SaveKPFA's Latest, & responses from United for Community Radio

-- from the "Save KPFA" platform of 2012
SaveKPFA says:

"Funds raised from our listeners should support KPFA, not an overblown Pacifica bureaucracy."


United for Community Radio responds:

What overblown Pacifica bureaucracy? Pacifica has seven employees. KPFA has over 30. KPFA's annual budget is bigger than Pacifica's. So are KPFK's and WBAI's.

89% of the foundation's workforce work at the five stations, not at national.

90% of all listener revenues are spent on local station expenses and program contracts with DN and FSRN.


SaveKPFA says:

"KPFA is world-renowned for its cogent and listenable news."


United for Community Radio responds:

Not really.


SaveKPFA says:

"Programming changes should be based on evidence."


United for Community Radio responds:

Regular evaluation is the way to determine programming. Save KPFA and KPFA worker affiliated managers have shut down repeated program councils doing that work and failed to implement any system of program evaluation and program rotation at KPFA.


SaveKPFA says:

"Program changes should have broad appeal."


United for Community Radio responds:

What does that mean? Nothing appeals to everyone. What is the audience they consider broad and the audience they consider narrow? Who makes that determination and using what methods?


SaveKPFA says:

"We also believe that movements have many voices."


United for Community Radio asks:

Does that include the movements own voices? Or just self-appointed progressive leaders?


SaveKPFA says:

"KPFA serves as a forum for discussion on the left."


United for Community Radio asks:

How do you define "the left"?


SaveKPFA says:

"Fundraising work done by listeners — such as the over $63,000 in pledges raised by SaveKPFA — should be welcomed, not attacked."


United for Community Radio responds:

Those pledges were raised by asking people not to contribute to the KPFA fund drive, asking them to boycott the unpaid producers at the Morning Mix (guests were even told not to appear on the show), and the funds were meant to be conditional on the ability to dictate employment and program slots by one narrow group of Democratic Party hacks. An Alameda County court judge recently ruled that the participation of SaveKPFA board members Margy Wilkinson, Mal Burnstein, Conn Hallinan, and Dan Siegel in this activity could well constitute a breach of loyalty by elected local board members to KPFA.


SaveKPFA says:

"When KPFA’s listeners democratically petition under the network’s bylaws to vote on an issue, Pacifica must not delay the vote or manipulate the process to benefit its political allies."


United for Community Radio responds:

Pacifica did not delay the recall election. Save KPFA's allies in New York, the Justice and Unity Coalition, with the consent of Save KPFA-affiliated national board members, delayed the recall election in December of 2011.


SaveKPFA says:

"Support all staff and volunteers, without whom KPFA could not exist."


United for Community Radio responds:

This does not mean putting pressure on people to appear on some KPFA shows and not others. This does not mean dismantling the program council. This does not mean advocating for the derecognition of the unpaid staff organization. This does not mean calling the unpaid staff "untalented clowns".


SaveKPFA says:

"SaveKPFA led the successful fight to reverse Pacifica’s hiring of the nation’s top union-busting law firm."


United for Community Radio responds:

The motion to end the insurance company relationship with Jackson Lewis (who were dealing with discrimination lawsuits not union contracts) was put forward by UCR's Tracy Rosenberg, not by anyone associated with Save KPFA.


SaveKPFA says:

"Putting gag rules on station staff."


United for Community Radio responds:

There are no gag rules on station staff. The National Labor Relations board dismissed such a complaint along with 4 other complaints, which cost listeners some $50,0000 for the 5 complaints to all be dismissed.


SaveKPFA says:

"All staff should have a voice in the station, as well as training opportunities, a supportive and safe workplace, and the tools to do their jobs well."


United for Community Radio responds:

KPFA is afflicted with broken-down computers and an antiquated website due to the unwillingness of Save KPFA dominated boards to rework budgets to increase allocations for training opportunities and tools.


SaveKPFA says:

"Listeners and staff are entitled to understand how KPFA’s money is being spent and how our representatives vote."


United for Community Radio responds:

Financial statements have been regularly posted online by Pacifica's treasurer at indybay.org and kpfa.org. Pacifica's national finance committee hasn't held a meeting in closed session for the past 6 months. Save KPFA-affiliated local treasurer Barbara Whipperman has never posted a single financial statement on line.

KPFA's local board needs to solve the problems at KPFA (including the 30% decline in listenership between 2005 and 2009 that caused the 2010 financial crisis) and stop obsessing about Pacifica. KPFA has big problems of its own.

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The above SaveKPFA lines are from the Save KPFA platform


For more information
please see

Platform of United for Community Radio

votecommunityradio.org

Stop the KPFA Recall.org