KPFK doesnt improve-- but stays secretive, hidden + thus not accountable to owner-funders? huh ?

Occasionally we get curious about what was our favorite Radio station - from 60's +70's when KPFK was at it's prime & being more relevant, useful, educational-

 

but unfortunately has been deteriorating & failing every since...those prime 'anti-war' re Vietnam drafts & Iraq no-legit-war times ... and when teachers, lecturers from east Asia came to our western shores to teach us about their philosophies, beliefs, & customs  - then it was not focusing on international foods nor consumption[s],   

 

or buying cheaply  --  as is now - the main commercialized emphases  -- and such displayed by most media:             how low do we go ? as seen on TV, radio pgms, print media, etc. -

all are going only to lower chakras -  in those over-strained but churning stomach, intestines -  those over-filled up guts ! 

                             

Go to KPFK's website for information - to learn & figure out maybe? how does it still operate besides the constant-continual-relentlessly-repeated-commercialized DEMANDS FOR MORE $$$$$$ - never enough, never stops, and still now same emphasis - continual crying  "help us as we are failing...  again...  more...   stilll..   now..."                 

who is the General Manager now? How /why  is that such a revolving position ? What are their names, photos, accomplishments to merit this position ? 

Who are the staff there - who are paid or  who are volunteers ?  How  long have they continued to 'work' there and for what benefits-advantage-payola-or $ earned?

 

Why is the website so antiquated with old info only left there -not updated, not informative and obviously HIDING SECRETS or keeping hidden what is Happening at the station that many have 'invested' their earnings?

 

Who is at the ship's helm ? plane's pilot seat? lectern's mic ? or getting undisclosed Benefits to keep those few left still operating the basic station's on-air programs ?

 

                                                                             

 [credited shutterstock. thanks for sharing ]  

and why are the very same -same old words - same words -mostly heard there ?  ....            as if:  no new programs nor hosts  are joining KPFK  ?...   where are they going/appearing instead ?  ...or where are those innovative + creative + forward-moving people        ... doing radio ?          

 

Instead of  the repeat Not-hardly-any-changed 'programmers' who stay there ~ stuck ~ in as if cemented in station walls  - for years !] -  are there  no others ?   better ?  and a wider variety of urgent topics?   can't be found none there ?  to be heard on- KPFK's-air either ?  really ??????

 

 The same as were heard saying same words, same voices, same views/ slants/ bias  & prejudices [tho un-admitted] on the airwaves OWNED BY 'The American Public' -  used but not owned - by any radio stations ! 

 

and same taped commercials - tho not defined as Promos, P.R., advertisements - tho the messages are same as any profit-earning for investors organizations ... not holier, better, more honest, nor virtuous at all !

 

so just learned a small bit: a new GM is now in charge? or acting as if he were ? Who is he? 

 how to find out  more about his past, qualifications, intentions, accomplishments?

 

name read: "Moe Thomas" - who is that ?  why doesn't Google offer up a simple image, a bio, a story, credits ? - or do we have to join websites & do lots  of work to find out ?  -very little available for public confirmation :

 

Moe Thomas - Chief Engineer - WPFW - LinkedIn

https://www.linkedin.com › moe-thomas-0842524  +  

"For 42 years I was Technical Director and team lead for transmission operations at the Washington News Bureau, serving all major national broadcast coverage ..."

 

+

 1 image found !  - on image in "linkedin" by Google / which 1 is he of 3 men in pix ? 

 

 

 Why is there no further press releases to be found via google ? or especially presented to all stakeholders  'Contact's section is reviewed ? see what little spare info is given to public who are asked to Fund, Pay, Support but not allowed to know who works at this workplace? huh?

and who is being fired, re-hired, excluded, added on, doing what tasks - besides repeating same old political positions....

 

 while mainly:  exhorting their own prejudiced-held-personal OPINIONS & VIEWS - 

 &:  while  this station continues claiming  IT to be "only-1=Right"--  

 

[ being righteous? and of course, promoting the far-left-liberals - Only] ... 

with pro-1-race-selected as preferred ?    [ which brings doubts of USA demographics - the emphases are other than whatever US Census claims are a majority or plurality... or able-to-pay - for KPFK's survival ? ]

 

 

         

                                                                                [credited : USA Today & ScienceNews. & Kinson.com  ]

What is considered 'proportional' or 'representing' realities ? -  by what criteria & by whom ? 

Who are authorized to claim they WANT more of their own voice, hosts, views, and claiming-priority of programming or staff positions there ? 

 

                                     [credited: Glasbergen.com. Thanks for sharing]

Who is the person supervising, insuring all 'paid donations-subscriptions' are in order, honestly credited & where the cash goes ? 

Who chooses which programs are kept - for 20-24-60 years or makes a change/shift ? Or how does Local Station Board [that has been more than merely dys-functional and not honoring it's own bylaws nor any rules ?

 

[ Anyone ever go to an LSB meeting to see in person- real life ? 

It is not as paper-computer read only - as when 'timed' speaker is allowed to go on & on & on tho time was up but by default rules are ignored & selected influencers  can harangue & pressure further ...  but - while others honor the rules set instead -   as seen in person many times there]

- - - - - - - - - - - -  - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -- -

 

ahhhhh ...same critical points being repeated as nothing has been improved ...as seen only from 'the outside'-  Here ...  tho not inside any more - whew ! - inside the darkened clumped-cluttered-spaced interior of KPFK station property was & must still remain probably. 

 

Does anyone outside the programmers ['volunteers' w/ lots of benefits  & advantages gained so never ever leave their sacred spots !]  or fewer than ever staff -paid or not - CARE ?

 

There are no other commenting sites found- even a prior informative re Pacifica's stations un-doings  & schemes caught or leaving the whole organization paying for WBAI - NY 's intentionally not paying rent -  then major court deciding that was wrong -  so those debts remain - putting KPFK's property/ mortgage in danger...  

 

 

                

or is KPFK  still indebted to that ploy from another Pacifica radio station so far from LA CA ?  or maybe better to ask: Who cares ? Who hides pertinent info that affects all that forceful demanding MORE PLEDGES $$$$!!! repeatedly endlessly.. ugh... 

 

& Who else cares but those gaining from 'being inside' and having on-air-precious-ACCESS ? maybe no one cares to know reality but prefers the fake image/ story sold by station's inhabitants?   Who else is asking these questions ? Where ?  Plse let us know if you know  more than we can find via internet today. thanx 

 

 ////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

Receiving a bare bit of 'news' from Somethings Happening weekly schedule mailings,it reads this: 

"BEHIND THE SCENES =    While we are searching for a new General Manager, Moe Thomas has been running things as a (terrific) GM at KPFK. But he has been managing WPFW, Washington DC as his main position and also helping KPFT in Texas. For one thing he saved “Something’s Happening!” by refusing to fire me when ordered. And he let Buzz {Mansour} reappear as a constant helper in many activities as a volunteer.

But while the General Manager is being searched for, we have hired Michael Novick as an Icting GM. He has been active for years at KPFK in many ways as a board member and I think he has been a temporary part-time GM before. ...   One immediate activity is to arrange the next fund drive since we failed to make our goal in the last ones...."

 

//////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////// 

 

 

If.... nothing notable nor magical nor improved occurs - no better TRANSPARENCY  nor ACCOUNTABILITY = then that  means KPFK  - & by whomever is in charge or competent - must do more  to stop being secreted in its dark abyss.... 

 

 

But be Publicly Open & Clear about it's doings and failings & attempts to be as their regular Mission claims KPFK is suppose to be... doing.        

But is not, yet. 

then no more questions nor observations need be reported from here either. 

 

 

////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

Alternatively, there is NPR radio that provides news with the similar liberal slants expected

and with more factual information and less personalized-by-program-host biases or emphases included there. 

 

 

Tho NPR is not 'fair nor balanced nor sharing any 'other sides' than their preferred Democratic Party allied ones either.  

 

 

 

But right across the dial- aisle is another radio station that barely, rarely puts out to public a 'fund $$$ raising' few days only.  How do they do that so differently? 

 

 

While  we stay away for mental-health safety - but remain:                                     Observing - with an open mind and cleared receptive ears...    

 

 

 &  must continue asking the same questions / concerns / all that has been similarly present since this blog's inception...   we wait ...still now.... but expect little now. 

 

Sadly we refuse to collude with a failing...state... or a government / country or station... and

we too wonder and wait........ for a real life earth rainbow - that is not a flag or a PR -    promoted icon....

 

 

but  that continues to be the Real Life symbol of hope and beauty.

                                       

 [credited to Momifesto.thanks for sharing pix ]  

(c) mary & B.& others too -(2022)

Pacifica and iED has been maligned so easily on Indymedia. What is going on here ?

"Wow, some [ article of which this is a comment to ] tinged with angry
words [t]here ...but where are the substantiating sources for that info ?"

[= no references, no apparent fact checking noted in article, so is th is just another smear campaign? And why is this written anyhow ? & why now ? ]

Thursday, Oct. 08, 2009

reposted here from http://la.indymedia.org/news/2009/10/230955_comment.php#230978

these are some quotes of much written above to address here : [snipped from much more malignments and claims that remain unsubstantiated in that article ]


"Under the revised governance structure and byelaw changes, a small number of listener-subscribers and staff elect biannually a 25 member Local Station Board. The logic of such “democracy” entails a tiny fraction of listeners electing a board with a great deal of power."


"...led by an unwilling reject of the Church of Scientology,"


"Since Aaron’s cabal has come to power, the financial situation has markedly deteriorated."


"...these positions have mostly gone to board cronies without even a pro forma gesture towards open hiring"


"Notwithstanding elements of farce and a descent into snake oil peddling, there is an enormous amount at stake in the struggle for the soul of Pacifica."


So here are our Questions and concerns from that article [too long to be reproduced here, but can seen on link above - that also contains others' comments as well ] :


" electing a board with a great deal of power."


There has been a big to-do about the LSB, getting voted on, or who gets to represent [no one anyone can name as] a legitimate KPFK group, and hoping to affect the programming or get a program of one's very own...


but it has also been questioned just how much "power" is given or available to the whole LSB, and how ineffective that group is, maybe mostly because of the intense factionalization, continual distractions, the rebellious outbursts that often interrupt any work presented. And all theo bstructions that keep it's own members from provoking dramas for their own image making rather than dedicating their energies to producing benefits for the station and it's management.


So the question of how "powerful" other than in name is to be explored, investigated and surely questioned seriously.


Then repeated references to the iED Aaron attempting to malign her by some extraneous label and describe her work as "led by an unwilling reject of the Church of Scientology". Does this mean she is not even qualified for that unpopular organization and it's believers ? Or that if she is a Scientologist, she certainly cannot belong or be rational and effective working for the stations ?


Or what does that reference intend anyhow ? And who is going to verify that this is current, or what the prior circumstances of her life was that now makes her unqualified or inept ?


Another great declaration: " Since Aaron’s cabal has come to power, the financial situation has markedly deteriorated."


Who has determined that she is in any way a cause or contributor to Pacifica's continual money troubles and not a solver or working to improve that forever-impoverished condition ? And is the word "cabal" a negative implication or a description of whom and what ? It appears to be another attempt to demean, discredit and allude to Ms. Aaron's person and colleagues also.


Is that statement verified somewhere that was not included in the historical article above ? Does the public information of the financial condition mean it is to be kept secret from it's stakeholders and those concerned about the stations' stability ?


Or does this big implication only mean that the iED has so much power now, more than any ED just prior to her becoming a temporary one, that she alone can make and break Pacifica's banks? Huh ? Explain please, with actual direct causal facts, not just hearsay and rumor or deliberate malignments.


Let's get real here. Indymedia is hopefully not just a place to vent and rant and rage and hope someone else might agree and then act in your behalf.


Another statement : "these positions have mostly gone to board cronies without even a pro forma gesture towards open hiring"
Can this be shown, proved, verified ?
What are the rules for open-hiring at Pacifica ?
What does a manager do when there is no one yet visible who is qualified or hire-able permantly and the work needs to be done ?
Use a temp agency maybe ?
Or put up an ad on Monster Board ?
Or find someone to fill in until all can be done properly, knowing everyone who is not "in" will accuse and complain for sure, and loudly so.


The competition for any of these stressful positions is strong, and the in-fighting with accompanying stress must surely deter many qualified individuals from joining such wildly buffeted organizations.


And while there is much more to question and answer for above, this quote : "notwithstanding elements of farce and a descent into snake oil peddling, there is an enormous amount at stake in the struggle for the soul of Pacifica."


So where can one find the "soul" of a non-profit NGO like Pacifica ?

How did a soul [however defined even in Wiki if need be] ever get into such a changing of leadership corporation ?

And how did it then evaporate or escape from it's cubby hole?


And the farce that is an eternal Pacifica drama - yes, that many enjoy without even paying their pledges to support this theater of the absurd- continues.


Here some of us agree that "farce.... struggle... " are more useful descriptions, meaning there is more drama and theatrics than actual working towards a goal in LSB and maybe other board or committee meetings. Many love and make provocations and shout-matches to produce these intense and involving theatrical experience.


Just like the old Greek dramas but in an odder modern version with ' any minority defined as victim to get an immediate defense' and so the next power-struggle for poorest victim to be saved' forms the basis for the next diversion from managing business that must get done.


To be sure, the battle for Pacifica is being fought on a ground not of our own choosing. The entire landscape of internal communications , in Pacifica and it's station, and from the author above, needs to be clarified, and made more factual. Or else everything said and written must be contested and questioned.


Some phrases above are well said and there is some agreement about the concerns of how and by whom all is handled.


Oh, yes, and thanks to author for not being hidden behind a pseudo-name, tho some of us who live locally and try to help affect and improve our local Pacifica station do NOT TRUST the individuals who fractionalize and vent and act-out in some angry ways those who do not just 'agree' and defer to their righteous views. [self-righteous to enhance some demanding very smart people who dedicate enormous amounts of time and energy to doing something for or against their preferred station


(c) 2009 akpfker

Pacifica and iED has been maligned so easily on Indymedia. What is going on here ?

"Wow, some [ article of which this is a comment to ] tinged with angry

words [t]here ...but where are the substantiating sources for that info ?"

[= no references, no apparent fact checking noted in article, so is th is just another smear campaign? And why is this written anyhow ? & why now ? ]

Thursday, Oct. 08, 2009

reposted here from http://la.indymedia.org/news/2009/10/230955_comment.php#230978

these are some quotes of much written above to address here : [snipped from much more malignments and claims that remain unsubstantiated in that article ]


"Under the revised governance structure and byelaw changes, a small number of listener-subscribers and staff elect biannually a 25 member Local Station Board. The logic of such “democracy” entails a tiny fraction of listeners electing a board with a great deal of power."


"...led by an unwilling reject of the Church of Scientology,"


"Since Aaron’s cabal has come to power, the financial situation has markedly deteriorated."


"...these positions have mostly gone to board cronies without even a pro forma gesture towards open hiring"


"Notwithstanding elements of farce and a descent into snake oil peddling, there is an enormous amount at stake in the struggle for the soul of Pacifica."


So here are our Questions and concerns from that article [too long to be reproduced here, but can seen on link above - that also contains others' comments as well ] :


" electing a board with a great deal of power."


There has been a big to-do about the LSB, getting voted on, or who gets to represent [no one anyone can name as] a legitimate KPFK group, and hoping to affect the programming or get a program of one's very own...


but it has also been questioned just how much "power" is given or available to the whole LSB, and how ineffective that group is, maybe mostly because of the intense factionalization, continual distractions, the rebellious outbursts that often interrupt any work presented. And all theo bstructions that keep it's own members from provoking dramas for their own image making rather than dedicating their energies to producing benefits for the station and it's management.


So the question of how "powerful" other than in name is to be explored, investigated and surely questioned seriously.


Then repeated references to the iED Aaron attempting to malign her by some extraneous label and describe her work as "led by an unwilling reject of the Church of Scientology". Does this mean she is not even qualified for that unpopular organization and it's believers ? Or that if she is a Scientologist, she certainly cannot belong or be rational and effective working for the stations ?


Or what does that reference intend anyhow ? And who is going to verify that this is current, or what the prior circumstances of her life was that now makes her unqualified or inept ?


Another great declaration: " Since Aaron’s cabal has come to power, the financial situation has markedly deteriorated."


Who has determined that she is in any way a cause or contributor to Pacifica's continual money troubles and not a solver or working to improve that forever-impoverished condition ? And is the word "cabal" a negative implication or a description of whom and what ? It appears to be another attempt to demean, discredit and allude to Ms. Aaron's person and colleagues also.


Is that statement verified somewhere that was not included in the historical article above ? Does the public information of the financial condition mean it is to be kept secret from it's stakeholders and those concerned about the stations' stability ?


Or does this big implication only mean that the iED has so much power now, more than any ED just prior to her becoming a temporary one, that she alone can make and break Pacifica's banks? Huh ? Explain please, with actual direct causal facts, not just hearsay and rumor or deliberate malignments.


Let's get real here. Indymedia is hopefully not just a place to vent and rant and rage and hope someone else might agree and then act in your behalf.


Another statement : "these positions have mostly gone to board cronies without even a pro forma gesture towards open hiring"
Can this be shown, proved, verified ?
What are the rules for open-hiring at Pacifica ?
What does a manager do when there is no one yet visible who is qualified or hire-able permantly and the work needs to be done ?
Use a temp agency maybe ?
Or put up an ad on Monster Board ?
Or find someone to fill in until all can be done properly, knowing everyone who is not "in" will accuse and complain for sure, and loudly so.


The competition for any of these stressful positions is strong, and the in-fighting with accompanying stress must surely deter many qualified individuals from joining such wildly buffeted organizations.


And while there is much more to question and answer for above, this quote : "notwithstanding elements of farce and a descent into snake oil peddling, there is an enormous amount at stake in the struggle for the soul of Pacifica."


So where can one find the "soul" of a non-profit NGO like Pacifica ?

How did a soul [however defined even in Wiki if need be] ever get into such a changing of leadership corporation ?

And how did it then evaporate or escape from it's cubby hole?


And the farce that is an eternal Pacifica drama - yes, that many enjoy without even paying their pledges to support this theater of the absurd- continues.


Here some of us agree that "farce.... struggle... " are more useful descriptions, meaning there is more drama and theatrics than actual working towards a goal in LSB and maybe other board or committee meetings. Many love and make provocations and shout-matches to produce these intense and involving theatrical experience.


Just like the old Greek dramas but in an odder modern version with ' any minority defined as victim to get an immediate defense' and so the next power-struggle for poorest victim to be saved' forms the basis for the next diversion from managing business that must get done.


To be sure, the battle for Pacifica is being fought on a ground not of our own choosing. The entire landscape of internal communications , in Pacifica and it's station, and from the author above, needs to be clarified, and made more factual. Or else everything said and written must be contested and questioned.


Some phrases above are well said and there is some agreement about the concerns of how and by whom all is handled.


Oh, yes, and thanks to author for not being hidden behind a pseudo-name, tho some of us who live locally and try to help affect and improve our local Pacifica station do NOT TRUST the individuals who fractionalize and vent and act-out in some angry ways those who do not just 'agree' and defer to their righteous views. [self-righteous to enhance some demanding very smart people who dedicate enormous amounts of time and energy to doing something for or against their preferred station


(c) 2009 akpfker

Is la.indymedia.org the only website to share KPFK questions & info ??????

[a repost from www.la.indymedia.org
Thursday, Nov. 13, 2008 at 2:54 PM

good sharing of expenses allocation...website some of us would never have found..thanks !!!!

and comments of those of us who never know/ see/write to each other directly, and here, we are = THANKS TO INDY MEDIA as if this were a blogspot.... oh well, maybe it's all we can find in this small city of LA and the hidden-off-to-sponsors-access is KPFK ...

also anyone wanting to look further, check out
http://www.pacificana.org

you can contribute to their 'forum' as well
and even if we dont learn much about KPFK directly
from the main players [and they are playing with our money, our radio station, our access to participation of our sponsorship..... it is the only other site I can find.

who knows more ?

(C) maryjanie 2008

KPFK's hub called Pacifica is eliminating selected staff...why ?

[this is a repost from an Indymedia post
=http://la.indymedia.org/news/2008/11/221819.php and
pacificaradio.wordpress.com/2008/09/24/nicole-sawayas-departure-letter-from-p...]

Pacifica is KPFK's coordinating central source, and it's recent Executive Director has ALSO been eliminated....what is going on ??? Who decides who stays and who goes? Who is benefitting from these firings? And why does KPFK keep silent about it ?

[This is another re-post from the website listed below that I just discovered, which informed me that there are some unexplained and unannounced actions being taken in non-transparent silence apparently.

Has any KPFK listener heard about this on air ? And was more or even the information below given ? And can you share with us all when it might have been aired, if at all, so we can find archives to listen to it also ourselves ?

Share what you know. Many of us who care tremendously know nothing until we stumble on a vital piece of news...accidentally. That is not what KPFK represents itself to be acting as = a hider, denier, avoider and broken black box of scrambled encryptions.

Did you know all this before ?]

"Nicole Sawaya’s departure letter from Pacifica, September 2008 pm Filed under: News & Culture, Pacifica ...Nicole's letter here in full....
September 24, 2008

To: Pacifica National Board, Local Station Boards, All management and staff, Affiliate stations, collaborators, and stakeholders in Pacifica

Fr: Nicole Sawaya, executive director/CEO

On August 3rd I gave notice to the Pacifica Board that I would be leaving. September 30th (end of our fiscal year) will be my last day. Concurrently, I had written myself out of the FY09 budget, as the Foundation is hard-pressed to support two well-paid executives. You lead from the top.

Lew Hill is the founder of Pacifica, now almost a 60 year old non-profit media organization. If I could have a conversation with anyone to explain my departure, it would be with Lew Hill. So, I decided to write him a letter.

Feel free to read it, and to share with others who care about Pacifica. All I ask is that this preface always accompany the letter as it sets the context.

I thank you for the opportunity to serve!

Peace.
********************
September 23, 2008

Dear Lew Hill,

Greetings. My name is Nicole Sawaya, and currently, I’m the executive director and chief executive of the radio endeavor you started called Pacifica. It’s changed a lot.

You wouldn’t believe what your “killer app”, as some might portray it in 21st century lexicon, has spawned. Now there are 5 stations licensed to Pacifica in densely populated and roiling urban areas – millions of human beings within ear shot, all with easy access to the cheapest and most accessible broadcast mediums on the planet, radio. Yes, the planet.

There is an Archive of programming and folios spanning decades – a repository and collection of voices that truly belongs to the people as part of the history of our country and the world. And, there are over a hundred smaller stations scattered through rural and urban settings — cities and towns and ridge tops — affiliated with Pacifica and broadcasting our programming – a network that has been in place for quite awhile.

Beyond that, your notion that the listeners would voluntarily financially support radio, journalism and cultural exchange, created a model for many, many non-commercial educational radio stations to apply. Your vision of public ownership of the airwaves put into practice with the radio license you applied for and grew as the first non-profit community licensee station, gained great traction and has been replicated exponentially.

We don’t exchange The Subscriber radios anymore for pledges, and you wouldn’t recognize how the fundraising marathons have changed – it’s a bit like an on-air shopping experience. But listeners continue to support us voluntarily with their hard earned money, and they’re not necessarily just bound to radios to listen to us.

An aside: When I was (briefly) general manager of your first station, KPFA, there was a Subscriber radio in the office, but it was tucked away and dusty. When I discovered it, soon after taking the job, I was so excited to learn of its history. It completely inspired me as Pacifica was heading to its 50th anniversary. So elegant, so innovative for its time, so smart.

Mr. Hill, what you conceived has had one of the highest impacts in media history. Not just the staunch belief in listener support, but your notions that journalistic enterprises should remain unfettered from any sort of business support in order to maintain credibility; that to help in striving for a more peaceful and just world, radio (or what we now refer to as media) programming should give access to myriad viewpoints and in-depth news, coupled with an exposure to the arts and to cultures and happenings from all over the world; that innovation is vital, have all lived on. You were a pioneer.

Fast forward to today.

Our country is at war. Our government is a death machine abroad and a fear machine at home. Our broadcast media is, in general, mind-numbingly useless, filled with shameless propagandists and completely profit driven. The earth’s climate is changing radically and the gap between rich and poor is larger than the Grand Canyon, with by far the larger group on the poor end. I could go on, but it would take a while.

Your Pacifica is showing signs of stress as well.

Sadly, it is no longer focused on service to the listeners but absorbed with itself and the inhabitants therein. I call it Planet Pacifica, a term I coined during my hiring process. There is an underlying culture of grievance coupled with entitlement, and its governance structure is dysfunctional.

The by-laws of the organization have opened it up to tremendous abuse, creating the opportunity for cronyism, factionalism, and faux democracy, with the result of challenging all yet helping nothing. Pacifica has been made so flat, that it is concave – no leadership is possible without an enormous struggle through the inertia that committees and collectives and STV’s (no, not sexually transmitted viruses, but single transferable votes) can engender.

Pacifica calls itself a movement, yet currently it is behaves like a jobs program, a cult, or a social service agency. And oftentimes, the loudest and most obstreperous have the privilege of the microphone. There are endless meetings of committees and “task forces”– mostly on the phone – where people just like to hear themselves talk.

Sometimes they get lucrative contracts from their grandstanding. It’s been grueling for someone in my position, someone like me who is not a process person, much less a political gamer. I keep asking: what’s the endgame? Paralysis has set in, coupled with organizational drift.

The programming isn’t attracting many listeners anymore, either. It skews towards the narrow in its editorial stance, leans towards the niche, and change to the programming can’t occur without a fight. The listening audience is small, in other words, the stations have yet to grow into their large signals.

Business practices are oftentimes shoddy and opaque and mirror the culture of our times – lots of self-interest with a focus on individual needs as opposed to performance, affordability, or the common good. And we’ve hit some tough economic times without having the general will to do the hard work necessary in order to ensure sustainability – contracting rather than continually expanding the size of our financial obligations.

Basically, resources and airtime have been allocated for internal political purposes at the expense of service to audience, innovation, or the care and feeding of our broadcast physical infrastructure. Some of this has to do with the fact that very few people either on air or off air actually have radio experience, other than being part of Pacifica.

That was not the case with you, nor is it with me.

Conversely, there are many dedicated and smart people working within Pacifica. They may not work at full speed – it is rather “comfortable” especially for those who work unsupervised – but they make a consistent effort to give voice to the voiceless and hold government and power accountable. And those who work without self-interest or giving constant grief to management (a four-letter word in Pacifica) are to be applauded.

The overall media landscape has changed fundamentally. I find it exciting and wanted very much to bring Pacifica into the 21st century. The demographic of our country has changed as well, not to mention all the new generations now active and alert to the world around them. It is, to quote Victor Hugo, the best of times and the worst of times. Apparently, it’s always been like that.

Pacifica could take advantage of technology, both at the front end (content and programming) and the back end (infrastructure and business applications), but that would require the general will of the internal stakeholders, and that general will is not cohesive enough or even amenable to altering the status quo.

I have given notice and will be leaving Pacifica shortly. Despite my best intentions and determined and focused efforts, I was continually thwarted to do the job I was hired to do. I did my best to apply my knowledge, expertise, and creativity to Pacifica, and we made some forward progress.

I gave to those responsible for the governance and oversight, plans, clarity, and transparency. They cannot deny knowledge of the state of the network. Whether they act on it, or just call in consultants to tell them what time it is, is another issue. I tried to dispel magical thinking in all arenas and was relentless in my attempts to get some best practices and collaborations in place.

I had some success.

It’s not necessary for me to alliterate those successes. Despite being handed an enfeebled situation and having no resources to work with, I gave it my best shot and worked hard. And despite having to fight for every inch of standing, not to mention authority, I have enjoyed working with those who actually work and accomplish bona fide deliverables of consequence and service.

We stand now on the shoulders of hundreds, if not thousands of those who have contributed internally. And Pacifica is much loved and valued by its listener supporters. Pacifica will carry on, and it has been a challenging opportunity to, albeit briefly, help out.

I hope that all stakeholders remember that Pacifica is a public trust, a veritable weapon of mass information, and keep a big vision in play rather than petty politics.

Thanks for being a bold and brave broadcaster.

With much respect,

Nicole"


pacificaradio.wordpress.com/2008/09/24/nicole-sawayas-departure-letter-from-p...

KPFK's doesnt tell us about having a New Manager,why the delay ?

KPFK has just kept silent for long about it's new GM, why?

12 July, 2008
this is also posted on
http://pacificana.org/2008/07/12/kpfk-has-just-kept-silent-long-about-its-new-gm-why


KPFK IS NOT NEWS, even when a New GM is hired? News not provided Tell Your Truth All Ways - please !

The KPFK website has just put onmention of a new general manager.

Even Google does not supply any press or announcements of the new manager. Here on this website, it was apparently copied from Sonali's website which said the mere minimum, and it has been said the the New GM complimented her program, and not others, so maybe that is why ? who knows ? And sure barebones information, even when Sean is googled, little is learned, other than he dealt with another costly legal case at another rade station.
the simple implication is that it must be his fault, but who knows what ??????

If there is a news release, it is not yet apparent in the LA local media that I can find....even on www.la.indymedia.org = which has lot of people complaining and explaining a bit of what they do know of KPFK's happenings & goings on....and on...and on.

That a get-real bio and description [and maybe even a pix ?] of this guy who now holds a lot of wattage power is missing and maybe the listeners would like and aural intro on air more than 1x even... to maybe only know who is the new controller over our radio station.... but how to find out ? only if they listen 24/7 to not miss an on-air blurb...

is that what is required to be an informed paid-up sponsor? Or is there something more put out that I have missed ? Is there somewhere else that gives us-who-care about the dysfunction opaque station - to get just the basic information, nothing that is 'secret !', just who is doing what and why at Our Station . Why is it sooo hard?

A blog has been set up that has had no further posts after the set up in May 2008... thus showing disinterest or lack of communications in the KPFK involved blogosphere ? it is :

http://KPFKcommentators.blogspot.com

The purpose this was set up was for were all those who are so desperate for actual factual information about what is happening at and with KPFK - to be able to join together and communicate further. Indymedia seems to be the only LA site so far as I've been able to find, by much researching and searching...which is how I found out about this site.

This website too is not known amongst most KPFK volunteers - who were asked in person what they knew. It appears to be limited to posts of the top echelon of Pacifica or elections officials or an occasional personal journal of happenings in a station or other.....not bad...but not open to posts from other sources...or is it ? That I have still not been able to find out who posts or what it takes and how this is set up...after many hours of actually reading some of the materials written in only the last 2 months.

Who insures that the KPFK audience is informed ? With more than an occasional blurb, because if it is so I have obviously NOT heard it, being eclectic and not able to listen consistently and constantly to the station.

While many valuable programs on air are good, many others are repetitious, very biased and vehement and appear even infomercial/commercial in their repeated 'sponsoring' or announcing events, artists, speakers, et al. Hard to listen to. At least NPR says "we are sponsored by...." and admit it. KPFK denies what it does. While topics and programmers are very varied, the quality or their own personal pushing their views makes some of the programs difficult to listen to for hours on end. You know. It happens a lot of places.

The KPFK website is not informative. [Look under LBS and CAB and how old any info, so very limited, is currently on it, even the calendar is limited and not up to date ].And then the webmaster was given a KPFK-sponsored event and/or a program to play ukelele ? huh? Can this be a merited move with all those others in competition to be KPFK affiliated or on-air ? It sure sounds like a break-in- of-staff-to-get-goodies not available to others. Is it ?

Writing here means ... telling about the secretive opaque paranoidal fearful atmosphere at KPFK. When anyone writes e-mail comments or leaves a voice mail to KPFK for staff or programmer, they are NOT responded to at all, and left wondering again, "where is the responsibility? " and "where is my money going to?"

So if Google cannot produce a news announcement of the new GM, and the KPFK website is not forthcoming, where is anyone suppose to dig out [of which dirt ?] the information?

July 16, 2008 12:50 PM

Pacifica article reposted here, relates to KPFK too.

this is a re=post from http://pacificana.org/aggregator regarding KPFK as part of Pacifica and the distrust exhibited and experienced therein too. Parts have been exerpted to protect privacy of individuals named in original article, and parts that appear to not relate to KPFK as much as other aspects of this posting. mj

Assessing Pacifica’s Deficit of Trust

Maverick Media - 13 July, 2008 - [this was written and posted on that blog site first, then reposted as above]

During an early March 2006 meeting with Pacifica Radio’s attorney in the lawsuit ....[about] KPFA ....... As it turned out, money was less the issue than her future in Pacifica .......... In between I searched for someone willing to step in as manager of KPFA on an interim basis. Most potentially qualified candidates turned down the opportunity. The people I thought could handle it felt the station was virtually unmanageable, and those few who wanted the job didn’t seem quite right.

..........It was a controversial decision for some (..............and [person named] was both praised and criticized. If nothing else it was a change, an inside management promotion rather than an outside “star.....and did calm the mood at the station for a while.

In a report for the March National Board meeting, my first attempt to describe my assessment and plans, I pointed out that any decision made by the Executive Director could potentially be nullified by the board. Therefore, I asked for more and clearer delegation of authority. I mentioned the problem of civility, especially criticisms that crossed the line to “insulting characterizations, paranoia, and a deep well of distrust that tends to poison the atmosphere.” I criticized myself for raising expectations “about what could be accomplished without adequate knowledge of the organizational constraints,” and for, at times, becoming “too forceful with my own opinions.” For some it was the first time they’d ever seen a Pacifica manager admit to making a mistake. I discussed fairness, inclusion, and management instability, the problems facing fund drives, and the need to balance autonomy and cooperation in programming.

I also praised the accomplishments of the Affiliates Program and the Archives, but warned that the importance of Internet technology services had been underestimated for too long. .................

The underlying issue, I argued, “is that Pacifica’s identity as a network is a bit unclear. Like the other words I’ve mentioned, this one too is not adequately defined, in part because there is some concern that being a network could be disempowering to local stations. During my cross country trip, people occasionally questioned whether being part of a network is even important, suggesting that stations might do fine without any national staff or presence. Even if I wasn't the ED of this organization, I would find that proposition an unacceptable abdication.

“Pacifica is not only a national network, with the potential to reach literally millions of people; it is a unique national resource that must not be under-utilized. That said, reaffirming the terms of our social contract is vital, including assurances that persuasion rather than force will be the standard practice. On the other hand, Pacificans – boards, staff, volunteers – need to agree on high priorities, and I would argue that projecting a progressive counter-narrative nationwide – through public affairs, news, and culture – ought to be on the list.”

While trying to avoid fights I laid out my assessment as frankly as possible. It wasn’t especially visionary; I was saving that for later, when I had a firmer idea of what reflected both the possible and the ideal. For the moment, my bottom line was that the time had come for Pacifica “to retake its place as a leading voice and moving force in community-based media. “

As I prepared for another trip – according to the bylaws, it was time to meet in Los Angeles – my mood was relatively optimistic. It wouldn’t be easy but maybe I could accomplish something after all.....

................ Going into the election [in Vermont ] , many people, even left-leaning stalwarts, predicted that the progressive “era” was over. .......If proportional voting could work in Burlington, I thought, maybe in time it will also net more constructive results for Planet Pacifica. It isn’t a magic bullet. But if more members of this virtual community can get past their resentments and anger, maybe, just maybe a deficit of trust can be replaced by a modest surplus of hope."

any comments on this educated opinion and relevant revealing of what is not just local to Los Angeles ?