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Speak out against damaging cuts to KPFA
January 29, 2012 October 15, 2010 by Save KPFA
DISCLAIMER: This is not an official Pacifica Foundation website nor an official website of KPFA–we're a slate that ran for KPFA's Board (see bottom for detailed disclaimer)
SaveKPFA is cited as "easily the best slate" by Pacifica historian Matthew Lasar in his blog this week, after it swept 6 of 9 open seats on KPFA's station board. But even as he sent his congratulations for SaveKPFA's election victory, Lasar notes that the "great majority of Pacifica listener subscribers never vote in these races," which have cost the organization millions of dollars.
Those dollars could better be used to support KPFA excellent radio programming, as the station grapples with fundraising shortfalls in this difficult economy. Station staff have released what they call a sustainable budget that would save over $250,000.
Even though KPFA management has already agreed to most of the proposals, support is not forthcoming at Pacifica National, or with some members of KPFA's Local Station Board. KPFAWorker.org reports that three members of the Pacifica national board are instead demanding that staff members who have opposed them be laid off, according to a misdirected email.
The list includes Morning Show staffers Aimee Allison, Brian Edwards-Tiekert, and Laura Prives, Against the Grain's Sasha Lilley, and the News Department's John Hamilton, Christopher Martinez, Max Pringle and Rose Ketabchi. All of these staff members have signed statements in opposition to the actions of the current board majority.
The cuts would reduce the Morning Show (which raises three times what it costs to produce) to one hour, and the Evening News (which is one of the few remaining sources of local and regional news) to half an hour. Against the Grain, which is among KPFA's most popular public affairs shows, would end up severely understaffed.
Hundreds of supporters have written to the Pacifica National Board in support of the station's staff and programming. A few are linked here.
SaveKPFA believes these cuts would harm the station and better solutions can be found. KPFA's Equity Index gives some idea of how top-heavy the Pacifica structure is, and the economic conditions facing workers at the station.
KPFA listeners are invited to attend the station's board meeting this Saturday, October 16, 11 AM as cuts to station staff and programming are considered. The meeting will take place at the North Berkeley Senior Center, which is located at 1901 Hearst Avenue (at Martin Luther King Jr. Way) in Berkeley, one block north of KPFA.
The newly-elected SaveKPFA board members will take office in less than two months and promise to find ways to build, rather than dismantle, the station. Together, we can find a way through these trying economic times and find ways to defend the democratic process at KPFA and throughout Pacifica in a less costly way. Please come and speak in support of positive solutions and against drastic actions by the outgoing station board.
STAY TUNED for more information on the fight to save KPFA listener-supported radio by emailing us or friend us on Facebook.
Categories KPFA
Big win for SaveKPFA slate in KPFA board election
DISCLAIMER: This is not an official Pacifica Foundation website nor an official website of KPFA–we're a slate running for KPFA's Board (see bottom for detailed disclaimer)
The SaveKPFA slate has won a big victory in elections to KPFA's local governing board. Listeners elected SaveKPFA members to six of nine open seats.
The top vote-getter in the election, Mal Burnstein said, "I believe that the results here indicate that the listener-members do not want an explicitly sectarian station. They want a station that presents varying points of view, civil discourse, controversy and comment; a station where ideas and facts not readily available elsewhere can get a hearing; a place where the arts, literature, music and theater are valued."
"In short, they want a return to the basic principles of Pacifica," said Burnstein. "This election seems to be a vindication of our beleaguered and underpaid staff, laboring tirelessly during this economic slump. We owe them real thanks. "
The unofficial results show that along with Mal Burnstein, SaveKPFA members Jack Kurzweil, Margy Wilkinson, Matthew Hallinan, Tanya Russell and David Saldana were elected. Those winning election from the Independents for Community Radio slate were Tracy Rosenberg, Hyun-Mi Kim and Cynthia Johnson.
The SaveKPFA candidates were elected in a landslide, despite an election process that was consistently biased against them. The local election supervisor, who was hired to conduct a fair election, admitted that she saw her role as "neutralizing" the SaveKPFA candidates because they had support from many KPFA staff members.
SaveKPFA says one of its first priorities will be to advocate for a "Sustainable KPFA" budget that asks the parent Pacifica National organization to share in the financial pain and back off its demand for staff cuts that would decimate the station's operations. The lame duck KPFA board of directors is expected to approve a budget at its October 16th meeting at 11 am at the south branch of the Berkeley Public Library. The new board will be seated in December.
KPFA staff members also elected three staff representatives to the local governing board. Two of the three staff members, David Gans and Lewis Sawyer, supported the SaveKPFA slate. Shahram Aghamir is a member of the rival Independents for Community Radio.
KPFA is the nation's oldest listener sponsored radio station and the flagship station of the Pacifica Radio network.
STAY TUNED for more information on the fight to save KPFA listener-supported radio by emailing us.
DISCLAIMER: This is not an official Pacifica Foundation website nor an official website of any of the five Pacifica Radio Stations (KPFA Radio, KPFK Radio, KPFT Radio, WBAI Radio, WPFW Radio). Opinions and facts alleged on this site belong to the author(s) of the website only and should NOT be assumed to be true or to reflect the editorial stance of policy of the Pacifica Foundation, or any of the five Pacifica Radio Stations (KPFA Radio, KPFK Radio, KPFT Radio, WBAI Radio, WPFW Radio), or the opinions of its management, Pacifica National Board, station staff.or other listener members.
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DISCLAIMER: This is not an official Pacifica Foundation website nor an official website of any of the five Pacifica Radio Stations (KPFA Radio, KPFK Radio, KPFT Radio, WBAI Radio, WPFW Radio). Opinions and facts alleged on this site belong to the author(s) of the website only and should NOT be assumed to be true or to reflect the editorial stance or policy of the Pacifica Foundation, or any of the five Pacifica Radio Stations (KPFA Radio, KPFK Radio, KPFT Radio, WBAI Radio, WPFW Radio), or opinions of its management, Pacifica National Board, station staff or other listener members.
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