KPFA/Pacifica: Lords & Ladies vs. the Peasants

The Legacy of the '90s at KPFA

at KPFA/Pacifica

Lords & Ladies vs. the Peasants


by Daniel Borgström
Sept 16, 2024

Longtime KPFA listeners remember 1999 as the year of the Hijacking, the Lockout, and the massive response. Ten thousand people marched through the streets of Berkeley chanting "Take back KPFA!" and "Save Pacifica!" The battle was waged in the station's studio, on the streets, and even in the courts. The good guys won, and the hijackers were thrown out. But acolytes of that regime remained, and their proteges are today very much back in control -- the gatekeeper clique at KPFA.

Sadly, the KPFA scenario is often repeated in the affairs of humankind. I missed the French Revolution, but I imagine it went much like the one at KPFA. The Bastille was stormed in a day, but the fight wasn't over. (Still isn't, in fact.) It often seems to follow a pattern: There's a dramatic moment, a historic victory, but then after everything finally seems to be on the road to eternal happiness, come months and years of intense strife. Issues get complicated, seemingly arcane, and it gets vicious. Why the ongoing conflict? people ask, wondering why the former dear comrades can't just be nice to each other and get along. They're all progressives, aren't they? (Or are they?)

The 1999 uprising at KPFA began, very much like the French Revolution, with a split among the power elite. Like Louis XVI of France, the headstrong monarch of KPFA/Pacifica quarreled with her courtiers, threw them out of the palace, locked the gate, and called in mercenary troops -- rent-a-cops. The station's disenfranchised nobility, losing their wits and acting out of sheer desperation, allied themselves with dissidents, appealed to the rabble, and called for mass demonstrations. The response was huge, and to the astonishment of everyone, the rebels emerged victorious. The intolerable monarch went into exile, leaving the kingdom to the triumphant radio-heads -- a motley assemblage of commoners, peasants and riffraff, together with nobility and bureaucrats from the old regime. Everyone pledged eternal loyalty to the ideals of the revolution, the Pacifica Mission Statement.

At first there was wild jubilation, dancing in the streets, and a huge amount of good feeling. All the worthy people were dear sisters and brothers, in a splendid state of living happily ever after. The bluebloods and bureaucrats from the old regime joined in the celebrations together with their low-class brethren, graciously tolerating the situation, putting a good face on it, and biding their time. The problem was that the ungracious mob now expected to have a say in the running of the show. So the lords and ladies were then faced with the daunting task of getting this horde of loud, smelly, cantankerous, meddlesome peasants to leave the castle, go back to tilling the lands, and give up their preposterous notions of involving themselves in governance of the station.

Major differences and animosities began to surface during the drafting of Pacifica's new constitution, known as "The Bylaws." Courtiers and bureaucrats from the old regime tried to bend the new document to their liking, intending to preserve whatever they could of their former status and privileges; and they did win major concessions. Nevertheless, the dissidents stuck to a vision they'd been nurturing for many long years during the decade preceding 1999. The traditional motto of "liberté, égalité, fraternité" was updated to include "democracy, transparency, accountability."

The outcome, beginning in the early 2000s, was a radically new system of radio governance, a "listener democracy." Listeners who donated $25 or more to the station became voters, choosing their representatives to sit on boards overseeing the KPFA station and the Pacifica radio network. In radio governance, this was a revolutionary concept; however the Lords & Ladies found it absolutely revolting.

There was a time (the good old days) when peasants knew their place. One can sympathize with the plight and anguish of the once proud KPFA aristocrats, courtiers, and bureaucrats, who were to find themselves sitting shoulder to shoulder with unwashed peasants who were elected to the new Local Station Board (the LSB).

KPFA's first board election was held in the winter of 2003-2004, and as spring became summer, the reaction against the new Pacifica Bylaws began. An opening shot was a letter from a patrician lady who declared, "I do think the bylaws are a disaster." Her ladyship, a show host at KPFA, was an enlightened aristocrat, one of capitalism's discontents who loved the downtrodden peasants and hated their oppressors. It was just that she didn't want to see peasants trooping into her castle, intruding on her domain, and stepping on her privileges with their muddy feet.

The newly elected board members took their seats on the newly formed LSB; and the division between the patricians and lower orders soon became apparent. A leaked email of September 1st 2005 revealed that a lord had called his group to a "general strategy session" .and among the topics on his agenda: "how do we make our enemies own the problems that are to come?"

"You consider us your 'enemies'?" fellow board members asked the author of the email. His reply was evasive.

Among other strategic topics listed in that Sept 1st email was the "Roy issue." That referred to a disagreement between the bluebloods and station's general manager (GM) over the scheduling of a popular show, DN! Such a disagreement might seem rather insignificant, but it suggested that the manager was not a yes-man, inclined to do the do the bluebloods' bidding. So grounds had to be found for his dismissal.

They charged the manager with sexual molestation, a charge which did not hold up under investigation. Although the manager was cleared of charges, the accusations created an unpleasant, or even toxic atmosphere. Eventually, in Jan 2006, the mgr. was fired, but for undisclosed reasons. That became a landmark victory for the lords and ladies, and every general manager since then, from 2006 to the present (2024) has been more or less in their pocket.

According to the Bylaws, the LSB has considerable power in its job of overseeing the station. It plays a role in selecting the General Manager, and is required to do a yearly job performance evaluation of the manager. In practice, the bluebloods on the board have been able to avoid such obligations and render the board ineffectual. In 2020 it was discovered that property taxes hadn't been paid on the station's studio building for over 6 years, and the Alameda County tax office was about to seize the property and auction it off. That upset some listeners who urged board members to hold the station's manager accountable. However, the lordly faction, which held a board majority, came to the manager's defense, and passed a motion (11-20-2020) reading:

"The KPFA Local Station Board finds that due to numerous false and/or misleading accusations made about the KPFA General Manager, it is not possible for the KPFA Local Station Board to conduct a fair and unbiassed evaluation of the KPFA General Manager at this time." (And in their motion they misspelled "unbiased.")

At first glance, this might appear to be a worker-run collective, a socialist ideal. Sadly however, that is not the reality at KPFA. The bluebloods who became the gatekeepers of the station are a relatively small clique of holdovers from the hijacker regime of the 1990s which was linked to the Clinton Administration. They and their acolytes, though few in number, are well connected to entities outside the station. Most of the unpaid staff, who in fact produce most of the programming, are excluded from the ruling clique, as are some of the paid programmers. They're part of the peasantry.

Their faction which represents them on the LSB has used several names over the years; currently they call themselves the "Protectors," and they openly state that they protect the staff and management -- which they do. (That is, they protect members of their in-group and mgrs. who align themselves with the lords and ladies.) And they boast that the station is doing great.

In reality, the station is surviving -- but not doing great. Listener subscribership has fallen to about half of what it was a decade ago. This problem is not unique to KPFA -- public radio stations almost everywhere are losing listeners. Young people turn to podcasts, and other online sources of information. KPFA must do more to adapt to technological change and new ways (some now not-so-new) of accessing media. KPFA's archives must be searchable; otherwise they're like a library with no catalog. Multimedia is no longer the future; it's here. More programming must include video -- those are a few of the things that reformers are urging. However, the bluebloods have been slow to make such innovations; perhaps that's the nature of a status quo group.

Meanwhile, the whole purpose of having a radio station is its programming. Since 1949 KPFA has stood up to Joe McCarthy and HUAC, opposed the wars in Korea and Vietnam, and promoted progressive causes. Today many excellent programs at the station are still reporting on a wide variety of events including the genocide in Gaza. Nevertheless, not everything on KPFA is progressive. For over a year the station has been giving nine hours a week to Ian Masters, a show host who has lambasted Venezuela and Cuba, and attacked Mumia Abu-Jamal. Masters calls Mumia's supporters "gullible."

In attempting to describe the situation at KPFA, I've been using the analogy of Lords, Ladies and Peasants; though some observers with a somewhat less medieval mindset might prefer to call it "class struggle." Call it what you may, the station is run by a power elite who lord it over the rest. And though this is a leftwing radical radio station where almost everybody would consider themselves "Progressives," I would suggest calling them "establishment progressives." The operative word here is "establishment."

At the root of the problem is a legacy of the hijacker regime of the 1990s that never got resolved. The picture is not encouraging, but I don't think it's impossible either. I'm just saying that we have a long and hard battle ahead of us.


DANIEL BORGSTRÖM


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Right now the station is having an election for the LSB. Although I call it a struggle between the Lords and Ladies vs. the Peasants, it could also be called a struggle between the status quo folks and the reformers. The reformers, known as "RESCUE PACIFICA are presenting these eight excellent candidates, or as I might call them: uncommon commoners.

Rabab Abdulhadi - Professor at San Francisco State; Palestinian scholar / activist

Donna Carter - Retired nurse and California Nurses Association contract negotiator

Stan Woods - Oscar Grant committee member; former ILWU Local 6 board member

Virginia Browning - Former radio reporter / producer / program host

Felipe Messina - Modesto Cop Watch member; IBEW member; clean-air campaigner

Pathma Venasithamby - Jewish Voice for Peace member

Phoebe Thomas (Sorgen) - Social Justice Committee of Berkeley Unitarian-Universalists

Michai Freeman - Disability-rights organizer; former Berkeley City Council candidate

These Rescue Pacifica candidates are endorsed by past and present KPFA staff members, including Andres Soto, Peter Phillips, Joy Moore, Ann Garrison, Frank Sterling, and Anthony Fest, as well as many peace and justice advocates. Please read more at rescuepacifica.net



Your "STV" ballot allows you to vote for multiple candidates; please vote for all eight Rescue-Pacifica candidates. Thanks for your support!



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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.



Vote for Rescue Pacifica

rescuepacifica.net

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This is an updated and expanded version of an article I wrote years ago.
Daniel

KPFA's Republican Activist

2016 UPDATE: VIDEO of Harmeet Dhillon endorsing Donald Trump for president.




SaveKPFA's GOP Activist

by Daniel Borgström
May 8, 2011


KPFA appears to have a Republican activist, and a high-profile one at that. She is Harmeet K. Dhillon, chair of the GOP in San Francisco and an innovative political strategist. She also heads a law firm which has been representing a faction in the station's ongoing turf war, and her role in this seems to be something more than a client-attorney relationship.

We first heard of Harmeet Dhillon last fall when her name turned up on legal documents associated with KPFA. She was representing Brian Edwards-Tiekert, member of the CL/SaveKPFA faction, in a legal matter against KPFA/Pacifica. We were puzzled as to why SaveKPFA chose a Republican to represent them in court. And, as Dhillon & Smith is clearly a high priced law firm, we also wondered where they got the money to pay her. As I recall, that was in the first week of December.

Then we learned that Dhillon was doing this legal work pro bono. It was her partner, Harold P. Smith, who actually appeared in court to speak for SaveKPFA. Dhillon herself sat in the audience, keeping a close eye on how this was going. Despite being a very busy person, chair of the San Francisco GOP as well as head of a law firm, she was taking time to observe the proceedings of a relatively minor case. Harmeet Dhillon seemed to be taking a lot of interest in the well-being of SaveKPFA.

For these reasons, Dhillon became the subject of curiosity. From time to time we'd see articles and write-ups about her. "A different kind of GOP leader," the media called her. She'd been in the ACLU, acknowledged the right of gay marriage and supported a woman's right to choose. In her view the GOP shouldn't get hung up on such matters. "I think we shoot ourselves in the foot a lot," she says. She does indeed sound pretty liberal, at least on some issues.

Nevertheless, she was co-chair of Lawyers for Bush/Cheney in 2004, and for John McCain in 2008. "I am proud that the Republican Party made the historic choice of Sarah Palin," Dhillon wrote. She advocates "free trade," outsourcing, and cutting taxes and regulations. "I am a strong proponent of market based solutions," she said, and calls for cutbacks in spending. "There is room to cut teacher's pensions." The teachers' union is "the main culprit" in her view. "If I were king for a day," she told an interviewer, "I would eliminate the teachers' union."

Why would a Republican be working pro bono for the SaveKPFA, who in name at least are progressives? The SaveKPFA group is dominated by former Communist Party members--a crew of ex-radicals who've found a comfortable home in the Democratic Party and long ago ossified into pillars of the "left-wing" establishment. But to a Republican they must look flaming red--still too hot to touch, or so I would've thought.

Opposing the establishment faction at KPFA is our grass roots coalition. It looks to us like SaveKPFA has been steering the entire Pacifica Radio network onto the road to bankruptcy for strategic reasons of their own. Presumably they expect to grab KPFA from the ensuing wreckage of the network.

For their part, the Republicans would probably like to see the end of the Pacifica network. Could that be why Dhillon has decided to bolster up the legal fortunes of SaveKPFA? Maybe it's one of her innovative Republican strategies--to assist SaveKPFA in taking over KPFA through a bankruptcy that at the same time eliminates the other Pacifica stations. Let me acknowledge here that I'm only speculating. Just speculating.

A few days ago we saw the Sunday Chronicle of April 24, and there on the front page was a lengthy write-up about Dhillon. Her life, born in India, grew up in North Carolina, her liberal views on some topics, and her campaigning for George W. Bush. Much of it was stuff we already knew. But one thing was news to us: about two months ago Dhillon married a former board member of KPFA, Sarv Randhawa.

Sarv was a board member for six years. An activist who'd known him from years back remembers that Sarv never discussed politics; he seemed to be apolitical. But if so, why was he a long term board member of this left-wing radio station, an activity that consumed much of his free time?

There was a revealing moment in 2005 & 06, when an endorsement of the Berkeley Honda workers strike was to be put on the local station board's consent calendar, and Sarv objected to it. He needed time to read it over carefully, he said. So the matter was deferred till the next month when Sarv again objected that he hadn't had time to study the motion. The strike went on for ten months, and each month Sarv expressed the same objection. Finally, when it was clear that the Berkeley Honda workers had won, two days before the strike was settled, Sarv joined others in expressing support. Later, when he was criticized for not supporting the strike, he insisted that he had supported it. And technically, yes, he had--but only after the lengthy battle was over and support was no longer needed.

Progressive organizations and even the city council had expressed support for the striking auto mechanics at Berkeley Honda. Sarv's foot-dragging was in effect a veto on the KPFA board's endorsement. His SaveKPFA associates seemed to have no serious problem with his stance, but the rest of us did sort of wonder who Sarv Randhawa really was. And we've been wondering ever since. After learning of his marriage to Harmeet Dhillon, we did some online research, but didn't find a whole lot. Just that he contributed $250 to the GOP last year.

Presumably Sarv's fellow SaveKPFA members had some inkling of his real political inclinations, but they accepted him as an ally, and this may go towards explaining their acceptance of the GOP chairwoman into their camp.

Nevertheless, since SaveKPFA has several attorneys in its ranks, I keep wondering why they need a Republican. There must be a reason. Let me speculate a bit further. As I've pointed out, most SaveKPFA members are Democrats, staunch unremitting opponents of the Republicans. But Democrats and Republicans do more than occasionally find common ground and common causes--and when they do, it's usually to screw us over.

SaveKPFA's apparent goal is to force the Pacifica network into bankruptcy and take over KPFA. However, acquiring KPFA could be difficult because a bankruptcy court would most likely sell the license to pay off creditors. In such a scenario, SaveKPFA would have no control over the outcome--or would they? They are well connected and have some Democrat politicians on their side. It might also help to have an influential Republican going to bat for them. Bipartisanship could perhaps make the difference and swing the deal.

It's heartwarming to see these apparent opposites bonding so nicely and working harmoniously together--if only their purpose weren't the destruction of the Pacifica Radio network.

DANIEL BORGSTRÖM
May 8, 2011


UPDATE 2016

Harmeet Dhillon is now co chair of the California GOP. Formerly the chair of the SF Republicans. In this VIDEO Harmeet Dhillon endorsing Donald Trump for president:

"I'm not looking for somebody to be our moral and spiritual guide I'm looking for somebody to take this country in the right direction for the next four years. And I think Donald Trump is the better candidate to do that," Harmeet Dhillon says in the VIDEO



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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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What is at stake at KPFA

This is from five years ago; Pacifica has changed executive directors several times since then, but the basic issues remain the same.

by George Reiter
Chair, Pacifica National Board
November 20, 2010

What is at stake in the conflict at KPFA? It is not the continued existence of the Morning Show. It will be back with new hosts. It is not the competence of the hosts. By all accounts, they did a fine job. It is not whether there will be local programming at KPFA. Local programming has been a mainstay of the Pacifica Network and will continue to be.

What is at stake is the financial viability of the Pacifica Foundation, and its ability to manage the stations in the network. That viability depends on the ability of each of the stations to raise sufficient money to meet payroll and expenses. That hasn't been happening at KPFA for at least two years.

The board in 2009 mandated reductions in staff that the management at the time didn't make and the ED didn't enforce. The cash reserves of KPFA, about $800,000 dollars in 2009, are now gone, The board has again this year observed that reductions had to be made, and our Executive Director is seeing to it that it happens.

She has the unanimous support of the board for the principles that she laid out for the reductions, respect for seniority, the best interests of KPFA and the network, maintaining the programming grid where possible, and keeping the strongest possible skill set at the station.

The Pacifica Foundation owns the licenses for all five stations. Should one station failing to meet its expenses drain the resources of the network past what can be sustained by the remaining stations, the entire network will be bankrupt and the fate of all five stations will be in the hands of a bankruptcy court judge. The board has the responsibility of seeing to it that that doesn't happen.

Some have attempted to make the salary of the national staff, consisting of an ED, a CFO, two accountants, an administrative assistant, two part time technical workers and an affiliates station coordinator, an issue. Or the in person meetings of the board now costing half of what they cost for the previous 6 years. This level of staffing the salaries and the expenses are minimal in managing a $12 million dollars/year enterprise. To the extent that this accusation stems from a desire to have no national collective supervision, and ultimately no network but a collection of five independent stations, this is misguided both in purpose and strategy. The times require a national network, and the outcome of bankruptcy hearings will not be five progressive stations running their own affairs, but more likely two commercial stations and three new Christian radio channels.

KPFA has been a bulwark of the network in the past. The farsightedness of the leadership created and then supported the growth of the other stations. The network has been a strength for all of us, recently when money had to be transferred from KPFT to pay salaries at KPFA, and in the past when contributions from the other stations kept KPFT on the air.

I ask that you support the Pacifica National Board and its Executive director Arlene Englehardt in maintaining the financial viability of the Pacifica Foundation and its ability to manage and develop the network.


GEORGE REITER
Chair, Pacifica National Board



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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.



Vote for the UCR -- United for Community Radio



















United for Community Radio

The CL in a Nutshell

(The group which formerly called itself "The Concerned Listeners" now uses the name Save KPFA which it stole from an earlier group.)



by Richard Phelps
May 4, 2011

The practices of the KPFAForward, Concerned Listeners, SaveKPFA and KPFAWorker are very similar to right wing practices. Yes the outward politics are very different but not their practices. They don't believe in equal time, look at the last two LSB programs and how their staff allies misuse the news to propagandize. They twist reality to make up wedge issues. They don't really want democracy if it looks like they may lose control to the "voters". "dismantling the Local Station Board", aka the democratic process, or "how do we make our enemies own the problems that are to come?" From one of their "secret" meeting memos. Brian Edwards-Tiekert, 2005.

There are numerous other examples like dumping the Program Council, trying to end the UnPaid Staff Organization (UPSO), hiding a $375,000 check for over a year, refusing to promote LSB elections on the air etc., etc.

I think this quote from Cornel West fits them well although it was meant for our national leadership in Washington.

"Our leadership elite may still want to believe in democratic principles-they certainly profess that they do-but in practice they have shown themselves all too willing to violate those principles in order to gain or retain power", Cornel West from his book Democracy Matters.

RICHARD PHELPS

May 4, 2011

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** other websites & articles **


The original 1993 Save KPFA (whose name was stolen by the "Concerned Listeners")

Democracy at Pacifica by Robbie Osman Across the Great Divide

The Grassroots Radio Movement in the U.S. by Marty Durlin and Cathy Melio

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 Best & the Brightest, at KPFA

by Daniel Borgström
December 13, 2010

For over five years I've been attending KPFA's board meetings, and one thing that's impressed me is how accomplished the people in and around KPFA are. Extremely intelligent people, all of them, from the staff to the board members to the listener-activists. At KPFA I feel I've stepped into a gathering of the best and the brightest.

And saying that, I am reminded how it was supposedly the "best and the brightest" who took us to Vietnam.

Today KPFA and Pacifica are broke, close to bankruptcy. It was ostensibly the best and the brightest of KPFA's staff and their supporters whose financial planning and policies have brought KPFA/Pacifica to the brink of fiscal disaster. I'm thinking of the unsustainable budgets of the last five years or more, the $375K check that was left in a drawer, and the continuing effort to defund KPFA/Pacifica. Several of KPFA's own show hosts and newscasters have recently been using their air-time to trash the network and discourage donors from contributing.

Pacifica holds the licenses to stations in five major cities, and if the network crashes, those frequencies will be sold, lost to community radio, and replaced with who knows what? Maybe Rush Limbaugh. There are also over 160 affiliates which depend on Pacifica for much of their programming; they would face an uncertain future.

Non-corporate community radio plays a necessary role in this country, delivering information and cultural programming not heard in mainstream media. It also creates a sense of social connectedness, enabling people to break out of isolation, letting them know that they are not alone in their thoughts, tastes and opinions, which may run counter to lies and spin promoted by Wall Street, the arms industry and the political elite.

All of us who listen to Pacifica radio have personal stories of its significance in our lives. My story is one I've told a hundred times, but I'll tell it again. When I was 18, I joined the Marine Corps and served 4 years. When people ask me why, I explain that where I grew up there was no Pacifica radio, nothing like KPFA or any of its sister stations. Only one point of view was heard. I was so brainwashed by it that I thought I had to go out and save my country.

And having finished my 4 years in the USMC, I spent the next several years of my life struggling to understand what it was that I'd really been defending as a Marine. Pacifica Radio would've been very helpful to me back then.

Today the situation is somewhat different. Pacifica Radio does broadcast in many parts of this nation and its message is available for the 15-, 16- and 17-year-old Daniels who might be thinking of joining the USMC. It's also there for the 23- and 24-year-old Daniels who, like myself at that age, are now struggling to make sense of their military experience, of what they took part in and saw.

I would like to see Pacifica Radio continue to be available for the countless Daniels across this country. Is it too much to expect the best and the brightest to understand this?

DANIEL BORGSTRÖM, ex-Marine against the Wars
December 13, 2010

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Post Script, half a year later

It's now half a year since I wrote the above essay, and the outlook has become considerably more optimistic. Financially the station is doing better--not great, but at least a lot better. This is in large part thanks to Executive Director Arlene Engelhardt who finally stepped in at the last minute to reign in expenses, laying off several of the staff. That has not gone over well with some of the "best and the brightest" who've been working to undermine this in every way, even misappropriating KPFA's airwaves to attack and vilify Arlene and others who get in their way, and when a new General Manager was hired in January, they drove him out within a month. They also tried to drive Arlene out, and had she left, it could well have been the end of the end of the Pacifica network. She has courageously withstood the attacks, done her job well, and among other things found a new interim General Manager, Andrew Phillips, who is turning out to be an excellent manager.

Along with Arlene and Andrew, many activists, both listeners and staff, have been working hard to support the station, to keep it in Pacifica and keep Pacifica alive. Thanks to the efforts of these people, things look a lot better now. Better, yes, but it's not over; the struggle for a democratic Pacifica continues, and needs our ongoing support.

Daniel Borgström
May 28, 2011


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REPORT FROM THE FUND DRIVE,
which ended May 25, 2011

KPFA's spring fund drive raised $743,000.
The total of $743,000 in listener support from the just-completed on-air fund drive is *$83,000 MORE* than the Spring 2010 fund drive of 12 months ago - which totaled only $660,000 in listener support.
KPFA continues to make slow and steady progress towards regaining economic stability after posting a 1.2 million dollar loss in the period between 10-1-2008 and 9-30-2010.

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independent auditor's report
Pacifica Foundation financial statements for the year ended September 30, 2010

Click here to view 10 Years of KPFA Finances - from audited financial statements

and, presented as a GRAPH, the same data:
10 Years of KPFA Finances GRAPH

for more information and updates please visit United for Community Radio at unitedforcommunityradio.org/

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Between the Minutes
Scenes & Sketches from KPFA board meetings
a series by Daniel Borgström

"You are a chickenshit coward!" --After the Minutes on January 13, 2011

Intimidation between the minutes March 7, 2010

Siegel: "You're suing me!" March 7, 2010

The Split Between the Minutes Dec 5, 2009 & Jan 11, 2010

The "RAID" August 8, 2009

KPFA's manager attends a board meeting: March 14, 2009

Between the Minutes: January 10, 2009

Between the Minutes: June 14, 2008

Between the Minutes March 24, 2007

Between the Minutes February 24, 2007

Between the Minutes January 13, 2007

Parliamentary Addiction: Roberts Abuse at the LSB April 22, 2006

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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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What's Really Happening

at KPFA 94.1 fm
A Labor Perspective - 2010

There is a disinformation campaign going on at KPFA and many people are being taken in by it. Who would not believe their favorite progressive programmers? For an explanation of why some otherwise excellent paid staff might be advancing disinformation, skim or read the letter from staff member Robbie Osman. And read on:


Myth: Pacifica Foundation has eliminated the popular Morning Show from KPFA because they were in conflict with the hosts, and fired them.

Fact: Pacifica had to step in to save KPFA's financial situation. After 3 years of unbalanced budgets, KPFA had spent down a million dollars reserve fund and had to borrow money to meet payroll. It owes Pacifica much money, which threatens the entire Pacifica network. KPFA's budget proposal for this year was way overdue. Elected representatives of this independent Pacifica network that includes 5 stations, 160+ affiliates and their voted in, legally-responsible Executive Director, asked all 5 Pacifica stations to cut down on paid staff 2-3 years ago, as the only way to meet escalating deficits. KPFA's 4 "sister" Pacifica stations have already done this. Only KPFA continued to employ more paid staff than it can afford. Pacifica had to cut down on KPFA's paid staff for them, or risk losing the network.


Myth: Pacifica cut staff outside of specifications by the union contract, ignoring the contract, union busting, and choosing to fire those they considered their enemies.

Fact: Pacifica's layoffs are strictly by the CWA-KPFA contract, using seniority and "skill set" as the primary criteria for layoffs, and have nothing to do with programs or politics. (Former KPFA management allied with Save KPFA actually did propose a plan to eliminate programs they disliked.)


Myth: There was an alternative budget proposed which made other cuts and would have preserved jobs. It was ignored by Arlene Engelhardt, the Executive Director, who is making these unnecessary cuts anyway.

Fact: This budget was examined by the Pacifica Finance Committee and the Chief Financial Officer, very experienced in this process, and was seen to have saved only a fraction of expenditures. Staff cuts were the only way. Check out the legally-mandated 2010 audit report, including the footnotes, for the sobering reality of KPFA finances.


Myth: KPFA's union leadership is challenging the layoffs, so Pacifica must be anti-union.

Fact: Arlene Engelhardt was following the seniority list, as CWA had previously instructed her to do. The faction on the Local Station Board of KPFA aligned with the side protesting the layoffs (the Concerned Listeners/Save KPFA), unanimously voted down a proposal (by a member of the slate supporting the Pacifica decision), to make the cuts in compliance with the CWA contract! Who is antiunion?! Why is the union challenging the layoffs? -- this union's leadership is aligned with the faction which is refusing the cuts - the core entrenched staff/"KPFAworker"/"Concerned Listener"/"Save KPFA" faction. Some unionized staff members, including Flashpoints programmers, support the actions of Pacifica management.


Myth: Arlene Engelhardt opted out of taking the case to litigation because she'd lose, so she was forced to rehire Edwards-Tiekert, with back pay, but they went on to lay off John Hamilton.

Fact: Brian E-T had the option to move to another department and bump a paid staff member with less seniority, but chose to try to get his Morning Show back. When this wasn't happening, he chose to bump, and Hamilton got bumped. There are recordings of Edwards-Tiekert admitting he could bump Hamilton from back in November. Pacifica granted him the back pay he was trying to get - though it was his choice not to bump for 3 months - because it was cheaper to pay him than to litigate and Pacifica could not afford the expense of litigation.


Myth: The Morning Show and its hosts are the most listened to and by far the best fundraisers at KPFA and this will deprive the station of all that money.

Fact: The show is in the morning drive time, the most listened to time of day for all stations. (Democracy Now is doing even better in that 7:00 a.m. slot.)


Myth: Laying off these hosts is the same as destroying this program.

Fact: These hosts are fairly recent to this program. Many of us appreciate the skills and hard work of those who were laid off. KPFA has had many hosts on this and other shows, who sometimes started as inexperienced volunteers and grew, sharing their skill, warmth, and resources.


Myth: These layoffs caused 7 programmers with more seniority to quit, and they were mostly people of color, so these layoffs are racist.

Fact: This is a logical fallacy. Also, the 7 were taking advantage of severance offers.


Myth: Pacifica takes KPFA's money for its expensive staff, and does little or nothing for stations.

Fact: Pacifica's "central services" range from providing Democracy Now and FSRN News to insuring the stations plus at least 3 other essential services. Were KPFA to pay for these services on its own, a recent estimate puts the costs at $200,000 - $400,000. Pacifica's maximum staff salaries are $90,000, a low figure for these positions. Pacifica cut its own staff drastically in the last few years and the Executive Director and Chief Financial Officer have been working extra hours as a result. FSRN News, which provides around 1/2 of KPFA's news, is threatened because of lack of payments.


Myth: KPFA would be better off without Pacifica.

Fact: Besides losing the above services, Pacifica itself would go down, and we would lose an entire network of 5 stations and 160 affiliates, spreading information worldwide. Is that something progressives want to do? What would happen to KPFA after Pacifica's invaluable broadcast license goes up for sale? Get bought by Clear Channel? Or a rightwing religious group?


-------------------------

Fact: The faction making these claims have had leverage to continue this disinformation because they know Pacifica must move carefully in the PR war their side has created. Many staff members disagree with their analysis. The listeners by and large have been kept in the dark about KPFA and Pacifica governance, trust their familiar progressive radio hosts, and have heard only one side.


For a fuller account of the issues referred to here, please take a look at articles on this website and also those which are linked to here.




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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.



Vote for the UCR -- United for Community Radio




















.

Siegel stuff

"You are a chickenshit coward!" he said.


Unkind words from Board Member Siegel
by Daniel Borgström

After the January 13th LSB meeting, as I was gathering up my stuff to leave, Dan Siegel, who had just been elected as a KPFA representative to the Pacifica National Board, approached me and said, "You are a chickenshit coward!" and "a fucking bag of shit!" he added as an afterthought. He proceeded to speak in depth and at some length about how I was a "fucking'" this and a "fucking" that, making liberal use of vocabulary that's excluded from the FCC's lexicon.

A person who overheard the tirade told me afterwards that she thought I must've stepped on Siegel's foot to have earned such invective. "No, no, nothing like that," I told her and explained that I'm the plaintiff in a lawsuit, and that what she heard was Attorney Siegel's refined version of legal jargon.

This was not the first time this sort of thing has happened. At the LSB meeting last March Siegel hassled me and then tried to pick a fist fight with Richard Phelps. Well, I guess that's Attorney Dan Siegel in action--a kid who's spent 65 years of his life perfecting the age of 15.

DANIEL BORGSTRÖM
January 13, 2011

-------------

A previous incident is at
Siegel: "You're suing me!"

And the time when
Siegel barged into the Peters home, illegally. "We seriously considered pressing trespass and assault charges," Casey Peters wrote in the Pacifica 2007 Elections Report.











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Tracy Rosenberg responds

The following is in response to efforts to recall Tracy Rosenberg from the KPFA Station Board and the National Pacifica Board of Directors. Questions were answered first by Tracy herself and secondly by listener-activist, Mara Rivera. (For more on this issue, visit: Stop the KPFA Recall.org and Support KPFA.org. Also, you can listen to an archived audio of the On-Air Live Debate, broadcast Friday, June 29th, at 1 PM, between Tracy Rosenberg and recall proponent Margy Wilkinson. To hear it click here.)


1) Did Tracy Rosenberg draw up a "hit list" targeting KPFA's old Morning Show?

Tracy Rosenberg: The only list I am aware of is the union seniority list, which was not "drawn up" by me, but exists independently of me. The most dozen recent hires would have been the dozen employees on the lower half of the list (that is what seniority means). They are the ones who might have been affected by layoffs as Pacifica struggled to address KPFA's two years of $500,000+ operating deficits for the fiscal years ending 9/30/2009 and 9/30/2010 and return KPFA to solvency. KPFA's financial position as of September 30, 2011 is at least $550,000 improved from the financial position of September 30, 2010.

Mara Rivera: Although the layoffs in the Summer of 2010 were difficult, there was never anything improper about the decisions by Pacifica's Executive Director, Arlene Englehardt. Brian Edwards-Tiekert claims that he and Aimee Allison, the other host of the Morning Show were treated unjustly. Brian has always had the option to "bump" another employee - and finally did so when it became clear union arbitration would not uphold his stated goal to return to an AM host slot.

Pacifica did give Edwards-Tiekert back pay to avoid another round of costly litigation but no guilt was admitted or should be assumed. His colleague Aimee Allison pursued an arbitration hearing and lost, receiving neither restoration to a position at KPFA nor back pay.

2) Did Tracy Rosenberg try to overturn election results?

Rosenberg: The motion referred to was not written by me. It was authored by then-Houston PNB director Richard Uzzell. 2010 PNB chair George Reiter asked me to introduce the motion under the Coordinating Committee report section of the meeting, so I did. His reasoning was the motion was time-sensitive and as an earlier Coordinating committee motion had expired, this motion needed to be dealt with by the board in a timely manner. As with any motion presented to the full board, the motion was subject to a vote by the Pacifica National Board. It passed easily and represents the will of the duly-elected directors at that time.

Mara Rivera: After the 1999 attempt to take over Pacifica by Washington based political figures the new by-laws were written to prohibit political appointees and public office holders from serving on the Pacifica Local and National Boards. (Article Four, Section 2.A, and Article Five, Section 1.B). Dan Siegel implied in nationwide media that he was an important appointee in Mayor Quan's office. It was reasonable to assume that his long collaboration with Mayor Quan and frequent meetings with her could present a conflict-of-interest as a Pacifica National Board member.

* A year ago the National Board determined that under the Bylaws Dan Siegel's acceptance of appointments to the Mayor of Oakland's administration disqualified him from service on the KPFA LSB and the National Board

* The question of Siegel's eligibility was sent to the Pacifica National Board for a determination by the PNB Coordinating Committee, which sets the agenda for the board meetings to insure that time-sensitive matters are considered by the board. As a board officer (Treasurer) Tracy served on the Coordinating Committee and presented the issue on behalf of the committee. This is normal operating procedure for the board.

* Siegel and several KPFA LSB members took the matter to court. In December the court ruled that Pacifica's Bylaws should be narrowly construed to only apply to holders of "public office" as that term is defined in California case law, and that Siegel is eligible to serve.


It is strange that Save KPFA is so concerned about costly lawsuits, when they have filed so many bogus ones themselves. Currently, four complaints to the National Labor Relations Board that originated from the Save KPFA faction have all been dismissed.


3) Did Tracy Rosenberg steal an email list?

Rosenberg: The email was designed and authored by KPFA staff, provided information about upcoming and archived shows on KPFA and directed people to the KPFA website to make donations, which about 20 people did. All I did was loan a Salsa account on request. Had I not done so, the staff involved would probably have accessed mail chimp or another similar free service.

Rivera: . All the other stations and Pacifica National itself went through their own layoffs mandated by Pacifica.
The Concerned Listener/KPFAworker/SaveKPFA faction has been manipulating listeners with disinformation to get them to support its self-serving aims, to the detriment of the station and entire network. They have chosen Tracy Rosenberg as their target, in a situation where they are losing throughout the rest of the network. She, as a member of the National Finance Committee, has an understanding of the true financial picture and the manipulations which they were/are involved in, which almost brought the network down.
This baseless recall action is estimated to cost KPFA Big Bucks!


Tracy Rosenberg is a knowledgeable media professional and a Pacifica financial expert whom we've been lucky to involve in the governance of KPFA and Pacifica.


For history on the email accusations, you can read this older article from May, 2011


Tracy Rosenberg responds to email accusations

May 1, 2011

To make a long story short (or maybe just shorter), the email list in question was sent to me twice. The first time was in January at with regard to lawsuit # RG10549212 in Alameda County Superior Court. I was actually sent two lists, one with about 5,000 emails, the other with about 1,000. They came without my knowledge, accompanied by a request to send unsolicited communications to these lists via electronic messaging or the Pacifica Foundation would face a petition for $33,000 in attorney's fees.

The request was to send an email to 6,000 email addresses relating to a 5 month old staff election, one in which none of these listeners participated in and one which most of them probably knew or cared nothing about. I really couldn't imagine a stupider way to annoy and mystify our subscribers, but of course, KPFA and Pacifica often fail to operate in their own self-interest.

Mass emailing is most easily done with software resources, and like most not for profits (except KPFA apparently), the one I work for and direct has an account. Unlike KPFA, we send out regular newsletters to a large mailing list that includes about 10,000 subscribers and a press list of about 800. From time to time, my nonprofit helps out those with less resources by sharing the software for a press release or communique for a worthwhile cause. In the past, we've done so for the Committee to Free the Sf8, the anti-smart meter folks in the beginning of their movement, the Free Palestine Movement during the last sail to Gaza, Common Frequency, and the Committee to End FBI Repression. I consider that a part of being a community organization that is allied with and supportive of social justice movements in this country. We share resources and help each other. Pacifica was assisted with an Al Jazeera announcement at the end of last year on a similar basis. Obviously, these communiques are not Media Alliance-branded - they belong to our friends and allies and we are simply aiding with distribution.

While happy to do so for causes that are compelling and move forward mobilizations for justice and democracy, it was a bit less compelling to provide assistance for the distribution of largely-unwanted material that served no purpose but internal KPFA turf wars. Being a national board member, I felt uneasy with failing to comply with a direct request, so I consulted an attorney privately as to whether or not it was within my duties as a board member to fulfill this request. I was told (twice) that I was under no obligation to do so and therefore declined to fulfill the request. I did not find it to be in the best interests of KPFA or Pacifica and while I could not stop them from complying with the demand to avoid financial stress, there was no need to be the agent of distribution.

So that was the end of that for a while and of course, the lists I had been unwillingly sent were used for nothing at all.

At the beginning of March, I was contacted by some KPFA staff working on the Morning Mix program who thought it would be a good idea to help along the fund drive process by doing some outreach. As a long-time proponent of outreach and having been long gob-smacked at KPFA's utter failure to engage in any meaningful promotion or communication to its listeners and members about the radio, I was pleased as punch that *someone* was showing a little initiative. They had an email template and text prepared, text that covered a week of upcoming shows, links to an archive from a particularly wonderful show Nora Barrows Friedman had hosted and a request for website donations to KPFA. All constructive, positive and in line with healthy promotional efforts. It seemed way too functional to be a KPFA-originated effort. They just needed a distribution engine, asked me for a partner send, and I said sure. Send me your list of recipients. On receipt, the number of emails looked familiar and lo and behold, it was the same list I had already been sent - with a different file name.

Using the standard that KPFA's lists should be used to promote KPFA programming and solicit donations to KPFA, not to circulate internal politics, this request seemed quite in line with the standards applied consistently to any other partner email distribution done in the past. So I was happy to fulfill this request. I just asked them to maintain their own unsubscribe list to lower the admin demand on me and they set up a gmail account for that purpose. I can only assume that they believed KPFA's email personnel either would not or could not assist them to distribute program announcements.

The good news is that the mails had a bumper response rate of 20%+ opens, got about 20 online donations, lots of click throughs to the archives and an extremely low unsubscribe rate - 3% of recipients asked to be removed, 97% did not. If you know anything about email marketing, that's an extremely positive response rate. Way higher than average.

Which is an excellent argument for the case I have long made which is that promotion of programming and regular communication with members is essential for every community media organization, and KPFA's inability and unwillingness to do this basic thing has cost us dearly in declining audiences (as we have seen from 2007-2010), Pushing internal politics instead of radio is a losing strategy if what we care about is the institution surviving and thriving and I appreciate the Morning Mix staff for being clear on that and having the energy and freshness to take action. I wish more of the station was so enterprising. Maybe in time they will be. Certainly the two weeks of promotions proved that it's a good thing to do.

So a few final thoughts:

The election-related lawsuit is the reason for the "release" of email lists. In addition to being released to Salsalabs, the request when completed, also resulted in the upload of mailing lists to the "Mailchimp" email service. If KPFA is concerned about keeping lists internal to their own servers, then such requests should not be made to support power struggles around elections.

It is really not possible to steal something that is emailed to you by its owner. It is only possible to misuse it against the better interests of those who sent it to you. By choosing not to distribute internal politics and choosing to distribute material that *encouraged* people to listen to the radio station and to donate to it, the unsolicited lists were used to benefit KPFA, not to harm it.

Since I presume the election-related emails will eventually be sent by some other distribution module, (as they were on April 27th) KPFA members are encouraged to ignore the communique.

Finally, I really could care less about Save KPFA and their "censures". In my opinion, they have conclusively demonstrated in their Concerned Listeners guise profound financial irresponsibility towards KPFA and a willingness to damage an institution that I care deeply about if they cannot control it absolutely. In my opinion, they are inimical to everything community radio is supposed to be about

Long live community media.

TRACY ROSENBERG
ED, Media Alliance
Listener Rep, KPFA LSB and Director, Pacifica Foundation



Stop the KPFA Recall.org

Indybay article


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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.

Why are CWA and the "left" trying to take down KPFA?

This question, asked several years ago, is relevant today


by Carol Spooner
November 23, 2010


Dear Friends of KPFA and Pacifica,

I'd like to know: Why are the Communications Workers of America (KPFA's staff union) and many of the mainstream "left" in the Bay Area trying to take down KPFA and Pacifica Radio?

It is blindingly obvious to anyone who reviews Pacifica's financial reports that KPFA and Pacifica will be in bankruptcy court soon if KPFA's expenses are not brought into line with its income. The union knows this. The outcome of a Pacifica bankruptcy could very likely be sale of broadcast licenses to commercial stations and/or Christian radio.

So, why are they recklessly fighting absolutely necessary layoffs?

Pacifica is the ONLY radio network in the country distributing progressive radio programs to over 100 community and college radio stations across the country. See the Pacifica Affiliate Station Map here.

Do CWA and the Bay Area's mainstream left-liberals want to take that down? Air America went bankrupt, in case we forget. These are precarious times. Or do we in the Bay Area really not care whether the rest of the country can hear alternative progressive news, information and analysis programs?

KPFA is precious to our community. Do they want to kill it in order to temporarily "save" a couple of program hosts for a few months until the bankruptcy court takes over?

Yes, I miss The Morning Show. But, since the union staff has refused to continue the program without Brian and Aimee, maybe some of the unpaid staff will be willing to do it. In the meantime, I like the programs I'm hearing from KPFK in LA. They're doing a good job covering issues we all care about, too.

So what's going on here? Where are the responsible voices out there to say, "Yes, layoffs are necessary. Some program(s) will have to be cut and we'll all just have to work harder to raise money for KPFA so that the station and Pacifica can get back on their feet again."

I'm shocked, really, at the recklessness of it all -- and I'm beginning to wonder why are CWA and the mainstream "left" drinking this cool-aid?

Puzzled,

Carol Spooner
KPFA Local Board Member, April 2000-April 2005
Pacifica National Board Member, Jan 2001-Jan 2005
Founder & Lead Plaintiff, "Committee to Remove the Pacifica Board" and lead plaintiff in "the listeners lawsuit", 1999-2001


Click here to view 10 Years of KPFA Finances - from audited financial statements

and, presented as a GRAPH, the same data:
10 Years of KPFA Finances GRAPH



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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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bankruptcy scenarios

The gatkeeper group at KPFA (represented on the board by a slate calling itself "SaveKPFA") became quite open about their desire to break with Pacifica, and, in the face of KPFA's financial crisis, they pushed the network towards bankruptcy. This seemed to be their opportunity to acquire the station, rid themselves of listener oversight, of UPSO, and of any Program Council. They could put a final end to any vestige of transparency and accountability, and openly run the station as they see fit. The below article looked at how stations could be taken away and sold.


Scenarios of bankruptcy & sale of Pacifica stations

by Steve Brown, LSB member at WBAI
January 25, 2011

The Pacifica bylaws state that "all members" shall have the right to vote on the transfer or sale of a station (or any other major asset of the foundation). Thus any sale would have to be approved by a ballot sent to the entire Pacifica membership. That does not, of course, make such a sale impossible, only very difficult. (Although it would not be the first time in history that large numbers of people were persuaded or deceived into voting against their best interests.)

However, a more likely scenario is this.

(a) Pacifica could be forced into a Chapter 13 (involuntary) bankruptcy by its creditors [as few as 3 creditors can do it, or even 1 creditor, depending on how many creditors we have], in which case the bylaws will no longer be operative, and the court will appoint a trustee empowered with making all of Pacifica's governing decisions. He would probably sell one or more station licenses to pay off the creditors, unless the FCC beat him to it by simply declaring Pacifica an "unfit parent" and revoking its 5 licenses by fiat. Or

(b) Pacifica could file a Chapter 11 (voluntary) bankruptcy, staying any creditor actions and allowing the foundation to continue in business, on a cash basis, provided that it came up with a reorganization plan and repayment timetable approved by the court and the creditors. In this case, too, the bylaws would be inoperative, or at least superseded by the court-approved reorganization plan. And that plan is likely (almost certain) to include a provision for selling one or more licenses, especially given the known agendas of several factions at KPFA and WBAI that have been deliberately attempting to "starve the beast" (i.e., their own stations) by hiding or diverting monies, and by crippling local and national board effectiveness -- all as part of a plan to break their stations off from Pacifica and set them up as separate entities, which, they believe, they would then be able to control, for whatever purposes they had in mind.

None of this looks good. How could it, with Pacifica management having its hands tied for so long by outright insubordination on the part of some station personnel (and their powerful allies on the local and national boards), who are more interested in preserving their power and prerogatives than in protecting the foundation. This is not to say that Pacifica management Knows What to Do and is magically capable of turning the foundation around if only it were allowed to operate more effectively. That remains to be seen.

But at least management is working for Pacifica, not against it. I know most of our national management personally, and it is ludicrous (actually malicious) to suggest that any one of them is seeking to "dilute the Pacifica mission" or "cleanse it of minority programmers" or "de-radicalize our message," not to mention the usual slurs describing them as "fascists," "agents," or "corporate shills."

There are a many people who feel that they know exactly how to fix Pacifica's problems, but whose recommendations have not been adopted by management (I am certainly one of them, and am therefore not pleased with much of what management is doing, or not doing). But I nevertheless support management's current and increasingly desperate efforts to ward off possible bankruptcy as being, at least, coherent and, most important, in good faith. Whereas those who have been putting banana peels under management's feet are incoherent, and certainly not acting in good faith. I have yet to see a real plan -- even an idea -- from those whose only goal is to break up Pacifica in service of their own preferment and private personal agendas.

I call your attention to the fact that, at WBAI, management has made a strong commitment to revitalize programming, which--despite the national economic downturn, and the competition we face from the proliferation of left-leaning venues on television and the internet--is the real underlying “cause” of Pacifica’s financial woes. Although WBAI and Pacifica have many good programs, obviously we do not have enough of them, or more listeners would tune in--that is so obvious it is almost a tautology. But an attempt to improve our programming is what has caused virtually all of the conflict at Pacifica--past, present and, I am afraid, future.

At WBAI, each program change--replacement, experiment, termination, whatever -- has sparked ugly warfare. Aggrieved programmers assemble their allies from among other programmers, board members, and listeners--then launch them in waves of invective, character assassination and, sometimes, violence and sabotage in order to make life as miserable as possible for the General Manager and Program Director, and hopefully blackmail them into backing down.

Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn’t. But this kind of guerilla warfare makes successful change difficult and slow. For example, Gary Null was recently brought back to WBAI (as, in my opinion, he deserved to be). He has been literally doubling and tripling his audience every month, and breaking every fundraising record at the station. This new revenue will enable WBAI to make its payroll and continue to function. Yet there is a coordinated campaign to kick Null off the air--not because his program is unworthy of Pacifica (it has won more broadcasting awards than all of Pacifica’s programs put together)--but because a tiny but powerful group does not like his opinions about AIDS. So a slander and defamation campaign against Null and WBAI management has been mounted across the network. A few weeks ago there was a staged pseudo demonstration at KPFK to bring pressure on the ED and national board to overturn the judgment of WBAI’s GM and ED about Null. But this was clearly not for the benefit of Pacifica, but for the advancement of their own ideological agenda.

Pacifica is still its own worst enemy, especially when it comes to tolerating those who will not debate the merits of their positions based on reason and evidence, but choose to engage in vitriolic slander and sabotage that harm Pacifica in order to serve their own interests.

That is what may ultimately doom Pacifica.

January 25, 2011

STEPHEN M BROWN is a member of the Local Station Board at WBAI, the New York sister station of the Pacifica network.


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Related articles:

Why are CWA and the "left" trying to take down KPFA? by Carol Spooner

The Grover Norquist Solution at KPFA by Daniel Borgström

financial graphs & articles

10 Years of KPFA Finances in TABLE FORMAT

and, presented as a GRAPH, the same data:
10 Years of KPFA Finances GRAPH

Minority Report Re KPFA Budget Approved By LSB Sat. Sept.17, 2005

A Few Comments on the Financial Crisis at Pacifica by Max Blanchet, January 10, 2011

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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.









.

False History & Current Myths

about KPFA & Its Union
by Clique Watch

JANUARY 14, 2011

“SaveKPFA”/Concerned Listener apologists for the insider clique at KPFA continue to haul out bucket loads of disinformation and spin in discussing the history and current state of the station and its union.

In criticizing Isis Feral’s “KPFA's Working Majority Gets Screwed by CWA Job Trust,” an insider clique apologist commented:

>>“Don't you remember your basic Pacifica history? Pacifica management ‘busted’ the UE in the 90s by bringing a case to the NLRB to get the unpaid staff removed from the bargaining unit. They won. Unfortunately, the result of that legal decision was that unpaid staff no longer have any collective bargaining rights. It's been that way for over a decade.”

Pacifica management in 2010-11 is not the same as Pacifica management in the 90s, and this is not 1999. The Pat Scott/Mary Frances Berry regimes of the 90s were intent on NPRizing Pacifica and acted without regard for the concerns of local constituencies. By contrast, Arlene Engelhardt and LaVarn Williams have intervened at the last possible minute to save KPFA from bankruptcy after CL-dominated KPFA management did nothing for 3 years to deal with the economics of declining revenues.

As for the NLRB decision, the commenter conveniently leaves out the fact that KPFA paid staff were, with a few exceptions, willing to abandon unpaid staff’s collective bargaining rights even before the NLRB decision came down in 1999. WBAI switched to AFTRA only after unpaid staff had already been removed from the collective bargaining unit. KPFA’s move to CWA was made two years earlier, before such a move was necessary. That says a lot about the kind of top-down union culture that exists at KPFA.

>>“CWA is one of the most democratic unions in the labor movement, and represents many media workers across the nation.”

I guess that at KPFA, “democratic” and “many” translates to 20%, the other 80% consisting of staff without a grievance procedure, benefits or training.

>>“And far from ‘dismantling community oversight,’ SaveKPFA is a broad coalition rooted in the community. Thousands of its supporters have written, demonstrated, and pledged their backing for change at Pacifica, and voiced their outrage at what the current Pacifica administration, embodied by executive director Arlene Engelhardt, is doing to the station.”

Those listeners who have protested the layoffs have done so because they are being disinformed by an incessant, slick, and well-organized PR machine. But people may be starting to catch on. The first “SaveKPFA” mass rally on Nov 4 drew 150 supporters, the 2nd rally on Nov 19 brought out about 50, and exactly 17 attended the third rally on Dec 3. That doesn't sound like massive support to me.

>>“...click on ‘FACTS ON KPFA'S CRISIS’...”

In fact, the “SaveKPFA” and kpfaworker websites are full of disinformation and lies attacking Pacifica (the only remaining national progressive media outlet in the US let’s remember) while serving the narrow interests of the small insider clique at KPFA who run the websites. For those who prefer to rely on true facts in trying to understand what’s going on, check out United for Community Radio.

“SaveKPFA”/CL avoids public discussion, debate, or dialogue like vampires shrink from sunlight.

>>“‘[Isis Feral] states, ‘Many people now refer to the managing faction of the still unionized workers as the “entrenched staff”, and some call the CWA a “scab union”. From the start the CWA played the divisive role of an elitist private club, rather than that of a union.’ Nope, 'afraid not. The only people who use these kinds of nasty, union-busting terms are this author and a few friends who are pissed the lost a majority on KPFA's board.”

It’s true that some of us are disturbed and saddened that people we thought were progressive and principled could resort to such underhanded tactics to ensure they got a factional majority on the board (see Local and National Election Supervisors’ reports for descriptions of “SaveKPFA”’s many 2010 election violations). We fought hard in 1999 to democratize the station, and it is awful to see a small handful of people putting so much energy into trying to destroy the station’s moves toward a democratic, transparent and accountable governance structure. If freed from an environment of attack and obstruction and given a chance to flourish, democratic governance could bring the station closer to the communities it serves and return it to a state of vibrancy and health.

>>“Managers are not part of the [bargaining] unit.”

That really misses the point; CWA Local 9415 works hand in glove with managers and other allies outside the bargaining unit to achieve their ends (see Brian Edwards-Tiekert’s infamous “how do we make our enemies own the problems that are to come ” memo from 2005). What kind of union strategizes with non-union members? A management union.

>>“‘Unpaid staff represented by the UE were entitled to such benefits as travel expenses and childcare.’ Yes, before Pacifica took its case to the NLRB and busted the UE, that was true. However, did you know the childcare reimbursement was only about 10 cents an hour? Wow, hate to lose that benefit! The travel reimbursement still applies; any unpaid staffer can get it.”

It’s telling that the author of the paragraph above makes light of what was lost by unpaid staff, who have no grievance procedure and must rely on the largesse of politicized management to receive training or access to other means of advancement within the station.

The fact is that entrenched gatekeeper culture at KPFA doesn't support worker rights or even labor programming. The station used to run a mere 20 minutes on labor out of the 168-hour week. Now, preferring to score political points by "boycotting" the new morning show over a trumped up union issue, the gatekeepers have ironically taken even this minuscule bit of labor programming away.

>>“As far as UPSO being ‘the closest thing to a union for volunteering workers,’ well maybe, theoretically, if it actually had participation from a broad range of unpaid staff. It doesn't. UPSO's leadership has been so poor they could not even run a proper election for years. Three or four people making decisions in the name of 150 unpaid staffers isn't acceptable, which is why management de-recognized it at one point.”

Station management never liked the idea of an organized unpaid staff and did whatever it could to disable it, including obstructing and delegitimizing UPSO, just as it did with the Program Council and as management tends to do with un-unionized workers everywhere. In this case, though, the union is joined at the hip with management and is all about protecting its own and, more particularly, the preferred within its own. As essentially a management union, CWA Local 9415’s interest is to defend its power base in KPFA's unionized decision-makers, first making it impossible for UPSO to function and then having a management shill claim there’s no interest among unpaid staff to organize for bargaining rights.

And let’s bring some perspective: Hundreds of AT&T workers have been laid off in the Bay Area in the past few years, and Local 9415 has shrunk from 6000 to about 1800 in the last decade. Yet we have all this noise about two people laid off in accordance with the union contract?

>>“There is no union contract for unpaid staff, and there hasn't been for over a decade. Pacifica ensured that when it engaged in union busting in the 1990s and took its case to toss the unpaid staff out of its bargaining units and won at the NLRB. CWA asked at the bargaining table to have unpaid rights included; management refused. CWA also held a series of meetings unpaid staff and welcomed them to organize back in the 90s. Unpaid staff decided the interest was not there.”

People there at the time (see Maria Gilardin’s “Why Did the Staff not Prevent the 10-Year Corporate Raid?") refute this. Back in the late 90s, workers at WBAI under UE fought to retain union representation even as KPFA’s paid staff (again, with some exceptions) hung unpaid staff out to dry by moving to CWA without a fight. There were ongoing attempts to persuade KPFA paid staff (many of the same people who bogusly yell about “union busting” and “scabs” today) to remain in solidarity with WBAI’s struggle but to no avail.

>>“The ‘deep division within KPFA’ this author dreams up doesn't exist...The ‘deep division at KPFA’ has nothing to do with the union, it has to do with ignorant outsiders like this writer tossing around ridiculous accusations and rhetoric for their own political purposes, with no knowledge of the KPFA situation or its history.”

How nice that someone can speak for all of KPFA’s workers in assuring us that there’s no division within the station. If this person had been at the 11/11 rally in front of KPFA, organized by unpaid staff, he or she would have seen a large, loud, impassioned refutation of that notion. There’s a clear system of patronage operating in which some are rewarded, some punished, and some are left alone as long as they never object to the existing station power structure in which decisions are made with no process or transparency and benefits are bestowed and punishments meted out politically. And how typical of someone speaking from an elite position of power within KPFA to dismiss someone as an “ignorant outsider.” It’s all about “community” until someone from the community calls them on their shit.

>>“As far as being ‘entrenched’ -- what a loaded term -- there are tons of unpaid staff who have been at KPFA for decades. Aren't they ‘entrenched’? How come Dennis Bernstein -- rather ‘entrenched’ no matter how you define it -- is never accused of such by his admirers?”

“Entrenched” doesn’t refer to how long people have been working at the station so much as the degree of power they have and use to further their agendas and defend their territory. Sasha Lilley (former Interim Program Director and many would say de facto GM during Lemlem Rijio’s tenure), Mark Mericle (head of the news dept and also vice president of the CWA local), Philip Maldari (union steward), Brian Edwards-Tiekert all hold large amounts of power behind the scenes with which they reward friends (e.g., Mitch Jeserich) and penalize enemies (e.g., Dennis Bernstein, Nora Barrows Friedman, those unpaid staff members who have been working at KPFA for years while being denied opportunities for training or paid positions). The entrenched are also good at installing figurehead GMs such as Lemlem and vilifying GMs who aren’t willing to get with the program and do what they’re told (e.g., Roy Campanella Jr).

That the new GM, Amit Pendyal, has gone through the proper bylaws-mandated hiring process and is on the job brings cause for hope and optimism. I very much hope that KPFA’s entrenched staff will stop trying to undermine any GM unwilling to do their bidding. At a time when the station and the network are on the brink, it would be great if they would work with the new GM as he tries to get the station back on track.

JANUARY 14, 2011


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KPFA's Working Majority Gets Screwed by CWA Job Trust by Isis Feral

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10 Years of KPFA Finances in TABLE FORMAT

and, presented as a GRAPH, the same data:
10 Years of KPFA Finances GRAPH



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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.















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