Category Archives: Articles

Articles

KPFK and Pacifica: A Quiet Coup

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By Kim Kaufman – published in the LA Progressive on October 24, 2015

A quiet coup has taken place at Pacifica, and the results are disastrous. The National Board has failed to carry out its obligations to have elections in a timely manner. Their negligence has led to board members holding seats past the expiration of their terms. One faction now controls the local board at KPFK and the National Board. They are in the process of changing the fundamental nature of our station and the Pacifica network. It is on the brink of bankruptcy.

Continue reading KPFK and Pacifica: A Quiet Coup →

Articles

Rescue KPFA! Vote for Scott Olsen and the UCR 9!

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Screenshot of Google Search for
“Blue Angels San Francisco 2015,”
performed on 10.11.2015

– by Ann Garrison

This morning I resolved to write something about a plank that I lobbied to have added to the United for Community Radio/Rescue KPFA platform in KPFA’s Local Station Board election: “Updating KPFA technology so that KPFA reporters can generate news headlines and stories that challenge corporate media’s dominant narratives on the Worldwide Web.” It seems strange that I need to explain something that seems so basic to the new media universe, but I promised to give it a try.
 Continue reading Rescue KPFA! Vote for Scott Olsen and the UCR 9! →

Articles

Armed Self-Defense: An Open Letter to the Pacifica National Board

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I am writing today because the disingenuous reaction to the report of guns in the workplace at KPFK is not, in any way, acceptable.  And as is not unusual, you as a board of directors, are being misinformed. When it is a question of personal injury up to and including death, that cannot be allowed to continue.  Continue reading Armed Self-Defense: An Open Letter to the Pacifica National Board →

Articles

Dominos Topple: Third On-Air Resignation at KPFK In Three Days

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News and Information about Pacifica Radio

Berkeley – On Wednesday, Yatrika Shah-Rais became the third veteran programmer to resign on-air at Los Angeles radio station KPFK. Shah-Rais, the former music director of the Skirball Cultural Center in Los Angeles, announced her departure one day after Betto Arcos announced the airing of his final show, and two days after Derek Rath resigned on-air, all three of them long term producers of the station’s Global Village series. Former Doors drummer John Densmore called into KPFK during Arcos’ final show. You can hear Shah-Rais’ goodbye here. GM Radford is said to have tried to prevent the live on-air Global Village broadcast Wednesday morning. Continue reading Dominos Topple: Third On-Air Resignation at KPFK In Three Days →

Articles

To The Pacifica National Board: Don’t Squander $

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by Ann Garrison

KPFA has only three staff candidates for three staff seats in the upcoming KPFA Local Station Board election: Anthony Fest, Tim Lynch, and Sabrina Jacobs. All three are running because other members of the staff asked them to run and all three are sure to be elected, or, one might more aptly say that they already have been. This is to ask that National Election Supervisor Joy Williams and Local Elections Supervisor Nelsie Bautista make a formal announcement to that effect. Continue reading To The Pacifica National Board: Don’t Squander $ →

Articles

Frontiers Mag: KPFK Airs Homophobic Rant As The Station Faces Financial Failure

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September 2, 2015 – by

Since 1959, KPFK, the Pacifica radio station in Los Angeles, has broadcast a wide range of liberal and hard-left-leaning programming under the rubric of multiculturalism. KPFK, for instance, airs the only LGBT-specific broadcast in the Greater L.A. area—IMRU, produced by award-winning out journalist Steve Pride.

But constant rebellion doesn’t necessarily entail respect among the programmers and community board members of the commercial-free, listener-sponsored station, so Pride created a Hate Speech Prevention policy. It took seven months to pass, but the interim policy was in effect on Aug. 15-16 when KPFK aired an unchallenged homophobic rant in which a psychiatrist compared homosexuality to bestiality, among other offensive comments. Continue reading Frontiers Mag: KPFK Airs Homophobic Rant As The Station Faces Financial Failure →

Articles

Dead Man Endorses Save KPFA by Daniel Borgstrom

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This article was published by the author on their blog at: http://danielborgstrom.blogspot.com/2015/08/dead-man-endorses-savekpfa.html

A similar article was published by Diana Bohn at http://www.unitedforcommunityradio.org/?p=3161

After these articles were published and a third problematic endorser (deceased two and a half years ago) was observed, the “endorsers” page at savekpfa.org was hidden.

Among SaveKPFA’s most distinguished endorsers is Walter Johnson.  According to an obituary in the SF Chronicle, the late Mr. Johnson was for many years the Secretary-Treasurer of the San Francisco Labor Council.  He died on January 12, 2012.  Obituaries in several newspapers, and also the Labor Council’s website, confirm that reports of his death were not exaggerated.  The man is dead.  He’s been dead for over two and a half years. Continue reading Dead Man Endorses Save KPFA by Daniel Borgstrom →