Open Letter To The Pacifica Community

My name is Steven Starr, and I’ve been asked to serve as the interim General Manager of KPFK. As today is my first day on the job, I’d very much like to say a few things to the various constituencies of KPFK and Pacifica.

First of all, I’ve been a Pacifica listener for many years, and I care deeply about the importance and significance of the Pacifica Network in our society today. It is a great privilege to do this work, and I’m grateful for the chance.

Second, I’d like to honor the incredible efforts of thousands of people who have been engaged in the struggle to restore Pacifica for so many years. Recent developments signal the promise of a great new chapter for
those of us who believe in the possibilities of a truly independent and democratic media.

Third, I’d like to give respect to all those who have produced great radio at KPFK over the past few years. There are remarkable talents at the station, both on and off the air.

Fourth, and most importantly, to the listeners. This is your station. I value your input, I’m very open to constructive criticism, and my intention is to make this transitional process as participatory as possible, as transparent as possible, as reflective of your ideas as possible.

Finally, my great hope is to have my contributionreflect real progress toward revitalizing the station as a public resource for the diverse communities of Southern California.

Thank you,

Steven Starr
Interim General Manager
KPFK

From: Bernie Eisenberg <ursa1@linkline.com>
To: <freekpfk@yahoogroups.com>; <freepacifica@recordist.com>; <newPacifica@yahoogroups.com>
Cc: <danc@igc.org>; <LeslieCagan@igc.org>; <wildrose@pon.net>
Sent: Saturday, January 26, 2002 10:43 PM
Subject: KPFK has iGM, needs iPD

Friends,

Phil has an excellent point here (he means the iPNB, of course)... and I must say that I agree 100% with Loraine on problems of having an outsider (as is Mr. Steven Starr) come on board as manager.

But why did we see the announcement only on the freekpfk listserve? At 09:46 PM 2002-01-25 someone named kirk james murphy, m.d. posted an indymedia release and an open letter from Steven Starr (http://la.indymedia.org/display.php3?article_id=14391). First, simply posting it on the freekpfk listserve only shows just how parochial indymedia is with respect to the national freepacifica movement. Second, isn't this a PACIFICA matter, rather than an indymedia matter? Why didn't we hear this from Dan Coughlin or from Leslie Cagen? I understand that Carol Spooner announced it at her public speaking engagement yesterday. And Carol reposted the indymedia announcement on several listserves, just as I did. Don't we want to know the whats and whys from the people that we think we can trust? Dan? Dan?

Why didn't we hear something substantial as to why Mr. Starr was selected. Never mind repeating his "impressive" c.v. Marion Barry has one, too (well, except for one or two trivial incidents). Mr. Starr may be just fine, but his eleven years at the Wm. Morris Agency in N.Y. does not impress me at all.

My questions: what does he bring to Pacifica? What does he know about Pacifica? What does he know about the "talent" pool (including such inimitable characters as Cooper, Masters, Landau, Wiener, Weissman, Domanick, Hutchinson, Osborne, Beaupre, Garr, Ray and all those music dj whores) that Schubb has left him at KPFK? How long should we wait before program changes are initiated that are meaningful? Who will be the Program Director? Remember that Station Board elections are on the horizon and most of the current listener base is clueless. And the rest of the listeners would be completely satisfied only if Democracy Now! gets its old 9a.m. time slot back. Folks, that won't cut it. My point is that, with the clock ticking, the hiring of a knowledgeable person as Program Director must take immediate precedence at KPFK. This person must already know the situation, and must be fully supported by Mr. Starr. PERIOD.

Here's a less overtly harmful but no less destructive example of lack of awareness or whatever you want to call it. John and Deanne Davis have a program called Heartfelt Music which I enjoy. I heard John say this morning about the situation at KPFK (paraphrasing): "I don't know anything. I only know what they tell me." He and Deanne chuckle a lot over this kind of remark. You see, it's a joke to a lot of the programmers and producers. They just own their air time and they just do their show and they don't "know nuthin." AND THEY DON'T CARE! Those who cared and who expressed their caring, have, for the most part, already been purged. I am not advocating that John and Deanne be fired.

Was Mr. Starr brought on board to "make nice" to the current staff or to fire some of their asses as needs to be done? Only time will tell. Thing is, there isn't too much time that we can waste.

Bernie Eisenberg
Los Angeles

(If anyone has Steven Starr's email address, please forward this to him, and please let the rest of us know what it is. kpfkgm@aol.com is still probably Schubb's.)

Dear new interim manager - why was Mark Schubb kicked out? Why is the whole Pacifica team splitting up? Bring back Amy Goodman and don't let Marc Cooper go - then we might believe your sincere intents...As a listener/sponsor of KPFK, I am greatly suspicious after all this intern fighting...KPFK against Pacifica - how stupid can you guys get? Eigher some agent provocateurs did a great number on you or you must have lost your minds and priorities...
We live within the most corrupt political system ever. Team up and do something about it...
Ziri Rideaux

Yes,

bring back democracy now. Ive worked with Amy and think she rocks. But if the whole free pacifica thing gets boiled down to returning two programs (DN and alternative radio) that had a part in their own undoing, this whole effort will be a major snoozer and stuff.

What the roots should be doing now is coming up with real ideas for proposals- putting the community back in community radio- not just two shows from outside california.