KFPA, Democracy and Labor

[Omaha Steve]

http://www.indybay.org/newsitems/2008/04/27/18495315.php

by Steve Zeltzer
Sunday Apr 27th, 2008 7:36 AM

The issue of working people and the role of KPFA which is the most important alternative radio station in the bay area is vital. This article some of the history of KPFA and the role of labor. It also exposes how the entrenched programmers and management staff intervened to eliminate the one rank and file labor show on KPFA. Segmets of this presentation was made at a forum on KPFA in Berekeley.

Statement On KFPA, Democracy and Labor
By Steve Zeltzer
Labor Video Project/Voices For Justice Slate At KPFA

The issue for working people of having a democratic media is of utmost importance. The corporate control of the major media including radio, tv and efforts to control the internet are a threat to all democratic rights.

KPFA and Pacifica were formed to provide a vehicle for alternative views and culture that was not being presented in the bay area and nationally.

It provided a voice to people during the McCarthy witchhunts that allowed those who were under assault to speak out. It was a beacon during the 1960’s and 1970’s when millions of American people protested the war in Vietnam, racism and other attacks on people here and around the world.

Today it provides the only national voices against the war in Iraq and Afghanistan as well as more labor news than most stations in the United States.

At the same time there are elements who either want to sell off the stations and/or want to make the Pacifica system not a community radio network but more of a NPR type operation with "professional" staffers.

The most blatant effort to destroy Pacifica was former Board Chair Mary Francis Berry who with ties to the Democratic Party wanted to eliminate any radical programming and especially any programming that challenged the Democratic Party.
As a result of a lock out in at KPFA, over 10,000 people were mobilized and a successful suit was filed that forced them to capitulate. Within the labor movement Bill Lucy who was a national Pacifica Board member and leader of AFSCME and the Coalition of Black Trade Unionists as well as a friend of Mary Frances Berry actually supported the lock-out and prevented the national AFL-CIO from taking a stand in support of the network against this raid.

Many of the present people who are in control at Pacifica and KPFA in fact were going along with the Berry Agenda. They if fact refused to publicly challenge this direction until they themselves were locked out of the station and had to fight to get back in. As long as they had their slot, they did not want to rock the boat.

The battle to defend Pacifica did result in some gains with the election of a board of directors of the local stations and in KPFA, the establishment of a program council.

The issue of what is on the air is obviously a key issue for people concerned about community radio since the core issue is whose voices will be heard.

For labor there has been a long struggle to get regular labor programming at KPFA and Pacifica. While WBAI in New York, KPFK in LA and KPFT in Houston have weekly one hour labor shows, KPFA management and the some of the entrenched programmers have opposed having a regular one hour program.

FULL story at link.

[The_Casual_Observer]

1. Pacifica is under funded, poorly staffed & their programming is static.

In LA, KPFK turns to Spanish speaking programming in the early evening for hours. Needless to say there isn't any lack of spanish channels in LA. Most topical programming centers around odd 9/11 conspiracy babble & old school new age junk. The whole thing has seen much better days.