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Veteran Broadcaster Larry Bensky Says Farewell
In a promotional spot at KPFA aired today between Democracy Now! and the Morning Show, Larry Bensky announced that he will be leaving KPFA and Pacifica. He said his last program will be on April 29.
Among his reasons for leaving: "the so-called "democratization" of [KPFA's] local and national governance structure has not enhanced [its] effectiveness as a media outlet, or as a force for peace and social justice."
Among his reasons for leaving: "the so-called "democratization" of [KPFA's] local and national governance structure has not enhanced [its] effectiveness as a media outlet, or as a force for peace and social justice."
March 1, 2007
Dear Colleagues, Listeners, and Friends,
I will be leaving KPFA and Pacifica Radio at the end of April. My last "Sunday Salon" broadcast will be April 29.
This decision has been difficult. First, to leave an organization with which I first began working thirty-eight years ago. And, at the same time, possibly ending my work in broadcasting, having first started in Junior High School.
While many factors have gone into my decision, the principal and overwhelming element has been demographic. I will be 70 years old on May 1.
After much thought about this upcoming milestone, I decided that I've done this long enough. It's time to move on.
My health, fortunately, is not an issue. I have pretty much recovered from the two surgeries and subsequent slow healing that began two years ago. But that painful and frightening experience focused me on issues of personal mortality that previously had been present in my life mostly as abstractions.
With whatever years and energy I have left, I would now like to explore other means of being, and of expressing myself.
However, it is also true that had things worked out better for me personally, and for KPFA and Pacifica as an organization since our turmoil in 1999-2001, I might feel differently about continuing. Or at least differently at this time of leaving. As I see it, the so-called "democratization" of our local and national governance structure has not enhanced our effectiveness as a media outlet, or as a force for peace and social justice. In fact, despite the best intentions of a few people involved, Pacifica's current governance and administration is a wasteful, counterproductive, and far from transparent distraction.
For me personally this has meant that, despite repeated and tantalizing hints and promises, I never got the job I back that I worked so many years to establish: National Affairs Correspondent. Nor has Pacifica managed to re-establish itself as national programming entity, with or without me as part of it.
Hardest of all for me now is the sense that I will be absent from most of your lives from now on -- although occasional appearances on various KPFA and Pacifica programs as well as other media, are always possible.
And, even more difficult, is the sense that you will be absent from mine.
Throughout these many years, and in the many different types of programming I've done, I've never gone on the air without a thrilling sense of connectedness. And an equally deep sense of how much being a broadcaster is a privilege, as well as a responsibility. Throughout this time, as I hope you've been able to hear, I've tried not to "leave my game in the dressing room," as they say in sports. Everything I could bring to broadcasting, all the knowledge and wisdom I could summon from myself and others, I've tried to provide.
I could not, of course, have done this alone. I've been very fortunate to have had wonderful producers. And very supportive co- workers and management at KPFA.
In making this decision last year (I told management in early November that in six months I would be leaving) I listened back to some broadcasts, both local and national, that I'd done a long time ago, and more recently. I wanted to be sure that I was leaving "at the top of my game," and hadn't, like so many others have done, at KPFA and elsewhere, stayed beyond my abilities to do best what I do. The perfectionist in me always finds things I could have done better. But the realist knows that I've done as well as I knew how to do. I'm grateful for having had, and more recently, regained my strength to do so.
Much of that strength, I must add, has come from friends, family, and listeners over the years. Your response was overwhelming, and determinative, during my banning and firing in 1999-2001. And your support for me personally during my health crisis was a critical component of my recovery. I can never express enough what a blessing this support for me and this institution has been.
I wish I had some terminally profound words of wisdom with which to leave you. But I'm not yet terminal, fortunately, nor as wise as I still hope to become.
All my best,
Larry
P.S. The practical among you may be wondering if I can "afford" to retire. The sad fact is that among its many "human resources" failures, Pacifica/KPFA has not had until very recently anything like a decent plan for taking care of its long term workers. (My most recent statement of retirement benefits, for example, indicated that I have a current available balance of...$845!)
Like so many of my generation, I now need to continue to work to supplement social security and savings. But, as I always have, I will continue to live as frugally as I can, seek meaningful work, and live with all the contradictions that a person of conscience has in navigating in the material world...
Dear Colleagues, Listeners, and Friends,
I will be leaving KPFA and Pacifica Radio at the end of April. My last "Sunday Salon" broadcast will be April 29.
This decision has been difficult. First, to leave an organization with which I first began working thirty-eight years ago. And, at the same time, possibly ending my work in broadcasting, having first started in Junior High School.
While many factors have gone into my decision, the principal and overwhelming element has been demographic. I will be 70 years old on May 1.
After much thought about this upcoming milestone, I decided that I've done this long enough. It's time to move on.
My health, fortunately, is not an issue. I have pretty much recovered from the two surgeries and subsequent slow healing that began two years ago. But that painful and frightening experience focused me on issues of personal mortality that previously had been present in my life mostly as abstractions.
With whatever years and energy I have left, I would now like to explore other means of being, and of expressing myself.
However, it is also true that had things worked out better for me personally, and for KPFA and Pacifica as an organization since our turmoil in 1999-2001, I might feel differently about continuing. Or at least differently at this time of leaving. As I see it, the so-called "democratization" of our local and national governance structure has not enhanced our effectiveness as a media outlet, or as a force for peace and social justice. In fact, despite the best intentions of a few people involved, Pacifica's current governance and administration is a wasteful, counterproductive, and far from transparent distraction.
For me personally this has meant that, despite repeated and tantalizing hints and promises, I never got the job I back that I worked so many years to establish: National Affairs Correspondent. Nor has Pacifica managed to re-establish itself as national programming entity, with or without me as part of it.
Hardest of all for me now is the sense that I will be absent from most of your lives from now on -- although occasional appearances on various KPFA and Pacifica programs as well as other media, are always possible.
And, even more difficult, is the sense that you will be absent from mine.
Throughout these many years, and in the many different types of programming I've done, I've never gone on the air without a thrilling sense of connectedness. And an equally deep sense of how much being a broadcaster is a privilege, as well as a responsibility. Throughout this time, as I hope you've been able to hear, I've tried not to "leave my game in the dressing room," as they say in sports. Everything I could bring to broadcasting, all the knowledge and wisdom I could summon from myself and others, I've tried to provide.
I could not, of course, have done this alone. I've been very fortunate to have had wonderful producers. And very supportive co- workers and management at KPFA.
In making this decision last year (I told management in early November that in six months I would be leaving) I listened back to some broadcasts, both local and national, that I'd done a long time ago, and more recently. I wanted to be sure that I was leaving "at the top of my game," and hadn't, like so many others have done, at KPFA and elsewhere, stayed beyond my abilities to do best what I do. The perfectionist in me always finds things I could have done better. But the realist knows that I've done as well as I knew how to do. I'm grateful for having had, and more recently, regained my strength to do so.
Much of that strength, I must add, has come from friends, family, and listeners over the years. Your response was overwhelming, and determinative, during my banning and firing in 1999-2001. And your support for me personally during my health crisis was a critical component of my recovery. I can never express enough what a blessing this support for me and this institution has been.
I wish I had some terminally profound words of wisdom with which to leave you. But I'm not yet terminal, fortunately, nor as wise as I still hope to become.
All my best,
Larry
P.S. The practical among you may be wondering if I can "afford" to retire. The sad fact is that among its many "human resources" failures, Pacifica/KPFA has not had until very recently anything like a decent plan for taking care of its long term workers. (My most recent statement of retirement benefits, for example, indicated that I have a current available balance of...$845!)
Like so many of my generation, I now need to continue to work to supplement social security and savings. But, as I always have, I will continue to live as frugally as I can, seek meaningful work, and live with all the contradictions that a person of conscience has in navigating in the material world...
For more information:
http://www.sundaysalon.org/information_ale...
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Harsh words . No Doubt . But Bensky has earned them . An ex-Stalinist , now pro-capitalist liberal , he's been one of the most arrogant figures in Progressive Media . Sneering towards those who disagree from him from the Left but fawning towards mainstream liberals who are (slightly ) to the right of him , his departure is no loss to KPFA. I just hope that the program council will select far more effective , intellectually honest, and humble replacement hosts for the '' Sunday Salon '' (With a new name too !)
Someone will write a comprehensive review of Larry Bensky's role at KPFA/Pacifica thru the various stages. My comments below deal only with his continued distortion of the real problems with the development of the democratic process designed to allow listener participation in station governance.
March 1, 2007
"Dear Colleagues, Listeners, and Friends,
I will be leaving KPFA and Pacifica Radio at the end of April. My
last "Sunday Salon" broadcast will be April 29....
As I see it, the so-called "democratization" of our local and national
governance structure has not enhanced our effectiveness as a media
outlet, or as a force for peace and social justice.""
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
That is because the people you have supported in the election process, by and large, have fought for the continuation of patronage and cronyism and against transparency, accountability and real listener participation in station/foundation governance. Bensky has constantly discouraged people from participating in the development of the democratic process. You hear it periodicly on his show and more often during an election.
Bensky has treated the democratic process like he treats those that call in that he disagrees with, he hung up on it. He was/is afraid of allowing the people that pay all the money to support the station, to have any real say in how it is run, what goes on the air and when.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
"In fact, despite
the best intentions of a few people involved, Pacifica's current
governance and administration is a wasteful, counterproductive, and
far from transparent distraction."
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
This statement is the equivalent of a person who joins a group, works only for her/his individual goals and then leaves, claiming a lack of cohesion when they don't get all they want.
Bensky's allies in governance have stated that if they can't control the Local Station Board they will "dismantle" it and they have done their best to make the process dysfunctional when they didn't have the votes to get their way. Here is the now infamous e-mail from Brian Edwards-Tiekert to his entrenched staff strategy group that tells all, including calling their opponents "enemies" and showing their real feelings about their fellow staff members by "propping up staff moral". See below, emphasis added.
From:"Brian Edwards-Tiekert" <lsb.brian [at] gmail.com>
Yahoo! DomainKeys has confirmed that this message was sent by gmail.com. Learn more
To:"Lemlem Tekle" <lemvta [at] yahoo.com>, "Bonnie Simmons" <bon [at] bonzilla.com>,
LisaRothman [at] kpfa.org
CC:"Sasha Lilley" <sashalilley [at] yahoo.com>, "Lemlem Tekle" <lemyta [at] yahoo.com>,
mawu_mama37 [at] yahoo.com, "Amelia Gonzalez-Garcia" <ameliagg [at] yahoo.com>, Rain
Geesler" <rainjita [at] yahoo.com>, "Sherry Gendelman" <sherrygendelman [at] aol.com>, "Gary
Niederhoff" <lisangary [at] gmail.com>
Subject:Re: budget
Date:Thu, 1 Sep 2005 20:58:28 -0700
I'm up for coffee Saturday—Lisa and I can still meet Tuesday afternoon. Also, we need a general strategy session. How about Tuesday night?
Issues include:
How should we be handling the expiration of the union contract—is a strike in order, or is it a really terrible idea?
What's the best way to deal with these layoffs?
Coming up with, and presenting, an alternative budget.
Getting the Roy issue to the national board.
"Propping up staff morale."
Strategic retreat on the LSB—"how do we make our enemies own the problems that are to come?" Alternatively, should we be recalling LSB members/"dismantling" the LSB?
Dealing with the grievances underway.
Building community support—formation of a labor-community coalition.
(My comment:Out of this last sentence came the Concerned Listeners Slate that bought the last election with a party/fundraiser attended by the "dismantlers" and advertised as "meet the staff". They used the money to mail a slate postcard out to the voters timed to arrive with the ballots while at the same time station management, LemLem on the above e-mail, now interim General Manager, didn't allow ANY promotion of the election or candidate information to go on the air for two weeks after the CL slate postcards arrived with the ballots. Is this what Bensky describes as " the best intentions of a few people involved"? Karl Rove would be proud of their election manipulation.)
Brian Edwards-Tiekert
Staff Representative, Local Station Board
KPFA 94.1FM
1929 Martin Luther King Jr. Way
Berkeley CA 94704
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
Please note that this strategy group, commonly referred to as the entrenched staff and after this e-mail, the "dismantlers" have taken complete control of the management of the station and with the manipulation of the last election the LSB by a slim margin. Lemlem is IGM, Sasha Lilly is now IPD (Interim Program Director), Amelia Gonzales is Public Affairs Director, Gary Nierdehoff is Subscriptions director, Rain Geesler is director of the Apprenticeship Program, Bonnie Simmons is now Chair of the Board (with the constant guidance and direction of Brian Edwards-Tiekert) and Brian E-T is Treasurer of the LSB. Vice Chair is Conn Hallinan, and Secretary is Tico Chacin, both CL slate members were endorsed by the others in this group and Bensky. (Only time will tell if the new CL members on the LSB will toe the line they were sold when the staff came to them for help in controlling the LSB.)
One final note, I have challenged Bensky, Mark Hernandez, KPFAWorker, KPFAForward etc. and anyone supporting the current status quo to debate these issues in public and have had no takers. Are they afraid of an open exchange of ideas? I think they prefer to take their shots, like Bensky did, when they control the media and allow no back and forth. If what they are doing is the right thing, why are they so afraid of transparency and scrutiny?
I will be glad to come and speak to any group about the problems with KPFA governance and the resistance to listener participation at the station. There is so much that the listeners don't know and the " dismantlers" don't want you to know."
Bring back the Folio! Even the CL Slate agreed and yet it doesn't happen? Why? I think the management and the "dismantlers", which are now the same, don't want any dialogue with the listeners about what is really going on under the radar!
Richard Phelps
KPFA LSB Listener Representative
P.S. Watch how they respond to this anonymously, they won't deal with the facts, they will just try to "kill the messenger", if their past practice holds true.
March 1, 2007
"Dear Colleagues, Listeners, and Friends,
I will be leaving KPFA and Pacifica Radio at the end of April. My
last "Sunday Salon" broadcast will be April 29....
As I see it, the so-called "democratization" of our local and national
governance structure has not enhanced our effectiveness as a media
outlet, or as a force for peace and social justice.""
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
That is because the people you have supported in the election process, by and large, have fought for the continuation of patronage and cronyism and against transparency, accountability and real listener participation in station/foundation governance. Bensky has constantly discouraged people from participating in the development of the democratic process. You hear it periodicly on his show and more often during an election.
Bensky has treated the democratic process like he treats those that call in that he disagrees with, he hung up on it. He was/is afraid of allowing the people that pay all the money to support the station, to have any real say in how it is run, what goes on the air and when.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
"In fact, despite
the best intentions of a few people involved, Pacifica's current
governance and administration is a wasteful, counterproductive, and
far from transparent distraction."
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
This statement is the equivalent of a person who joins a group, works only for her/his individual goals and then leaves, claiming a lack of cohesion when they don't get all they want.
Bensky's allies in governance have stated that if they can't control the Local Station Board they will "dismantle" it and they have done their best to make the process dysfunctional when they didn't have the votes to get their way. Here is the now infamous e-mail from Brian Edwards-Tiekert to his entrenched staff strategy group that tells all, including calling their opponents "enemies" and showing their real feelings about their fellow staff members by "propping up staff moral". See below, emphasis added.
From:"Brian Edwards-Tiekert" <lsb.brian [at] gmail.com>
Yahoo! DomainKeys has confirmed that this message was sent by gmail.com. Learn more
To:"Lemlem Tekle" <lemvta [at] yahoo.com>, "Bonnie Simmons" <bon [at] bonzilla.com>,
LisaRothman [at] kpfa.org
CC:"Sasha Lilley" <sashalilley [at] yahoo.com>, "Lemlem Tekle" <lemyta [at] yahoo.com>,
mawu_mama37 [at] yahoo.com, "Amelia Gonzalez-Garcia" <ameliagg [at] yahoo.com>, Rain
Geesler" <rainjita [at] yahoo.com>, "Sherry Gendelman" <sherrygendelman [at] aol.com>, "Gary
Niederhoff" <lisangary [at] gmail.com>
Subject:Re: budget
Date:Thu, 1 Sep 2005 20:58:28 -0700
I'm up for coffee Saturday—Lisa and I can still meet Tuesday afternoon. Also, we need a general strategy session. How about Tuesday night?
Issues include:
How should we be handling the expiration of the union contract—is a strike in order, or is it a really terrible idea?
What's the best way to deal with these layoffs?
Coming up with, and presenting, an alternative budget.
Getting the Roy issue to the national board.
"Propping up staff morale."
Strategic retreat on the LSB—"how do we make our enemies own the problems that are to come?" Alternatively, should we be recalling LSB members/"dismantling" the LSB?
Dealing with the grievances underway.
Building community support—formation of a labor-community coalition.
(My comment:Out of this last sentence came the Concerned Listeners Slate that bought the last election with a party/fundraiser attended by the "dismantlers" and advertised as "meet the staff". They used the money to mail a slate postcard out to the voters timed to arrive with the ballots while at the same time station management, LemLem on the above e-mail, now interim General Manager, didn't allow ANY promotion of the election or candidate information to go on the air for two weeks after the CL slate postcards arrived with the ballots. Is this what Bensky describes as " the best intentions of a few people involved"? Karl Rove would be proud of their election manipulation.)
Brian Edwards-Tiekert
Staff Representative, Local Station Board
KPFA 94.1FM
1929 Martin Luther King Jr. Way
Berkeley CA 94704
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
Please note that this strategy group, commonly referred to as the entrenched staff and after this e-mail, the "dismantlers" have taken complete control of the management of the station and with the manipulation of the last election the LSB by a slim margin. Lemlem is IGM, Sasha Lilly is now IPD (Interim Program Director), Amelia Gonzales is Public Affairs Director, Gary Nierdehoff is Subscriptions director, Rain Geesler is director of the Apprenticeship Program, Bonnie Simmons is now Chair of the Board (with the constant guidance and direction of Brian Edwards-Tiekert) and Brian E-T is Treasurer of the LSB. Vice Chair is Conn Hallinan, and Secretary is Tico Chacin, both CL slate members were endorsed by the others in this group and Bensky. (Only time will tell if the new CL members on the LSB will toe the line they were sold when the staff came to them for help in controlling the LSB.)
One final note, I have challenged Bensky, Mark Hernandez, KPFAWorker, KPFAForward etc. and anyone supporting the current status quo to debate these issues in public and have had no takers. Are they afraid of an open exchange of ideas? I think they prefer to take their shots, like Bensky did, when they control the media and allow no back and forth. If what they are doing is the right thing, why are they so afraid of transparency and scrutiny?
I will be glad to come and speak to any group about the problems with KPFA governance and the resistance to listener participation at the station. There is so much that the listeners don't know and the " dismantlers" don't want you to know."
Bring back the Folio! Even the CL Slate agreed and yet it doesn't happen? Why? I think the management and the "dismantlers", which are now the same, don't want any dialogue with the listeners about what is really going on under the radar!
Richard Phelps
KPFA LSB Listener Representative
P.S. Watch how they respond to this anonymously, they won't deal with the facts, they will just try to "kill the messenger", if their past practice holds true.
Can we move on and run the station in a more effective manner? Like, with consensus? Or, maybe since there are so many people who can't work together, some factions should start additional radio stations.
The departure of Democrat Larry Bensky is fabulous, wonderful news. He should run from KPFA today, immediately, which he has done his best to destroy and failed. Now that this idiot is finally going away, we should put Guns & Butter on from 9 a.m. to 10 a.m. and a weekly labor program that has been proposed can be from 10 a.m. to 11 a.m. or vice versa. Ralph Schoenman alone, could fill that 2 hours every week for years on the 9/11 Inside Job and all other similar US government false flag operations! There is so much material not only on the 9/11 Inside Job but also on all the other CIA horrors, election fraud perpetrated by the US government at home and abroad, and enough muckraking to last forever! We should remember that Larry Bensky attacked the 9/11 Truth Movement as being a ridiculous fringe group when idiots and Democratic Party defenders like Larry Bensky are the ridiculous fringe. The need for a labor show is obvious and enormous. We are not making any advances in this country, and thus by definition are regressing simply because there is no labor movement. LET'S HEAR IT FOR THE SUNDAY SLOT FOR GUNS & BUTTER & LABOR WORKWEEK! Hip Hip Hooray!
Larry Bensky made real contributions to alternative media . I remember his great broadcasts during the Iran Contra scandal . I was a student at a University in Arizona at the time and part of his broadcasts were replayed on a campus related station . I was in a internal fight within a Mexican-American Student group at the time with some La Raza Nationalists . I used the example of Larry's journalism as a example of why all ''anglos '' (Yes, i know he's Jewish ) shouldn't be written off .
Now it 's a different matter. I have been saddened by his hostility to democracy at KPFA . He has been very rude and intolerant to callers whom he doesn't like . His knee jerk rejection of any thing that Dennis Bernstein and Bonnie Faulkner has done leaves me cold .
I'm a Union woman . I think it's a disgrace that he will only get $900 in pension monthly . I think all workers should get two thirds of their final salary , as in Most countries in Europe .
But that being said it's time for him to go . Who will replace him ?
Now it 's a different matter. I have been saddened by his hostility to democracy at KPFA . He has been very rude and intolerant to callers whom he doesn't like . His knee jerk rejection of any thing that Dennis Bernstein and Bonnie Faulkner has done leaves me cold .
I'm a Union woman . I think it's a disgrace that he will only get $900 in pension monthly . I think all workers should get two thirds of their final salary , as in Most countries in Europe .
But that being said it's time for him to go . Who will replace him ?
Oh goody. Sunday mornings rife with HIV and 911 disinfo disguised as "research" and the weekly report from the all-important sex workers union. This isn't democratization, this is an oligarchy of attention whores.
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