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KPFA's "Alternative Home Shopping Network" finds a new form, same game new double speak.
FRIENDSHIP IS A TWO WAY STREET: WHEN KPFA GETS A MANAGEMENT THAT UNDERSTANDS THIS THEY WILL NOT HAVE TO PLAY MADISON AVENUE GAMES TO GET $UPPORT FROM THE COMMUNITY
I had hoped that KPFA’s "FriendRaiser" was going to be an improvement from the “Alternative Home Shopping Network”. (Fundraising by recording speeches and public affairs programs, playing a teaser portion to get our interest, and then “selling” them as a “gift” for our donations.) The tragedy in this methodology is that the vast majority of KPFA’s audience is denied these programs unless they buy them. Which means that low-income listeners are “priced out” of access and the information won’t get broad dissemination in our broadcast area, which I believe is the main reason for KPFA to exist.
Please support the station. Just don’t buy the things they are selling and tell them to play them when they happen, for all to hear. That is, after all, KPFA’s Mission.
Instead of being a community, FREE SPEECH, station that records events to promptly play them back for all to hear, they are recorded and held to create scarcity so they can be sold. Much like the oil companies withholding production so they can raise the price of gas. How friendly is this?
In the spirit of Pacifica it would seem that an honest direct approach to fundraising would be best. However, that would require honesty, transparency and accountability from a management that doesn’t practice these principles. The current Interim General Manager (IGM), an ex officio member of the Local Station Board (LSB), referred to the Bylaws at one of the few LSB meetings she attended last year as “your Bylaws”, (what would Freud have to say about that “slip”), and the current Interim Program Director (IPD), wrote in an e-mail in 2004 that “the Bylaws are a disaster”.
This “FriendRaiser” exposes their negative attitude toward the Listener Democracy embodied in our Bylaws. Management sent out six suggested mini-plugs and 17 bullet points for the use on air during the FriendRaiser. Nowhere in this five pages of single spaced material is there any mention that your donation of $25.00 or more will make you a voting member for LSB elections or any mention of our democratic governance.
Hear is a pitch from the Morning Show, October 10, 2003, when the first election was coming up and management (different IGM representing same small group’s interests) hadn’t completely decided that they were against listener involvement in governance: “…if you give us $25.00 right now that will qualify you for a vote in the upcoming station board elections, our attempt to democratize this network, something unprecedented in this country. You can be a part of that by subscribing right now, $25.00 qualifies you for that ….” Despite management’s clear intent to leave it out of the FriendRaiser, and everything at the station that they can, as detailed below, a few programmers have mentioned it in passing. Thank you.
One of the Bullet Points was to let listeners know that as a $60.00 “friend” you would get programs by Jim Hightower, the “God is Great” debate, Naomi Klein etc. None of these have ever been played for all to hear! Except the teaser portions!
Management’s defacto gag rule on the LSB and democratic governance is demonstrated in many ways. They and their LSB supporters, previously KPFAForword, and now Concerned Listeners(CL) desired to let the LSB Show disappear a couple of years ago and I took it upon myself to make sure that didn’t happen. Since I have left the LSB a few Shows have not been produced. Seldom does the LSB Show get much, if any, on air promotion. It is often not mentioned on the web site list of upcoming programs. On a few occasions when the LSB Show landed during a Fund Drive it was preempted despite my offer to have the show do fundraising with our audience. The preempted show times were given to members of the previously secret management strategy group exposed by Brian Edwards-Tiekert’s infamous e-mail that suggested, “dismantling the LSB” and the Karl Rove practice “how do we make our enemies own the problems that are to come? Perfect examples of anti-transparency and avoiding accountability! Why do you think KPFA doesn’t have a wide open call-in talk show?
The following people were in that group that was discussing “dismantling the LSB” and blaming all the problems on their enemies: current IGM Lemlem Rijio, IPD Sasha Lilley, LSB Treasurer Brian Edwards-Tiekert, and two CL folks from that group are on the Pacifica National Board (PNB), Bonnie Simmons and Chair of the PNB, Sherry Gendelman.
The LSB meetings generally don’t get the Bylaws required multiple prime time on-air notices. At a KPFA Peace Awards event, shortly after the 2006 LSB election, there was NO mention of the LSB or the just completed election. Management only invited their LSB supporters, despite publicly promising to invite the entire LSB, after not doing so the previous year. La Varn Williams (LSB & PNB Treasurer) and I (Chair of the LSB) were not invited. We were allowed to attend when they didn’t have enough people and made an announcement about it a couple days before the event.
Management has eliminated democratic centers of power at the station. The Program Council (PC), made up of listeners, staff, LSB members and management, used to have democratic decision making power regarding new programs and review of old programs. When Sasha Lilley was appointed IPD, she eliminated the PC power over programming. That power had been in effect for several years and had been confirmed by an LSB motion in May 2004 at the same time the LSB voted to support the PC’s decision to move Democracy Now! to prime time, 7-8a.m. and move the morning show to 8-10. I believe that those two decisions mark the time where this management group consolidated their anti-listener democracy attitude. Their group wanted total control of the program grid! They have also refused to recognize the Unpaid Staff Organization, (200+ unpaid staff members) despite a vote by both the LSB and the PNB to recognize it.
Coming soon, articles on the Pacifica Financial mess and who is responsible, and the irony of the methods used by some in the KPFA/Pacifica power struggles.
Richard Phelps
Former Chair KPFA Local Station Board
Please support the station. Just don’t buy the things they are selling and tell them to play them when they happen, for all to hear. That is, after all, KPFA’s Mission.
Instead of being a community, FREE SPEECH, station that records events to promptly play them back for all to hear, they are recorded and held to create scarcity so they can be sold. Much like the oil companies withholding production so they can raise the price of gas. How friendly is this?
In the spirit of Pacifica it would seem that an honest direct approach to fundraising would be best. However, that would require honesty, transparency and accountability from a management that doesn’t practice these principles. The current Interim General Manager (IGM), an ex officio member of the Local Station Board (LSB), referred to the Bylaws at one of the few LSB meetings she attended last year as “your Bylaws”, (what would Freud have to say about that “slip”), and the current Interim Program Director (IPD), wrote in an e-mail in 2004 that “the Bylaws are a disaster”.
This “FriendRaiser” exposes their negative attitude toward the Listener Democracy embodied in our Bylaws. Management sent out six suggested mini-plugs and 17 bullet points for the use on air during the FriendRaiser. Nowhere in this five pages of single spaced material is there any mention that your donation of $25.00 or more will make you a voting member for LSB elections or any mention of our democratic governance.
Hear is a pitch from the Morning Show, October 10, 2003, when the first election was coming up and management (different IGM representing same small group’s interests) hadn’t completely decided that they were against listener involvement in governance: “…if you give us $25.00 right now that will qualify you for a vote in the upcoming station board elections, our attempt to democratize this network, something unprecedented in this country. You can be a part of that by subscribing right now, $25.00 qualifies you for that ….” Despite management’s clear intent to leave it out of the FriendRaiser, and everything at the station that they can, as detailed below, a few programmers have mentioned it in passing. Thank you.
One of the Bullet Points was to let listeners know that as a $60.00 “friend” you would get programs by Jim Hightower, the “God is Great” debate, Naomi Klein etc. None of these have ever been played for all to hear! Except the teaser portions!
Management’s defacto gag rule on the LSB and democratic governance is demonstrated in many ways. They and their LSB supporters, previously KPFAForword, and now Concerned Listeners(CL) desired to let the LSB Show disappear a couple of years ago and I took it upon myself to make sure that didn’t happen. Since I have left the LSB a few Shows have not been produced. Seldom does the LSB Show get much, if any, on air promotion. It is often not mentioned on the web site list of upcoming programs. On a few occasions when the LSB Show landed during a Fund Drive it was preempted despite my offer to have the show do fundraising with our audience. The preempted show times were given to members of the previously secret management strategy group exposed by Brian Edwards-Tiekert’s infamous e-mail that suggested, “dismantling the LSB” and the Karl Rove practice “how do we make our enemies own the problems that are to come? Perfect examples of anti-transparency and avoiding accountability! Why do you think KPFA doesn’t have a wide open call-in talk show?
The following people were in that group that was discussing “dismantling the LSB” and blaming all the problems on their enemies: current IGM Lemlem Rijio, IPD Sasha Lilley, LSB Treasurer Brian Edwards-Tiekert, and two CL folks from that group are on the Pacifica National Board (PNB), Bonnie Simmons and Chair of the PNB, Sherry Gendelman.
The LSB meetings generally don’t get the Bylaws required multiple prime time on-air notices. At a KPFA Peace Awards event, shortly after the 2006 LSB election, there was NO mention of the LSB or the just completed election. Management only invited their LSB supporters, despite publicly promising to invite the entire LSB, after not doing so the previous year. La Varn Williams (LSB & PNB Treasurer) and I (Chair of the LSB) were not invited. We were allowed to attend when they didn’t have enough people and made an announcement about it a couple days before the event.
Management has eliminated democratic centers of power at the station. The Program Council (PC), made up of listeners, staff, LSB members and management, used to have democratic decision making power regarding new programs and review of old programs. When Sasha Lilley was appointed IPD, she eliminated the PC power over programming. That power had been in effect for several years and had been confirmed by an LSB motion in May 2004 at the same time the LSB voted to support the PC’s decision to move Democracy Now! to prime time, 7-8a.m. and move the morning show to 8-10. I believe that those two decisions mark the time where this management group consolidated their anti-listener democracy attitude. Their group wanted total control of the program grid! They have also refused to recognize the Unpaid Staff Organization, (200+ unpaid staff members) despite a vote by both the LSB and the PNB to recognize it.
Coming soon, articles on the Pacifica Financial mess and who is responsible, and the irony of the methods used by some in the KPFA/Pacifica power struggles.
Richard Phelps
Former Chair KPFA Local Station Board
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Comments
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One alternative is, obviously, to donate as much as you can afford, and decline the gift.
If a speech is the gift for a $120 donation, give the $120 and decline the gift.
It would save KPFA the cost of the premium that it offers for the donation level.
Nothing stops anyone from doing that, Richard.
If the idea is to discourage members from giving larger donations to KPFA, I suppose your constant haranguing makes sense. But why don't you try to raise money for the station instead of discouraging others from doing so?
If a speech is the gift for a $120 donation, give the $120 and decline the gift.
It would save KPFA the cost of the premium that it offers for the donation level.
Nothing stops anyone from doing that, Richard.
If the idea is to discourage members from giving larger donations to KPFA, I suppose your constant haranguing makes sense. But why don't you try to raise money for the station instead of discouraging others from doing so?
My primary concern is that KPFA's management is not playing numerous speeches and other public affairs programs for all to hear. They are holding them back to make them scarce to $ELL them. Is everything for sale at KPFA? How about our MI$$ION?
It seems clear that the current management and their Concerned Li$tener supporters, who have condoned and supported this practice, have SOLD OUT the MISSION for $$$$$. Why? Because their patronage and cronyism practices for control won't allow them to make the changes necessary to have broad mass support in the Bay Area. They have lost 5,000 subscriber in the last 5 years while increasing the payroll 50%. To them control and fund raising is much more important than our Mission! How backward! How coprorate can they be!
If they were really dedicated to the Mission and our democratic Bylaws the people of the Bay Area would support the station without the need to hold back public affairs programs to SELL them!
As I have said many times and their supporters ignore when they attack me in a disingenuous fashion, sorta like John McCain's folks talking about the success of the surge, ignoring the truth, that I have no problem with selling these programs to those who want to buy them AS LONG AS THEY PLAY THEM IN A TIMELY FASHION FOR ALL TO HEAR. That is our Mission!!
There are enough class/wealth divisions in our society. KPFA should not be creating one for public affairs programs based on who can afford to purchase them. Our Mission is to get that information, which the corporate media doesn't want people to hear, out to as many people as possible! Not to SELL it to the few that will buy it!!!!!
Richard Phelps, for real Free Speech Radio where you would hear a George Lakoff, Michael Eric Dyson, or Naomi Klein speech or the "God is Great" debate, etc. shortly after they happen! Not when you have the money to buy them and the 6-8 weeks wait for delivery!
As always I say to these anonymous Mission Pretenders, aka Neo-Pacificans, I will gladly debate you in public if you are not to afraid to expose your anti-Mission views and your identity to public scrutiny.
It seems clear that the current management and their Concerned Li$tener supporters, who have condoned and supported this practice, have SOLD OUT the MISSION for $$$$$. Why? Because their patronage and cronyism practices for control won't allow them to make the changes necessary to have broad mass support in the Bay Area. They have lost 5,000 subscriber in the last 5 years while increasing the payroll 50%. To them control and fund raising is much more important than our Mission! How backward! How coprorate can they be!
If they were really dedicated to the Mission and our democratic Bylaws the people of the Bay Area would support the station without the need to hold back public affairs programs to SELL them!
As I have said many times and their supporters ignore when they attack me in a disingenuous fashion, sorta like John McCain's folks talking about the success of the surge, ignoring the truth, that I have no problem with selling these programs to those who want to buy them AS LONG AS THEY PLAY THEM IN A TIMELY FASHION FOR ALL TO HEAR. That is our Mission!!
There are enough class/wealth divisions in our society. KPFA should not be creating one for public affairs programs based on who can afford to purchase them. Our Mission is to get that information, which the corporate media doesn't want people to hear, out to as many people as possible! Not to SELL it to the few that will buy it!!!!!
Richard Phelps, for real Free Speech Radio where you would hear a George Lakoff, Michael Eric Dyson, or Naomi Klein speech or the "God is Great" debate, etc. shortly after they happen! Not when you have the money to buy them and the 6-8 weeks wait for delivery!
As always I say to these anonymous Mission Pretenders, aka Neo-Pacificans, I will gladly debate you in public if you are not to afraid to expose your anti-Mission views and your identity to public scrutiny.
I do agree with Richard Phelp's commentary . i do belong to KPFA. I always vote. I am sorry to say that i didn't not vote for Richard the last election . A mailing from the Labor council and phone calls from Labor council staff members persuaded me not to .
i do not understand why it isn't mentioned that membership or this friendship in KPFA gives you the right to vote for the Stations Executive board . Is there any explanation for this from KPFA's officers ?
i think that the current leaders care a lot more for upper class progressives than for those who earn a hourly wage .
Take my case . Our mortage is around $1700 a month . Other bills like PGand E, Water, Phone , Car payments cost us another $500. My wife works 32 hours a week for Lucky's . A union job but her hours have been cut by 20%. She makes about $20 an hour .
I make only about $18 an hour working for a small City Govt.
Therefore we can not afford $120 plus for every very interesting preminum every couple of months . Once there was a debate between a political leader from Scotland George Galloway and a Bush supporter. We were especially interested in that since my wife's parents came from Scotland and my wife follows events there on the net .
We thought that it was ok for it to be offered during a fund drive but we expected it be played in full afterwards . To the best of our knowledge it never was. Why ?
I would like to read a response to all of this from KPfa's managers . I think that the Labor Council candidates should say where they stand on this issue .
It will affect our vote next election .
i do not understand why it isn't mentioned that membership or this friendship in KPFA gives you the right to vote for the Stations Executive board . Is there any explanation for this from KPFA's officers ?
i think that the current leaders care a lot more for upper class progressives than for those who earn a hourly wage .
Take my case . Our mortage is around $1700 a month . Other bills like PGand E, Water, Phone , Car payments cost us another $500. My wife works 32 hours a week for Lucky's . A union job but her hours have been cut by 20%. She makes about $20 an hour .
I make only about $18 an hour working for a small City Govt.
Therefore we can not afford $120 plus for every very interesting preminum every couple of months . Once there was a debate between a political leader from Scotland George Galloway and a Bush supporter. We were especially interested in that since my wife's parents came from Scotland and my wife follows events there on the net .
We thought that it was ok for it to be offered during a fund drive but we expected it be played in full afterwards . To the best of our knowledge it never was. Why ?
I would like to read a response to all of this from KPfa's managers . I think that the Labor Council candidates should say where they stand on this issue .
It will affect our vote next election .
Is KPFA Programming really ''alternative '' ? Sometimes but not always . When CNN was forced to interrupt their ''blow by blow'' coverage (pardon the pun ) of the stunning revelation that a prominent politician had some extra-marital action for the very dangerous war between Russia and Georgia i naturally wondered what KPFA would say about it. One would think that with all the probably thousands of KPFA listeners that have travelled to the former USSR and with resouces like Bill Mandel and Les Radke easily accessable that 94.1 would counter the bullshit coming from the corporate media . BUT they didn't . Philip Malderi had the Russian correspondent for Business Week on to put forth his predicable pro-US Govt. opinions .
The news wasn't any better, with several Corporate think tank expert backing the State dept. line .
As usual is was left to Amy Goodman to offer alternative viewpoints . (I do expect Guns and Butter to do the same this week . Perhaps Flashpoints did yesterday . I missed their broadcast ) I think this aping of the Corporate media (which happens often) contradicts our reason to exist . .
What can be done about this situation ? (As well as the issues that Phelps raise) Despite what a Concerned Listener spokewoman said at the Board meeting last week, that the board has absolutely no say over programming ,that's not quite true . Several years ago the LSB passed a resolution affirming the right of a democratic representative program council to make programming decisions . However the current program director Sasha Lilly stripped the Program council of any decision making powers , decreeing that it be strictly ''advisory ''. If the lsb wasn't dominated by the KPFA Mgmt. allied'' Concerned Listeners'' they would demand it's reinstatement .
As re this article it seems to me and many others that this ''alternative Home shopping network '' approach to fundraising also violates the mission of Pacifica .
it's no rhetorical exaggeration to say it's time for a new '' Take Back KPFA ''.
The news wasn't any better, with several Corporate think tank expert backing the State dept. line .
As usual is was left to Amy Goodman to offer alternative viewpoints . (I do expect Guns and Butter to do the same this week . Perhaps Flashpoints did yesterday . I missed their broadcast ) I think this aping of the Corporate media (which happens often) contradicts our reason to exist . .
What can be done about this situation ? (As well as the issues that Phelps raise) Despite what a Concerned Listener spokewoman said at the Board meeting last week, that the board has absolutely no say over programming ,that's not quite true . Several years ago the LSB passed a resolution affirming the right of a democratic representative program council to make programming decisions . However the current program director Sasha Lilly stripped the Program council of any decision making powers , decreeing that it be strictly ''advisory ''. If the lsb wasn't dominated by the KPFA Mgmt. allied'' Concerned Listeners'' they would demand it's reinstatement .
As re this article it seems to me and many others that this ''alternative Home shopping network '' approach to fundraising also violates the mission of Pacifica .
it's no rhetorical exaggeration to say it's time for a new '' Take Back KPFA ''.
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