Tag Archives: lydia brazon

Frank Sterling’s Passionate Email Plea That Saved The Block The Boat Broadcast

From: frank sterling <XXXX@gmail.com>
Date: Mon, Aug 11, 2014 at 5:40 PM
Subject: Live broadcast from the port CANCELED by management I guess it was never on. .
To: xxxxxxxx
Cc: Quincy McCoy

I guess it was never on ..my mistake..

Hello everyone, I’m writing this email feeling quite dejected. My hopes were up I will admit yes. I think I’m mistaken about what kpfa is and my thoughts of what it can be. My hopes were to help make the Block the Boat demonstration as big as kpfa could, and be there to broadcast. But my hopes are dashed. Instead of a two hour in depth broadcast with interviews with activists port workers Palestinian youth organizers etcetera etcetera.. Quincy has recommended that we call in a couple times an hour with two or three minute updates…

Continue reading Frank Sterling’s Passionate Email Plea That Saved The Block The Boat Broadcast

On The Lighter Side: Richard Uzzell Reacts to Board Censure

Uzzell and Gray Get the Bird from Rogue Pacifica Board

At last night’s weekly meeting of the Rogue Pacifica Board, Directors Heather Gray (WRFG Atlanta) and Richard Uzzell (KPFT Houston) were given “the Bird”; that Board’s wildly popular award for trying to do the right thing. Continue reading On The Lighter Side: Richard Uzzell Reacts to Board Censure

Wilson Riles Jr On Calling The Police To KPFA

Friends and Media Contacts,

Copied below and attached is the last of ten columns that I have written
on the anti-crime policies of Oakland mayoral candidates. I hope that you
find it of value. Please forward it to anyone that you think might be
interested.

Can a mayor stop crime?

Dan Siegel

Campaigns are viewed, unfortunately, as “horse races.” The candidates are the horses and at various points in the election their racing capacity is compared, almost always in snap-shot slices. Financial resources are compared, as is the hiring of “successful” trainers and managers; compared next is the candidate’s volunteer resources. Often the “surprise” is some communications technology better used by one-side to reach a VOTING audience. The race is “called” prior to balloting by the exposure of a snap-shot popularity poll. Last and most importantly the candidate’s ability to “turnout” his/her vote is measured. Much too infrequently are candidates’ leadership skills, knowledge of the workings of the City, depth of commitment to the betterment of Oakland, or even a measurement of the thoroughness of their policy formulations adequately tested and compared. Continue reading Wilson Riles Jr On Calling The Police To KPFA

National Lawyers Guild Letter to KPFA On The Morning Mix

REMOVAL OF MORNING MIX FROM DRIVE TIME PROGRAMMING

The recent removal of the Morning Mix radio program from the 8:00 AM time slot on KPFA has raised some concern at the San Francisco chapter of the National Lawyers Guild (“Guild”). We write this letter because KPFA and its free speech mission, are important to the Guild and to many activists that either work with, or are represented by, Guild members. Continue reading National Lawyers Guild Letter to KPFA On The Morning Mix

Selling Stations

dove-300x176

Originally posted August 10, 2014

Berkeley-As rumors of the intended sale of Pacifica stations have spread widely, members of the rogue majority (with the exception of Houston director Hank Lamb who has been upfront about his desire to sell off NY station WBAI), have insisted the rumors are untrue. But when given the opportunity to put their money where their mouths are, unelected board chair Wilkinson and treasurer Edwards-Tiekert declined. At KPFA’s local station board meeting earlier today, an advisory motion by United for Community Radio-affiliated board member Dave Welsh (former Ramparts editor and SF Labor Council delegate) requesting a policy that under no circumstances will the broadcast licenses of the five stations that comprise the Pacifica radio network be put up for sale or lease”, treasurer Edwards-Tiekert substituted and passed a motion replacing it with a request to the national board to “to explore and prioritize all options and sell a license as a last resort“. Continue reading Selling Stations

Help Not Wanted

dove-300x176

Originally posted August 3, 2014

Berkeley- At the Pacifica National Board’s July 31st meeting, noticed by chair Wilkinson as a “special meeting” due to “urgent business” and “a report being prepared by CFO Salvador”, the rogue board majority pushed through a massive change in the executive director job description. The rewrite by board member Lydia Brazon, who has been a fixture in Pacifica’s dysfunctional personnel processes for the last 15 years, claimed to prioritize fundraising, but actually removed supervisory authority over the CFO and all accounting and financial staff from the executive director. The old and new job descriptions can be found here and here.  Continue reading Help Not Wanted

The Day The Music Died

dove-300x176

Originally posted July 31, 2014

Berkeley-Pacifica Radio, the nation’s oldest and first listener-sponsored noncommercial radio network  finds itself on a precipice as FM radio moves steadily towards increased digital distribution. The network’s Sound Exchange discount, which permits the financially troubled network to stream copyrighted music on the Internet , will not continue for long if Pacifica does not recover grant funding from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting. The 2006 Digital Millenium Copyright Act (DMCA) established Sound Exchange to collect fees and discount programs available to CPB-funded stations insulate the network from additional operating costs. Continue reading The Day The Music Died

Running Round A Hamster Wheel

dove-300x176

Originally posted July 25, 2014

Berkeley- At the Pacifica National Board meeting on Thursday night, the final seven bylaws amendments proposed by national board members bit the dust, with only one surviving of the dozen proposed – an amendment that would allow a 2nd bylaws amendment process later this year (because the first one was so successful). Continue reading Running Round A Hamster Wheel

Removing The Unelected Chair

dove-300x176

Originally posted July 20, 2014

Berkeley- Houston listener representative Hank Lamb has introduced a motion to the Pacifica National Board to remove Margy Wilkinson as the PNB board chair and two-time interim executive director of Pacifica Radio. Lamb excoriated Wilkinson in an email he made public saying she had abused her authority as chair, withheld documents from the board, forced illegitimate votes, and “blackmailed the board”. Lamb also stated “Our majority is surreptitiously holding secret meetings to determine outcomes of official meetings in advance and illegitimately controlling agendas and acting in concert to prevent equal Directors a fair opportunity to have their issues discussed and solutions found”. Continue reading Removing The Unelected Chair