Hello, this is KPFK....oh, there is NO ANSWER ever !

[This Open Letter was written to the general manager of KPFK at the only identifiable email address allowed - "comments@kfpk.org" - the 1 place to send any questions / suggestions / information / inquiries / or make any attempt to contact someone who is not specifically an overburdened staff person [remember recent layoffs and reductions ?] or a programmer.

Staff when written to also do NOT respond at all. Anyone wanting to Offer anything - information, speakers, resources, and there is only silence to the desire to be heard or be of help to Our Station's functiong better.

Programmers also do not respond to emails either. Never have any even said "thanks for writing" or referred to another place for our concerns. We've written. We've called. We've tried. We've almost given up.]
- - - - - - - - -

The issue is NO INFORMATION IS AVAILABLE on the website, or where else ?
[easily or even searchable] and there is no one apparently 'response-able' at the station to respond to any questions or concerns from those who pay to keep KPFK going.

Only information is what is heard 'on-air'. From inside KPFK out here to the rest of us. 1 way only "= no response needed ?"

The volunteer receptionists do not know answers and while they try to be helpful, they are also basically uninformed and so only 'take messages' that do not ever get replied.

COMMITTEE MEETINGS are suppose to be open to the listener-sponsors to attend. But...

Please advise any one who may be responsible that the listings are NOT PUT ON the KPFK WEBSITE in a timely fashion to inform any of us out here in radioland just when the next committee and board meetings are being held... oh, they may be listed lalter, much later, but if made visible only late in the month it is a deterrent to having listeners attend... and how many times must an interested person return to 'check again',and again, to see "is it on their website yet ? when is it ? where is it ? why was it not announced visibly sooner ?"

Go ! look it up right now [2/23/09] to see that there is NOTHING listed for the month of March. No meetings are listed, and it is 5 days from end of Feb. Why is anyone waiting to give the audiences the ACCESS to attend meetings ?

Tho the February calendar was checked at beginning of Feb month, again, nothing was announced there and only after mid-month or later and the meetings were already past were they on the Events calendar and thus were un-attendable by any non-members. That means no KPFK sponsor could listen in to find out what is being discussed or decided by those "in charge".

In addition, the KPFK website lists a link to make PROGRAM COMMENTS, but those who use library comuters cannot access the link nor even find it's address when clicked because the library does not have it's own email programs set up.

Are you all deliberately excluding all those - who are concerned and interested listener-funders -who really want to communicate or attend the governance, finance, program coucil,LSB and any other committees and board meetings ?

It sure seems so...in so many ways

It was stated that someone from the LSB would see the comments made ...if one wrote to "program comments" and it was cuddly called 'a comments corner' to reach the ears of the LSB ....however, it does NOT go to the LSB member [and receptionist at KPFK] or whoever is suppose to receive a copy of these comments... again, how does one reach the LSB ?

or is it deliberate to protect any & all LSB members from those they are suppose to be representing... as there is no place on KPFK's website to be found where they can be actually accessed ?

No LSB email address is visible, findable. It is not clearly or easily locatable - even by searching, scrolling, returning, seeing the word "LSB" link on left of webpage and not having an email available from those contents either ....
So searching logically no LSB access address or phone was found - showing inaccessibility again. Are the LSB and other committees hiding behind their obvious lack of access from us it's station sponsors for some power-playing reasons ?

Please inform all of those KPFK people concerned about both these matters- as these difficulties have been written and asked about before - If there is no way to know our mail to "comments@kpfk.org, gm@kpfk.org" is received, or answered in any way, for so long now, why are there NO IMPROVEMENTS OR CHANGES to allow us the shareholders into the conversation that affects our lives and wallets ?

is this called transparency ?
honesty ? real communications [ or different than the 'other' corporations ?]
honest representation ?
or is any one else's free-speech locked out except those already inside the powerbox that radios out to the rest of this world, to only listen and be glad we have that much ?

the result is ill-will- not good will - engendered to KPFK as a closed corporation that has no feedback process, no accountability to it's sponsor-payees, no alliances formed that would create the desire to fund in greater $$$$ amounts.

This policy of hiding behind the 1-way website and 1-way programming on air is one that thus breeds lisitener resentment instead of loyalty, and it breeds distrust instead of cooperation, which all results in more lack of desire to send in money at fund drive-bys. And since the on-air image is one of some dedication to its KPFK listeners, the inability to get any response or find a place where to insure a concern is heard instead becomes an image of KPFK's management's hypocrisy.

Is this what is wanted and is this what the "visions" paper read by our GM [represnting the rest of Pacifica's GMs] at PNB meetings said they would do ?

Who is not doing oversight to produce all these LACK OF COMMUNICATIONS problems ?

Or maybe does the staff/station want to admit openly and State It On The Air too that KPFK is only a 1-way out station with no direct accountability or responsibility to it's sponsors/shareholders ?

Only when a provocative or excitable topic is put on by a programmer is there on occasion some listener calls coming in - is this the only kind of response possible at this community station ?

Note: There are NO RESPONSES TO EMAILS, or TO VOICE MAILS, or TO LEFT MSGS with receptionists.

Is that a KPFK bunker to hide within from 'the public' you treasure and ultimately need to pay your salaries?? We only "know you" 4x year when begging for money is repeated endlessly and programs inducing fear and anxiety are played [no matter how old or irrelevant - the emotionally aroused anxiety makes people pay attention and then maybe out of fear they will send their meager paychecks. [Replaying old protests & uprisings just to get a rise out of listeners probably works to trick them back into fear and anger and loathing...scare them into sending in money ? ]

But when a direct question is asked, silence. No sounds emerge from KPFK. Why is that ?

Also: when changes are made that make communications even more confusing and difficult, how do the concerned KPFK sponsors find out ? ....for example.

an email sent to the General Manager,[ who up to now was listed as "gm@kpfk.org"] was returned as undeliverable. Searching further and longer for why? on the KPFK website under "staff" heading was a new e-address now listed. But when did this change ? How much searching must anyone do to get thru ?

Was there too much mail to the GM before, the same new manager that had the "GM@kpfk.org" address just a short while ago ?....does this change make it easier to discourage and divert incoming mailers and thus ignore them ?
How much work searching is needed to write to the non-accessible management of the station to which all sponsors & volunteers contribute so much to?
So yes, a new address was finally found, called "sean@kpfk.org" later. How cute. But who knew? Why is the management so ineffective as to make it so much more difficult to write to him ? Or maybe it is purposeful ? maybe......

how confusing....when the theme of the attempted email was exactly about that - the difficulty in COMMUNICATING with anyone at KPFK and knowing it had arrived, was seen, or maybe read, or ignored, or deleted, or whatever .... nothing comes out except "on air" asking for monies and programs, but no actual responsiveness to the listeners ...what is wrong there ???

expect an answer ?

dont be stupid. KPFK does not intend to give any of us anything but it's own version of THE "Truth" and does NOT want to hear anything else back. Or any other versions of truth either.

nothing !

pacifica sites to look thru....any time...and we need to coordinate all this mishmash

use it or lose it....

it's so difficult to find what is happening to our corporation, our stations, our so called 'management' ....this is a search results...please someone else follow up on more and share it also !
- - - - - - - --

pacifica's web main page with some news items on it too - last posting dec 2008 re death...

http://www.pacificanetwork.org/radio/component/option,com_frontpage/Itemid,1/
pacifica orgs...

http://www.pacificanetwork.org/radio/content/section/7/42/ networks included
contact us =

Name Position Phone
Nicole Sawaya Executive Director 510-849-2590
Ursula Ruedenberg Affiliate Coordinator 718 857 2394
Nathan Moore National Program Coordinator 202 588 0999
Verna Avery Brown Washington Bureau Chief 202 588 0999 x349
Jon Almeleh National Technical Director
Pete Korakis Website Project Manager 718 857 2394
Michael Yoshida KU Satellite Operator 510-848-6767 x218

- - - - -
http://www.pacifica.org/

-------
an old doc with programs listed, no date noted= "pacificradio.files....."
http://209.85.173.132/search?q=cache:6wVVTGjCX2wJ:pacificaradio.files.wordpress.com/2008/04/pacifica-syndicated-program-directory_april2008.pdf+pacifica+radio&hl=en&ct=clnk&cd=39&gl=us
- - - - - -

In the first book-length study of Pacifica Radio, Lasar recounts the history of "our .... `Pacifica Radio: The Rise of an Alternative Network' recounts the ...
www.amazon.com/Pacifica-Radio-2E-American-Subjects/dp/1566397774 -

- - - - - - --
www.pacificafoundation.org/pnb/content/view/89/13/ foundation
- - - -- - - -

Pacifica Radio: What Went Wrong? By Greg Guma
Nov 18, 2008 ... Faced with layoffs, a crash crunch, lawsuits, and a long-term decline in listenership, the National Board of Pacifica Radio, the original ...
www.countercurrents.org/guma181108.htm
- - - - - - -- - - -

radio 4 all http://www.radio4all.net/
-----

lists of public radio stations
http://www.publicradiofan.com/cgibin/source..pl?cmd=ps&sourceid=36
- - - - - - -

reclaim the media last post Oct 07 OLD re pacifica Nicole Sagawa
http://www.reclaimthemedia.org/grassroots_media/pacifica_radios_second_chance%3D5485

Community radio stations from Alaska to Oregon came together in Sept. 06 to form a regional network for locally-rooted great radio, at the Northwest Community Radio Summit. Reclaim the Media is helping to catalyze this project.

for jan 09 = http://www.reclaimthemedia.org/blog/communityradio
- - - - - - --

archives
adioarchives.com/search/index.html

2009 LOCAL STATION BOARD ROSTER- found !

found it !
the "2009 LOCAL STATION BOARD ROSTER"

after much searching I found this on our [we are shareholders, supporters, sponsors and payees of this station, it is OUR airwaves and our funds that hold up this secretive and paranoid-like radio station. This was dis-covered on the KPFK website 2/7/09. so why is it not so easy to find ?

and how does anyone reach any these people is NOT LISTED. Only a small site called "program comments" is claimed, but not actually so, a way to reach perhaps maybe maybenot LSB members....no addresses even at KPFK website are given for these people. No phone number. No voice mail. No nutin'

so who do each of these listed "representatives" actually represent ? Where is any of that information given or made public ?
- - - - - - - - - -
LSB Committees and Rosters

Grace Aaron (Director)
David Adelson
Jonathan Alexander
Yolanda Anguiano
Christopher Bayard Condon (LSB Vice-Chair)
Israel Feuer
Sherna Gluck
Jan Goodman
Sean Heitkemper (General Manager)
Ian Johnston©
Rufina Juarez
Tracy Larkins
Ali Lexa
Shawn Casey O'Brien (Director)
Reza Pour
Margaret Prescod
Leslie Radford (Director)
Summer Reese (LSB Treasurer)
Ricco Ross (Director)
Linda Sutton
Donna Warren
Steve Weatherwax (LSB Chair)
Gabrielle Woods
Yosh Yamanaka
Lamont Yeakey

will somneone please find out more on how 'the public' can access their represenatives named above ?

Secrets at KPFK and Pacifica ? maybe so.

this is a partial repost from
http://www.salon.com/opinion/greenwald/

"One of the principal instruments used by the Bush administration to shield itself from the rule of law was its abuse of the "state secrets" privilege. What had in the past been a narrow presidential power designed to prevent the use in court of specific pieces of classified evidence became, in the hands of Bush lawyers, a blunt weapon used to block courts from ruling on the legality of entire programs"

can this be said also about secrets at KPFK and Pacifica as well?

a KPFK dissenter also writes =

repost from la.indymedia.org from another author= see it all at:

http://la.indymedia.org/news/2009/01/223638_comment.php#223642

"KPFK: SECRET DEALS AND CHICKEN THIEVES: THE RAID ON KPFK
by Lawrence Reyes Friday, Jan. 09, 2009

Our station KPFK and the Pacifica Network are being primed for a take over by a collection of Non-Profiteers that was set in motion by the Committee To Strengthen KPFK.

A simple google search will take you to Their website - which illegitimately uses the KPFK Call letters to induce listeners to fund there operations with a PayPal set up, even as the station and the Network struggle to sustain themselves in a time of crisis. Where is the Money going?

Some of us saw it coming. We were running as a loose coalition of candidates for seats on the board of the non-commercial station, and we couldn’t miss what was shaping up as we watched the “Committee To Strengthen KPFK” align itself with the International Center For Humanities to rake in donations to finance their campaigns for the KPFK local station board, even as they curried favor and allies from among and staff and Programmers to take over the board.

In so doing they introduced all of the unfairness and imbalance inherent in unregulated campaign financing into the local political culture – the fishbowl, really - of not- for-profit, progressive community radio.

Other candidates, no matter how qualified, well meaning, honest and experienced, stood no chance against the campaign juggernaut financed by the thousands of dollars the “Committee” used to buy the access to KPFK voter roles - roles that candidates without outside financing could not see or touch. The election was for sale. The list of voters was for rent, and, as always, those with the gold ruled the day.

We see it all of the time in other elections; this is how it comes to pass that the poor, the working class, people of color, and all of the other “Others” are “underrepresented” – disenfranchised is the word. I was one of those “Others.”

Unlike the Committee to Strengthen KPFK, my politics are not of the pro-Democratic Party, neo-liberal “light”, Euro-centric liberal variety. Like many – if not most – KPFK listeners, I’m one of the “dissenters.” Like most KPFK Listeners, I remain an outsider, against my will, and largely unrepresented in KPFK’s supposed “Representative Listener-Democracy.” The Committee to Strengthen KPFK took over the board in a rigged election – and it’s important to look at what they have come to represent. By now, the Committee and its allies on the Pacifica National Board have brought the network to a tipping point.

The future of KPFK and Pacifica as a voice of honest dissent and independent journalism is at stake. Even our flagship national programs - Democracy Now! and Free Speech Radio News have not been paid, and no one knows where the money has gone. In the meantime though, Grace Aaron, the de facto leader of the Committee, has been crying that Pacifica is on the verge of “bankruptcy.”

Without prior warning, out of the blue, it was revealed that a move was underway to put KPFK’s building up as collateral for a million dollar loan to cover the shortfall and avoid the non-existent “bankruptcy.” In the meantime, Aaron and her allies on the Pacifica National Board were angling to use the loan to hire an unqualified group of outside financial consultants- a group with no experience in radio- to overhaul the network and reorient its programming in order to “save” the network.

They also began to push what’s called “underwriting” - the non-commercial commercials that allows sponsors of programs to control programming content while maintaining the appearance – the illusion- of independence for the programming. Karl Rove and the people who have applied the “Shock Doctrine” to undermine and radically re-orient Third World economies and gain control of their direction could not have done a better job. KPFK and Pacifica really are in danger – of losing their role as an independent voice of truth with the freedom to dissent. If The Committee to Strengthen KPFK and its allies hold sway, the station and the network may no longer reign as what Amy Goodman calls “The Exception to the Rulers.” The dissenters to the Committee’s buy–out of the KPFK elections are few in number- but right now, we are all that stands in the way of another hijacking of the network and another betrayal of its purposes. Last time it happened thousands from across the nation organized a listener revolution to take back the network and establish the democracy that has now been betrayed. It’s time to do so again.

A KPFK listener - dissenter,
Lawrence Reyes

I encourage all Concerned Listeners to attend the upcoming KPFK LSB Meeting on Saturday, January 10th, at 1P.M. at the Echo Park Methodist Church at 1226 N. Alvarado Street.
for info lgo to http://www.kpfk.org (click" LSB ")

"Power Concedes Nothing and it then must be taken by Revolutionary means and for the good of the People:" by Author unknown"
+++++++++++


strong opinions that provide sincere dissent, information, and can be of interest to many others will also be posted here...when found.
any comments ? [other comments and responses are on indymedia same site]

Who else reads about KPFK on Indymedia ?

Thank you - Leslie Radford, LSB rep - for again acting as the ONLY open LSB member - that some of us can learn from and respond to as needed. Where else is any such information being placed and posted openly ?

Your dedication and opinions are stated clearly and for the 'hidden audience of paid-up sponsors to KPFK' this Indy site is the main place where info may be disseminated. Wonder how many people do read these cries for help and unity ? Note how few of the same people write to respond here.

How difficult to know who else agrees with you, Leslie or does not and why... who are we ? ... the paying-the-price listeners that want to be more involved in the happenings [even if out-of-reach] at KPFK. Besides attending hours of LSB meetings, that is.

Could it be that Naomi Wolf's version that "Shock !" is the best way to insure compliance and a rushed vote - to take away liberties, to change mortgage-values, or to insure it will be 'too late now' to do anything after decsions are made ...by the em-powered-already-in-power ....even at humanitarian-imaged Pacifica & KPFK ?

The shock is the apparently-sudden realization that the KPFK building is the best or only way to get money out for WBAI's use [on the other side of the USA] in these financially disastrous times ...we are shocked to realize that the PNB et al. has acted so quickly in their own shock - they can do whatever they think is 'right' or 'best' -and blame the world's shocking $$$ circumstances for their mistakes ?

The shock is the 'immediate actions that MUST BE taken right now !! ' - or was it decided with not enough forethought or more research possible beforehand ? Or because we are ...again...and again.. in CRISIS... in crisis...again...of course. And we hear it every pledge drive year after year too.

By definition, in 'crises', there is not enough time, or resources, or willingness to include cooperation of all concerned, and the threat of extinction, and loss, and damage and of course, 'loss of jobs' [ which are the same repeated ploys used by mfg 'g corporations as well ] so KPFK is now also on another edge.

and to save a station - WBAI - or others too ? that has perhaps not been well managed before to arrive at that critical stage ?

and to have waited until the Edge emerges and then, of course, Shock has made instant reactions necessary ? No time to ask anyone for input or feedback now. Too shocking a time, so no time. No input. Not necessary now.

or is it the prior and continued opacity of Pacifica's problems so far - that makes it appear that the 'crisis' of other than our own KPFK's money problems seem to have arrived so suddenly to shock us here too now ?

I notice that very few, the same few KPFK-concerned people, write on this site to inform and question what is occuring at KPFK, even as the station struggles and tries to manage itself . And we have to trust that many smart people on our LSB are surely doing 'their best' - even if we dont see or know where they inform the listener-sponsors about their thoughts before even LSB decisions are immenent and made. Much less access PNB members.

These are the same complaints repeated here, but are still valid. Once the wall falls, the wall that holds up the KPFK mission and it's advertised claims, it will be a done deal, and more pledge money will be 'required' and begged for again.

Thank you for what you do.

The helplessness and hopelessness that extrudes from the ways OUR station has worked so secretly & left the rest of 'us' OUT of any meaningful conversations , leaves us wondering if it is now all gone, a done disaster, a dead herd of animals kicked to the side, a return to the non-shockable but paid-for sponsored radio station variety.

Oh, well, there is always NPR to listen to instead of KPFK, and blogs on the internet to share our concerns.

Response to LSB info provided on la.indymedia.org - a repost here

"Wow Leslie LSBer- thanks for info !"

Thanks for dedicating yourself to responding OPENLY here to questions asked so anyone everyone whomever happens upon this site can learn something more than anyone else at kPFK is 'suppose to say" out loud, it seems.

this means anyone, like Leslie, like YOU TOO, reader here, can ask, answer, question, debate and discuss... without disrespecting any person [tho organizations can be disrespected for their secretive policies and hypocricies ] and maybe be lucky to get some substantial responses.

The above info provided needs to be pursued and researched and utilized by MORE of us who CARE so much about KPFK ...and it's doings...since we spend hours and devote work to writing/ reading/ asking/ activizing ...all to IMPROVE what-is occurring...that currently seems to be Not Ok at this moment more than other times.

again, glad we asked.
glad someone answered.

let's more of us stop hating and diss'in and work TOGETHER , even if we start here, to reduce confict, eliminate hidden agendas and black holes, where info disappears... and find our PUBLIC COMMUNICATIONS replacing the elite-powered-secret-dealings-w/o-any-of-our-input.

thanks Leslie....we need more LSB members to respond OPENLY - as you do.
and if any other LSB members dont read this local open site, where do they get their Public Listener-Sponsor input from ?

again, question of who does each LSB member actually represent, not just presume to be a 'representative of' personally which may mean only being very subjective and limited in having other vital feedback and discussions with KPFK contributors ?

Remember, previously the LSB email cited above has not worked when attempted 3x previously, with receipt of a msg from the deamon about not being accessible...but, ok, we can all try it again and see if any one at all reads or responds..maybe.....
One LSB member has said: there was a "comments corner" for LSB people to know what public comments@kpfk.org might be of LSB concerns also. But the only site they could point to was the KPFK website link to "program comments" which says -if you want to know what that song was - implying that kind of info only was sought, or a question about a PROGRAM, ... not ask or qauestion the station's workings, dealings, firings, dismissals, financial problems, et al....

and when an attempt was made to make contact with LSB thru that site, nothing...silence...no contact was possible nor responded, even when addressed to LSB.

so we can try again, and again,
and hopefully not Give UP ...no matter how many false alleys that dead end with wasted time and effort happens. It has. It may continue. Some of us...many of us, may not allow that to happen, repeatedly.

never say 'die' until we are ready to totally throw the whole idea of what Pacifica claims away or create another version similar to it on the internet...w/o a big local radio station...if need be...it's all technologically happening....moving away from traditional media to what remains of free access on net....and then ?????

watch out, changes are a happening...not just the latest presidential election...more is also convoluting and shifting and pivoting and.......

Open Response from One LSB Member = repost from la.indymedia.org

[by Leslie Saturday, Nov. 29, 2008 at 12:50 AM
leslie@radiojustice.net ]


Do the LSB of KPFK represent a group[s] of listeners and seek their opinions before voting or making any decisions, instead of only representing their individual selves as seems to be the case now ?

We're elected by general election (and the electorate is only a smidgeon more than 10% of the listener-sponsors), so no one has a formal constituency, and we have very poor communications with the listener-sponsors or the listeners in general. Most LSB members probably operate from an ideology that they believe matches a group of listeners, but individually we have different degrees of contact with those groups.

Who does each LSB member actually represent ?

I'd say most LSB members consider themselves "representative of" a group more than they "are representing" a group.

Do they ever tell us about the size of groups they actually inform, ask, represent? ?

There's no mandate to do so, and no requirement that they represent a group.

What are the slants of those they represent ?

Politically, I think you'll find everything from left Libertarians to Progressive Democrats to academics to working class/socialists to a closeted anarchist or revolutionary. Not a nationalist in the bunch right now. We're religious, a-religious, anti-religious, and spiritual, and we're involved in the arts, charitable organizations, human rights groups, and social change organizations.

What are the ways listener-sponsors can have input to LSB members to be included, instead of just hanging out here ?

There's 2008LSB@kpfk.org. It reaches all but a couple of us (server problems). We have the rarely used http://groups.yahoo.com/group/kpfklsb_comments/ (although I don't know how many members check it any more), and just about every LSB member's email is widely available. When I wasn't on the LSB I used my (now defunct) rented web server to forward email from anybody to all the LSB members, but that was rarely used. At another point, I just collected LSB members' email addresses and had them as a group in my address book.

the way the LSB member was elected was by campaigning for votes but are these secret lists only they maintain and respond to... or are these voters then later ignored ?

"Secret lists" is a not exactly what's happening. When we're elected, we all have our own mailing lists and the lists of our friends and any organizations that choose to let us use theirs. There is one truly secret list: the email list of people participating in the Free Pacifica movement some ten years ago. A handful of people have that, and they use it for candidates they prefer, but it must be getting pretty dated by now. I don't have access to it.

Who decides who gets on the Pacifica National Board from LSB and what is the procedure for getting to move up there ?

PNB members are determined by a vote of the LSBs every January. It's the only true power the LSBs have. The Pacifica affiliate stations also nominate two PNB members.

and does it actually take hours and days and weeks of reading the bylaws and rules and all that small print to get generally informed about how KPFK & Pacifica too is actually run ?

No. It depends on the depth you want, but the Bylaws, etc. isn't the way to go. Start by following http://groups.yahoo.com/group/freekpfk, http://groups.yahoo.com/group/newpacifica, and http://groups.yahoo.com/group/kpfklsb. Then come to a few meetings, and if you have time the interest to listen, you can hear the Pacifica National Board meetings at www.kpftx.org.

does one have to be a quasi-lawyer to understand the legalities, meanings of cue words and phrases and the maneuverability of motions, language and ploys played out to have any input in what happens to OUR KPFK ?
huh?

No, but it helps. You'll pick up the trick by listening to objections to motions at the meetings.

we out here, who have paid-up generously at the long and last begging pledge drive have no information - just rumors - just allusions - to the use of the KPFK bldg being used as collateral for another Pacifica station in NY called WBAI - with the Pacifica National Board members making decisions about how to use the building that houses our resource and where our staff work. huh ?

[apparently THEY = PNB = own it ? huh?
how does that make sense ?
the whole group owns OUR building and we rent it here ?
or the Pacifica corp / organization owns it ?
or exactly who holds the deed, pays the mortgage, has title ??]

It's not our building--it was a donation to Pacifica, and the title is held by the Pacifica Foundation. We use it without charge. Right now, the plan is to mortgage the building to for $1M (far less than it's worth) to pay for various outstanding bills, do some programming changes, re-staff some national positions, pay for some promotion, and maybe hire an financial consulting firm.

And decisions are being made where ?

who is NOT PROVIDING THE LISTENERS any information, or any feedback to questions, or asking for listener-input
[no matter how wild or crazy, it is legitimate if we are the shareholder-sponsors of this thing called KPFK, whatever it contains] ?

Are decisions being made in Wash. D.C. ? in NY ? and then brought it in pretense of a 'discussion' that has no power to change what was already planned, decided and controlled elsewhere ?

Decisions are made in telephonic PNB meetings and with the CFO in Berkeley. Some speculate that there are a core of key players on the PNB who are concocting all this. I wouldn't know. Recently especially, by the time decisions get down to the LSBs (which are advisory anyway, and why aren't decisions going up?), they seem to be already made. But the LSB outcry seems to have slowed the loan process (we were told we only had until November 15, but the papers haven't been signed yet), and listener pressure can move small mountains. The email address to reach the entire PNB is pnb@pacifica.org.

And since we all over here dont - dont know s......t - about any of what is real, actual, occurring - and NOT in our name either - tho we thought we were part of the whole thing.....we are no thing, no way to have any opinion or say when we are not told what is occurring either.

Believe me, most of the LSB members who aren't on the PNB don't know what's going on, either. I don't know how much the PNB members know--if I knew how much they knew, I'd probably know what they know.


Where is the principle and essence of what Pacifica claims, what KPFK pledges and advertises...as 'we the people', ...as Free Speech [not hidden secret whispers ], ....as being in favor of egalitarian and open communications ?

what is going on ?

Hell if I know.

who else is going to tell us...the truth...finally ?

KPFK's secrecy slowly seeping out = a repost from la.indymedia.org

Finally, someone with info & courage tells us some more !
thanks Leslie [Radford LSB member] for being as open and informative and directing the rest of us peons of KPFK telling us of other places to read about info and what is actually happening to OUR station.

My [writer's] wish is this:

1. for you to continue to write also on Indymedia, as an article instead of a comment so that the conversations can be displayed and maybe, who knows ? read by those who suddenly latch on to this exposed great site Sometimes the comments are lost in the slew of new articles.

2. That those who read these articles and comments not necessarily identify or write words but somehow make themselves visible so we know that this site is accessible and utilized as a Discourse Locale for those who have no voice, no say, no power, no nutin but still do pay cash to KPFK regularly anyhow.

3. That KPFK would open up it's carefully controlled secret ways and inform the rest of US who live so dedicatedly for the growth and life of OUR RADIO station, and not think we need-not-know what they do or decide.... when we are worried, fearful, anxious, frustrated and angered by being so cleverly "left OUT" .

4. That the LSB of KPFK represent a group[s] of listeners and seek their opinions before voting or making any decisions, instead of only representing their individual selves as seems to be the case now.

Who does each LSB member actually represent ?

Do they ever tell us about the size of groups they actually inform, ask, represent?

What are the slants of those they represent ?

What are the ways listener-sponsors can have input to LSB members to be included, instead of just hanging out here ?

the way the LSB member was elected was by campaigning for votes but are these secret lists only they maintain and respond to... or are these voters then later ignored ?
Who decides who gets on the Pacifica National Board from LSB and what is the procedure for getting to move up there ?

and does it actually take hours and days and weeks of reading the bylaws and rules and all that small print to get generally informed about how KPFK & Pacifica too is actually run ?

does one have to be a quasi lawyer to understand the legalities, meanings of cue words and phrases and the maneuverability of motions, language and ploys played out to have any input in what happens to OUR KPFK ? huh?

“Open Letter to KPFK's LSB” =reposting from la.indymedia.org

KPFK's local board members are voted in by some other listener-sponsors. But are any of those who send money regularly to support and maintain the radio station have a say about anything ? huh ?

Do the LSB of KPFK represent a group[s] of listeners and seek their opinions before voting or making any decisions, instead of only representing their individual selves as seems to be the case now ?

Who does each LSB member actually represent ?

Do they ever tell us about the size of groups they actually inform, ask, represent?

What are the slants of those they represent ?

What are the ways listener-sponsors can have input to LSB members to be included, instead of just hanging out here ?

the way the LSB member was elected was by campaigning for votes but are these secret lists only they maintain and respond to... or are these voters then later ignored ?
Who decides who gets on the Pacifica National Board from LSB and what is the procedure for getting to move up there ?

and does it actually take hours and days and weeks of reading the bylaws and rules and all that small print to get generally informed about how KPFK & Pacifica too is actually run ?

does one have to be a quasi-lawyer to understand the legalities, meanings of cue words and phrases and the maneuverability of motions, language and ploys played out to have any input in what happens to OUR KPFK ?

huh?
we out here, who have paid-up generously at the long and last begging pledge drive have no information - just rumors - just allusions - to the use of the KPFK bldg being used as collateral for another Pacifica station in NY called WBAI - with the Pacifica National Board members making decisions about how to use the building that houses our resource and where our staff work. huh ?

[apparently THEY = PNB = own it ? huh?

how does that make sense ?

the whole group owns OUR building and we rent it here ?

or the Pacifica corp / organization owns it ?

or exactly who holds the deed, pays the mortgage, has title ??]

And decisions are being made where ?

who is NOT PROVIDING THE LISTENERS any information, or any feedback to questions, or asking for listener-input [no matter how wild or crazy, it is legitimate if we are the shareholder-sponsors of this thing called KPFK, whatever it contains] ?

Are decisions being made in Wash. D.C. ? in NY ? and then brought it in pretense of a 'discussion' that has no power to change what was already planned, decided and controlled elsewhere ?

And since we all over here dont - dont know s......t - about any of what is real, actual, occurring - and NOT in our name either - tho we thought we were part of the whole thing.....we are no thing, no way to have any opinion or say when we are not told what is occurring either.

Where is the principle and essence of what Pacifica claims, what KPFK pledges and advertises...as 'we the people', ...as Free Speech [not hidden secret whispers ], ....as being in favor of egalitarian and open communications ?

what is going on ?

who else is going to tell us...the truth...finally ?

KPFK slipping slippling into the past, not the "future" song

[[this is a reposting from www.la.indymedia.org from Leslie Radford, LSB member of KPFK 11/12/08
http://la.indymedia.org/news/2008/11/221843_comment.php#222040 ]]

DRAFT PROPOSAL for a response to hijacking KPFK

To: Lonnie Hicks, Pacifica CFO
To: Sherry Gendleman, Chair, and the Pacifica National Board
To: The Local Station Boards of KPFA, KPFT, WBAI, and WPFW

The KPFK would like to convey its displeasure and the reluctance of our listener-sponsors and staff to the Foundation plan to mortgage the KPFK building and to the lack of proper notice and consultation in the process of determining to risk the KPFK building to provide the network with short-term cash flow.

The KPFK building's market value is far greater than the value of the loan. Such an arrangement, especially in this economic climate, is an open invitation to the lender to foreclose at any opportunity. Pacifica has other holdings valued nearer to the $1M to be borrowed, and collateralizing any of these would offer less temptation to a lender to take the property in a default situation.

Our listener-sponsors and staff continue to reach our budget goals, even as our station absorbs the greatest loss of staff in the network. Now Pacifica is demanding that our listener-sponsors risk their capital investment as well. Without the safeguard of a repayment plan in place, the greatest burden for repaying the note will fall on those with the most to lose--KPFK staff and listener-sponsors.

If the Foundation insists on going forward, in spite of the strongest objections of the KPFK Local Station Board, to dismantle the security and operations of its strongest unit, then the KPFK insists on a contractual repayment plan. To that end, the KPFK Local Station Board herein amends its budget such that, beginning in February 2009, KPFK will pay no Central Service fees until 80% of the loan and interest is repaid from sources other than KPFK sponsors and donors, at which time KPFK agrees to pay the remaining 20% of the loan plus 20% of the
interest. The loan has been presented to us as a stop-gap to a cash-on-hand shortfall, so that beginning the repayment plan in February should be more than sufficient.

Further, we demand that Pacifica take up the long-standing recommendation of the Foundation CFO to develop a marketing and programming plan directed toward a younger and more diverse audience, and that this plan be implemented across the network within the time frame of the repayment.

We also demand that, from now on, Foundation staff and the PNB work transparently, honestly, and in good faith with local stations and station boards when negotiating the fate of the stations and bargaining on the goodwill
of local listener-subscribers.

What is happening to KPFK could happen to any of the stations, and we ask that other stations join with us in forestalling the Foundation staff and governance from raiding select station's resources to cover inadequate Foundation planning. This appropriation of station assets without notice and consultation sets a precedent that endangers every station in Pacifica.

Sincerely,
--Leslie Radford
+++++++++++++++++++

a commentary made also on indymedia by Sidestepper

KPFK slipping slippling into the past, not the "future" song
by sidestepper Thursday, Nov. 13, 2008 at 4:09 PM

No BAIL OUTS TO PACIFICA, or banks, or other financially deficiently run corps or instutitions !!!!

++++++++++++++

Now what do YOU THINK and what do you WANT TO DO about our KPFK being hi-low-jacked ?