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KPFA Manager "Resigns"

by Bob English Saturday, Apr. 24, 2010 at 1:46 PM

KPFA's General Manager was forced to resign by the LSB amd PNB, but the anti-democratic faction she represented protested, putting out much misinformation about the termination and her performance as GM, even compromising the integrity of the KPFA news to present their one sided spin.

KPFA Manager "Resigns";
Pacifica Democracy vs. Reactionary Politics and Contradictions in the Latest Management Transition

In a commentary inserted in newscasts on March 5, KPFA News Directors Aileen Alfandary and Mark Mericle reported that General Manager (GM) Lemlem Rijio was forced to resign by a majority "faction" on the Local Station Board (LSB), over opposition of most union staff. Information sources and opposing perspectives were not offered. From 2009 elections the LSB had been reconstituted with a majority of independent listener and staff representatives and new officers; the minority Concerned Listeners (CL) allied representatives, including news/public affairs staffer Brian Edwards-Tiekert, were fiercely loyal supporters of Rijio's management and the station status-quo. As I commented rhetorically at the March LSB meeting, since the results of the LSB's executive sessions were broadcast and slanted, why hold closed sessions with people who feed confidential information directly or indirectly to the News staff? If not for the confidentiality rules protecting employee privacy, it would seem preferable to conduct business in public so we could at least assess the accuracy or spin of such reports.


Ms. Rijio's imminent departure had been an open secret debated for a month prior to the March 4 public announcement of her "resignation" by the new Pacifica Executive Director (ED), Arleen Engelhard (Pacifica HR Director Ahmad Anderson was appointed interim GM). Apparently acting on leaked information from the January LSB meeting executive session, a group of KPFA "core staff" and supporters, including the News Directors and former News Director and KTVU/Fox TV News producer Alan Snitow, organized a campaign to reverse the Board's supposed termination vote and made rare appearances at the February LSB meeting (see summary of comments below). They also contacted prominent donors and approached the ED for a meeting. However, other staff and listeners complained that recent staffing cuts were inequitable and disruptive to programming and assured the Board that removing Rijio was long overdue and necessary to correct the station's deteriorating finances and declining listener support, and to restore democratic process and respect for Pacifica's bylaws and mission.


While Development Director (DD) in charge of fundraising from 2004, Rijio participated in a KPFA insider strategy group, which in Sept 05 shared Edwards-Tiekert's proposed political options/actions for undermining or "dismantling" the LSB (see text/background http://peoplesradio.net/Dismantle.htm). The group members succeeded in landing key management and leadership positions at KPFA, on the LSB and Pacifica National Board (PNB). Following the separation of former GM Roy Campanella Jr., Rijio was appointed "interim" GM in April 2006, later appointed Sasha Lilley "interim" Program Director (iPD) and served an extended term as iGM while the LSB reviewed GM candidates and ED Nicole Sawaya and Pacifica General Counsel Dan Siegel balked at the Board's initial recommendation. On Sept. 30 2008 (her final day with Pacifica), Sawaya arbitrarily announced Rijio's permanent GM appointment, apparently as a parting shot at pro-democracy staff and active listeners who were petitioning and advocating for fresh, effective management, partly to resolve the conflict at the station following the police arrest and beating of long term volunteer staff Nadra Foster. They stated Rijio's divisive management was implicated in conversion of the KPFA workplace environment and culture from collaboration to alienation and restriction, and in the violent incident by "banning" Foster without notice and calling in police rather than adhering to the Pacifica way and relying on standard supervision, progressive discipline and peaceful resolution processes (see #3, #6 below; SF BayView Nadra Foster;media justice: kpfa "SEPTEMBER SURPRISE";"Tension high after arrest of KPFA volunteer" http://articles.sfgate.com/2008-09-02/bay-area/17157479_1_kpfa-business-station-berkeley-police).


Under the Rijio-Lilley management regime - including department heads, others from the strategy group and senior staff clique, and their CL allies on the Board - the gains of the 1990s-2000s Free Pacifica and listener democracy movements, the established democratic institutions and power centers at KPFA were obstructed, subverted or shut down: 1) the Program Council (PC) was reduced to advisory status, then dissolved; 2) the Unpaid Staff Organization (USPO) representing over 200 was de-recognized prior to the 2007 election; 3) LSB meetings reduced to bi-monthly, working committees dissolved, proceedings controlled or stalemated by CL representatives to prevent effective action or changes, and the few productive resolutions passed were ignored by management; 4) LSB elections corrupted and controlled by management-CL symbiosis, interventions and various unfair practices over the authority of election supervisors and PNB resolutions, including delayed/inaccurate voter lists, restriction of candidate air time and election information to voters and a biased website statement by acting ED Siegel denouncing Peoples Radio candidates' statements that were critical of CL (Berkeley DailyPlanet Commentary: KPFA Election Violated Rules and Bylaws;Commentary: Support Free Speech and Open Debate in KPFA Election.


Further, the new Pacifica democratic process and governing boards were subjected to on-air attacks by senior staff and guests, including Larry Bensky on "Sunday Salon," Alfandary and writer/former News staffer Matthew Lasar on "Against The Grain" and "Behind the News" (with hosts Lilley and Doug Henwood), as well as hit pieces in other media. The party line of bashing democracy, attacking the LSB, defending GM Rijio and the status quo was most recently adopted by KPFA News and "alternative online daily" editor Randy Shaw http://www.beyondchron.org/articles/New_Crisis_at_KPFA_Could_Push_Pacifica_Over_the_Edge_7957.html. (For an accurate alternative overview and critique of the Rijio-Lilley-CL management/programming by KPFA News reporter and LSB chair Anthony Fest, see The KPFA That Can't Say Yes.)


The critical talking and editorial points of GM supporters are summarized and addressed here with some facts, background and observations:


Claim #1: The new LSB majority moved to fire the GM without an evaluation or careful deliberation process.


In fact, this assertion ignores the relevant bylaws processes. The LSB can only recommend separation of a station GM, which must be reviewed and approved by the Pacifica ED or PNB to become effective. Rijio was evaluated as GM, performance appraisals are available to continuing and new LSB members, and if favorable, likely would have been (but were not) credited by supporters. GM applications are screened by position qualifications; Rijio's known prior experience does not appear to meet what can be reasonably expected as minimal management and radio/media qualifications, yet she remained in the position for 4 years. If the confidential causes for separation were acute and required urgent action (see #2), this process can't be compared to extended LSB deliberations on (unsubstantiated) charges against a former GM.


Claim #2: Terminating the GM was fiscally irresponsible, detrimental to station stability before a critical fund drive; major donors will withdraw support. She had maintained KPFA income that subsidized the Pacifica network and isn't responsible for declining revenue in hard times but was "forced out in a dispute over a financial transaction with the Pacifica national office…"


In reality, bad management, excessive salaried staffing, moderate formula programming and political power games are responsible, immediately and over time, for the financial crisis. Although the station was nearly broke, reserve funds exhausted, staff were cut and listeners subjected to more urgent, frequent and extended fund drives, Rijio inexplicably held a $375,000 foundation check, intended to earn interest income, for over a year until it expired. Yet the KPFA News commentary offered no explanation: what part of what transaction is disputed? Failure to deposit a six figure foundation check is beyond incompetence, must be intentional, and clear cause for separation in any organization.


During the Rijio and CL management group period 2004-2009 (including her tenure as DD), Full Time Equivalent (FTE) paid staffing increased 50% from 28 to 42 FTE, while the KPFA subscriber base decreased over 20% from 28,000 to 22,000. In budget reviews LSB Treasurers and members repeatedly advised that escalating paid staffing levels were unsustainable. The priority on "professional" salaried staffing is a continuation of the "Healthy Station" model and what the controlling staff think is normal and right for KPFA; those with a longer view know KPFA as a community radio station, run and sustained primarily by volunteer staff with as many paid staff as revenues allow. While membership and support for progressive alternative radio should have expanded under the Bush rightwing nightmare, contributors steadily declined even before the recession. The potential loss of some "major donors" who favored Rijio and current programming is far outweighed by the long term withdrawal of progressive listeners and management's failure to outreach and develop more dynamic, community based news and programs to attract and fulfill the needs of diverse communities (see #5).


Actually, the management supported CL was directly involved in the collusion responsible for Pacifica's financial crisis under the previous national leadership: the drain on the foundation and station revenues from mismanagement of New York station WBAI was enabled and shielded from oversight and accountability by a voting block on the PNB of KPFA's CL directors with WBAI's Justice and Unity (JUC) and other directors The Pacifica Financial Crisis: Who is Responsible?


Claim #3: Most union staff supported retaining her.


The senior union "core staff" think they are KPFA and are used to running the station as they please. A GM must be selected from their ranks or the station becomes a "management free zone:" outsiders selected through the by-laws process, Campanella and former Berkeley Mayor Gus Newport, were rejected, sabotaged and forced out. Inclusion and interests of volunteer staff do not matter. Historically, both paid and unpaid staff were represented by one union (UEW); but thanks to the Healthy Station project, paid staff breaking solidarity and dumping co-workers to join the CWA (1996-97) and Rijio's non-recognition of UPSO (recently rescinded under new Pacifica management), volunteer staff have had no effective labor representation, benefits or budget funding for personal and production costs. However, all staff now have voting power and LSB representation, and in recent elections voted for a majority of independent representatives, clearly indicating a split with the management regime; also, staff will have a special election on the proposed recall of Edwards-Tiekert.


Clearly, there was widespread staff and community disaffection with Rijio's management and a renewed commitment to new leadership and direction for KPFA, in the spirit of the 1999 beginning of "a new era of democratic decision-making and station Transformation." In Sept.-Oct. 2008 eighty unpaid and union staff signed an Open Letter on New KPFA Leadership Attributes/Priorities with an 8 point program for changes to be initiated and supported by new management; 74 signed a "Statement Of No Confidence" 74 KPFA Staffers: No-Confidence for Rijio 29 Sept 2008, calling for a new GM appointment; a letter from 21 listeners demanded rescission of her permanent appointment. As noted above, several staff and community members spoke in opposition at recent LSB meetings.


Claim #4: This controversy highlights a dysfunctional, expensive election system and governing structure with boards that are unrepresentative, disruptive, factional and "micromanage" or usurp staff/managerial decisions and functions.


Actually, this repeated argument demonstrates the self-serving, elitist nature and reactionary politics of the KPFA insider management/core staff/CL mutual support group and amounts to a corporate establishment-like coded message of "democracy is too expensive and doesn't work, so let's forget it and let the professionals do their jobs."


The new Pacifica bylaws and member elected boards were carefully developed from the Free Pacifica and democracy movements and court settlement in response to the authoritarian, over-centralized, corporate culture and direction of the old Pacifica "hijackers" regime. Staff and listener donors now have voting member status, the boards have limited, defined powers and areas of responsibility in collaboration with management, and there are provisions for democratic process, accountability and transparency. Pacifica's Ranked Choice Voting is a form of proportional representation, a progressive election reform that provides for diversity and minority representation, has been adapted and proven in San Francisco, other municipal elections and countries with multi-party systems. Election expenses are not responsible for the financial crisis (see #2) and can be reduced as a worthwhile price of democratic oversight and participation in Pacifica governance and decision making.


However, the old guard managers and senior staff who directed KPFA for decades and joined the 1999 uprising have resisted and attempted to control the new governance and elections through various means, including insider favoritism, program access and political alliances with LSB voting blocks (KPFA Forward, CL), but as previously and currently when losing an LSB majority, they condemn or try to "dismantle" whatever they cannot control. They also spoon feed content for biased, anti-democracy slams to journalists like Shaw(see above), a regular invited guest on prime time, core staff produced/hosted programs. The objective is to perpetuate the status quo and their personal power and control of KPFA, without accountability or compliance with the new bylaws, including policy and decisions on program selection/content; staffing, hiring/firing, air time slots; budget funding and resource allocation; selected information aired on station governance and management. As former LSB chair Richard Phelps explains KPFA: Ten Years After the 1999 Hijack Attempt:


"As Pacifica embarked on its new democratic path it became clear is that everyone that fought the hijackers didn’t do so for the same reason! Most listener activists and some staff supported the new democratic process and welcomed the involvement and input of the listener/subscribers who are the regular audience and the financial supporters of the station and Pacifica. At KPFA some staff and their supporters sought to defeat the hijackers so that they could control KPFA and make the decisions about who/what gets air time and who gets the paid jobs. This latter group has used the power of the stations progressive reputation and the power of the microphone to maintain control and frustrate the new bylaws in many ways."


Claim #5: She improved programming by adding "Letters to Washington" and restructuring The Morning Show.


Typical of much KPFA news and public affairs programming, "Letters" is uninspiring in the NPR mainstream style, Democrat party orientated and follows 4 hours of public affairs programs. To make room for launching the weekly program from Jan-April 2009, instead of reducing one of 43 music program time slots, management bumped KPFA's only women's program, "Women's Magazine," whose producers had addressed the LSB opposing Rijio for permanent GM (as advocated by CL President Kay Trimberger). Other highlights of the management regime's continuing and recent program policies and decisions include:

* The only weekend youth oriented show, "Youth Radio," abruptly removed without process; "POOR News Network" cut back to a monthly segment on The Morning Show Voice of the Poor unwanted?; a PC approved animal rights program cancelled;
* A Saturday morning program slot found for Lilley's associate Henwood, while the effective ban of Labor Collective programming continued, as did exclusion of other hard hitting programs with local producers, strong Bay Area community support and aired nationally/internationally, including "Taking Aim" with Ralph Schoenman and Mya Shone (on WBAI/Pacifica) and "TUC Radio" with former KPFA staff Maria Gilardin (locally on KALW) VoicesForJusticeRadio;
* Radical analysts, scholars, journalists and writers branded "conspiracy theorists," such as local residents Michael Parenti and Peter Philips, no longer or rarely interviewed or heard on core staff programs;
* iPD enforced policies: a) prohibiting programmers from on-air "calls to action" - Miguel Molina reprimanded for urging listeners to "be there" for a peace demonstration (while music programmers are free to give tickets and invite listeners to clubs and concerts); b) excluding community members and organizations without tax exempt status from producing/airing public event, service or speaking announcements - KPFA refused United for Peace and Justice's request to publicize a major Bay Area peace march in Oct. 2007;
* Dozens of public affairs programs and speeches not broadcast completely, live or timely but held for sale as pledge "premiums" and aired in parts during fund drives KPFA: The Alternative Home Shopping Network? Money vs. Mission.


Before it's elimination by Rijio and Lilley, the semi-democratic Program Council (with department managers, staff and listener representatives) made limited progress and at least represented the hopes of activists and many staff for a gradual transformation of KPFA programming, which is notorious in progressive and alternative radio communities for continuing the Healthy Station mainstreaming approach: including a weekly grid format with similar program type strips program grid; dominant, multi-hour music programming (60%); elimination or integration of specific community identity program content into short segments of general, moderate program offerings or NPR-like magazine style public affairs programs, resulting in various deficiencies. So with exceptions of several programs that fulfill the Pacifica and community radio missions (e. g. "Guns and Butter, "Hard Knock Radio," "Flashpoints," "Voices of the Middle East" and other weekday evening community/international programs, "Music of the World with Doug Edwards/Avotcja," "Across the Great Divide"), there is not only a lack of volunteer collectives, departments and regularly scheduled weekly programs on labor, youth, arts; LGBT, Black, other communities/cultures; but also insufficient programming that a) radically challenges the assumptions, standards and paradigms of mainstream corporate media, politics and culture; b) exposes and analyzes the plutocratic, corporate, military nature, and hidden objectives and operations, of the US national security state, empire and "war on terror," notably the truth and consequences of 9/11; and c) provides focus and direction for progressive, revolutionary organizing, including public affairs with class analysis, continuing coverage of alternative political parties, social movements and resistance campaigns; and expanded special coverage of crises and major protests.


Tragically, 11 years after the 1999 KPFA community uprising, the Folio is not restored, the Program Council is dormant, some Transformation Proposal provisions for staff/program diversity and equity are unimplemented, while the program grid substantially continues as a time capsule of "Pat Scott Radio."


Claim #6: The GM firing fits a pattern of racism in new Pacifica management.


This red herring distraction is a product of the CL and JUC allies who lost their control of the PNB and Pacifica in recent LSB elections. In his initial 2009 candidate statement, Siegel characterized management changes at WBAI as "ethnic cleansing" (although as acting ED in 2007, he had publicly condemned racially charged language in candidate statements). In fact, the new Pacifica management appointed people of color to replace the WBAI managers who were removed for financial mismanagement, including a rent payment failure and cover up.


As noted above (#3), in two previous resignations of African American GMs at KPFA, both were undermined and pushed out by the same staff group that supported Rijio. Further, former Pacifica and KPFA management were complicit in the racist treatment of Nadra Foster, who was "hog-tied," wrapped and "carted" out of the station by Berkeley police on Aug 20 2008 (see Coalition for a democratic Pacifica On the question of Pacifica and racism). Although not present during the police intrusion (her boss Sawaya and iPD Lilley were there), Rijio later: a) endorsed the decision of her business manager subordinate, Lois Withers, and a Pacifica manager to involve police, which precipitated and exposed Foster to police violence, injury and criminalization, results that should have been anticipated in a progressive organization, especially KPFA/Pacifica (after the 1999 arrests and occupation of the station by armed agents and Berkeley police); b) proposed an augmented security system, restricting both staff and community access, as her immediate response to the problem (rather than an investigation and HR process reforms); and c) was unwilling or unable to follow through with dropping criminal trespass charges against Foster (the criminal case with five counts, including trespass and resisting arrest, proceeded for over a year and a half until dismissed last month in Alameda Court, as Rijio was finally leaving KPFA).



Bob English

Retired civil servant; long time KPFA supporter and listener democracy activist in Coalition for a democratic Pacifica (CdP) and Peoples Radio, former LSB candidate; former union and labor democracy activist with Public Employees for a Democratic Union.

Vallejo, CA
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Interesting account

by Gustavo Sunday, Apr. 25, 2010 at 5:20 AM

Good Interesting account. I do wonder how this plays out accross the network . Is this Lem Lem and the Concerned Listeners allied with anyone at KFPK ? Was she and Eva Georgia tight ?
Is Bob English on the PNB ? Everyone should go to the PNB meeting this afternoon .
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What Union ?

by Gustavo Sunday, Apr. 25, 2010 at 5:24 AM

I forgot to ask what Union Bob belonged to ? We need far more Labor interest in our stations .
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newsgirl

by Newsgirl Sunday, Apr. 25, 2010 at 8:25 PM

Glad to see Robert English weighing into this KPFA Concerned Listeners takeover/takedown management muck.

When I worked as a KPFA volunteer news reporter for 3 years I noticed that the iGM that took orders from a small clique of staffers. Odd. It appears they were making KPFA into a private club for elitists who think it hip to pretend they are radical, liberal activists. They are not.

KPFA was run like a Mc Donalds and thus, into the ground. The "Concerned Listeners" had long lost site of the Mission. They have their own mission but KPFA listeners are not buying it.

KPFA appears to have a shrewd, experienced, articulate activist-protector in Robert English. English is familiar with KPFA and its history and concerns. KPFA truly needs you and others who are articulate as well as savvy.

Don't let the very smart and the very greedy blend into a self centered few who steal from the community this national treasure and miracle of a radio station. Save KPFA, please. Don't let them flush it down the NPR drain, turning an original into a copy to serve their snob god of personal power.

All Power to the People. Really. No, really .
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When is Someone Going to Connect Reduced Support and Senior Citizen Issues

by Hymie Monday, Apr. 26, 2010 at 1:27 AM

No one here seems to understand how indifference and disregard of senior citizen issues at KPFA and KPFK is driving them out of the supporting community.

On the evening news program, heard on both stations, the cuts to Medicare and Obama-Emanuel comparative treatment effectiveness and went unmentioned.

Essentially zero interest rates has had a devastating on seniors, especially widows, who thought interest on savings would supplement their social security but have found themselves getting nothing. I have yet to hear this story on the station.

Some people at both stations seem to have the idea that all senior citizens are tea party members and that they can be ignored. How this idea got started baffles me. Seniors, many of whom remember Roosevelt, are among the most solid supporters of progressive politics that they are. Granny D comes immediately to mind.

If anyone wants to reverse downward station trends, bringing senior citizens back into the community should be top priority.
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Reply to Comment and Questions

by Bob English Monday, Apr. 26, 2010 at 9:24 PM

Gustavo, thanks for reading through a fairly long piece and commenting. As to how the politics I describe here play out nationally in the Pacifica network and locally at KPFK, I briefly referred to the PNB voting block collusion and the Pacifica financial crisis but don't like to comment or speculate with limited knowledge and familiarity with the PNB and other station alliances and affairs, although I notice that people on Pacifica discussion lists have no problem with doing that. I learned a long time ago, when trying to understand what was happening at WBAI during the Free Pacifica movement, that each station has unique, complex politics and cultures. I'll see if another Peoples Radio caucus member can reply to your question about KPFA-KPFK alliances. I's like to be associated with Public Employees for a democratic Union (PEdU) rather than my former union in City/County San Francisco, SEIU L790 (which was merged into L1021), and I'm sure the feeling is mutual for the old guard SEIU members. I was a chapter leader and rep on the SF Council and Bargaining Team. In 2006 active pro-democracy members, who were fed up with working against the Stern international/staff controlled local for a "member driven union," formed PEdU and led a campaign to "decertify" the SEIU bargaining units and force open union elections. We didn't make it, the required # of member cards, and some of us were suspended for 3 years, plus smeared by some of the same people in SEIU and NUHW who are now well known and fashionable as SEIU reformers or for their campaigns to displace SEIU. If interested, you can read my account of that struggle: "SEIU Now and Then"  In that position, without established union support, I didn't do so well as a KPFA LSB candidate, even though the slate I ran with advocated for the Unpaid Staff Organization (UPSO) and labor programming. Not even close to being on the PNB. There are parallels between the union and Pacifica democracy movements vs. the SEIU and Pacifica insider elites, "entrenched" staff bureaucracy, management and supporters. And you're right of course about the need for labor interest in Pacifica stations. At KPFA in the Healthy Station model, labor coverage is limited to 20 minute weekly reports by David Bacon on The Morning Show magazine. The Labor Collective, which used to produce special programming, is effectively banned. Bacon and the KPFA status quo regimes (under Rijio/Lilley/CL and their predecessors) blocked the move of Democracy Now! to prime time slots, 7AM and 7PM, as approved by the Program Council and LSB. Yet by controlling/providing KPFA insider & air time access, they are supported by Bay Area labor establishment leaders, staff and councils - including the Alameda County Labor Council, with staff Susan McDonough, a CL listener rep on the LSB, excluding other candidate slates from candidate endorsement sessions. However, other Bay Area labor leaders and activists support independent, pro-labor opposition groups at KPFA, including UPSO, Labor Collective, Peoples Radio, Independents for Community Radio and Voices for Justice.
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Reply (plain text)

by Bob English Monday, Apr. 26, 2010 at 9:44 PM


note: please excuse/delete duplicate comment posts

Gustavo, thanks for reading through a fairly long piece and posting your comment.

As to how the politics I describe here play out nationally in the Pacifica network and locally at KPFK, I briefly referred to the PNB voting block collusion and the Pacifica financial crisis but don't like to comment or speculate with limited knowledge and familiarity with the PNB and other station alliances and affairs, although I notice that people on Pacifica discussion lists have no problem with doing that. I learned a long time ago, when trying to understand what was happening at WBAI during the Free Pacifica movement, that each station has unique, complex politics and cultures. I'll see if another Peoples Radio caucus member can reply to your question about KPFA-KPFK alliances.

I's like to be associated with Public Employees for a democratic Union (PEdU) rather than my former union in City/County San Francisco, SEIU L790 (which was merged into L1021), and I'm sure the feeling is mutual for the old guard SEIU members. I was a chapter leader and rep on the SF Council and Bargaining Team. In 2006 active pro-democracy members, who were fed up with working against the Stern international/staff controlled local for a "member driven union," formed PEdU and led a campaign to "decertify" the SEIU bargaining units and force open union elections. We didn't make it, the required # of member cards, and some of us were suspended for 3 years, plus smeared by some of the same people in SEIU and NUHW who are now well known and fashionable as SEIU reformers or for their campaigns to displace SEIU. If interested, you can read my account of that struggle: "SEIU Now and Then" 
<http://www.indybay.org/newsitems/2008/07/11/18515360.php>

In that position, without established union support, I didn't do so well as a KPFA LSB candidate, even though the slate I ran with advocated for the Unpaid Staff Organization (UPSO) and labor programming. Not even close to being on the PNB.

There are parallels between the union and Pacifica democracy movements vs. the SEIU and Pacifica insider elites, "entrenched" staff bureaucracy, management and supporters. And you're right of course about the need for labor interest in Pacifica stations.

At KPFA in the Healthy Station model, labor coverage is limited to 20 minute weekly reports by David Bacon on The Morning Show magazine. The Labor Collective, which used to produce special programming, is effectively banned. Bacon and the KPFA status quo regimes (under Rijio/Lilley/CL and their predecessors) blocked the move of Democracy Now! to prime time slots, 7AM and 7PM, as approved by the Program Council and LSB. Yet by controlling/providing KPFA insider & air time access, they are supported by Bay Area labor establishment leaders, staff and councils - including the Alameda County Labor Council, with staff Susan McDonough, a CL listener rep on the LSB, excluding other candidate slates from candidate endorsement sessions. However, other Bay Area labor leaders and activists support independent, pro-labor opposition groups at KPFA, including UPSO, Labor Collective, Peoples Radio, Independents for Community Radio and Voices for Justice.

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Note to newsgirl

by Bob English Tuesday, Apr. 27, 2010 at 11:24 AM


Note: apparently I didn't properly tag several links (by title) to other articles and source, they didn't take as
clickable links in the post

Thanks to newsgirl for an inside the News department view and cool, concise report of how KPFA is managed.

"When I worked as a KPFA volunteer news reporter for 3 years I noticed that the iGM that took orders from a small clique of staffers. Odd."

By most administrative and progressive standards, yes it's odd, but par for the 9 hole miniature golf at KPFA. We can imagine what fun it is to work with News Directors Aileen & Mark, and ugh, Brian; by an account of one American American women volunteer, it's more like hell.

"…this KPFA Concerned Listeners takeover/takedown management muck …It appears they were making KPFA into a private club for elitists who think it hip to pretend they are radical, liberal activists. They are not.
KPFA was run like a Mc Donalds and thus, into the ground.
The "Concerned Listeners" had long lost site of the Mission. They have their own mission but KPFA listeners are not buying it."

That's about all I really needed to say without using over 300 words, although I see/hope the extended point-counter point analysis is meaningful to you and other patient, interested readers. Our PeoplesRadio KPFA caucus works to inform and educate listeners on what's really happening inside KPFA/Pacifica governance, management and programming; here I try to break down some of the common false assumptions and arguments that have succeeded, until recently, in propping up the cabal.
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Reply to Hymie

by Bob English Tuesday, Apr. 27, 2010 at 1:00 PM

Hymie, you're right of course and I don't know how I omitted seniors from my highlights and list of KPFA program and focus deficiencies and as a significant portion of the exodus of community supporters, maybe I'm in denial of entering the senior community. I'll try to make it up in the next version and posting of the article.

The dearth of programs and news by/for both youth and seniors is often mentioned in KPFA critiques and comments to the LSB. But while my lapse was subconscious, the KPFA/Pacifica management /Healthy station model - going back to the 1980-90s with Pat Scott, Lynn Chadwick and others - consciously, deliberately eliminates programs and focus on natural/identity communities. The idea and approach is to integrate and cover all groups and identities within the "mainstream" of magazine program segments (primarily The Morning Show). A former KPFA GM or Program Director through the mid-1990s (with mass staff purges, introduction of the grid and strip programming, phasing out the Folio) said to objections about eliminating labor programs: "I want to mainstream labor, not ghettoize it." The same applies to seniors and practically every community and interest. However, we know that without dedicated focus on the issues and interests of particular communities, they tend to get lost or diluted in the general shuffle and drive to attract wider listening audiences with mostly music and moderate, "professional" produced programs a la NPR.

Over the years since the 1999 uprising, court settlement and new bylaws, the station has made some concessions to community demands in the form of "Hard Knock Radio," the 7 PM international/community programs, The Women's Magazine and Bay Native Circle. But other communities and groups are mostly out in the cold: nada for youth, seniors, LGBT, labor, arts, poor/underclass, Black and other communities and cultures. And as you point out, it's not just the absence of a program, but also failure to focus and cover the critical issues and problems facing seniors and these other communities even in the general/moderate magazine and news formats

But in the case of senior listeners, the issue goes beyond the Healthy Station project ideology, into the utter expressed contempt of former Pacifica and KPFA regime managers/staff. Sasha Lilley, a program producer who became iPD under Lemlem Rijio and whose mother was key in organizing the CL party through her Wellstone Democrat Club connections, referred to older listeners who took an active interest in the station and it's governance as (something like) "aging, self appointed guardians with nothing better to do with their time." The same attitude and reaction came from Pacifica hijacker managers describing some leaders of the Free Pacifica and listener democracy movements.

To the junta managers, seniors and other listener groups are valued for one thing only: our money at fund drive time to continue paying for their positions and expanding number of paid patronage positions. One of the 1999 posters: "They want to keep us bare foot and pledging." Seniors may have added value and focus in their ad campaigns to solicit tax deductible donations and planned estate gifts to KPFA. But as you note their management/program policies ignoring seniors are unsustainable and self-defeating.
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