We've received word that "Off The Hook" will be back on for an extended two-hour program this Wednesday from 7 to 9 pm ET. We don't know if this is because of pressure put on WBAI management after being preempted for four weeks or simply because of an unrelated programming decision. Regardless, the support we've received has been very uplifting.

Now for the fun part. This program is being scheduled in the midst of the Winter fundraiser, which we haven't been able to participate in because of all of the preemptions. There is also the issue of undelivered premiums to our listeners from previous fundraisers, which prompted us to decline to offer new premiums until these issues are resolved.

This puts us and our listeners in a rather unenviable position. We clearly need to do well on Wednesday if we intend to continue at WBAI. But we need to do this without offering any of the cool things we usually donate to the station. So yes, we need our listeners to call in and pledge support for the station this Wednesday without getting anything in return other than the opportunity to show that our program has an audience that is there when we need it. And we've never needed it more.

It sounds a bit unfair, but it's really what it should come down to in the end regardless. You should only be calling in if you like the program and want it to continue. Whenever we're able to offer extra stuff as thank-you's, we will do so. But this week, what we really need to see are numbers. The more people who call in, regardless of the pledge size, the better. Please don't assume someone else will do it. If 100 or more people (a small fraction of the listening audience) call in within that two-hour period, even with small pledges, we doubt we'd ever find ourselves preempted more than rarely.

We've heard from a number of you suggesting that we move to a podcast-only format and avoid this hassle. But we feel the hassle is worth it. Besides having the accessibility of a radio studio, we also have the airwaves. People who listen to us via podcast have already done some of the work in tracking us down and are at least somewhat familiar with what the hacker world is all about. With radio, you can literally reach anyone by chance, which is part of its magic. Just as we prefer to have our monthly meetings in public spaces rather than inside clubhouses, we feel broadcasting to free airwaves is a great opportunity to open a door to the public - perhaps to understand our perspective and to get involved themselves. And a 50,000 watt FM station in the middle of New York City is a pretty nice door to have opened. As long as there's a chance of keeping that alive, we intend to fight for it. This week, we need to send a message that there are lots of us out there - and that we're listening. We feel a statement like this is essential at this point if "Off The Hook" is to continue.

Please spread the word - call +1 212 209 2950 between the hours of 7 and 9 pm this Wednesday, pledge whatever you can to WBAI, and make sure you let them know that you want to continue to hear "Off The Hook" every week. We intend to bring you a special two-hour program, as devoid of on-air pitching as possible. A strong response will help ensure this as well as our future at the station. If you have feedback for the show, write to us at oth@2600.com. You can also find all of our previous shows in our archive at www.2600.com/offthehook.