"Save KPFA" hijackers & name stealers

"Concerned Listeners" is the election slate representing the status quo at KPFA. Recently they suddenly changed their name. Why? I don't really know, but I suspect they felt burdened with negative name recognition. Perhaps too many listener-voters had come to know them for who they are.

These wolves in sheep's clothing are now calling themselves "Save KPFA," stealing the name belonging to the group of activists who fought for listener democracy during most of the 1990's and laid the ground work for the successful overthrow of the hijacker regime. For good reason, their name "Save KPFA" is legendary, inappropriate for a group whose purpose is diametrically opposite.

The "Concerned Listeners" (the bogus Save KPFA) assumed the name without asking permission, or giving any acknowledgement, and the original Save KPFA folks are outraged. They object to this use of their name and have asked the Concerned Listeners to immediately stop calling themselves" Save KPFA." Curt Gray, a co-treasurer of the original group, wrote in an email:

"We view it as an arrogant appropriation and intentional erasure of our historic efforts. And we are particularly concerned because we understand that the current group using our name seems to oppose and undermine the very work of democratizing reform at Pacifica and KPFA that our earlier group laid the foundation for."

Below is Curt Gray's letter of August 12, 2010.



To the KPFA and Pacifica election coordinators, and all concerned
From Curt Gray
Member of the original Save KPFA

Hello, my name is Curt Gray. I was the co-treasurer of the original Save KPFA, which was a listener activist group that started in 1993. I have recently learned that an election slate running in the KPFA board elections is using our name. The original Save KPFA was one of the earliest groups calling for subscribers to be voting members of the foundation, with the power to elect a local station governing board. This was back when there was only a self-appointed local advisory board for KPFA and the only members of the foundation were the Nat. board itself. Save KPFA eventually begot Take Back KPFA, which eventually led to the creation of the current group Coalition for a democratic Pacifica. All of these groups worked for the democratic reform of Pacifica that led to the elections Pacifica has now.

I have proofs of the existence of our original group, and that its prior existence is public knowledge through recent on-line discussions and documents that are currently available on the web. Plus, I have documents like fictitious name app, bank statement, statements printed in the KPFA Folio program guide that was published back in those days and fliers. I am also putting together a joint statement protesting the use of our name from members of the original coordinating committee of our group.

From what I can tell, the group using our name is against Pacifica having elections, and that KPFA board members associated with this faction using our name have worked to undermine the functioning of the democratically elected boards to perform their duties under the bylaws, and to undermine the fair election process itself.

I am sending you this e-mail as a first notice of protest, and when these other materials mentioned above are assembled, we plan to submit a formal objection to all concerned about this use of our name that we believe to be misleading as to what this current group using our name stands for, and confusing to voting members, who may think use of our name is an endorsement of this anti-democratic slate. If necessary there may be a legal challenge.

I do not have any contact information for the group that is currently using our name, so I have not sent this to them yet. Please let me know that you have gotten this notice from me and whatever actions you intend to take regarding this issue. Feel free to send this to the group using our name, so they can know that there is a serious objection to their using this name, and that we are not going to let them undermine our years of work, or damage our reputations as pro-democracy listener activists. We expect them to immediately stop using our name, and to send out notices to anyone they contacted using our name that the original Save KPFA did not give permission, that we object to the use of our name in this manner, and that we do not endorse them.

Curt Gray
August 12, 2010