1. Why do you want to be on the Local Station Board?

I�m a Native Californian and I�ve grown up listening to Pacifica since the 1970�s. I have been volunteering at KPFK since 1999, first as a board operator (radio engineer), then a producer, and as a reporter/host of the News. Eventually I developed a successful radio show called Another WorldView Is Possible, which proved the popularity of Covert Operations Research Programming at KPFK � particularly as it pertains to so-called �9/11 Truth� programming. Beginning in 2004 my infrequently and irregularly scheduled show began to receive less and less airtime � despite critical audience acclaim. The show was never officially cancelled in accordance with KPFK�s policies (which, in theory, protect producers from arbitrary censorship/harassment by management). But still, by 2006 I found myself with almost no airtime, and no answers from management which would justify such an economically unsound decision, taken in violation of KPFK�s policies and Pacifica�s mission. It was around this time that KPFK�s audience really began declining, and I couldn�t help but want to get in the thick things and find out the missing answers for myself.

And so I ran successfully for the board in 2006 and have served on KPFK�s LSB for the past 3 years. During my first year on the board, despite some elections irregularities, we had a more or less evenly divided board, with two opposed factions. I stepped in and began crafting consensus based solutions that advanced the Pacifica mission, and which seemed inevitably to find majority support.

But there were those who disliked the unity that I was helping to craft on the board, and the progressive nature of our work. it was at that point that a confederation composed mostly of Paid staff, several prominent (but fairly conservative - big D) Democratic Party affiliated hosts, and the more conservative members of our board began meeting secretly, and coordinating a strategy of delay, while organizing for the 2007 elections. These folks also manufactured a series of �emergencies� and �crisis�s which derailed our agenda and unity of purpose on the board, for the rest of the year.

While this was going on they were also secretly organizing a slate of candidates (several of whom had no experience in the organization, including the lead vote getter in the election � whom it turned out was not even qualified to be a voter/member of KPFK, much less a candidate), and raising roughly $7k for a slate mailer. To this day, we have NO IDEA where that money came from�.

The 2007 elections were marked by extreme irregularities, and I would argue that those same folks, acting in concert with certain members of Staff and management (nationally and locally) � basically stole the elections or manipulated the process to the point where, the will of Pacifica�s progressive voting base was thwarted. It was thwarted by people who claimed to be one thing, while they were clearly another � how clear that was, became obvious after the election, as the LSB�s work basically ground to halt, and the LSB began attacking itself internally, with members of the new majority repeatedly attempting to remove all opposition to their New Order at KPFK, through what Scientologists call �fair-gaming� of their opponents. (They tried to create a Scientology-styled �Ethics committee� � see Wikipedia on this, or write to me if you need further explanation on this point).

So for the past two years � I and my allies on the board have been forced into the role of opposing the plans of others, and fighting to keep the seats which you elected us to fill; instead of advancing the positive agenda which we ran on � mostly about accountability and advancing the mission of the station, while helping to build our audience.

So I would like to be on the station board again (for a second term), because I feel that much of this past term has been taken from me, and the work I�ve begun is not yet complete. So I need your help, now, to achieve the majority which can make those goals a reality.

Currently, the conservative majority on our LSB, has sent Grace Aaron to the Pacifica Nat�l Board, where, through politicking, she has managed to become the chairwoman of the network.

Just wait�it gets even better.

Because we have no Executive Director for the foundation at present, the PNB chair (under California Corporations Code) becomes the interim Executive Director. In this case, she has been a tyrannical disaster. Having almost 0 radio experience, and being a mediocre Public Access Cable TV host at best, Ms. Aaron has already blundered Pacifica into another lawsuit by former CFO Lonnie Hicks, and continues to make unilateral decisions which greatly threaten the future of the network, and our service to the mission, at present.

While Grace is thankfully termed out, it is almost a certainty that her husband - who voters were wise enough to reject in 2006 - will be running this year in an effort to consolidate the power of the conservative members currently controlling the board.

Seeing as one apparently requires no talent or wisdom, to do the job of running this network at present � I would offer my services in that regard, which come with ample amounts of both. Having studied Media at UCSD under Dee Dee Halleck, Eleanor Antin, J.P. Gorin, and other progressive media scholars, artists and theorists with whom you are likely unfamiliar, I feel that I would be far better qualified to hold the position of iED than its current occupant, and far more likely achieve results beneficial to eyes of all Pacificans, than the narrow faction which is currently attempting to take over the network once again (anyone else remember the lockouts and strikes in 1999?).

If elected, I will run for the Pacifica National Board, where I plan to craft win-win strategies that will push the network forward, as a more progressive institution, and will build audiences and the network�s national prominence, while advancing the network�s unique and essential Mission Statement. I will also seek to bring fairness to all aspects of Pacifica, from its elections to the handling of disciplinary matters. For the sake of brevity, I will conclude that it is for these reasons, that I want to return to the KPFK LSB, and I ask for your top vote!

If you have any questions, I�m available � please send me an email, or leave a message for me at the station�s reception desk, and I will strive to clarify my positions, or provide greater detail about the facts cited above.

2. How do you envision the Local station Board working the Pacifica Foundation, KPFK, and the community?

The LSB�s relationship to the Pacifica foundation is spelled out clearly in the bylaws, as is its relationship with KPFK. Its relationship to the community is more complicated.

In part the LSB is the community, as it is made up to be composed ��s of community members. Of course who those people are, and their relationships to the community, to some extent determine the LSB�s relationships, though some determine more than others.

Sometimes we directly advocate for the community�s concerns as they�re relayed to us, at other times we attempt to insert our own judgment as representatives. Ideally we should work with all the stakeholders as a partner, to the extent that such is possible, crafting consensus solutions that work for all, whenever possible.

So its perhaps best summed up as mediator, advocate and representative, between the listeners and the various other entities and stakeholders/bodies
with whom we interact.

3.How could the station better serve its listeners?

In several million ways � I�ll start with just a few for now. For one thing the station was building audience steadily from 2000-2004, since that time we�ve headed for the basement. This is of course the real reason that we�re having a financial crisis situation in the network. Salaries and costs are too high throughout the network, and the people receiving them aren�t building our audience (at all, really) enough to justify their paychecks. Before she was a �star�, Amy Goodman was just we a well intended rookie. Pacifica built her, and if we had people good, or willing, enough at their jobs, to teach them to others, then we could build more.

So, I personally think that we could cut costs and improve our programming by replacing paid on-air talent with well trained volunteers, and replacing paid off-air talent, with people good enough at making radio, that they could teach those volunteers how to do so, too.

Certainly, what we�re doing on air, at present, isn�t working, except to drive away our audiences.

Which leads me to another point, Pacifica�s mission requires that we provide not only accurate and objective public affairs, news and information, important to the public interest, but it also requires dialogue to resolve misunderstanding, causes of conflict etc. Additionally we�re supposed to provide an outlet for the skills and creativity of the community to come forward, through. The answer is to all of these items from our mission, currently being neglected for the most part, back into play by requiring hosts to take listener calls, or answer their critics in some other way, on a regular basis.

This election of course provides a good example of what else is not going on at Pacifica, which is reporting on internal matters (i.e. what is the LSB and/or PNB, up to, at any given moment). When these elections come around most of us are suddenly aware that we have NO idea where the LSB is at, or what they�ve been up to, or what the issues at stake are, even. There is absolutely no reason why KPFK couldn�t either devote some newstime, or create a public affairs slot where reporters could help keep the listeners informed.

While there are supposed to be regular Reports To The Listener, neither the LSB, nor management has lived up to their end of the bargain for several years. That needs to stop. Personally I spent all of 2008 waiting for former LSB Chair and current PNB Delegate, Ricco Ross, to respond to my request to be included in a RTTL (I hosted and engineered a comparatively good one in 2007, including several other members, and lots of call-ins from listeners).

While there were many Reports in 2007, for some reason that has never been explained to me� I was denied the right to report back to you � our listener members an entire third of my LSB term. In Spring 2009 I was allowed to �participate� (after waiting 2 years for the privilege) in a RTTL, but not to host the show (which the show suffered for).

Since our programming is becoming rapidly regarded as �stale�, �boring� etc., and the numbers don�t lie on that point, we as a station need to develop more interesting, topical, intelligent and funny programming, which will appeal to the younger audiences, who will no doubt become our future, if we are to allow there to be a future at Pacifica.

I�m proud that as a member of the LSB�s Program Oversight Committee, I was able to work with management, staff, and listeners to create the framework for a new program council, to replace the now moribund interim Program Council, of several years back.

It will be known as the Listener�s Program Advisory Council (LPAC), and should serve to help management and governance work with our listeners to create a more dynamic, engaging and mission- compliant program grid. Likely roll-out for the LPAC will be in the fall (after the LSB elections), so losing candidates and voters may want to begin considering whether they wish to be involved in that process, or who they wish to nominate, for the LSB to confirm.

While there are many other areas demanding improvement at KPFK and throughout the network, I will leave you with the above mentioned, for now.

4.Describe some actions you would take to increase the influence of the station in under-represented communities and to increase the diversity of the listening audience?

One thing I would do, is seek to better develop and promote KPFK�s Spanish speaking program blocs.

While there are many in the �Public Radio� world, who argue vehemently against billboards or other advertising expenditures, I believe that they are a good long term investment, in increasing our listenership. Now it is true that once people tune-in, if we sound bad, or boring, or stupid, they�ll tune right back out � so we�d need to improve our programming significantly prior to such an investment, to maximize the benefits to KPFK.

I�m personally aware of a billboard which KPFK was offered for free use in the S. LA/Compton area, which may, or may not, still be available to us from time to time. So I�m for innovative and cost effective advertising, to promote the station, once our programming will allow it to benefit us.

Another method which I�ve discussed, with a member of an underrepresented community, to achieve these goals is the possibility of assembling street-teams of volunteers, and with neighborhood listener groups, which could target and saturate specific neighborhoods on a rotating basis, to distribute flyers, and advertising materials, perhaps even giving away for free, inexpensive radios pre-set to kpfk (with or without the knobs broken off).

Additionally, we are mandated by the bylaws to hold two yearly town hall meetings. Traditionally these are a good way to reach out into specific areas, some of which may be underserved communities. However, under Grace Aaron�s majority, I don�t believe that our record reflects that we�ve kept up with that mandated performance.

Another thing that should help will be the implementation of the LPAC which I described above. All of these potential solutions should help increase the diversity of our audience and our influence in underrepresented communities.

5. What sources of funding, other than listener donations, do you feel KPFK should solicit?

I think that Listener donations should be our primary source of funding for our programs. That is the only insurance that we have (not that it always works) to maintain our independence from economic warfare, by those who would prefer to silence Free Speech.

There is a move afoot (on the National Level � PNB Porgramming Committee, on which I serve) to explore the underwriting of programming, and foundation funding. As anyone who�s ever seen the �Left Gatekeepers Foundation Funding Flow Chart� knows, even so-called �progressive� foundations often receive their funding from foundations that are less-than-�progressive�. So it isn�t uncommon to find Rockefeller money going into places like �The Nation� magazine/institute; or the Annenberg foundation (not a progressive bunch generally) underwriting everything, from Arch-Conservative USC �Communications� schools, to LinkTV, and SM�s new community beach house.

I oppose such funding on principle. It makes us beholden to class interests which may be opposed to those of our listeners, and threatens to make us dependent, to the point where we can be leveraged away from doing the Pacifica mission (more than we are at present, even). Additionally I believe that that we cannot merely earn-and-spend our way out of the current financial crisis. Rather we must reassess our business model, and focus our resources and energies in a way which maximizes cost-effectiveness, and incorporates that part or our mission, which talks about providing an outlet for the creativity and intelligence of the community.

As far as that goes, KPFK has never been more �professional� than right now and the past several years, and I don�t recall a time when we�ve sounded worse, or been losing our audience more rapidly. To my mind, this indicates that the talking point about KPFK needing more professionalism is just a crock. What we need is hosts and producers, who are smart, funny, and entertaining enough, to hold an audience. Right now we fluctuate between a .1 and .5 market share, depending on the slot � a dismal figure, particularly when you know that the one .5 rating we have, has been on the air for 20 years or more, and is grossly over-promoted, in comparison to other, often more talented, yet overlooked hosts.

6. Please state briefly the skills, experience, educational background, work history, organizational affiliations, areas of community service, areas of interest and expertise that you would bring to the Pacifica network as a member of the Local Station Board.

As I�ve already stated (see #1 above), I�ve been a long-time volunteer at KPFK (10 years). I�ve worked in all phases (simultaneously at times on AWVIP) of radio operations, and I have firm grasp on the LA radio market, and radio generally.

I studied media at UCSD in the 90�s, while being involved with several on and off campus groups (Student Environmental Action Committee, The Koala � the campus humour paper, the UCSD Surf Club, and a media activism group which developed around the campus� Low power TV/Cable station, called the Red Lion Collective [named after a precedent setting 1st Amendment/Media case], and several other groups for lesser periods). Since then I�ve worked a number of odd jobs to supplement my living earned at Pacifica as a Board Operator.

Among those jobs we find, Fundraiser, salesman, waiter/bartender, courier, lifeguard and handy-man. Currently I�m involved with a collective/dispensary operating under California state law, to provide medicine to seriously-ill patients. Like our current interim Executive Director, I have been a public Access TV host � though unlike Grace, I don�t pass myself off as a �Cable TV Host�, and my shows were never quite as dreary, or painfully boring to watch, as were hers.

I am also a Free and Sovereign People of California, something most people on the left, cannot claim with any honesty. So, while my political views often fall to the sides of the spectrum, they are broad and hard to categorize, and they often allow me to seek common ground with people with whom I don�t agree on all topics. I�m also fairly handy with the Philosophy of Law and Justice upon which our society is built (I sat in on classes at Boalt Hall Law School at UCLA, as a child � an active listener and participant even at an early age).

I�m active in the (formerly Grassroots) Venice Neighborhood Council, and the local politics of the Westside, at present, but in the past I�ve been a supporter of the S.Central Farm(ers), and an opponent to white supremacists of all stripes, from Republicans and Democrats to Minutemen and other fascists.

7. On which Local Station Board Committees are you interested in actively serving? If you are a current Local Station Board member, on which committees do you currently serve?

I currently serve on the KPFK LSB�s Programming Oversight Committee (3 years � Vice-chair), Personnel Committee (3 years), and Governance Committee (2 years). In the past I served on the Finance committee (1 year), and managed to help restore accountability, by ensuring that the business manager couldn�t be arbitrarily fired for giving out information which the LSB was entitled to have. I have also been elected twice by the LSB, to the Pacifica National Programming Committee, on which I also currently serve.

During my tenure on the LSB, board relations with station management have improved significantly, a trend which I hope foster as I move forward into the next term � with your vote and support. Thank you for taking the time to read this and being involved in democratic Listener-Sponsor Governance. Pacifica needs you, now more than ever, and I�d be mighty proud to serve as your representative on the LSB � and perhaps even a delegate/director.


Ian Johnston�