Pacifica Foundation officers informed KPFA (94.1 FM, Berkeley, Ca) management that the organization is out of money, having spent over two million dollars over the past three years on corporate law firms, security services, and public relations agencies. Over the past two years, however, KPFA has exceeded all fundraising goals, and should show a surplus of over 0,000. Instead, KPFA has over 0,000 in unpaid and overdue bills, including ,400 to PG&E for electricity. The station may be off the air if the PG&E bill is not paid by Monday, October 22.
October 19, 2001: Pacifica Foundation officers have told KPFA management that the organization is out of money, having spent over two million dollars over the past three years on corporate law firms, security services, and public relations agencies. About 90 percent of Pacifica's funding comes fromlistener donations. Listeners who donated money were not told their money would be used, or was being used, for these purposes, and have sued (along with dissident national board directors) to protest Pacifica's financial and administrative practices.
KPFA now has over 0,000 in unpaid and overdue bills, including ,400 to PG&E for electricity. The station may be off the air if the PG&E bill is not paid by Monday, October 22. This despite the fact that KPFA has exceeded all on-air fundraising goals for the past two years, and should show a surplus of over 0,000 in its accounts. But these accounts have apparently been misappropriated by Pacifica to pay its legal and other costs.
Pacifica has also ordered KPFA to undertake an immediate on-air fundraising drive, and has threatened to send in scab broadcasters to do on-air fundraising should KPFA staff refuse.
An emergency fund raising campaign has been undertaken by Friends of Free Speech Radio to keep KPFA on the air, and pay its most urgent bills! We will use part of this money immediately to pay the PG&E bill.
An emergency fund raising campaign has been undertaken by Friends of Free Speech Radio to keep KPFA on the air, and pay its most urgent bills! We will use part of this money immediately to pay the PG&E bill.