From: Marc Cooper

To: Steve Yasko

Sent: Friday, August 31, 2001 8:45 PM

Subject: From Marc



Steve: I have been around Pacifica Radio for more than 20 years (most of them as an observer fortunately) and I have seen it produce a bumper crop of mediocrities and incompetents. But I have to say, your handling -- better, mishandling-- of your purview is simply breathtaking.

I think it only proper to remind you that back in the first days of February, when we met in Mark Schubb's office, already a month into Amy's signing off from the "fired and banned," I told you directly that if it continued to go on unabated it would blow up the network. Your answer was to mumble something inane about "censorship."

Well, congratulations. Here we are six months later, and you and Bessie have driven the network into the ground. I have no need here to list any of the outrages that have been created by three factors: Amy's outrageousness, your inability to manage, and the network's propensity for MIS-management when the messes it creates finally boil over.

We sit in Los Angeles .. what? Some fifteen days into the latest crisis you have let spin out of control, and we get nothing, zilch, nada from you.

Try to remember that it is actually those of us with talent who pay your bills and keep you employed. But you apparently feel no need to keep us informed -- daily-- as to the progress (SIC) of what is happening. But then again, even that thought presupposes you have any sort of strategy in the first place.

Instead, we get that painfully embarrassing load of crap in the Washington Post in which Bessie is quoted chiding KPFK of all places. You and Bessie have managed to destory what little support you had. When I tried to deal with you like an adult a few months ago and when I reminded you that alienating me would cost the network 0,000 a year, your terribly insulting and childish reply was that I should up take up my grievances with Amy.

At least Amy earns her own way. And you? What exactly are your contributions to this network, other than your travel re-imbursement invoices?

Saul Landau, who stuck his neck WAY out for Pacifica has now very wisely withdrawn his support. You guys even managed to screw up what help you had with AFTRA. After a proper agreement was struck with them, the morons who run WBAI -- with no scrutiny from Pacifica-- then went on to the air to gloat over Amy and now you have AFTRA supporting her demand to broadcast from off-site.

I am sure it makes absolutely no difference to you, but I feel compelled to let you know that it is you, Steve, and your genius boss Bessie, much more than Amy that has obligated me to cut my schedule at KPFK in half. I can't imagine that I will even maintain that schedule for much longer -- there's only so much intellectual insult anyone can take. To come back to that meeting with you last February: at the end of it, when you expressed your impotence vis a vis Amy, I told you rather angrily that you were a "dead man walking" i.e. that you had just destroyed your own chance of survival in the network. Obviously, I was correct. You have no future and you have helped make sure the network has the same dismal fate.

The least you can do at this point is resign. In fact, it is an insult to all of us that you have not yet done so. I have not publically spoken out on the issue. You and Bessie have made that impossible as I do not know a single functioning human being that wants to be associated with the toxic mess you have generated.

I am sure you are busy job hunting, because even you must sense the ensuing disaster. But do us all a favor, please. Do your job search on someone else's nickel. This network has been bled dry by the antics of its own management. Have the minimal deceny, would you, to accept your responsibily in this debacle. Issue your resignation statement and allow this network to die with at least a scrap of dignity. If not, then I and others will be forced to speak out publically. And we won't be talking about Amy.

Marc Cooper

So, after defending Pacifica's mismanagement and gag rule during past KPFK fund drives, Marc Cooper has finally come around to realizing what a disaster both have been for free speech and the future of of the network. He ought to focus some of his invective toward himself for having helped to perpetuate the sorry lack vision he decries in his complaints to his superiors. Now that his obsequious toadying up to KPFK manager Mark Shubb on Daily Review, as well as his paranoid, on-air rants against listeners trying to save the network have come to naught, he threatens management with picking up his talents and going home. Well, good riddance. Not that I think he's a bad journalist. I've often enjoyed some his more thoughtful and intelligent programming. But his show sounds increasingly like any other political spin review. And during his recent vacation I can't say I missed him much. Let him go, and replace him with Ian Masters, whose excellent Background Briefing is a much better hour spent listening to the station.

Anything that will get Marc Cooper to "cut" his "time in half" or more is so alright with me. There was a time when I felt that Marc Cooper deserved to have at least some time on the station because he made an intellectual contribution. I would still not choose to censure him, this is a democracy, but I remember when there was a variety of programs that reflected the opinions of people who have kept KPFK alive and he is responsible getting rid of those people.

I have a feeling that this Steve person is not really on our side, but he has obviously tried not to be a complete slimeball and brings out the sickening low-life truth about Marc Cooper in his Mark's words. I say A-HOO-A, let take our station back!

Paula Solomon wrote: "I have a feeling that this Steve person is not really on our side".

This Steve Person is Steve Yasko, National Progam Director for the Pacifica network. Mr. Yasko is the boss of Polk Award winning radio jounalist Amy Goodman. Harassment charges have been filed against Yasko by Goodman, host of "Democracy Now!" agruably one of the best public affairs shows on the radio dial.

The memo purportedly written by Marc Cooper and sent to Steve Yasko was placed anonymously on two electronic message boards. As far as I know Cooper has neither confirmed nor denied the authenticity of the memo.

If it's not genuine, at least this memo is a good imitation of his style. And it's quite credible that Cooper might write something like this after years of blather to the contrary. Consistency is not one of his shining virtues. Note that his main beef is that they didn't axe Amy swiftly and cleanly a long time ago. It has the smell of authenticity about it. And if it's not--well, faking the smell that well is the sign of real talent!

I've always had mixed feelings about Marc Coopers presence on KPFK as it is somewhat NPRish at times, but I definatly think his participation has been important. Although for awhile it seemed like everytime I would turn on 90.7 he would be on there and that makes me think of "good ole' boy network' especially if you consider the other good ole' boys, Mark Kaufman(that guy is weak, I usually just switch stations whenever that pencil neck geak is on) or Joe Dominic, who I like sometimes but doesn't seem to listen real well and ends up alienating a lot of listeners with his on air bullying.

When it comes right down to it it would be great if all of this boring bickering could just come to a close and Amy was back on and Pacifica operated more like a co-op and lest like a corporation.

I've always had mixed feelings about Marc Coopers presence on KPFK as it is somewhat NPRish at times, but I definatly think his participation has been important. Although for awhile it seemed like everytime I would turn on 90.7 he would be on there and that makes me think of "good ole' boy network' especially if you consider the other good ole' boys, Mark Kaufman(that guy is weak, I usually just switch stations whenever that pencil neck geak is on) or Joe Dominic, who I like sometimes but doesn't seem to listen real well and ends up alienating a lot of listeners with his on air bullying.

When it comes right down to it it would be great if all of this boring bickering could just come to a close and Amy was back on and Pacifica operated more like a co-op and lest like a corporation.

I've always had mixed feelings about Marc Coopers presence on KPFK as it is somewhat NPRish at times, but I definatly think his participation has been important. Although for awhile it seemed like everytime I would turn on 90.7 he would be on there and that makes me think of "good ole' boy network' especially if you consider the other good ole' boys, Mark Kaufman(that guy is weak, I usually just switch stations whenever that pencil neck geak is on) or Joe Dominic, who I like sometimes but doesn't seem to listen real well and ends up alienating a lot of listeners with his on air bullying.

When it comes right down to it it would be great if all of this boring bickering could just come to a close and Amy was back on and Pacifica operated more like a co-op and lest like a corporation.

Dear Marc,

I do not know who placed what you now

characterize as a private email

on two public electronic message boards. I found

it in an area that is

within the public domain and passed it on clearly

stating where I found

it and that it was a repost. In light of what

you communicate to me in

this e-mail, your challenge to circulate

something that you have

"really written" takes on new meaning.

myla



--- Marc Cooper mcooper@thenation.com> wrote:

> That is not a memo.. That is a priavte email

and it has no business

> being

> posted anywhere and I have no reason to comment

on it.. other than to

> say

> it's apperance is a possible violation of

federal law. Do we condone

> going

> around to people's mailboxes and opning their

correspondence?

>

>

>

> At 09:47 AM 9/10/2001 -0700, you wrote:

> >Dear Marc,

> >

> >For the sake of clarity, would you please tell

me whether you wrote

> or

> >had any hand in writing or circulating the

memo to Steve Yasko that

> is

> >attributed to you? Do you have any knowledge

of who placed that

> memo

> >on the goodlight kpft and kpfk message boards?

> >

> >Here are the links to the memo on each board:

> >

>

>http://disc.server.com/discussion.cgi?id=154569&article=108

> >

>

>http://disc.server.com/discussion.cgi?id=165346&article=99

> >

> >Thanks in advance for clearing this up.

> >

> >myla

> >

> >BTW I forwarded your statement to the wbai

board. If you would care

> to

> >read my into you can find it at:

> >

>

>http://disc.server.com/discussion.cgi?id=137196&article=57129

> >

> >

> >--- Marc Cooper mcooper@thenation.com> wrote:

> > > Myla.. do you have the courage and

integrity to circulate

> something I

> > > have

> > > really written? Here it is:

> > >

> > > MARC COOPER'S PUBLIC STATEMENT ON PACIFICA

> > >

> > > SEPTEMBER 10, 2001

> > >

> >[snip}

> >

=====

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

"...Defunct WBAI High Culture Poetics and history

means complete obliteration of areas of both

official and

counter-culture from recorded memory, auditory

history. This defaults culture itself. It is not

a minority or majority matter, every world

suffers, first, second and third, and any more

imaginable." - Allen Ginsburg, 1977

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

News itself has always been a controversial issue. When 6 billion people's 24 hour days has to be condensed to a 30 minute presentation there will always be complaints. However I would like to whine about the modern coffeeshop news shows where some guy sits in a studio and does a few interviews and calls it news. A few phone calls is a far cry from decent reporting. Decent reporting can sometimes take months or years to complete. However, when someone has to throw together a show every day they must have common newsfeeds. A common feed for the mainstream news is police reports. For Pacifica it has become more and more cliq magazines and book lists and less and less interactions with people and hard ball interrogations. Effective news also needs to combine two concepts. News news is never that successful. Action News and Entertainment News and Sports News and Weather News is much more profitable and successful. The key question in forming a news show is what one should couple news with. A totally modulated system although logical, doesn't account for the irrational human mind who needs such illogical things as balance. Previously, Pacifica was reknown for coupling the reporting of news with pervasive ideas. However, there is more and more straight talk and less and less ideas. It is a watering down of the ideas and an emphasis on entertainment. Now this entertainment has some class no doubt, like NPR's news, it isn't the latest glam star, it can appeal to your intellectual side. But it lacks new ideas. The Michael Parenti style of reporting...or the Noam Chomsky style of reporting in Manufacturing Consent coupled actual pertinent news stories with streams of thought and fascinating and important ideas. Mark Cooper's flaws, if it is to be implied he has any are emphasized most by his DNC coverage. Although he is definitely an intelligent man, he does not effectively convey new ideas. At least ones that may be interesting to me. His analysis and choice of reporting is mundane and not unique. He appears to lack motivation or a determination or any long term goals and I think he needs to assess where he is and what he is.