KPFK's elections for LSB have few voters, so who represents us ?

this is a quote from the KPFK home page, and it sounds like people maybe DONT CARE... or just dont vote... or are jaded and alienated from their radio station. Why is this happening this way? How can the station sustain itself financially if there is such a lack of involvement or interest in the way the station is run and managed ? [ There was no date to that posting, as most items on the website are not easily identified. ]

http://www.kpfk.org/ as accessed on October 19, 2009.

"Over 17, 000 ballots were mailed out to our eligible KPFK Listener-Membership. LESS THAN 1,200 BALLOTS HAVE BEEN RETURNED! All ballots are due back to KPFK by Thursday, October 15th. [snip] Your vote is your voice... Even if you do not agree with our democratic election process... YOUR VOTE STILL COUNTS! Speak out by simply returning a blank ballot... It's THAT IMPORTANT."

from the main Pacifica site, here is what LSB duties are required as listed=
http://www.pacificafoundation.org/elections/the-candidates/lsb-duties.html



[All those who are finally elected should be held to account for how each and every one of them adheres and accomplishes those duties and responsibilities listed below, or else they must be reprimanded, put on temporary probation or then removed if failing in their responsibilities. It is not just an ego-trip of title but actual work accomplishment that MUST BE DONE WELL to remain 'representing' the rest of those who cannot be on the LSB themselves.


Also, members must inquire, go out to become informed about many many various communities, elicit information of relevant groups, and then attempt to fairly and honestly REPRESENT those views and needs to the rest of the LSB membership. Discussion and agreements come out of INFORMED members, not those who like to vent their own personal political slants and ambitions.


Any member who does not actually extend their base and input beyond themselves should be admonished and left without a vote since it may be only a '1 person vote' that is negligible and uncountable. Do not allow the LSB become a private club of people who voice only their own desires, while merely pretending to represent any other large group[s]...hopefully more than merely one group at that. ]

"Local Station Boards have the following duties and responsibilities:

• Actively reaching out to under-represented communities to help the station serve a diversity of all races, creeds, colors and nations, classes, genders and sexual orientations and ages. The Local Station Board is also directed to help build collaborative relations with organizations working for similar purposes.

• Assisting the station in fundraising activities.

• Conducting at least 2 Town Hall style meetings each year. These are devoted to hearing listeners' views, needs, and concerns. Performing community needs assessments, or seeing to it that separate "Community Advisory Committees" are formed to do so.

• Working with station management to ensure that station programming fulfills the purposes of the Foundation and is responsive to the diverse needs of the listeners (demographic) and communities (geographic) served by the station, and that station policies and procedures for making programming decisions and for program evaluation are working in a fair, collaborative and respectful manner to provide quality programming.

• Reviewing and approving the radio station's budget.

• Screening and selecting a pool of candidates for the position of Program Director at each radio station. The General Manager must make a hire from this pool of candidates.

• Writing annual evaluations on the job performances of the radio station's General Manager and Program Director.

• Screening and selecting a pool of candidates for the position of General Manager from which the Pacifica Foundation Executive Director (ED) must hire.

• Ensuring that the station works diligently towards the goal of diversity in staffing at all levels and maintenance of a discrimination-free atmosphere in the workplace.

These Local Station Boards also have the following national responsibilities:

• Electing 4 members to serve as directors of the Pacifica Foundation which manages the radio stations in New York, Washington, D.C., Houston, Los Angeles and Berkeley. The Local Station Board can recall these Foundation directors by a 2/3 vote.

• The Local Station Board also appoints from its own membership representatives to serve on the committees of the National Foundation which review finances, programming, governance and other matters essential to the operation of the network.

Each individual member of a Local Station Board should expect to attend monthly board meetings and actively serve on Local Station Board committees."

(C) 2009 kpfk00commentators.blogspot.com

KPFK is suppose to have a Community Advisory Board, but does it ?

Saturday, Oct. 11, 2008 [also written on www.la.indymedia.org]

Open Letter to KPFK's Community Advisory Committee [CAB] -and to the station's staff about lack of station's oversight of it's duties to inform all interested KPFK members about this required committee:

Open Letter to KPFK's Community Advisory Committee [CAB] :

[Repeated emails have been sent to the GM, to CAB at the KPFK station address and to specific individuals who were to lead this committee. There have been 3-4 prior requests for information from these sources with no responses from any one at all, leaving the impression that there is 'no one there' or 'no one who cares' to fulfill the obligations the station is required to maintain. The following is a copy of the last email sent again on 10/11/08]]

"This is a 4th Inquiry about the CAB meetings, with never a response from anyone at all to my prior requests for information. Is this personal discrimination ?........or sheer neglect and dysfunctional systems ?

"This is the 3rd month that I am inquiring and checking to find a CAB KPFK meeting and there is NO SPECIFIC INFORMATION given ...except this general blurb now on website, that was NOT posted there earlier. [Interestingly There is no indication of when it was posted either.]

"The KPFK Community Advisory Board meets the last Thursday of the month at 7:00PM at the KPFK Station All of these meetings are open to the public. "

"THERE IS NO NOTATION ON EVENTS CALENDAR [nor were there for Aug or Sept either ] that does list other meetings such as LSB. How is this possible ? Why is there no information given about specific dates, or if a meeting IS happening in this month of October [or August or September, when there was also NO responses at all from anyone to my questions about a meeting ]

"If there is a new chairperson, are they not responsible at all for insuring that alll KPFK people are directly and openly INFORMED so they can participate, unless that person has chosen to deliberately leave me out by refusing to respond ? [ Or is no one checking their listed "CAB@kpfk.org" email site ? which is not likely]

"This is a shameful and despicable neglect or sign that the CAB is not of value or is discriminatory but pretending to be inclusive. Whatever is Wrong with this committee or the station's oversight of anything that is 'required' but not happening properly or fairly, or it's chosen leaders, this persistence on my part to elicit information seems futile.

"The Public Corporation for Broadcasting may need to be notified about the absence of this committee's proper functioning or the station's staff chosing to ignore it's obligations.

"The main phone line listed on the website for CAB information is responded to by a person who said they did NOT KNOW anything about such a meeting, it's date or it's leaders.

"Why is this main KPFK phone number listed for information if none is available ?"

from a dedicated kpfker who refuses to just 'go away'

[Note: None of the emails below sent to same addresses at station have ever been answered in any way - the info therein may be relevant tho ]
- - - - - - - - - - - -
Date sent : Tuesday, September 16, 2008, 10:39 PM

This is an email that was never responded to by anyone, and is there a Sept CAB meeting happening ?
Please have the courtesy of sending a response. thank you.
- - - - - - - - - - -- - - - -

Date sent : Thursday, September 5, 2008, 12:28 AM

did you have an August CAB meeting ? I kept checking KPFK website and also indymedia and saw nothing nor heard about it happening or being cancelled. Yet I heard an on-air announcement about CAB to call front desk but w/o specific info. No one who answered phone knew anything about a meeting. What is happening ? Care to let me know if you have the time ? thanks
- - - - - - - -- -
Date sent Sept 6, 2008 :

I have written but had no reply to date, tho chairperson [and secretary ] may be too busy to deal with these type of inquiries. Also, I presume there were minutes written up, from the July meetings and then August one too....and I would like to know where these are posted for everyone involved with KPFK to be able to see and learn what is being done, discussed or planned.

In order to insure that a wide range of communities are able to attend and contribute,to know which groups are currently being represented, which are so far excluded or not in,which groups are desired, and who is doing outreach to groups in any specific ways ? It is important for this group to share what it is and how it works, to interest others, perhaps.

Can this also be shared information, outside of attending the meetings or only sent to those who actually were able to attend tha meeting ?

It may be possible that there are others too who cannot easily come to No. Hollywood on a Thurs night - for whatever reason - and would still like to not be totally excluded or out of the loop. I have already specifically informed other groups that are 'communities' and I am encouraging them to attend CAB as well, hoping to expand the ways that diversity can broaden the participation.

My concern is also that someone claiming 'representation of a group' may be limited to those who are regular KPFK volutneers/subscribers already. Maybe that is the exent of representation that CAB desires ? Please do not leave out the great majority of the 'other' populations that are also dedicated listeners and maybe potential sponsors of this station- to have CAB and KPFK to be a fuller & broader - creating "real representation' of even more 'communities' .

Some special programs may elicit followers who might not know but are needed to fill the diversity of interested parties advising the station as well. It is also important to know how "representation" is defined and accepted, so that not just personal points of views predominate. Anyone can say "I represent...."whatever age, culture, race, occupation, education, whatever and it may not be actual 'representation' but rather self- identification [including a their few special friends, or others] instead.

Is there some information that the KPFK receptionist is giving to anyone who does respond to the on-air general announcement, because when I telephoned, the person who answered did not know anything, not even that these gen'l CAB blurbs are being aired.

Please respond to my concerns and questions, or forward this email to whomever is willing to give us all more information about this CAB opportunity to do some good.
- - - - - - - --
[dead silence is not a good sign]