| Statement |
At a time of great opportunity – and great need – for courageous, progressive journalism, Pacifica and KPFA face an internal crisis that threatens to undermine their 60-year-old role as an independent voice for the American left. I have joined the Concerned Listeners (CL) slate to oppose this frightening development and urge KPFA’s listeners to support us in our effort to restore democratic, diverse leadership to our station and to the network.
We live in a time of great risk and great opportunity. The American people voted for peace, civil rights, and economic justice in last year’s election. But none of these is assured, as our country remains at war in Iraq and Afghanistan, the administration in Washington appears reluctant to reverse many of the Bush regime’s attacks on the rule of law, and real steps to reverse the growing economic inequities in our society seem like a distant dream. Pacifica and KPFA seem perfectly positioned to inform and mobilize the millions of people who demand the real change that we voted for last November.
Instead, Pacifica’s survival is once again threatened by a national board whose main effort appears to be the consolidation of its own power and the elimination of people who hold differing views. Rather than choose an executive director with broadcasting skills and experience, the Board has allowed its chair to fill that role for over six months. Most shockingly, in my opinion the Foundation’s leadership is engaged in a campaign of eliminating African Americans from positions of leadership in the Foundation. Since January, Pacifica has fired its Chief Financial Officer, the stations managers at WBAI and WPFW, and the program director at WBAI, all black men. Meanwhile, the organization’s finances and audience continue to decline.
I have been a Pacifica activist and supporter for almost 40 years, and was lead counsel in the lawsuit that restored democracy to Pacifica in 2001. But I resigned as Pacifica’s general counsel in January 2009 after three years because of my opposition to the direction of the present majority on the national board.
As a member of the KPFA Local Station Board, I will work for:
(1) Appointment of qualified, experienced administrators to serve as Pacifica’s Executive Director and Chief Financial Officer.
(2) Increased emphasis on the development of diverse, progressive, and high quality programming that includes national and local shows and balances news, public affairs, and cultural offerings.
(3) The development and execution of a financial recovery plan that will require each station to function with a balanced budget. National and local board members must be held accountable for Pacifica’s fiscal well-being. KPFA’s resources must be protected against efforts to have it serve as Pacifica’s bank.
(4) A strong focus on expanding our listener base, reaching out to younger listeners, members of all racial, ethnic, sexual, and cultural communities, an effort that requires both better programming and the increased use of digital media.
Please support me and all of my dedicated, talented colleagues on the CL slate.
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NOTE: The person who was the GM of WBAI is now Pacifica's National Development Director - NES
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