Stop The Shutdown, Union Busting & Coup at WBAI/Pacifica

Stop The Shutdown, Union Busting & Coup at WBAI & Pacifica Wednesday October 16, 2019 4:00 PM

Date: Wednesday October 16, 2019.
Time: 4:00 PM
Place:
KPFA
1929 Martin Luther King Boulevard
Berkeley, California

Speakers will include KPFA LSB members, programmers and supporters of KPFA.

Sponsored by
Ad Hoc Committee For Democracy, Transparency & A Strong KPFA & Pacifica
Endorsed by
Rescue Pacifica
http://www.rescuepacifica.org


A faction of the Pacifica Foundation National Board illegally shutdown the New York Pacifica station WBAI on Monday October 7, 2019. They improperly ordered Pacifica engineers and staff to rip out the computers, shutdown the WBAI website and turn the broadcast station into a repeater station.

They also improperly set up a consulting company called “Pacifica Across America” with KPFA manager Quincy McCoy as a consultant to determine programming.

This is the corporatization of KPFA and Pacifica. It alsotook place during an national election at all Pacifica stations and a national fundraising campaign further deepening the financial crisis. This action has already cost Pacifica and KPFA tens and possibly hundreds of thousands of dollars.

This action also violated the AFTRA-SAG union contract by giving no notice of the terminations and closure of the station although required under the contract.

A majority of the Pacifica National Board have now overturned these actions but they have gone to Federal Court on October 15th to have the Feds take over Pacifica.

Additionally at KPFA, this rogue faction is seeking to remove Pacifica KPFA Board representative Tom Voorhees from the KPFA board at a secret meeting on October 26, 2019 to support their faction and coup at WBAI. They previously sought to take Pacifica into bankruptcy so they could change the bylaws and separate KPFA from Pacifica.

Pacifica Network must be a vibrant and vital alternative media programming platform and this action must be used to rebuild the WBAI station and the network which is under severe financial conditions.

Press Conference At KPFA LSB Meeting
Saturday October 19, 2019 10:00 AM
South Berkeley Senior Citizens Center
2939 Ellis St, Berkeley, CA 94703
Meeting starts at 11:00 AM

Additional links:
http://www.indybay.org/newsitems/2019/09/12/18826188.php
https://www.nytimes.com/2019/10/07/business/media/wbai-pacifica-layoffs.html
https://www.nytimes.com/2019/10/07/business/media/wbai-pacifica-layoffs.html?fbclid=IwAR3WqYNQzr3aVrw1OIpXOgOzLsnEyzQjhqg-VJ69O_1U_BQiHZI4m78n6b4


A faction of the Pacifica Foundation National Board illegally shutdown the New York Pacifica station WBAI on Monday October 7, 2019. They improperly ordered Pacifica engineers and staff to rip out the computers, shutdown the WBAI website and turn the broadcast station into a repeater station. They also improperly set up a consulting company called “Pacifica Across America” with KPFA manager Quincy McCoy as a consultant to determine programming. This is the corporatization of KPFA and Pacifica.
This took place during an national election at all Pacifica stations and a national fundraising campaign. This action has already cost Pacifica and KPFA tens of thousands of dollars. This action also violated the AFTRA-SAG union contract by giving no notice of the terminations and closure of the station although required under the contract. A majority of the Pacifica National Board have now overturned these actions, but those who took this action must be held accountable. Additionally at KPFA, this rogue faction is seeking to remove Pacifica KPFA Board representative Tom Voorhees from the KPFA board at a secret meeting on October 26, 2019 to support their faction and coup at WBAI. They previously sought to take Pacifica into bankruptcy so they could change the bylaws and separate KPFA from Pacifica.

Pacifica Network must be a vibrant and vital alternative media programming platform and this action must be used to rebuild the WBAI station and the network which is under severe financial conditions.

Press Conference At KPFA LSB Meeting
Saturday October 19, 2019 10:00 AM
South Berkeley Senior Citizens Center
2939 Ellis St, Berkeley, CA 94703
Meeting starts at 11:00 AM

Additional links:
http://www.indybay.org/newsitems/2019/09/12/18826188.php
https://www.nytimes.com/2019/10/07/business/media/wbai-pacifica-layoffs.html
https://www.nytimes.com/2019/10/07/business/media/wbai-pacifica-layoffs.html?fbclid=IwAR3WqYNQzr3aVrw1OIpXOgOzLsnEyzQjhqg-VJ69O_1U_BQiHZI4m78n6b4

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Tuesday October 13, 2019

KPFA Clique Turns Pacifica Radio Over To The Feds



Berkeley-Unable to accept their 12-9--1 loss at a board vote on 10-13-2019, the 9-person shutdown crew on the Pacifica National Board have appealed to the federal courts to strip control of the Pacifica Foundation from the members and their elected representatives and the judge has complied. The Pacifica Foundation board may not meet or take action until October 21st per the United States government

The scribble on the court order is difficult to read, but the signature looks to be that of judge Paul Gardephe. Gardephe, a long-time federal DOJ attorney and then a corporate counsel for Time inc., is most well-known for overturning the conviction of New York City's "cannibal cop", Gilberto Valle.

"Months before his arrest in late 2012, Gilberto Valle, then a New York police officer, sat at his computer, hiding behind fictional online identities and exchanging messages about abducting, torturing, killing and eating women. There may not have been a more sensational trial in Manhattan in recent years than that of Mr. Valle, who came to be widely known as the cannibal cop. He was convicted of kidnapping conspiracy in March 2013 after prosecutors persuaded a jury that he was plotting actual abductions with others in one of the darkest corners of the Internet... In June, the judge, Paul Gardephe of Federal District Court, overturned Mr. Valle's conspiracy conviction, saying the evidence supported his contention that he was engaged in only "fantasy role-play."

The order prevents the restoration of WBAI until a hearing on October 21st, prevents the majority of the Pacifica National Board from changing their officers, and prevents them from meeting or taking any action for six days, essentially making the foundation a ward of the court, and stripping democratic control of and autonomous action by the Foundation. Membership donations of $1,000 provided the bond for the suspension of membership rights.

Whether or not Pacifica's board of directors will be able to regain control of the Foundation remains to be seen, but potentially the federal courts may be in control for much of the immediate future. The costs on ongoing litigation will skyrocket beyond the means of the community media institution, which reported the meager sum of $2,000 in its national office account just a few days ago. This suggests that some sort of outside financial support may have been provided to pay legal bills.

The turn to the federal courts in the era of Trump places the left-wing independent media outlet in severe jeopardy that is probably far more extreme than any the angry out-voted board minority can envision.

The board members who have turned Pacifica over to the federal government after being out-voted are:

Christopher Cory (KPFA), Sabrina Jacobs (KPFA), Jan Goodman (KPFK), Mansoor Sabbagh (KPFK), Bill Crosier (KPFT), Donald Goldmacher (KPFA), Adrienne La Violette (KPFT), Wally James (KPFT), and Gerry Boast (Affiliate