"Against The Grain," Against The LSB: Iain A. Boal's Attacks on Pacifica democratisation

On Monday (07/05/10), KPFA programmer and former interim-Program Director Sasha Lilley hosted author Iain A. Boal on KPFA's "Against The Grain" (ATG). The topics included the bicycle, the advent of radio, and, in a bizarre rejection of democratic process, completely shredding the Pacifica Foundation Bylaws.

Community members and KPFA Listener-Members have reported this broadcast as a Fair Campaign Violation to the authorities outlined on the 2010 Pacifica Elections website. A one-sided on-air assault against Pacifica's Bylaws deserves dissenting perspectives, especially given the Local Station Board (LSB) Elections underway. It should be noted, "Behind the News" host, Doug Henwood has also attacked the LSB Elections and taken his snipes on-air whilst interviewing Matthew Lasar (06/26/10). We mustn't forget Doug Henwood was autocratically awarded a weekend time-slot on KPFA by Sasha Lilley. Many observers are familiar with the turmoil surrounding the Program Council, which Sasha Lilley opposed as acting "interim-Program Director before being demoted.

One might wonder: how can it be appropriate to have a host of ATG invite a guest on-air to berate, not only the LSB Members, but the very governance structure enshrined within the Pacifica Foundation Bylaws, in the midst of an Elections cycle? If ATG's producers were thoroughly considering the issue, they might have had dissenting perspectives represented during the broadcast. As it stands, it seems to be purely a hit piece.

Given that the future of Pacifica's Bylaws is an issue that would be of interest to most Listener-Members and the public in general, it's certainly warranted to have both sides of the issue represented and/or debated. Yet, Lilley and Boal were content with simply sounding off their contempt for Pacifica's democratic governance structure. Will another program sounding off opposing partisan perspectives be allowed on air?

How are assaults on Pacifica's Bylaws tolerated? At best, it's wholly inappropriate. At worst, it's outright insidious, an abuse of KPFA programming, and the LSB Elections. Where is the recourse for these attacks? Will any LSB Members raise these issues during the July 2010 meeting in Berkeley? For the sake of a level playing field, let's hope so.

The thinly veiled attacks against the LSBs during Monday's broadcast, ostensibly discussing the advent of radio, constitute a violation against the current LSB Elections. Whether the legal language is clear enough for LSB Candidates and Listener-Members to take remedial action against the producers responsible becomes irrelevant because the consequences of those attacks are done.

Yet, a clear violation such as this one must be documented and reprimanded by station management as well as the LSB. At the very least, the KPFA community deserves a public, open debate on the issue, rather than being subjected to an autocratic agenda being broadcast during a prime-time lunch-hour program, which ultimately, constitutes a manipulation of KPFA radio, Pacifica's Mission, and an undermining of its Bylaws.

-Felipe Messina, KPFA Listener-Member