Understanding the relationship between KPFA and Pacifica

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Art by Bob Baldock for the film KPFA on the Air

How could the Pacifica network, which KPFA listeners and staff fought to make accountable a decade ago, now go to war with local staff and listeners?

Listen to this short audio clip (7 minutes) of SaveKPFA-affiliated board member Matthew Hallinan explaining the big picture on Friday’s KPFA Local Station Board Show. You can find the entire show here (50 minutes), including many interesting listener call-ins and a dramatic performance at the half-hour mark by Pacifica/KPFA board member Tracy Rosenberg.

Meanwhile, twelve members of the local station board have written an open letter to KPFA’s interim general manager Andrew Phillips objecting to what they say is “completely inappropriate” behavior on his part toward the station’s journalists, after they broke the story of a $15,000 donation from Goldman Sachs to Pacifica. The board members’ letter also reiterates questions about management’s sweeping program changes, including moving Flashpoints and Hard Knock Radio to the AM hours while refusing to restore the KPFA Morning Show.

“Oops, sorry for the election fraud!” says Pacifica

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Last week, Pacifica executive director Arlene Engelhardt sent out a mass email that apologized for Pacifica’s attempt to throw out the ballots of three staff members, which would have cost SaveKPFA supporter Lewis Sawyer his seat on KPFA’s local board. A judge’s injunction reversed Pacifica’s actions in December.

Pacifica had decided whose ballots to throw out only after the ballots had already been tallied. “It was a clear violation of state law for us to deprive members of their right to vote without notice, let alone due process,” wrote Engelhardt. “It is still more egregious to breach the secrecy of the ballot to do so.”

As part of a settlement, the KPFA staff members who took Pacifica to court traded away their right to pursue legal fees for a promise from Pacifica that it will guarantee the secrecy of the ballot in future elections.

Listener outrage forces KPFA management to abandon plans to remove 9AM Democracy Now!

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BREAKING NEWS — A VICTORY! Over the weekend, hundreds of you sent letters to KPFA’s managers protesting their plan to make sweeping programming changes without input from staff and listeners. In a hastily-called staff meeting yesterday morning, according to KPFA workers, the station’s interim general manager Andrew Phillips and interim program director Carrie Core agreed to not cancel the 9 AM broadcast of Democracy Now!. They said they’d been influenced by the outpouring of listener letters and phone calls over the weekend. You made the difference!

For instance, referring to new revelations of corporate money from Goldman Sachs, Daniel Goodwin writes “I have listened and contributed to KPFA since I moved to the Bay Area 35 years ago. I have never before witnessed such a grotesque assault on noncommercial radio, on the very core of Lewis Hill’s vision, as we see unfolding today. Corporate money flows into WBAI programming, while KPFA’s GM characterizes Lewis Hill’s values as outdated…. these people have no shame.”

Listener Iris Biblowitz wrote: “I don’t understand how Pacifica can make dictatorial changes in KPFA’s schedule, treating competent, truth-seeking, and hard-working journalists like cards to be shuffled.”

“What has been happening to KPFA programming — and what I understand is now about to happen at the hands of people who temporarily occupy positions with decision-making authority — is really horrific,” wrote listener Phyllis Willett. We need to have The Morning Show restored and we certainly should not be reducing Democracy Now’s airtime.” | MORE LETTERS

Unfortunately, Phillips and Core say they’re committed to keeping the Morning Show from returning to KPFA, and to many of the other program changes they announced last week, including moving Hard Knock Radio and Flashpoints to the morning (without explaining where exactly they’d go).

KEEP THE PRESSURE ON! Tell management to back off on these unwise changes, respect KPFA staff and listeners, and return the Morning Show to the air. EMAIL via this page or PHONE interim managers Andrew Phillips (510-848-6767 ext 203) and Carrie Core (510-848-6767 ext 209).