The "Raid"

This story from 2009 records the opening round of "SaveKPRA"'s attack on the Pacifica network. It was then that that the group appropriated the name "SaveKPFA" -- a name rightfully belonging to a group of activists who fought for listener democracy during the 1990's, not to the group currently using it.


The attack on Pacifica begins

KPFA's Board Meeting of August 8, 2009
by Daniel Borgström

The info attack came like a one-two-three punch. The Berkeley Daily Planet printed a front page story titled, "KPFA Charges Pacifica With Raid on Station's Funds." That was Thursday, August 6th. The paper had hardly hit the street, and we hadn't even seen it yet, before we heard KPFA newscaster Philip Maldari talking about it on the Morning Show. Improperly using KPFA's on-air microphone, Maldari called on listeners to attend the Saturday board meeting and hear for themselves how Pacifica grabbed $100,000 from KPFA. He urged listeners to speak out against the "raid."

It was election time at KPFA for the local station board, and this was apparently a campaign tactic by the "Concerned Listeners" group, now calling themselves "SaveKPFA." That much was pretty obvious, but what was this hundred thousand dollar grab all about? Was there some truth in it?

There was a flurry of emails as people hurriedly sorted out the facts, and within a few hours we learned there'd been no "raid" on KPFA funds. Listener Rep. Tracy Rosenberg explained:

"There is no $100,000 take. The only thing that happened was that the $420,000 securing the foundation line of credit was renegotiated with the result that $320,000 is returned to KPFA, $100,000 continues to be collateral. Period. Nothing else happened."

So the "raid" story was a fairly transparent lie. All year long the SaveKPFA/management group which dominates KPFA had been attacking the new leadership of the network's national office, targeting acting Executive Director Grace Aaron and acting CFO LaVarn Williams. This spring Aaron and Williams had saved WBAI, the NY Pacifica sister station, from a financial meltdown, but in doing so had disturbed the status quo. Thus they'd incurred the wrath of Save KPFA, who want to regain control of the national office. That's what this was all about.

It appeared that the SaveKPFA campaign strategy in the election was to conjure up an image of conflict between KPFA and the national office of the 5-station Pacifica network. In this supposed clash, the SaveKPFA people presented themselves as defenders of the local station, of community radio, guardians of its financial resources.

One of the ironies was that the grain of truth on which the raid story was based had to do with a loan that was taken out by the previous PNB chair, Sherry Gendelman, who happened to herself be a member of Save KPFA. It had little to do with people currently in the national office.

"Libelous," someone called the "raid" story. It was libelous to tell a newspaper something like that.

"It's not libelous," Tracy emailed back. "It's irresponsible, adverse to the best interests of the [Pacifica] foundation and rotten journalism, but it's not libel."

The newspaper came out on Thursday, and the Local Station Board (LSB) would meet Saturday, August 8th. A huge flock of SaveKPFA supporters would most certainly respond to Philip Maldari's on-air call to action and descend upon the meeting. There'd be standing room only, if even that. Would we be able to get on the speaking list for Public Comments? Only 30 minutes is allotted to public comments, and with a huge number of speakers, maybe not.

It was at the Unitarian Church on Cedar in Berkeley, and we rushed to get there early. As I entered and found seats, people were still arriving. Eventually I counted about 33 in the audience. Five or possibly ten were SaveKPFA supporters.

Normally Save KPFA has exactly one supporter in the audience--good old Jim Weber who never misses an LSB meeting. The rest of the audience is not there to support Save KPFA; at most LSB meetings the audience numbers 10 or 15, rarely more than 20. There are 25 board members, with about 22 usually present; that was the number here today.

Eight people signed up to speak during public comments, two of them SaveKPFA supporters. Not the fifty we'd feared. Public comments are scheduled near the beginning of the session. Each speaker was given two minutes; the woman immediately ahead of me characterized Brian Edwards-Tiekert's behavior in what he'd told the newspaper as "Byzantine and Machiavellian."

While she spoke, Board Member Warren Mar sat there carrying on a loud conversation with the person next to him, and, at the end of her talk, he threw a nasty insult at her.

All this time, Conn Hallinan, who was chairing, said nothing to Warren Mar. Both Warren and Conn are SaveKPFA. However, opposition board members side spoke up, objecting to Warren's behavior. There was a brief discussion, and it was quickly resolved that public speakers would not be interrupted.

Then it was my turn. Since these SaveKPFA people seemed to like incredible stories, such as the one they'd told the newspaper, I offered an even better story--that the Pacifica national office was run by a coven of witches.

People started laughing. Then Warren Mar cut in, loudly objecting that my account was ridiculous. Of course the board had just ruled against his intrusions, so Chairman Conn Hallinan should've called Warren to order. But he didn't. So I turned to Warren and said, "Do you mind?" He kindly allowed me to finish my account.

The speakers after me included Aileen Alfandary, a pro-SaveKPFA newscaster who echoed the "raid" story. She was followed by Stan Woods, who refuted the story and defended iCFO LaVarn Williams. Steve Zeltzer criticized the financial situation of KPFA. Max Blanchet expressed praise for iCFO LaVarn Williams and iED Grace Aaron. They spoke without interruptions.

Next was the Treasurer's Report, given by Brian Edwards-Tiekert, Staff Rep. At the end of the report, there were questions from several board members, including Joe Wanzala, Sasha Futran, Sureya Sayadi, Tracy Rosenberg, Chandra Hauptman and Gerald Sanders. The topic was finance, and these questions led back to the newspaper article. Brian was the source of that story, having told the reporter that the national office was making a "raid on KPFA's accounts."

The information in the newspaper article was exposed as untrue, and Listener Rep Sasha Futran bluntly told Brian, "You passed known lies to the media."

"I did not send it to the media," Brian objected. "I didn't call the reporter. The reporter called me." It was implied that someone else, an anonymous leaker, had contacted the reporter who called Brian.

Sasha insisted on holding Brian responsible and pursued him with questions till Chairman Conn Hallinan cut in, practically snarling at her, "Watch yourself!" But Sasha did not let up, and a moment later Conn cut in again, shouting into the microphone, "Sasha! You're out of order!"

Somewhere in this exchange, Sasha pointed out that scaring listeners with invalid information could have the unwanted effect of undermining donor confidence before a fund drive.

SaveKPFA avoided dealing with the fact that Brian had given false information to the newspaper, blaming it instead on an anonymous leaker who'd supposedly directed the reporter to Brian. Sherry Gendelman, queen mother of SaveKPFA, said, "Whoever it was that leaked Brian's observations to the Planet gave the other side a very convenient excuse to attack Brian."

It was all the fault of that unknown person. That's how SaveKPFA was spinning it. So Listener Rep Gerald Sanders said to Brian: "Did you, or did you not, speak to a reporter?"

Brian responded as he often responds--by making a speech. But he could not deny being the source of the quotes which the Berkeley Daily Planet attributed to him. According to the article: "KPFA Local Station Board Staff Representative and Treasurer Brian Edwards-Tiekert called the situation a 'raid on KPFA's accounts.'"

And as to the identity of the leaker, opposition board members pointed out that there was an online petition, posted by Brian, alleging the removal of "$100,000 from a KPFA bank account." The reporter saw the petition with Brian's name on it and phoned him. There was no leaker--other than Brian's online petition.

Brian Edwards-Tiekert then went on to ask the board to approve his proposed budget, coupled with a motion titled "Re: National Financial Accountability." And they did, over the objections of opposition board members who'd received copies of the budget only minutes before. SaveKPFA, who have a majority, voted together in lock step, as always, cult members responding to the voice of their leaders.

A few days later, in the August 13th issue of the Berkeley Daily Planet, there was a front page retraction. So, did that end it? No, of course not. Two weeks after that LSB meeting of August 8th, board chair Conn Hallinan continued the lie in an email to Doug Henwood, "Pacifica also tried to do an old fashioned smash and grab on KPFA's funds."

In SaveKPFA mythology, they are defending KPFA against the Pacifica national office. The purpose behind this mythology seemed to be to get their people elected to the board. And their next step after that?


DANIEL BORGSTRÖM
KPFA listener/subscriber



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for updates, reports & essays on KPFA/Pacifica, please visit these websites:

UNITED FOR COMMUNITY RADIO

PACIFICA IN EXILE

ANN GARRISON, A KPFA REPORTER

LORDS & LADIES vs. the PEASANTS at KPFA


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KPFA 94.1 FM is one of five stations of the Pacifica radio network which are located in major cities across the country. The other stations are WBAI 99.5 in New York, WPFW 89.3 in Washington DC, KPFT 90.1 in Houston, and KPFK 90.7 in Los Angeles. There are also about 160 affiliate stations.

Siegel: "You're suing me!"

The lawsuit referenced here was withdrawn ("dismissed without prejudice") by the attorney who filed it and later re-filed as a defamation suit.


YouTube video of March 7 drama

another incident at KPFA's Local Station Board meeting of March 7, 2010

by Daniel Borgström

Conn Hallinan's outburst at the March 7th board meeting was not the only unscheduled dramatic event of the day. Later, during the same meeting, Dan Siegel invited Richard Phelps to step outside for a fist fight. This related to a lawsuit, in which several of us, listener-members of Pacifica, were suing Dan Siegel for fraud. Richard Phelps was our attorney.

The incident took place during the break. People had gotten up, were walking around, leaving and returning to the room. Jim Curtis remained at his camera, however, so we have a video recording of Dan Siegel in action, cheered on by Sherry Gendelman and backed by the Hallinan brothers.

The scene begins as the camera pans to the right of the Chair, where the CL'ers ("Concerned Listeners") sit. Dan Siegel is speaking to Conn and Matt Hallinan. All three are on their feet, Conn reading what appears to be the legal papers of the lawsuit. We can't hear what they're saying, but Dan points at someone. At whom? Actually, that's about where I'm sitting. He's apparently pointing at me.

Siegel leaves his group, the camera following his movements, briefly losing him and showing a wall and window he's just passed. A moment later he reappears in front of me, where I'm sitting writing in my notebook, still unaware of the unfolding drama in which I'm about to be given a minor role.

"Daniel! You're suing me!"

Hearing that, I look up and there's Dan Siegel in front of me.

"Yes I am," I reply.

"Can I ask you something?" Siegel says.

"No," I tell him. "You can speak with my attorney."

"I'm going to speak to you anyway," Siegel says, and tells me that if I don't want to listen to him, I can leave. He then says that if I lose the suit I'll be liable for attorney and court costs, $60,000. I don't respond. I just sit there, recording his words in my notebook while he goes on talking at me. A moment later I see my attorney Richard Phelps standing beside me, and I say to Siegel, "Here he is. Speak to him."

He does, just as Sherry Gendelman passes by and stops to listen in. "If we weren't members of a nonviolent organization," Dan Siegel says to Richard Phelps, "I'd slap your face."

Sherry stands there laughing. Conn and Matt Hallinan move up behind Dan Siegel, who challenges Richard to step outside for a fist fight. Richard walks away, but Dan Siegel and his entourage follow. Siegel is talking almost nonstop and gesturing with his arms and hands, repeatedly challenging Richard to settle things like a man. Sherry seems to be enjoying this immensely. She joins in, at times speaking, at times laughing, and then breaks into a bit of song and dance.

"Richard's a coward!" she singsongs, swinging her hips back and forth. "Richard's a coward!"

Impressive talent. Sherry does play a great supporting actress role; maybe she could be the next Shirley Temple. But Richard is not impressed. He gives her a scornful look and reminds her of the reprimand she received from the California State Bar for malpractice, for lying to a client. "Sherry," he says, "You have no credibility."

Sherry falls silent, her smile gone. Looking stung, she makes her exit.

As the curtain falls, Dan Siegel is making a last attempt at goading Richard into a fight, but, without Sherry to put life into the script, the scene is over.


FEATURING (in order of appearance):

Dan Siegel
Conn Hallinan
Matthew Hallinan
Daniel Borgström
Richard Phelps
Sherry Gendelman (nominated for best supporting actress)

PHOTOGRAPHY
By Jim Curtis

SCRIPT
By the actors themselves

YouTube video of March 7 drama

UPDATE August 2010

The "Concerned Listeners" slate (Siegel, Gendelman, Matt & Conn Hallinan & others) have changed their name to "Save KPFA." But that name belongs to an earlier group. Folks of the original "Save KPFA" fought the good fight for listener democracy for many years in the 1990's, starting in 1993. "Save KPFA" is their name; they earned it, and they have asked the CL'ers to immediately stop using it. But the CL'ers have still been calling themselves "Save KPFA."


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KPFA 94.1 FM is one of five stations of the Pacifica radio network which are located in major cities across the country. The other stations are WBAI 99.5 in New York, WPFW 89.3 in Washington DC, KPFT 90.1 in Houston, and KPFK 90.7 in Los Angeles. There are also about 160 affiliate stations.













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Intimidation Between the Minutes

YouTube video of March 7, 2010 drama

"He advanced on me yelling and shaking his finger during a meeting I was chairing. I thought he was going to hit me." --Sasha Futran

by Daniel Borgström

Board meetings can be dull, but not the one held on March 7, 2010. Sasha Futran was chairing, and Conn "Ringo" Hallinan spoke out of turn, interrupting Tracy Rosenberg. Sasha called him to order, and he bellowed back "YOU are out of order!"

Conn Hallinan had been board chair till last fall, when his faction, the CL'ers ("Concerned Listeners", now "Save KPFA") narrowly lost their majority in the KPFA election. They were unhappy about that, and, despite being the minority, were agitating to reclaim some or perhaps even all the officer positions of the board, an agenda which might enable them to reassert their control of the station and continue their opaque, top-down style of management that has gotten KPFA into financial jeopardy. As always, the CL'ers were in lock step, taking turns presenting their case, some being nice and some nasty. A good-cop-bad-cop sort of thing. It began to look as if this had been planned out, with Conn assigned to the nasty-guy role.

The outburst was brief and discussion returned to a calmer manner. But the subject had not changed, the CL'ers continuing to take up meeting time pushing their agenda. After two or three CL'ers spoke, Sureya Sayadi defended her side, the ICR ("Independents for Community Radio"), who are the new majority on this board.

"This sounds like bullying to me," she said, referring to the CL'ers' agenda. There'd been an election, she reminded them, and saw no reason to hand the board offices back over to the CL'ers. "You guys were controlling finances--" and she was interrupted by Conn Hallinan, his second outburst that day.

"Call the fucking member to order!" Conn shouted into the mike.

"Conn! Conn!" said Sasha. "I'm going to call YOU to order. Okay?"

"You can TRY!" Conn yelled back at Sasha, going on to accuse Sureya of abusive, personal insults.

"What was personal about that?' Sasha asked, and, not getting a satisfactory answer, repeated her question. "WHAT was personal about that?"

Conn left his seat at the far end of the table and advanced pugilistically towards the chair, pointing his finger at her and shouting as he approached.

"Sit! Sit! Sit!" Sasha ordered. In her other life she's a dog trainer, and at this moment she looked to be on automatic pilot. "Do I need to use positive reinforcement dog training on you? Sit!"

Conn did not sit. He continued his menacing advance, his voice resounding off the walls and filling the room with apprehension. Finally, with only a narrow table between them, Conn halted and stood there shouting at Sasha, point blank. Sureya had engaged in a personal attack, he boomed out, waving his finger.

"That was NOT personal!" Sasha told him, but Conn kept yelling. "Who did [Sureya] name?" Sasha demanded to know.

Watching from the back of the room, I sat there stunned, feeling I should do something. Maybe the rest were as immobilized as I was. The scene might have lasted thirty seconds, but time slows down at critical moments. After an eternity, someone in the audience had the presence of mind to call out, "Conn, you're being videotaped!" I think it was Richard Phelps.

"WHO did she name?" Sasha repeated her question to Conn.

Pointing now at Andrea Prichett, Conn barked, "ASK HER!" And with that, Conn turned about and marched back to his seat, leaving us all to wonder what he meant by telling the Chair to ask Andrea. (Later I asked Andrea, and she didn't know either.)

There was a flurry of comments and expressions of relief. Joe Wanzala and Akio Tanaka murmured words of comfort and reassurance to Sureya. Brian Edwards-Tiekert strode across the room to Conn, put his arm across his shoulder and said a few words, then returned to his seat. There was a brief lull after the storm. It was still only 20 minutes into the meeting.

Then Chandra Hauptman took up a mike and said in a slow, calm, measured tone: "If a member cannot conduct themselves in an orderly manner they should leave. They should be asked to leave."

"Sureya should leave!" yelled a CL'er. I think it was Diane Enriquez.

"Sureya should leave!" chorused another CL'er.

"Okay folks, that's enough!" Sasha told the CL'ers. "THAT IS ENOUGH!"

Sureya was still holding a mike in her hand. "Someone should take a picture of you," she said to Conn.

Sasha turned to Sureya. "There are photos. It's all videotaped."

And indeed it was. It's there for the record. In Sureya Sayadi's speech that Conn interrupted, there are no personal attacks, and, the video shows Conn advancing on the chair.

"Ringo" is Conn's nickname, probably after a prize fighter by that name, considering his father's preoccupation with boxing. All the Hallinan brothers have macho nicknames, like Dynamite, Kayo, and Butch, and they've always prided themselves on being tough guys. Now in their 60's and 70's, it appears the brothers still haven't outgrown that aspect of their youthful image. It seems to be part of how they get their way, their Plan B for use when having a board majority isn't an available option.

I do not for a minute believe that Conn "Ringo" Hallinan was truly out of control that day. I think it was part of his act, an unconscious, learned, strategy. An acquaintance of mine who knew several of the Hallinans well during their teens attests to their pugnacious behavior on many occasions, both at Tamalpais High School, and, a few years later, during summers at Camp Mather. Although they could be pleasant on many social occasions, they were also bullies, even back then, and nobody with any sense was foolish enough to tangle with them.

"Ringo" finished the scene by yelling "Ask her!"--a puzzling exit statement. It looked to me like a clever way of tossing the ball into the other court. That seems to be the way intimidation works. And it did work. Conn was not formally reprimanded and there was not even a motion made to that effect. There was just a brief moment of quiet as people caught their collective breath. Then the CL'ers started in once more with their agenda, and, though they didn't manage to push it all the way through that day, they succeeded in getting it on the schedule for future meetings.

How can the CL'ers get away with stuff like that? It's because Conn Hallinan is more than just a barroom brawler, he's also a prominent member of the progressive community, scion of a famous and wealthy family. He's been a newspaper editor and currently writes articles on foreign policy matters. Conn has considerable status, and when a person with status blows his top and yells and screams and makes a threatening advance, it's often excused and assumed that he has an acceptable and legitimate reason for doing so.

I thought of calling this dramatic episode "The Barroom Brawler vs. the Poodle Dog Trainer," but such a title could obscure the real theme, which goes far beyond questions of who is the biggest, the toughest, the meanest, or the nicest and the most Roberts Rules abiding of the players. The real story in this scene is the struggle between two opposing views of how to run KPFA/Pacifica:

One is the ICR, Peoples Radio and VFJR view that there be financial transparency and accountability--woefully lacking during the years of KPFA/Pacifica's growing financial crisis. To remedy that and also to create more community-building media, we need participation by station staff and listeners through board elections and through bodies such as the Unpaid Staff Organization and the Program Council. These structures, already mandated by the Pacifica bylaws, have been consistently opposed and often thwarted by the CL'ers, who believe a tiny management clique should make all major decisions on their own.

The CL'ers assert that KPFA elections are expensive and cumbersome. But to the extent that this is true, problems have been hugely exacerbated by station management's playing an obstructionist role in every election. While it's true that democracy isn't easy, and isn't cheap either, the alternative is a top-down station management without transparency or accountability. That, in effect, is what we've had for the last several years. The ICR, who are now the board majority, are working to change this, while the CL'ers are defending the status quo. That is what all the yelling and screaming is about.

DANIEL BORGSTRÖM
from KPFA's LSB of March 7, 2010
updated September 13, 2010


Later at the same LSB meeting on March 7, 2010 another CL'er, Dan Siegel, invited Richard Phelps to step outside for a fist fight.

YouTube video of March 7 drauma

Also see: Conn Hallinan & a revealing email exchange

UPDATE

The "Concerned Listeners" (CL'ers) have changed their name to "Save KPFA." But that name belongs to an earlier group. Folks of the original "Save KPFA" fought the good fight for listener democracy for many years in the 1990's, starting in 1993. "Save KPFA" is their name; they earned it, and they have asked the CL'ers to immediately stop using it. But the CL'ers have still been calling themselves "Save KPFA."

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MISCELLANEOUS NOTES from March 7, 2010

AUDIO from KPFA's LSB of march 7, 2010
AUDIO from KPFA's LSB of march 7, 2010

SUREYA SAYADI's talk transcribed from the audio.
Here's the full text of what Sureya said till she was interrupted by Conn:

"I mean this sounds like bulling to me.
Because there's law where you have vote.
When you vote you can't cry about it.
It's just like 'We didn't win.' You know?
Because in the 3 years I've been here
you guys did every single thing even about
how to go to Fresno. Not to go to Fresno.
We don't want to go back to that.
That's why we are being so bad.
Because you guys were controlling
finances--"
(interrupted at this point by Conn Hallinan)


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Updates, reports & essays about KPFA & Pacifica Foundation Radio at
UNITED FOR COMMUNITY RADIO


KPFA 94.1 FM is one of five stations of the Pacifica radio network which are located in major cities across the country. The other stations are WBAI 99.5 in New York, WPFW 89.3 in Washington DC, KPFT 90.1 in Houston, and KPFK 90.7 in Los Angeles. There are also about 160 affiliate stations.















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Dan Siegel at Pacifica Radio

DAN SIEGEL and the KPFA/Pacifica Election of 2007


Attorney Dan Siegel has an interesting history at Pacifica Radio, where some of his unethical acts are documented in a report by a former election supervisor, Casey Peters.

According to Peters' report, Siegel (along with others) manipulated the KPFA/Pacifica elections of 2007, in which Siegel's group, the "Concerned Listeners" (CL), now SaveKPFA, fraudulently won a majority of seats on KPFA's LSB (Local Station Board). Siegel was then Foundation Counsel and, during the election, also became interim Executive Director of the Pacifica Radio network.

Peters also mentions that Dan Siegel entered his home illegally, startling his wife who yelled at him to get out, and called the police. "We seriously considered pressing trespass and assault charges," Peters says in the report.

Today (2008) Dan Siegel is a member of KPFA's LSB. His group, formerly the CL'ers (Concerned Listeners), now call themselves SaveKPFA

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excerpts from FINAL REPORT
on the Pacifica 2007 Elections
by Casey Peters
National Elections Supervisor (NES)


An unexpected problem arose at KPFA where candidate carts were bundled in large groups playing for several minutes at a time. This was done rather than the traditional broadcast of carts individually, dispersed among other sorts of programming. Some candidates contended that the bundles always started with management’s favored candidates and that listeners tuned out after the first couple of carts were aired. I spoke with KPFA’s Interim General Manager Lemlem Rijio and Interim Program Director Sasha Lilley, and both agreed to de-bundle the carts and to broadcast them individually as other stations do. However, in practice they refused to conform to a direct order from the National Election Supervisor [NES]. The bundling continued, putting some candidates at a distinct disadvantage. The one candidate whose cart aired first in the bundle garnered the most first place votes by far in the KPFA Listener Sponsor vote count.


Management Interference

Greg Guma, who hired me to be Pacifica Foundation's National Elections Supervisor for the 2007 election cycle, was known as a critic of our elections and someone who felt that his power as Executive Director [ED] was undermined by interference from ill-informed but strongly opinionated board members. However, Guma was unflinching in following the letter and spirit of Pacifica Bylaws in his administrative support for the election process. He published a brief commentary on other approaches to governance that might draw upon a number of traditions. Regardless of his personal and professional views on how best to govern the Pacifica Foundation, Greg Guma always lent his full support as ED to implementing the governance process established in the ByLaws and to the work of the Election Supervisors.


Many of the problems that arose in the elections this year may be traced to the disruption caused by the early severance of Greg Guma after he tendered his plan for resignation as Executive Director. The PNB [Pacifica National Board] ushered him out the door hurriedly rather than on the timetable he offered which would have left him at the helm during the election cycle. The vacuum of power, with an intermittent interim ED interlaced by the spectacle of unprofessional vacillation on the part of the presumptive new leader, created a virtual meltdown situation. With obvious instability at the top, the election campaigns descended into chaos. As soon as Nicole Sawaya stepped into the Executive Director role, I left word with her assistant that I was available to meet at her convenience to brief her on the status of the ongoing elections. Ms. Sawaya sent word back that she had no intention of meeting with the NES [National Election Supervisor] and that she opposed Pacifica Bylaws provisions for elected boards.


Shortly thereafter, Ms. Sawaya's sent an email to the PNB [Pacifica National Board] attacking me for allegedly being partisan in my administration of the election. Apparently, she preferred to get her information by rumor and to spread falsehoods through a gossip mill rather than to meet face to face on a professional basis and civilly discuss any concerns that might arise. This was a great disappointment, as the warring factions had put aside their differences to join in support of Ms. Sawaya to be hired as Executive Director. My hope was that her leadership would help to bring about an Era of Good Feeling. Instead, she fomented the worst of behavior already prevalent at Pacifica.


Soon, Nicole Sawaya had resigned -- at least temporarily -- and Dan Siegel was put back into place as interim ED [Executive Director]. At that point, the power really seemed to go to Siegel's head and he started ordering me about in how to fulfill my duties. He applied intimidation regarding the still-pending certification of KPFA results, telling me that I would be fired if I did not do so promptly. The problem was that criteria for certification had not been met due to irregularities in the campaign, as will be explained later in this report.


Regardless of my desire to maintain absolute integrity in each of the local elections throughout the cycle, I was forced to capitulate in order to continue my work in administering the elections at the remaining radio stations. I realize now that this was an unforgivable error on my part and that I should have publicized the fact that the Interim Executive Director [Siegel] was using extortion to intimidate the National Elections Supervisor and wrongly influence the outcome of the elections to the detriment of members of the Pacifica Foundation.


Essentially, Dan Siegel in his dual roles as corporate counsel and Interim Executive Director engaged in threats and manipulation to unlawfully control the outcome of Pacifica elections. This constitutes the highjacking of the vote count. On the evening of March 13, 2008, I was about to leave for Los Angeles International Airport to fly to New York for the WBAI vote count when I received a message from Pacifica Chief Financial Officer Lonnie Hicks. Earlier in the day, he had confirmed that my accommodations in New York City were reserved. The new message said that Interim ED Dan Siegel did not want me conducting the vote count at WBAI and was firing me as National Elections Supervisor. Further information about the WBAI count follows later in this report.


A few days later, Dan Siegel entered my home illegally without any prior notice, and without ringing the bell, knocking on the door or announcing himself. Siegel startled my wife Marilyn, who was home alone, in our living room and she yelled at him to get out. His intent was to confiscate election equipment and materials without compensating me for work completed. Siegel had apparently been drinking, and sat in a rented SUV flashing his headlights into our bedroom. Marilyn called the police to stop the harassment. We seriously considered pressing trespass and assault charges, but felt any publicity about the incident would not look good for the Pacifica Foundation.


Shortly thereafter, I arranged through the good graces of KPFK Interim General Manager Jim Lafferty to deliver the desired equipment and materials in exchange for partial payment for services rendered.


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The full report on the Pacifica 2007 Elections by Casey Peters, National Elections Supervisor (NES)


Open Letter: 2007 elections




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Updates, reports & essays about KPFA & Pacifica Foundation Radio at
UNITED FOR COMMUNITY RADIO


KPFA 94.1 FM is one of five stations of the Pacifica radio network which are located in major cities across the country. The other stations are WBAI 99.5 in New York, WPFW 89.3 in Washington DC, KPFT 90.1 in Houston, and KPFK 90.7 in Los Angeles. There are also about 160 affiliate stations.










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The Split Between the Minutes

KPFA's LSB meeting of December 5, 2009
--with update from LSB of January 11, 2010

by Daniel Borgström

Yes, it's true, but it's not new. There was a split in KPFA's Listener Station Board (LSB). It happened 6 or 8 years ago, and that's the way it's been ever since. What is new is that where there used to be one board with two factions, last month we saw the emergence of two seemingly separate boards, each with one faction, apparently holding separate meetings. Only one of these boards has a quorum of 13 members, making it the legally constituted board, the other having no official status. Obviously this state of affairs could not last for long.

This situation came about on December 5, 2009, when the board met to seat newly elected members. About 55 people attended, including both new and old board members, as well as an audience of KPFA listeners and staff, most of them supporters of the ICR and Peoples Radio (PR) slates. The sticking point in this meeting was that the "CL'ers" (Concerned Listeners slate), the dominant faction of the old board, had lost its majority: 13 of the 24 seats on the board were now held by the "ICR" (Independents for Community Radio slate).*

Nevertheless, the CL'ers are the status quo faction, representing the management of KPFA. So despite losing the election, they were reluctant to accept their new minority status, and attempted to even things up, making it 12 to 12. Their plan was to ignore their now defunct status as the old board to attempt one last action.

Paralleling an incident in January 2009, in which they illegally replaced Noelle Hanrahan with John Van Eyck, the CL'ers charged Staff Rep Naji Ali with 3 unexcused absences, which is grounds for removal from the board. They hoped to replace him with one of their own, Mary Tilson.

The ICR people, including Listener Reps Tracy Rosenberg, Joe Wanzala, Chandra Hauptman, Sasha Futran and others, spoke up to counter the CL'ers, pointing out that Naji Ali had only 2 unexcused absences, not 3.

That went back and forth till the ICR people quoted a memo from Pacifica Counsel, Ricardo De Anza, that supported their position. But the CL'ers objected that they hadn't received the memo, though they shouldn't have needed a memo since the bylaws are clear--no business can be conducted without a quorum, including excusing or not excusing absent members, and there was no quorum at the October 17th meeting.

Staff Rep Brian Edwards-Tiekert called it an "ambush," and said, "It would be really nice if things like this did not happen."

"I'm sorry that was not forwarded on to the rest of the board, it should have been," Sasha Futran apologized, but added pointedly, "even though we didn't get the particulars of the budget." She was referring to the August meeting, where the CL'ers had presented the budget without giving ICR people time to study it, then used their majority to bulldoze it through. That budget incident was seen as a typical example of the CL'ers way of running the board.

The failure to forward the memo to the CL'ers didn't change the facts: the CL'ers attempt to replace Naji Ali was illegal. Since its term of office had expired, the old CL-dominated board could NOT conduct business of any sort. Its only remaining function was ceremonial, to seat the newly elected members and hand over all responsibilities to the new board--where the ICR would now be the majority.

But the CL'ers adamantly refused to budge, and the session devolved into a discussion on intricate points and arcane interpretations of Pacifica Bylaws, California Corporate Law, and Roberts Rules of Order.

The pre-meeting discussion dragged on, no resolution in sight. Some of the audience were taking notes, and Jim Curtis was videotaping the session. It was getting close to noon. The CL'ers had the meeting in gridlock, and, as it appeared that they were inclined to filibuster till they got their way, Tracy Rosenberg got to her feet and made a motion to adjourn and reconvene at a different location--at the West Branch of the Berkeley Public Library.

The next few minutes was a period of confusion. Some ICR people had left the room, others were getting to their feet, the CL'ers perhaps thought Tracy was bluffing until she spoke again, reiterating that the meeting would reconvene at the library, carefully giving them the complete address. And still the CL'ers talked on, while more ICR people left. "Agents provocateurs!" blurted out a CL'er as the room emptied. That was Andrea Turner, who is usually more reticent.

Audience members were also leaving. I glanced at the empty seats around me, then at Sasha Futran, the only ICR board member still in the room. I wasn't sure which side Sasha would be on. A month before this, she'd become alienated from her slate because of what she'd claimed to be a lack of support from some fellow ICR candidates; she'd even threatened to file a lawsuit. At this moment she was on her feet and speaking. "The motion is to go to a new location," Sasha told the CL'ers. "I apologize for leaving, but I must leave."

I followed the others out the door, joining them in the patio out in front of the building. Nobody had really left yet. They were standing around in groups talking. Virginia Browning stepped out to tell me she was staying to record what the CL'ers did; she went back inside. Jim Curtis also remained inside, videotaping.

Andrea Turner came out and asked ICR to return, offering something that sounded like a compromise, but in reality the CL'ers were still refusing to budge. Dan Siegel, a newly elected CL'er, was still out in the patio, talking.

"We need to go to our new meeting," people were saying. Notices were posted on both sides of the entrance door, announcing the address of the library. "Who needs a ride?" someone called out.

People arrived at the reconvened meeting in twos and threes. Finally, there were 13 board members present--the magic number for a quorum--and Tracy Rosenberg called the meeting to order. New members were seated, and roll was taken. Those present were: Joe Wanzala, Andrea Prichett, Akio Tanaka, Renee Yang Geesler, Sasha Futran, Chandra Hauptman, Henry Norr, Shahram Aghamir, Banafsheh Akhlaghi, Naji Ali, Sureya Sayadi, Anthony Fest, and Tracy Rosenberg. (Actually, there were 14, as Dan Siegel of the CL showed up about an hour later.)

Officers were elected, Sasha Futran becoming the new chair, with Anthony Fest as vice chair, Simon Pius (a financial professional, though not a board member) as treasurer, and Akio Tanaka as secretary. The agenda was approved, public comments heard, and business conducted. Jim Curtis was videotaping.

Naji Ali addressed the board, expressing his commitment to be present at future meetings, responding to complaints about his long sequence of excused but still undesirable absences. Over the years, his seat had been held by a series of no-show people from both sides. One was Eric Park, a CL supporter, who had actually quit the board, apparently informing his CL colleagues of his departure. But instead of passing that information on to the rest of the board and allow the seat go to an opponent, the CL'ers continued to present excuses for his absence, until after some months when the subterfuge was discovered.

Although the CL'ers used the absence issue opportunistically that morning, both sides see attendance as a serious matter. At most meetings at least 20 of the 24 KPFA board members are present.* This afternoon several ICR people spoke about this obligation.

The ICR also wanted the CL'ers to come and rejoin the LSB. "How can we reach out to them?" they asked, and held a discussion, inviting the audience to participate (the first time I've seen this happen). Joe Wanzala, Sasha Futran and Andrea Prichett were chosen to act as a committee of reconciliation. We'll see the results of their efforts at the January 11th public meeting of the LSB.

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UPDATE: All but one board member met on January 11, 2010 and elected 4 delegates to the Pacifica National Board (PNB): Joe Wanzala (ICR), Shahram Aghamir (ICR), Tracy Rosenberg (ICR), and Andrea Turner (CL). An audience of some 54 KPFA listeners and staff attended the event. Many addressed the board during the public comments session, criticizing Station Manager Lemlem Rijio's grossly uneven handling of the cutbacks, which had in particular targeted FlashPoints. "How in the world is Lemlem still there?" demanded the last speaker, " Get to work and fire Lemlem! Do the job we elected you for!"

DANIEL BORGSTRÖM

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* KFCF in Fresno also sends a member to the board who votes on most issues, though not on the choosing of the directors for the Pacifica National Board, (PNB). So for most purposes, KPFA's LSB has 25 members.


UPDATE August 2010

The "Concerned Listeners" have appropriated the name "Save KPFA" -- a name belonging to the group of activists who fought for listener democracy during most of the 1990's. Their name "Save KPFA" is legendary, inappropriate for the "Concerned Listeners", a group whose purpose is diametrically opposite.

Save KPFA--hijacking a legendary name

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for more information and updates please visit Support KPFA at www.supportkpfa.org








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New Leadership in Pacifica Radio

by Daniel Borgström
June 2009

After years of stumbling leadership, Pacifica radio has new people in key positions: LaVarn Williams, formerly a local board member here at KPFA, is now the interim Chief Financial Officer (CFO); Ricardo de Anda is the interim General Counsel; and Grace Aaron, now the interim Executive Director (ED), oversees the five-station network.

The largely new national board (PNB) made these long overdue changes in January. The departed persons--which included attorney Dan Siegel, a former iED--were members of the Pacifica status quo, which is responsible for the network's grave financial crisis. During the decade since 1999, Pacifica remained in the hands of several mutually back-scratching groups--who pushed their own agendas to the point where the survival of the five-station Pacifica network is now in question. When any member station of the network is in trouble, it draws resources from others in the network.

Grace Aaron was chosen as the new chair, and since Pacifica still didn't have a permanent executive, this chair also assumed that position. Prior to assuming the helm of Pacifica, Aaron sat on KPFK's local station board (LSB) in Los Angeles. She is a long-time peace activist and produced a cable TV program covering issues such as campus military recruitment, nuclear weapons, global warming, Israel/Palestine and Haiti.

The new leadership was soon tested when the long-building crisis at WBAI, Pacifica's New York station, came crashing into prominence. For years, the NY station was grossly mismanaged by the Justice & Unity faction, a local group composed of key staff, management, and a majority of the LSB. They were part of the back-scratching alliance in Pacifica, which included a majority of the former PNB under then chair Sherry Gendelman. So nothing was done to address the growing crisis even though WBAI's financial insolvency was threatening the entire network. WBAI was behind in both station and tower rent, and the landlord gave 3-day notice. Grace Aaron and LaVarn Williams assembled a team, flew to NY, and took immediate action.

WBAI's newly elected LSB, which was instrumental in installing Aaron as executive, supported her actions. Across the five-station network, many of us who followed these events were favorably impressed. But not everyone was pleased. Angriest of all was Justice & Unity, the NY group running WBAI into the ground. Improperly using the air waves for their own purposes, they denounced Grace Aaron on the air, calling her a "racist" and a "CIA agent," and broadcast a call for a mass demonstration to oppose this "intrusion" by the national office. To those of us far from the fray, their words conjured up the specter of hundreds, maybe thousands, rallying to the J&U faction. Thirty people showed up for their rally..

Had Justice & Unity won that round, rallying thousands to their cause, and taking the station, their triumph would have been brief. WBAI, and possibly the entire Pacifica network, could have been forced into bankruptcy, the assets taken over by some other entity. WBAI's assets are estimated at $40 million. Where there's a carcass there's a vulture--often a large flock.

What the status quo people, here in California as well as in NY, thought of this peril is anybody's guess. Instead of supporting Grace Aaron in her actions to save the network, they have been fighting her and LaVarn Williams every step of the way.

LaVarn Williams, the new interim CFO, is known as a financial expert and courageous defender of responsible Pacifica management. While a member of the local board at KPFA, Williams fought for transparency, and during a mandated but much resisted review of financial records she recovered $65,000 worth of computers, missing from Pacifica, among other financial irregularities. That was in 2005; the computers were returned and the matter was dropped. Now Gendelman & Co. are calling Williams "unqualified" for the position of CFO, despite her having a masters degree in finance and 20 years experience as a corporate financial manager with Xerox and Applied Materials. But Gendelman's people did not object to the incompetence of their staunch allies.

Near the end of April the PNB held a meeting in Berkeley, where local activists finally got to see and later talk with the much-discussed Grace Aaron and the new board members who were backing her. When I arrived at the meeting hall on the first evening of the event, they were in the middle of public comment, and several angry Justice & Unity people who had flown out from NY had the floor. "You have a lot to answer for!" they were saying, waving their fingers at Grace Aaron. Then KPFA listeners had a turn at the mike, "It's about time somebody did something," was one representative comment. "Thank you for taking action after all these years!"

There was a report on WBAI, given by Aaron, Williams, and Tony Bates, three of the five-member team. Since three of these are non-white and one is of Arab descent, it's ironic that they were accused of being a "white takeover" of WBAI. The report (online at KPFTX Archives of 4/24, part 4) found the station in disarray: many phones didn't work; there was no volunteer coordinator and often no one to answer phones during fundraising; premiums were not sent for years, etc.

Most of the audience, KPFA activists from here in the Bay Area, applauded the team for their work in saving WBAI, and so did the majority of this board. But former chair Sherry Gendelman and four others sat in subdued silence--"the sad-looking five," a person from KPFT in Houston observed. The Justice & Unity group from WBAI receded into the background. I could almost feel sympathy for them, if only they hadn't done so much damage over the years.

A major item that came out of this three-day conference was a motion on LSB election policy which has measures to ensure a more level playing field for the candidates in the upcoming election for new station-board members, as well as on-air announcements to inform listeners about the election process. The aim is to make Pacifica's listener democracy work. Corrupt practices in recent elections, notably at KPFA and WBAI, have illustrated the need for these measures. Gendelman and her faction at KPFA, the so-called "Concerned Listeners," are already announcing their defiance of the motion.

Following the event, Aaron remained in the Bay Area for several days, meeting and talking with many KPFA listeners, expressing her vision for Pacifica and hearing what the listeners had to say.

Meanwhile, for the first time in years, WBAI's on-air fund drive surpassed its budgeted goal. This perhaps is a sign that WBAI has turned around and is sloshing its way out of the Big Muddy.


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Mara Rivera, Steve Gilmartin & Virginia Browning contributed to this article. They and Daniel Borgström are KPFA listener/activists.


UPDATE August 2010

The "Concerned Listeners" have appropriated the name "Save KPFA" -- a name belonging to the group of activists who fought for listener democracy during most of the 1990's. Their name "Save KPFA" is legendary, inappropriate for the "Concerned Listeners", a group whose purpose is diametrically opposite.

Save KPFA--hijacking a legendary name


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for more information and updates please visit Support KPFA at www.supportkpfa.org







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KPFA's manager attends a board meeting

Between the Minutes on March 14, 2009

by Daniel Borgström


KPFA's General Manager, Lemlem Rijio, paid a rare visit and gave a manager's report at the public Local Station Board (LSB) meeting of March 14th. Actually, it's part of the manager's job to attend every LSB meeting.

Some of the board members seem to have no problem with Lemlem Rijio's noncompliance in this and other matters. The Sherry Gendelman faction, which call themselves the "Concerned Listeners" (CL'ers) (later "Save KPFA"), give uncritical support to Lemlem and the rest of the KPFA management.

But not all of the board is inclined to sign blank checks. There is an opposition, members who see themselves as continuing the legacy of 1999, and they began raising issues and asking penetrating questions. These were, in order of speakers, Gerald Sanders, Shahram Aghamir, Chandra Hauptman, Tracy Rosenberg, Joe Wanzala, Aki Tanaka, Anthony Fest, Henry Norr, and Sureya Sayadi.

"You can't spend money you don't have," cautioned Listener Rep Gerald Sanders. Gerald was referring to the financial mess that KPFA/Pacific is now in. Warren Mar, the CL'er who chaired this meeting, cut in and spoke for Lemlem: "She already knows that!" he said. "Knowing it isn't enough," said Gerald, "You need to act on it."

Staff Rep Shahram Aghamir asked if the station is still employing consultants. "Yes, we still have consultants," Lemlem replied. "How much is being spent on the consultants?" Shahram asked, and, not getting a satisfactory answer, he repeated his question. Finally, Lemlem said: "I will send you a confidential email." She did not explain why the amount spent on consultants had to be confidential.

Listener Rep Chandra Hauptman requested that management not schedule CAB meetings at the same time as the LSB. Some people wished to attend both, Chandra told her, so the two should not be in conflict. Lemlem said okay and asked when the LSB meets--a question that elicited a few laughs since the manager receives all notices of meetings.

"Looking at the budget," said Listener Rep Tracy Rosenberg. "Have we touched our reserve to pay for the deficit the station is running?" Lemlem's answer was "Not yet."

Tracy also asked about the station's personnel policies. She reminded Lemlem that the LSB had, in October 2008, passed a resolution requiring that the information be made available to the board. The manager replied that she would need to consult the corporate counsel to discuss what role the board played in personnel matters and in changing such documents.

"You're not answering the question," Tracy told the manager. "I asked to see the documents, not change the documents."

When Anthony Fest, a KPFA newscaster and staff rep, asked Lemlem why the Program Council was no longer meeting, her reply was surprisingly revealing. "Well," she said, "the Program Council was spending time discussing whether or not it had decision-making power and of course it doesn't--that's management's job--so we stopped it." In May 2004 the LSB had passed a resolution reaffirming the Program Council's decision making powers so that abrupt, secretive programming decisions like this wouldn't take place, but management has in effect disbanded the Program Council.

Anthony also brought up management's de-recognition of the UnPaid Staff Organization (UPSO), and got the usual excuse--that UPSO was "disorganized." The 1999 lockout had inspired the unpaid volunteers into wrestling themselves into a fairly successful organization until polarizing efforts actively worked against it. It was in August 2007 that Lemlem issued a memo withdrawing recognition. The LSB at that time passed a resolution calling on management to recognize UPSO, but the resolution was ignored. The Pacifica National Board also passed such a resolution, also ignored.

In addition to Anthony Fest, several other board members also asked Lemlem about UPSO and the Program Council, but did not get satisfactory replies. Finally, Henry Norr, a listener rep and former SF Chronicle science columnist, spoke. "Your non-responsiveness to this board--" Henry began, and frankly told the manager she was showing disrespect to the board by not attending these LSB meetings, and by not giving straightforward answers to questions asked. He summed up what had been said by other board members, and added another example--the ongoing difficulty of getting announcements for demonstrationx and community events aired on KPFA--despite a board resolution to simplify that process. "Nothing has changed," Henry said, and laid the mike back on the table.

The audience--about a dozen listeners and staff--burst out with spontaneous applause. Before Lemlem could respond, Warren Mar, the CL'er who was chairing the meeting, cut in and barked out angrily, "That was a personal attack!" then added, "That was a speech, not a question!"

A moment later Vice Chairman Mar was engaged in a yelling match with members of the audience. Then he called a ten minute break.

The session with the General Manager resumed after the break. Listener Rep Sureya Sayadi took up the mike and rebuked Vice Chairman Mar: "Lemlem has a right to speak for herself," Sureya told the chair. "You don't need to protect her. You minimize her when you try to speak for her. You minimize her when you try to protect her."

Lemlem Rijio was appointed General Manager of KPFA last October--less than a month after a "Statement of No Confidence" in her management style was signed by 74 members of the KPFA staff. Before that Lemlem had been the interim GM for two and a half years, since April 2006.



UPDATE August 2010

The "Concerned Listeners" have appropriated the name "Save KPFA" -- a name belonging to the group of activists who fought for listener democracy during most of the 1990's. Their name "Save KPFA" is legendary, inappropriate for the "Concerned Listeners", a group whose purpose is diametrically opposite.

Save KPFA--hijacking a legendary name

Update: The Concerned Listener"/"SaveKPFA" faction now calls itself the "Protectors."


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