KPFA: Closed Door General Manager Hire Continues

Hello friends,

The KPFA Local Station Board did NOT make any recommendations for General Manager at the executive session on Sunday, October 10. This was largely due to the two hours it took to approve the agenda because of the ruckus that many listeners kicked up about the closed door process.

The proposed agenda for the meeting included 15 minutes (out of five hours) to hear some of the written listener comments about the closed door process. The majority of the board present voted NOT to hear any listener comments. They also refused to record who voted against hearing listener comments. So much for transparency and accountability.


-----------------------------------------------------------------
PLEASE ATTEND THE NEXT LSB MEETING
SATURDAY, OCTOBER 23, Noon
(Executive session, 10:30 AM to Noon)
Freight and Salvage, Berkeley
1111 Addison Street near San Pablo Avenue
-----------------------------------------------------------------


Here are some of the comments that the majority of the board refused to hear:


"As a longtime (17 years) KPFA listener, I am deeply disheartened to hear that the selection of a new KPFA General Manager will take place behind closed doors in an executive session, away from the scrutiny and input of the listener community. Is this what we all worked so hard for when we worked mightily to wrest KPFA from the hand of corporate influences?? Please, please honor the larger mission. Do not give the community a reason to be appalled."


"I can't believe that at the very time when KPFA is hawking its wares, asking for listener support, a process is being conducted behind our backs!! An organization which professes progressive, people-first decision-making policies should practice what they preach. The listeners of a listener-supported community radio station, without question, must and should be included in the hiring process of such important decisions as the General Manager. Any backroom shenanigans will not be tolerated. We fought for our KPFA once and we'll do it over and over again as long as the threat of losing our beloved, progressive listener-supported community radio station exists."


"The process for choosing KPFA's General Manager should be an open one, with the KPFA constituency being allowed to meet the candidates and express their opinions. This was done at KPFK. The present divisiveness in the GM Hiring Subcommittee, with members resigning or being 'fired,' points to a necessity for this to be a policy, so that one faction doesn't control this process. The choice of a General Manager is crucial for the station, and s/he needs to be democratically selected, and to have a mandate from the entire KPFA community, so as not to suffer the fate of the last General Manager."


"Too, too bad, that such a fine radio station, such as KPFA, is going to hell in a hand basket. Be the progressive outfit that you were meant to be, not some elitist, secret society. Isn't it bad enough that we have to keep such a vigilant eye on our Government for robbing our civil liberties? Now we have to watch the KPFA Local Station Board too! Damn pity. You can't hide the secret shenanigans at KPFA. We know all about it as far away as here in the Green Mountains of Vermont! My entreaty to you: KPFA: STOP THE CLOSED DOOR GENERAL MANAGER HIRE!"


The need for true, independent, community radio has never been more urgent. Thank you all for your concern.


Mike Alcalay
Former KPFA reporter
and programmer of Aids in Focus

Lincoln Bergman
KPFA News Director 1969-71,
longterm programmer through 1995

Jeffrey Blankfort
Co-Founder, Take Back KPFA

Riva Enteen
Chair, KPFA Local Station Board

Maria Gilardin
Co-Founder, Take Back KPFA
and the Coalition for a democratic Pacifica,
Former KPFA Development Director

Bill Mandel
37-year programmer,
fired for refusal to obey KPFA gag rule

Henry Norr
KPFA news subcommittee,
fired from the San Francisco Chronicle

Les Radke
Co-founder, Take Back KPFA
and the Coalition for a democratic Pacifica,
KPFA Local Election Supervisor, 2003-2004

(All organizational references are for identification only.)


For more information about the General Manager hiring process,
please see our previous message,
posted on the San Francisco Bay Area Independent Media Center at
http://www.indybay.org/news/2004/10/1698206.php,
and Jeffrey Blankfort's recent letter, posted at
http://www.indybay.org/news/2004/10/1697924.php.