.
Well, here’s the thing. We knew of the story on Thursday. Geoff and I worked it all day Thursday and part of Friday. Based on what little we learned, we realized that the only way we could get more information would either be to canvass the neighborhood (the News did this, we did not), or get people to violate federal confidentiality statutes, which I won’t do. We are going to FOIL some materials from Amherst to see if there was something particularly newsworthy in there, but we don’t have these materials yet (neither does the News).
So, we decided that (a) no one was hurt; (b) there was a medical issue; (c) there was no arrest, we would not be the people to break this news. It’s now been broken, so I’m no longer foreclosed from having this exact discussion.
The news did it first, so now it’s ok. Is that your position?
Knowing Tom Bauerle’s mindset is critical in judging the veracity of his daily on-air claims. It all speaks to one’s credibility. He has listeners who grew up believing WBEN was THE trusted radio news source in town, and sadly, they do not distinguish between radical right-wing talk host conspiracy theory….and actual fact-based news. This has been a problem for years, and this series of incidents with Bauerle, while unfortunate in the overall scheme of things, is actually a necessary bit of a reality check for all those who hang on his every word.
Maybe, just maybe, a crack will now develop in the steadfast, pigheaded mentality of these minions who have been more than happy to gobble up all Bauerle has been stating as fact. Even still, if you check his FB page, plenty aren’t wavering at all in their “belief” in him. #jonestownmentality
No. That is not my position.
This was exactly my immediate thought. I understand why pundit/artvoice didn’t publish it in the first place. But this article had absolutely no purpose except to A: make sure that everyone knew the author had the scoop ahead of the news’ release and B: say, “look at me and what a bigger person I am by not publishing this story I’m reminding you about now and acting like I give a shit about Bauerle.”
finally cracked
Arthur C. Clarke once said, “any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic.”
I’ll offer a corollary: Any sufficiently advanced mental illness is indistinguishable from right-wing radio.
Alan isnt WBEN run by the same people who have been encouraging Caputo and Mazurek to misguide the public with their self promoting “poltical” talk show ?
Maybe the problem is a lot bigger than Bauerle. Perhaps some in management at WBEN need to be fired in order to exact a change in the culture there.
Caputo fills in for Bauerle. WGRZ runs the show he does with Mazurek.
I’ve done my laughing when I read the article and now I’m a little disturbed after this clip.
This is what happens when extremism and sensationalism is positively reinforced. Sad. Hope he finds the help he needs.
I also just listened to the clip…how could WBEN allow this man to remain on the air after this tirade? He is obviously very disturbed.
I feel very sorry for him…he has been used by his station (anyone watch “Network:?)
It is newsworthy because a person suffering from an undiagnosed paranoid delusional disorder is exactly the kind of person who shouldn’t own a gun, and this particular person had a radio platform for his opinions regarding gun control, the Safe Act, and the embodiment of the paranoia the NRA is pushing, profitably, these days.
I think this is a relevant argument, and quite persuasive.
This is probably the most well-stated point so far.
Bauerle claims the people spying on him are signaling each other with flashlights in the dark?
You’d think that Cuomo’s goon squad would be more discreet and technologically adept than that.
publicity stunt?
Ha! I used to work with him. This is 100% a Bauerle publicity stunt. He’s trying to get his far-right wing listener base all worked up into a frenzy, for either revenue generation, political motives, or a combination of the two.
This is just Bauerle being Bauerle. He’ll do and say anything to make a buck. Move along, nothing to see here.
JMO, but this doesn’t smell like it to me. This sounds like he’s believing in what he’s saying so much that he’s seeing it everywhere he goes.
And one thing struck me odd: If he says it’s costing him in the 5 digits for extra security, then he must be getting a LOT of money per year from Entercorpse. I’m calling BS on that part of it.
I’m calling BS on ALL of it. Bauerle is a master at (melo)drama.
Yes, ALL on the air. His ongoing bizarre behavior off-air would lead a reasonable person to a different conclusion.
I worked with him too, when he was at WGR AM. I think this is well beyond a publicity stunt.
He has so many devoted “followers”, I think he now actually believes the BS he has been spewing for years.
I worked with him fairly recently and really, this is par for the course. I do wonder if he doesn’t realize exactly how far he took it this time. He might get a bit more than he bargained for.
Were I his boss, he wouldn’t have a job to come back to until he got his act together. Yeah, that’s harsh. But if it’s that or watching a total meltdown-either on air or off-I’d go for the former.
Why? This sort of crap makes money. I’m absolutely certain Tim Wenger knew all about this before it ever made it to air.
Then he should go too for knowingly perpetrating a fraud on all of us. If Entercorpse doesn’t at least consider 86ing Wenger, then they’re just as much a bunch of cowards.
I should mention that I rarely listen to WBEN these days unless I really need to. If I want my news, I’ll go to WBFO or 680 News.
It’s all about the money and that’s all it’s ever been and all it’ll ever be. Bauerle and Wenger get ratings. Ratings make money. Doesn’t matter to them how they get the ratings, as long as they get them. WBEN is consistently at the top of the ratings in demographics that still matter. As long as that is the case, Baurle, Wenger and Reid will still have jobs, honesty and integrity be damned. There is no honesty and integrity and broadcasting anymore. On TV you have Honey Boo Boo and Snooki. On the radio you have Limbaugh and guys like Bauerle. It’s all the same BS.
That’s funny, because I always thought WBEN’s demos were 55 to death.
Too bad that’s not the case, because we wouldn’t be having this discussion in the first place.
You DO realize that I was partly joking with the 55 to death demo, right?
I did, but you didn’t hear the laughter in my voice as I typed my response. Read it again while you’re hearing my voice laughing at the idea of WBEN becoming so irrelevant that Dick Greene buys it for 2.3 million.
Duly noted. Besides, I have WECK as one of my presets…even if the FM part starts cutting out on Grand Island thanks to the other, more powerful 102.9 out of Hamilton.
I believe this is Glenn Beck’s schtick too.
They don’t call him Grrr-eed for nothing!
Bauerle publicity stunts have never extended into multiple off-hours calls to police while he trolls his yard with a loaded handgun. You’re misjudging this situation.
I floated that same exact theory earlier today on the WBEN Facebook page and was shot down by some guy. I really don’t think it is that far fetched.
This is a particularly cynical view. If true, then he is taking up space on a mental health facility bed that someone else genuinely needs and has been denied.
How long before the Amherst Tree Preservationists stage a protest at APD Headquarters for the unnecessary and unprovoked beating of a defenseless tree? Looks like the APD need some tree-sensitivity training.
As a 24 yr. old police recruit, Tom Bauerle was dismissed from the 1988 Niagara County Law Enforcement Academy. One can only imagine what type of cop he would have made.
Sadly, with all the stories of police misbehaving we see nationally, we already know what might have been….
“I’ve learned something.
Did you know that places sell boots that actually will leave rabbit or squirrel tracks in the snow when you wear them?”
Taken directly from Bauerle’s FB page, De. 27th.
The squirrels were actually Cuomo’s minions!!
Cuomo’s minions? I thought they were Gru’s!
I just came across this Alan. Never heard of the site before. What do you think?
http://wnymedia.net/2014/01/tom-bauerles-psychotic-episode-certainly-newsworthy/
Alan’s pretty well known amongst Buffalo’s more progressive and politically active populace.
And my cat’s breath smells like catfood.
I can non-sequitur with the best of them.
I fail to see how you don’t follow. Alan’s quite well-known. If this is the first you’ve heard of him then you haven’t been paying attention. He usually posts some pretty good stuff and I happen to agree with the post you just linked to BTW.
Sorry. Just having a difficult time trying to grasp the connection between Mr Bedenko’s credentials and the piece from WNY Media. The piece seems to call out Artvoice’s attempt at playing devil’s advocate in regard to the Tom situation. So are you saying that you agree with WNY Media’s view that the empathy displayed by AV is a bunch of hooey?
And not to denigrate Mr. Bedenko’s street cred it’s just that I m not really all that into politicking or whatever you call it. I think once I refused to drink at Starbucks for 24 hours but that’s been about it.
Um, I’m prrrreeettttyyy sure Alan has heard of that site before…
Alan sure seems to have a lot of handlers
Actually, I was referring to the fact Alan wrote for and helped build WNYMedia for years before jumping ship to Artvoice with Chris Smith a few years back.
I don’t know if that makes me a handler so much as someone whose spent way too many years reading blogs about a city I don’t even live in anymore…
Ok. I just don’t know the background of these sites and the people behind them. Thank you for explaining. This Baurle incident is getting me up to date pretty fast.
Well, then you should leap to conclusions about it all.
What conlusions did I draw? I merely asked you what you thought of the piece in particular. Nothing more. I didnt know you started the WNYmedia site. I do however think its telling they calleed you out.
About the site or the post? I wrote for WNYMedia.net from 2005 – 2011. I disagree with Marc’s conclusion and the facile, condescending, and false way he stumbles onto it.
Ironically, Tom Bauerle has single-handedly given a great example of why the mental health provision of NY Safe is reasonable and necessary. Anybody who thinks this is a publicity stunt needs to realize that TB was behaving in this odd manner mostly away from the microphone. I know it’s fun to outdo the “naive” ones, but don’t get into the fantasy-cynicism that seeks a deeper answer behind every occurrence. This is more elementary than that requires.
Some of you get it, some of you haven’t. I think that this thread has generated, on balance, many more substantive, thoughtful responses than conclusory declarations and trolls. For that, I thank you.
Maybe I’m overly sensitive about genuine mental health because I grew up with a psychiatrist for a father and I know that mental illness is not something voluntary, but caused by a chemical imbalance in the brain. Publicizing someone’s mental illness and holding him out for ridicule is probably the most counterproductive thing you can do, medically speaking.
In any event, you’re not supposed to know there was a psychiatric evaluation. When I learned about it, and learned that there was no drug arrest (or arrest whatsoever), I thought it stopped being a story. I posted this article questioning the newsworthiness of this, and some of you understood it to start a socratic process. Thank you.
Is it news? The most persuasive argument I saw had to do with the applicability of mental health issues vis-a-vis the NY SAFE Act. But I still think that this is TMZ news; this is Extra, ET, E!, and the Enquirer type news. This is not going to make its way to the New York Times, but it’ll make its way to tabloids and Gawker.
Doesn’t mean it’s not newsworthy, per se. Just means it’s gossip.
We all hate Bauerle’s opinions and ignorant proclamations. We hate his bombast and his obnoxiousness. That shouldn’t mean he makes Buffalo’s version of Page Six while we cheapen the import of mental illness and treatment.
Alan – This story for me goes far beyond Bauerle’s state of health. I think just about everyone here can agree that he is in some sort of personal crises and has needed a mental health evaluation for quite some time.
What frightens me are the hundreds, probably thousands, of loyal listeners who DO believe that the governor and others are spying on him and want to do him personal harm.
Back in 2008, the first time I became alarmed and called Tim Wenger, Bauerle and Beach were espousing the “FEMA concentration camp” theory. Up to the day of the election they claimed Obama was going to make America a communist, socialist state. But instead of moving on and finding a new target post election, they doubled down on that theory and threw in some new ones. Many involved protecting your family with a gun arsenal for when the “men in the black helicopters” come calling.
When the SAFE Act became law, Bauerle took his distrust of the government and his obsession with guns to a new level…
His paranoia has gone from a personal torment to a public threat, as he has continued to exhort his followers to arm themselves and prepare for an assault from Cuomo – just like the persecution he thinks he is currently enduring in his role as the only man willing to expose the “truths” about the governor. If he is placed on leave to sort out his issues, the loyal listeners will believe that Cuomo’s plan is working. Who knows what gun nut will want to protect Bauerle’s honor with a direct confrontation with the authorities? It has happened in other places. Don’t believe me? Just check out his FB page and see how many people agree with his delusions.
This is no longer entertainment – it is becoming mass hysteria. For ratings???
It’s truly sad to see a once great station descend to these depths,
You might be right. As I said earlier (lower down the thead), this is a persuasive argument. Having been accused by Bauerle of being a “mental defective”, I am certainly not jumping up eagerly to come to his defense. The irony is thick, I realize.
But that’s his radio nonsense and persona. I agree that sooner or later, the ignorant, paranoiac ramblings of right-wing talk radio will cause more than a few injuries, deaths, arrests, etc. But in this particular instance, the neighbors weren’t so concerned that they went to the News – the News went to them. There’s something about that that makes this a tough question.
I’ve continued this argument on Facebook, and a lot of the “newsworthy” folks seem to base their conclusion on the fact that they don’t like Bauerle and they’re happy to know this about him. I don’t think that’s persuasive at all.
Alan – The neighbors did something far more compelling…they called the police – about a dozen times! That shows a much higher level of concern than if they went to the News with neighborhood gossip.
They also had some sort of an intervention type meeting with him.
They seem to truly care about him and his condition and felt they needed to call in authorities to resolve the situation..
Which is more than I can say about the station and his management.
All true, but it makes the front page of the Sunday paper because the guy is also a radio personality? I don’t know if that’s enough. It’s not like the Illuzzi piece from 10 years ago, where Mike Beebe demonstrated that he ran a sleazy pay-to-play whoresite. Do we not, to a certain degree, compartmentalize our public and private personas? By dint of his notoriety, all his personal laundry gets aired? Or just this?
Perhaps it boils down to this: Some papers still hold to the old, honored traditions of journalism. More and more TBN seems to operate primarily as a business in it for profit. Decisions on what stories to print and obviously what editorials to write seem to be motivated less by any consistent standard or belief and more by how they will “sell” to their reading public which translates into how much they can get for advertising.
One example is their endless editorializing supporting smaller government and lower taxes while at the same time championing any and all “porkbarrel” initiatives that may result in some money or a job or two for western New York.
Times are tough for print newspapers. This kind of reporting is simply a strategy to stay solvent.
I agree, but would add to your final sentence “but it doesn’t make it right.”
Unfortunately right and reality don’t always mesh.
This is someone who is claiming that the governor is spying on him and spending $40,000 a day monitoring his actions.
He says this is happening because he is against the SAFE Act.
He has said repeatedly on air – to thousands of loyal listeners – that no one is going to take away his guns…they would have to pry them out of his cold, dead hands.
His neighbors fear that something isn’t “right” – they call the police 12 times in 2 months.
He then calls the police himself in the middle of the night – in a blizzard – to report that he is patrolling his backyard , a person is disguised as a tree and the authorities have shoes that don’t leave footprints, etc.
He is carrying a loaded gun – the police persuade him to give it to them (they obviously felt he was in no condition to have a loaded gun) and to surrender his other weapons to his lawyer – who knows if that has happened yet…
He is now a danger to himself and to his neighborhood. The police would not have confiscated the weapon of a well know 2nd Amendment activist and anti-SAFE agitator if he wasn’t a threat.
Of course this is newsworthy…I think everyone, including the BN, exhibited tremendous restraint in not reporting on the prior 12 police calls to his home.
It has gone well beyond his free speech or his ability to entertain and persuade over the airwaves.
Terrier: Re the first sentence-earlier on, I called BS on this simply because if it’s costing him that much for his own security, he’d better have a contract from Entercorpse paying him a LOT of money. (Unless I’ve got that the other way around, in which case…well, you know…:) )
Right wing fundie preachers (Google ‘David J. Smith’ for one) have been making hay with the civilian internment camps story since all the way back to G.H.W.Bush’s administration. All administrations (Dem, Repub, or the Water Buffalo) are supposedly complicit with the Trilateral Commission, CFR, the Mouseketeers, and Ann Landers. Surprising that Bauerle and Pesola didn’t pick up on that sooner.
I’m sorry but having a psychiatrist for a father does not give you extra sensitivities toward mental health. I had a brother with paranoid delusions and quite possibly was schizophrenic (never diagnosed). As you know, I’m assuming, having a father for a dr and all, most times these diagnosis aren’t made. A person can live with this illness long before treatment/diagnosis is made. It seems to me this is what is happening with Bauerle, but I do not know because I am not a dr. I have to disagree with you on this being a newsworthy event, it most certainly is. Calling someone “crazy” for as long as you have with Bauerle and then when they exhibit actual real crazy you back off and say it’s off limits is hypocritical. Be careful, it’s a long way down off that high horse.
Fucking hell.
So, living with a mental health professional for 20 years doesn’t mean shit, but you have no known credentials, yet fling around that you have diagnosed someone who was never diagnosed with anything.
Calling someone crazy because they hold crazy opinions and spout crazy things (FEMA camps, liberals are mental defectives, etc.) is not the same as publishing details of a person’s psychotic break in the newspaper.
My horse isn’t anywhere near as high as yours is misguided.
All the mental health stuff aside….I feel bad for his neighbors who have to live with this guy and fear for their safety……
Then one might hope Bauerle’s neighbours would have exercised their Second Amendment rights and have enough firepower to ‘neutralize’ any threats from Tommy boy.
OK, so here it is Alan:
You are the king of conclusory declarations and trolls.
You are a phony in that you proclaim this not to be a news
story and that AV is somehow above the rags, yet you make numerous
speculative conclusions about the nature of what really happened,
yet freely admit to not knowing the facts. In spite of this your
thread has generated well over 100 replies. Contrary to your
protestations, this is precisely what you live for. Though you have
less than nothing to say about anything, you feverishly try to
promote your junk to whoever will listen. You are a hypocrite in the
extreme.
Finally, your certainty on what constitutes mental illness is
woefully uninformed. Though your father may have been a fine man,
many informed intellectuals consider psychiatry to be a sham
profession, whereby many of the diagnoses are nothing more than self
fulfilled prophecies. Don’t take my word for it, as The Rosenhan
Experiment explains this in cogent detail. In any event the fact
that Mr. Baurle complained of flu symptoms would appear to free him
from any serious culpability from your point of view, due to a
likely chemical brain imbalance caused by the flu. For uninformed
gadflies like yourself who worship at the altar of conventional
medicine, you ignore the fact that in today’s America tens of
thousands of oncologists recommend the same treatment for two
patients with identical cancers at identical stages and one survives
for ten years or more and the other has severe bone metastasis
inside of two years. This is clear proof they don’t know what the
blank they are doing, much like you. Bone up on the Rosenhan
Experiment, so next time you know what you are talking about.
and what the fuck are your credentials? your arrogance is too much. i dare not battle the great bedenko, trust me, i do not have the time. and if you reread what i posted i didn’t diagnose a fucking thing.
how does it go…arblegarble. amirite?
i love the artvoice decision to not report on a story that they are then reporting on. fucking hell is right.
You don’t battle because you can’t. You don’t make cogent arguments about the posited question because you are a fucking asshole.
Kris: It should be the person’s call to mention they got treatment or a psych evaluation, NOT that of the region’s most prominent media source.
BINGO! We have a winner!
Thank you Alan for this article and your stance in your comments. When I read the TBN article I had the same reaction.
From your backround you have some basic understanding of mental illness as have I. It is unfortunate that the vast majority of people do not have even an inkling of what is involved. If one has a disease of the heart everyone basically understands that. Cancer? That too. A bum liver or appendix is no problem.
If someone has a disease of another organ, the brain, it is still looked on by most very differently that all other illness.
In all the brew-ha-ha over the Safe Act and the resultant discourse over restricting gun access to the mentally ill what has been lost is any discussion or action to improve the mental health system, fund research and push for more science in control or cure.
Great knowing that at least one reporter, Alan Bedenko, has both an understanding of what is involved and the integrity that you have shown with this piece.
I am at your service.
The only thing more absurd than your argument for not reporting this is the fact you think that you have some special qualifications because your dad was a psychiatrist. Do you just type whatever comes to mind?
I didn’t write or suggest that I have “special qualifications” because my dad is a shrink, you ignorant, illiterate, dumbshit motherfucker. I wrote that I might be “overly sensitive” to the issue.
Maybe not the NY Times but it certainly made the NY Daily News. What if they had eliminated any psychiatric angle in the news piece? Would that have made a difference? I believe that those WNYers who listen to Tom or have some background on him didn’t really need the News to tell us what they did.
OK, so here it is Alan:
You are the king of conclusory declarations and trolls.
You are a phony in that you proclaim this not to be a news
story and that AV is somehow above the rags, yet you make numerous
speculative conclusions about the nature of what really happened,
yet freely admit to not knowing the facts. In spite of this your
thread has generated well over 100 replies. Contrary to your
protestations, this is precisely what you live for. Though you have
less than nothing to say about anything, you feverishly try to
promote your junk to whoever will listen. You are a hypocrite in the
extreme.
Finally, your certainty on what constitutes mental illness is
woefully uninformed. Though your father may have been a fine man,
many informed intellectuals consider psychiatry to be a sham
profession, whereby many of the diagnoses are nothing more than self
fulfilled prophecies. Don’t take my word for it, as The Rosenhan
Experiment explains this in cogent detail. In any event the fact
that Mr. Baurle complained of flu symptoms would appear to free him
from any serious culpability from your point of view, due to a
likely chemical brain imbalance caused by the flu. For uninformed
gadflies like yourself who worship at the altar of conventional
medicine, you ignore the fact that in today’s America tens of
thousands of oncologists recommend the same treatment for two
patients with identical cancers at identical stages and one survives
for ten years or more and the other has severe bone metastasis
inside of two years. This is clear proof they don’t know what the
blank they are doing, much like you. Bone up on the Rosenhan
Experiment, so next time you know what you are talking about.
Ad hominem attacks and a forty year-old experiment. Thanks for that.
This guy is a dillusional whack job – take his guns away, per law, to keep all of us in the village safe. WBEN has been sliding for years from a relatively legitimate news channel to a Glen Beck-esque Tea Party Calvalcade of right wing crap.
Said the man with unionsrpondscum as a monicker
It’s a psychotic episode, not a psychiatric episode. Just saying…
Also, you are assuming that this person is suffering from a mental illness. This has not been determined in any way, shape, or form by a professional. At least any such information has not been made public.
The story is newsworthy for two reasons: 1) whether or not this person is mentally ill, public resources have been dispatched over a dozen times, one such incident in particular when law enforcement was most likely needed elsewhere (the winter storm), and, 2) the neighborhood in which this person lives is being affected, which means the entire situation has the potential to affect a broader spectrum of citizens.
I could go into more about things, but at this point I’m going to leave my comments as they stand.
You make valid points, but the Amherst cops never went to the media with this, nor did the neighbors.
Here’s something that’s occurred to me just today. When Bauerle went on the air and said that the US Government was worse than al Qaeda, I was the only person anywhere to make something of that – I was alone in pointing out how ugly and dangerous his public rhetoric had become, and how irresponsible it was for him to say it and for WBEN to endorse it. To me, that is far more newsworthy than an episode limited in scope and geography to a neighborhood, yet there was nothing from anyone, anywhere.
I know you did! I know I said I wouldn’t bring this up, but what the hell.
This has been brewing for quite some time. The switcheroo of day parts between Sandy and Tom was lighting the fuse of silliness. That was done with one thing in mind, and it wasn’t in the mind of promoting good news-talk – it was done with the intention of stirring things up to get more listeners and pushing Tom to get crazier with his commentary. I don’t agree with everything he says, but Tom is a talented person. I’ve worked with him and known him in small capacity since 1995. Since 9/11, he’s gotten weirder in his views and attached nut-jobs like Doug Hagman to his name, which doesn’t help his case. Look, I still do a paranormal radio show, and most conspiracy people I talk to even look at that guy and shake their heads.
The management of Entercom has a bigger role in all of this and everyone should know it. The fact that they were contacted on Thursday of last week and had no comment until Saturday (even though it was ‘no comment’ – an atrocity to a PR practitioner as I am) leaves me thinking that they are actually pleased about this entire episode by taking the insane approach that “any press is good press.”
Then the management of Entercorpse should get their asses booted out the door. The fish rots from the head down.
Of course you were Alan….of course you were.
If there is anyone out there who thinks of Bauerle’s episode as being anything other than “substance induced paranoia” then you are all living in a cave! Bauerle’s consistent behavioral patterns are exactly that of a person who has been smoking, snorting or shooting substances that probably include one and/or many of the following: cocaine, crack cocaine, meth etc………His behavior is TEXTBOOK for a long time, hard core abuser. Tom did NOT just flip out one day?????????? That assumption is hilarious! The whole cumalative episode(s) stink of a temporary…SUBSTANCE INDUCED PSYCHOSIS. C’mon folks: Tell it like it is!!! Tom’s idol, RUSH, gasbag, limp..ergh-sorry Limbaugh was caught up in narcotics. Both are only human. As much as I despise what they stand for. I seriously hope ….that at least Tom gets honest with himself and get’s the help he needs and deserves! There is no other logical explanation for his behavior. His paranoia along with his delusions of grandeur are the dead give-aways. To believe that the insignificant Bauerle is so important that presidential hopeful Andrew Cuomo would spend..”40K a day” to put Tom under surveillance is HILARIOUS! Tom is not mentally ill….OMG…he just has been getting too HIGH for TOO LONG!
i agree he is either on good coke or speed
Didnt want to say it first, but I was thinking the same thing…..reading that this incident occurred in the middle of the night when most non coke users are asleep was the dead give away…..
WOW…one more thing….I just read about 35 posts///PLEASE tell me that there is NOT that much stupidity in the general populace??? WTF is wrong with this picture. The posters make Bauerle’s behavior seem normal!!!!
Please don’t read my posts as thinking this is normal behavior, as I certainly don’t think it is. I’m just holding off on making pronouncements before they are made by a professional. Until that time, he’s just the weird guy up the street that wasn’t always so weird.
Ever think Gary, that you’re sounding just like Bauerle? Your agitated disdain and hatred for the man borders –uh–substance abuse psychosis?
Seriously? You think the audio clip is “chilling” ? LOL..Never thought I’d see the day that Bauerle’s hyperbole-speak and figurative speech would send chills up your spineless backs. You weak little minded haters, realise this: it’s evident Bauerle is being gaslighted and framed—it’s election year; the cowards running for re-election want to silence him. Make him out as crazy; take his guns away. Ruin his career. Wait till the jury is out before hanging the guy. I support Tom’s freedom of speech.
It wasn’t hyberbole when he called the cops to his home at 2AM in a blizzard…
He may once have been a somewhat amusing entertainer – now he is a disturbed individual whose neighbors called the police re: his behavior 12 times in the last 2 months. A disturbed individual with an arsenal of weapons.
Gaslighted? Someone Cuomo needs to silence? That too is delusional.
Your screen name suits you, Terrier, you’re quite uppity and paranoid. Bauerle is a radio PERSONALITY–keyword–PERSONALITY. He reminds me of the early Howard Stern and Robin years, when there too, their audience–Christian groups, bloody do-gooders, NAACP, Al Sharpton, and a slew of others– would FLIP out AND FREAK out over every little word and parody they spewed.
To me, unless you were in the back seat of the squad car that was called to Bauerle’s house during the night of the blizzard and you witnessed first hand what went down, or interviewed the neighbors, I really can’t believe anything the media says. And, it would be extremely naive to think our government is above underhandedness.
Sorry. Delusional swings both ways, puppy, and I esp.can’t take people who suffer from belief superiority too seriously. Support Tom and freedom of speech. Thanks.
I don’t even know where to begin in untangling your mass mixup of realities. To compare Bauerle to an early Howard Stern demonstrates a lack of knowledge of one or both of their careers. For starters, Stern is not and never was an extremist ideologue/demagogue. It’s important to understand WHY an audience is listening to assess the effect content may have on them, ie; are they there for comedy…or news? And it’s probably not a good idea to defend paranoid delusion by restating it. I realize it’s tempting to make an icon out of someone you so totally agree with, no matter how misguided, but it doesn’t mean they are worthy of said idolatry.
You missed the point, John, but that’s okay, your anger and hate blinds you. Support Tom and freedom of speech.
ONCE AGAIN, TROLL: Name the exact government agencies that are taking away Tom’s freedom of speech. You can’t do it, because NONE EXIST.
This ain’t WBEN’s FB page, nor Tom’s. You want to spread BS, you’re going to get called out on it.
You and Bauerle are cut of the same cloth. I don’t expect you to understand or be reasonable.
STILL shoveling the horseshit, I see.
Tell me the exact government agencies that are restricting Mr. Bauerle’s freedom of speech.
Hahahahahahaha! Best post of the day.
Seabiscuit is embarrassed for you.
You just dumped more horseshit than he ever did.
Yeah, election year is the reason why. Maybe you need those special shoes that don’t leave behind footprints too. What a maroon!
Is it just me or does anyone else out there think that since Bauerle has been so adamantly opposed to the SAFE act, that perhaps he is setting this up for his own purposes? What better way than to make him out as a martyr for the cause. Just saying.
Just a publicity stunt.
Ironically, that is the naive position in this case. Publicity stunts are mostly done on-air. You don’t have police show up at your house over a dozen times in recent months as a publicity stunt. Stop looking for the hidden reason.
I think it is newsworthy for two reasons. There’s the simple fact that Baurle is a public figure in this area. He has a huge following and pulls big ratings. Had he been in a serious car accident or had a heart attack, it would have been reported on as well. They had a lengthy piece about Rick Jeannaret’s recovery several years ago. They mention when news anchors are expecting babies. They talked about Jim Santorella’s health-related retirement from WBFO. I feel this is fair game.
There’s also the other argument, advanced much better by others, that the content of Baurle’s personal delusions is identical to what he talks about on the air. Since his show is presented as “infotainment,” listeners should know the truth behind it.
For what it’s worth, I thought the Buffalo News piece was good. The reporter seemed to fairly consider that Baurle might have been telling the truth, and made an effort to sort fact from fiction. As the saying goes, “just because you’re paranoid doesn’t mean they aren’t after you.” Opposite the page where his story jumped to was an article about various government officials resorting to personal email accounts, untraceable Blackberries, etc. to circumvent FOIA. Also in the same section of the paper was a story on Chris Christie and the bridge scandal. Sadly, Baurle’s delusions, while improbable, aren’t impossible.
Try highly improbable. The more I read, the more I’m beginning to think there is serious substance abuse in play. The guy obviously idolizes Limbaugh, parroting him regularly, so maybe he thought it was okay to dabble in illicit substances as well. Look up the behaviors associated with cocaine, crack, meth etc, then read police accounts of his recent behavior. Startling similarities. Think about it. He’s very lucid on the air today. Clearly not a guy in distress….until perhaps his after-work version of happy hour us under way.
Time will tell. If it’s a substance issue, it will rear it’s head again soon.
KBuffalo: I think you’d agree that being in an accident or being sidelined due to health issues is one thing; having the police called to your residence a number of times-the most recent one being during the Blizzard of ’14 and after which submitting to a psych evaluation-is something quite different.
Are 200 comments a record? Funny, all the topics brought up here and this goofball gets the most attention.
Nah, the Valenti incident ran circles around this. Of course, it was only about seven people going back and forth…
Seriously, was Rico Vendetti ever convicted in the comic book heist?
The BuffaloSnews has closed the comments for their 2nd Bauerle article. Typical of that bird-cage lining.
Bauerle’s now presenting himself as a “victim.” After a short opening monologue about his recent travails, nothing more than a dodge, wherein he said he’s been under a lot of pressure in recent weeks, he transitioned into the travails of another “victim,” retired state assemblyman Dennis Gabryszak, who’s been under fire for making lewd comments and suggestive advances on the female members of his staff.
Said Tom, until he has evidence to back up the allegations against Gabryszak, he’ll stand behind Gabryszak. Makes no difference if the man’s a democrat or republican or communist. It was darkly humorous that Bauerle offered the beleaguered assemblyman refuge in the Bauerle household to get away from the media. Sure. Just what Dennis would want… a few quiet days, unwinding in the home of a guy who’s packin’ and seeing spies in the trees. Is this a treatment for the next Quentin Tarantino movie?
Bauerle thanked Entercom for giving him the choice of going on the air or taking as much time off as he wanted, dipping into his “more than 100 available sick days” should he have need. That’s a laugh. The man has 100 sick days and presumably can use them as mental health days, yet he chooses not to use a single day because he’d rather be in Buffalo than “watching soft porn in Jamaica.” There’s no place that he’d rather be than right here, right now.
It sounds as if he’s in denial. “I can stop waving my semi-automatic handgun around in my back yard any time I so desire. As soon as the spies leave, I’ll put it away.” Is there a Twelve Step Program for narcissistic talk show hosts.
What passes as iconic in today’s right wing talkradio. Morally bankrupt.
A lot of pressure from what? He doesn’t do anything. He talks on the radio… bfd.
The media are circling the wagons to protect
a fellow broadcaster. Bauerle is spreading his paranoia to thousands of listeners. They have aright to know that authorities have reason to believe he’s unhinged and armed and potentially dangerous. He’s the type of paranoid individual that should not have guns. BTW
– I’m a gun guy and I believe the Safe Act should be repealed also. But
unstable individuals need to be disarmed. Let’s remember the reason that
paranoiacs are dangerous. If they think someone is out to kill them they
rationalize that they better get that guy before he has a chance to get him.
Is this Déjà vu? Look at the scary similarities between WBEN radio host
Tom Bauerle and former radio shock jock J.R.Gach who worked at WGR (“JR on
GR”)and later at WKBW, where, according to Wikipedia he was secretly being
treated by a doctor for depression with injections of Prozac.
During his last days in Buffalo J.R. quipped that one of his gun-toting listeners might be angry enough at NY Governor Mario Cuomo to take a shot at him. Obviously, Gach didn’t like the elder Cuomo. The outrage in the Buffalo
political community was immediate and severe. Within hours J.R.Gach and his on
air partner -wife Suzie, were off the air. The station had some lame excuse
that they were on vacation. Within days Gach surfaced at a radio station in Louisiana. In later years Gach bounced around the airwaves (Schenectady
and Ohio) until he went silent in 2002. According to Wikipedia he suffered from bi-polar
disease.
In those days if you made a threatening statement or even a veiled suggestion
of violence against a sitting governor, you were fired immediately. Today anything
goes on WBEN radio. The blame, IMO falls not only on Bauerle, but on his boss,
Tim Wenger, who has allowed this paranoid crap to infect the Buffalo
and Toronto air waves, for years. I think it has hurt the reputation of the entire region.
I couldn’t agree more. I don’t know how the boss there sits on his hands while some incredibly reckless and irresponsible things are said on the air at WBEN. Are they that unable to get ratings any other way? I mean, geeeez, they’re the only game in town. If any station can afford to be responsible, it’s that one. Management is too lazy.
What are we going to do when the Gabryzyk and Bauerle stories run their course?Seriously we may have to dredge the” weatherman in leather chaps” story back to keep up our high standards.White guys acting crazy.Great fun for one and all.Jackass Buffalo Edition.A great distraction from the politicians in WNY and ALBANY who are actually ruining our area.Sad.
Bauerle is not stupid but he is definitely his own worst enemy. If you listen to him he is a bully who hides behind his microphone and for 20 hours a week complains about anyone who disagrees with him. I actually received 2 emails from him. The first one threatened me with legal action if I persisted in complaining to him about his rants. When I asked him what that legal action would be he responded with harrassment language!
He has said he will fight to the death for his right to have guns and he rants continually against anyone who dares to disagree!
The best part of this whole story is that when actually confronted with real-deal LEO, he handed that gun right over. LOL So much blather, so little credibility. Of course most of us already knew that.
Bauerle is a fruitcake with guns, that is what bothers me. Instead of a tree next time he might see a neighbors child as an agent for Cuomo and shoot. He is a ticking time bomb and when he blows hopefully no one gets hurt.
The tree:
What I really don’t understand about this whole Bauerle thing, is why he has so much leverage at that radio station? It’s not like there’s anywhere else in town he can go—they’re by design the only game in town. Also, considering the lack of competition on the dial, odds are they can replace him with something else that will also get much of that audience just by default. Is there a worry that “his” sponsors won’t sign with somebody else? Really? Are you telling me that businessmen who are trying to make money in a metro mostly consisting of people Bauerle insults and ridicules can’t fathom signing with a replacement?
There’s an awful lot of win/win in jettisoning him, whether WBEN management realizes it or not.
“I could get another job in 2 minutes!” purports the delusional, pompous, narcissistic AM radio DJ.
The best part of listening to Bauerle’s show on the road comes when you drive under a bridge.
NOCO gas station attendant, 11 p.m. to 7 a.m. shift?
I believe he said “2 seconds” not minutes. LOL
yeah thats why he’s in the 57th radio market in the US
I find I agree with Baurle on most political matters. Interestingly, because I am an artist and a freethinker (also one who despises big government) I appreciate and identify with those who call themselves liberals, I find that “rightwingers” tend to be less savage in their arguments than most “liberals” or “left wing nutjobs”
Baurle does employ a good deal of common sense in his broadcasts. After all, it is a frightful prospect to behold: the disarming of the american people. Firstly, disarming the populace that would pay for and register a gun is an idiotic method of crime prevention, since it does not target criminals, and criminals have unlawful ways of obtaining those guns anyway. Secondly, to do so is in clear violation of the second amendment, said amendment which was written for reasons of enhancing and protecting individual liberty (any student of history, particularly 20th century history will verify that the first step to a totalitarian state is to disarm any opposition of the people exemplia gratia-guns)
Thirdly, the SAFE act is equivalent to a sun ray through a magnifying glass over an ant: perhaps the consequences are not felt at first, but soon enough, the thing (the right to bear arms) is gone.
Fourthly, there were some 30 mass murders last year in this country. Our population is 400 million and counting. Statistically, this is quite low. So does the question remain, “Must we
eliminate all guns and all freedom of this kind in order that we might prevent such massacres in the future?” The cure is worse than the illness,in this case. Also there are other ways of preventing these tragedies than confiscating, illegally, the firearms of the law abiding citizens.
I daresay that there wasn’t an ounce of insanity about Orwell, Huxley (nevermind his obsession with LSD, ’twas permissable, being the towering intellect that he was), or Bradbury, who have together accurately predicted where we are going.
Listen up everyone, he (the annointed one) broadcast a warning to all commenters. He is apparently “documenting” all comments and will hold those responsible accountable. Jus’ sayin.
Is he planning on righting the wrongs himself, or is he planning on using minions (his, not Cuomo’s) to mete swift justice? After all, we have been down this road before… http://blogs.artvoice.com/avdaily/2013/03/08/ill-beat-you-up-said-the-zookeeper/
he’s a self righteous douchebag, and im only resorting to that word, because thats what the little man called me when he didnt agree with my views. he got switched to the afternoon because his act is wearing a little thin. like most radio personalities, its all about what they can say to shock. hes of no relevance to buffalo or anywhere else