KPFK Updating: a coup? or failure? or....

by another tired KPFK payor Sunday, Oct. 25, 2015 at 5:04 PM

KPFK may be the vital part of Pacifica's failure and the maybe sell-off to privatize a take-over... or only a part of Pacifica's failures in administrative management, or any competent oversight, or their following CA state required audits and elections, and honest business practices, accounting, and many more lapses...that have already occurred. Updating some info for what is barely revealed to paid-up KPFK stakeholders.

Even while daily anyone listening to KPFK radio at 90.7 FM hears pleas for more money, donations, pledges, subscriptions, sustainers, and wheedling with guilt included, for funds to keep this Radio Station operating, there is never enough.

Call 818 985-5835 [985-KPFK] 24/7 or 818 985-2711 during day hours. Offer your choice of a donation, ask a question, ask for a note to be passed on.

Anyone who has not helped to pay-their-share to insure KPFK’s broadcasting might consider a donation of good-will and add a letter, phone call, note to express your thoughts, questions, and appreciations for any programs or people you have Already heard and liked.

Don’t let others do it ‘for you’ or each free listener insures that the station will collapse, be co-opted, shift to a private corporation, or be controlled by one faction excluding other voices you too want to hear.

Just as Pacifica/ KPFK have also been hollowed out and are now fragile. Being again in dangerous condition and in peril.

They are Not just lacking $$$ - but lack of consistent competent administration, good business practices, solid honest leaders and to be following legal requirement.

“A quiet coup has taken place at Pacifica” … this has been declared elsewhere.

Due to not conducting their required Elections, both Pacifica and even KPFK had and has board members holding seats well past the expiration of their elected terms -- with one more divisive and secretive faction currently controlling the local board [LSB] at KPFK and the National Board [PNB] too ….

... as 2 of every 3 years elections are suppose to be held, but have not been lately, and the local LSB has not had any elections since 2010 either.

Why not? Financial excuses are the usual lame ones given for not adhering to promised bylaws, rules and fresh voices at the radio station.

Everyone urges all paid-up stakeholders to VOTE now, if a minimum of $25, or 3 hrs volunteer work has been done this last year. And if a ballot has not been sent to you, reader, call and demand they fulfill their legal obligations. Now.

If you like a slate that has been more open and revealing of their views and intentions,
see http://pacificainexile.org/archives/1360 for info there.

Or see KPFK at www.candidateslate.org for some preferable candidates to review for your vote.

It has recently & finally been revealed that Pacifica and it’s stations : ” Expenses were not monitored ….enormous unapproved and budgeted expenses” have thus accrued disastrously, and are threatening to bankrupt these radio institutions. Which may be unplanned and dysfunctional organization failures …

or may be deliberately a set-up to Take Over failing but unhabitable radio stations worth millions, ready for the privatization of the few.

While a few select legal and PNB players have already incorporated KPFA names --to be able to re-store their personal versions of Our million-dollar stations when these fail. Already having, controlling votes and meetings, leaving the KPFA license and name entities ready-to-take-go… in what appears to be maneuvers that are a Take-Over, not a Save-US move.

Done by the Pacifica attorney and KPFA prior-interim Exe.Director hold the valuable new incorporation papers now, ‘in case’ -- but doubt has arisen as to how these secret moves will play out, finally.

Who do the faction playing the game of we-are-just-saving-them consist of ?

and how distorted have the divisive PNB and LSB fighting groups become already ?

Or is it beyond saving or compromising of 'enemies' fighting to own, control, save or use KPFK's remains?

KPFK has been unable to ‘pay’ for the premiums already offered, for which they had promoted and collected premiums-$$$ in exchange. And thus subscription dept did not reveal this info to paid-up donors, and then also did not send out promised ‘gifts’ in return for high priced pledges back.

Also, as KPFK business manager was doing outside business on KPFK computers in an illegal maneuver and the recent business audits, necessary to CA state, for 2+ years have not been accomplished, as required, while budgets have been quick-‘passed’ and agreed by LSB, but w/o any thorough investigation or corrections to the constantly shifting numbers.

Besides the loss of $ 2 million from CBC that previously was needed & treasured funding - this income was lost for a couple of years - so has not been available -- only due to lack and lapse of any good business practices and audits of Pacifica stations.

Plus now, another year’s worth, another $1 Million for 2015, may also be denied due to lapsed & accounting delays.

At KPFK, 3 music programmers of Global Village, Betto Arcos, Derek Rath and Yatrika Shai-Rais, recently quit on air, and at least 3 other paid staff were fired from their positions also. The Film Club director was one of these.

While the [previously unrevealed as 4 staff paid] public-affairs programmers were cut to ½ time pay and ½ time work – for 3-4 months maybe - without their proper union procedures to protect them, the new General Manager’s plans appeared sudden, harsh and unsustainable.

Even staff union dues were recently not paid by KPFK administrators as is legally required, but was unbeknownst to the staff.

Anyone who has been Listening, Learning, Tuning in to KPFK for the long prior years when such turmoil and chaos was either not revealed or not as bad as it has resulted Now. [internet opens data to broader visibility for all: so is both helpful info and some secreted info and revealing more than any on-air gagging, tho still not all, is transparent ]

Many have tuned-out and turned away, despairing of what is heard on-air on KPFK, as repetitious, exhausting, unbearable fund-$$$-pleadings.

Others stakeholders have tired of the same programmers repeating their same views and similar guests. Some have gone to other radio that is more to their taste.

Others have stayed loyal, at times or more times, while hoping something better results. We all wish and hope this improvement is possible. If at all. If ever. Now.