http://www.counterpunch.org/rosenberg11052009.html
Of "Envenoned Nutballs" and "Camel-Albatross Hybrids"
Pacifica and the Barbarians Who Pay the Bills by Tracy Rosenberg
Far be it from me to add to a tsunami of abuse, but I think its more than time to inject a little reality check into Iain Boal’s overheated Pacifica rhetoric. Apologies in advance from this “envenomed nutball”, since that is the label you must wear if you disagree with Boal’s melodramatic and self-serving lament.
No gag reflex is present here. Christopher Condon’s motion was plain and simple. It just said disclose where the programming money comes from. Is that some kind of wild anarchist request? Has Mr. Boal never heard of “The Revolution Will Not Be Funded,” a well-regarded volume by people not usually considered “envenomed nutballs” who have some pretty sobering things to say about the risks of dependence on foundation funding for politically radical nonprofit organizations?
The recent Fox News political hack job on Van Jones should have convinced the left of the stupidity of trying to rout out 9-11 skeptics in a progressive version of red-baiting. Boal’s Eugene McCarthy impersonation wears somewhat thin in talking about a network that cut its teeth standing up to the ugliness of the American red scare. “McCarthyism – the term is used generally to describe reckless, unsubstantiated accusations, as well as demagogic attacks on the character or patriotism of political adversaries.” And that’s what we have here. Boal’s obvious unwillingness to engage in debate on political differences with his adversaries. It’s easier just to rout them out with half-baked rhetoric.
Thursday, November 5, 2009
Wednesday, October 14, 2009
Henry Norr responds to Matthew Hallinan
Henry Norr Responds to Matthew Hallinan
In his discussion of "What's at Stake in the KPFA Board Election?" http://www.berkeleydailyplanet.com/issue/2009-10-08/article/33882?headline=What-s-at-Stake-in-KPFA-Board-Election- Matthew Hallinan starts out on the right track: there really are important substantive differences between the group he's part of - the Concerned Listeners (CL) - and just about everyone else involved in the election, including not only the ticket I'm on - Independents for Community Radio - but also the other two slates in the race for the Local Station Board.
But in seeking to explain these issues, Matthew sets up a straw man that only obscures the real nature of the contest. Critics of the current CL majority and the status quo it supports, he tells us, "propose what is essentially an all-volunteer KPFA [with] no professional management and no paid staff."
With all due respect, this is sheer fantasy. No one on the Independents for Community Radio list nor anyone else involved in the current election has made any such proposal, directly or indirectly. All the candidates recognize the need for paid management and staff. I for one wish we had stronger, more professional management - i.e., managers with training and/or pre-KPFA experience in running a media outlet.
The question that actually divides us is not whether we need management, but how management should relate to other elements of the KPFA community. In the view of Independents for Community Radio and other critics of CL, the station's traditions and professed values, not to mention the letter and spirit of the Pacifica by-laws, require that listeners and unpaid as well as paid staff should have a real voice in major decisions.
In contrast, Concerned Listeners, in the name of "professionalism," believe the station's managers should make all major decisions by themselves. They have consistently supported the current management's policy of dismantling, disempowering, or disregarding every representative body that has evolved over past years at the station. Some examples:
*Management unilaterally dismantled the Program Council, a decades-old body that brought together representatives from management, paid and unpaid staff, the board, and community representatives to evaluate existing programs and new program proposals. Now top managers alone make all decisions about programming, without consulting anyone else - such as the current plan to eliminate the morning "Music of the World" show. There's no longer even a procedure for anyone to submit a proposal for a new program. The by-laws oblige the Local Station Board to ensure that programming decisions are made in "a fair, collaborative and respectful manner." Can anyone seriously claim that that's the case today?
*Management unilaterally "de-recognized" the Unpaid Staff Organization, the body that defends the interests of the people who produce about 70 percent of KPFA's programming. Yes, UPSO hadn't been functioning effectively for several years, but that apparently didn't bother management - they "derecognized" the group only when it started to get its act back together. When both KPFA Local Station Board and the Pacifica National Board passed resolutions directing management to reverse this "derecognition," KPFA management defied them for months, giving in only in the face of direct orders from Pacifica's interim Executive Director.
* On the LSB itself, the Concerned Listeners group has used the majority it has maintained for three years to impose a do-nothing policy. After management called the police into the station to deal with a minor, non-violent dispute with unpaid programmer Nadra Foster, and the police brutalized Foster and hauled her off to the Santa Rita jail on five felony charges, we in the minority sought to have the board investigate the incident with an eye to developing policies that could prevent a repetition; CL refused to put the issue on the agenda. (To this day, the board has not held even one moment's discussion of this deeply troubling incident.) On another occasion the minority, concerned about staff complaints of unfairness and unclarity in policies applied to them, as well as repeated complaints of sexual harassment (and expensive lawsuits as a result), requested copies of any written personnel policies in effect at the station, but CL went along with management's refusal to turn over such policies - even though reviewing personnel policies is surely a basic function of a non-profit board.
This year, CL's response to declining listenership, a large financial deficit, and serious staff morale issues was to reduce the frequency of board meetings from the traditional monthly schedule to bi-monthly. They claim this will allow time for more work to be done in committee - an argument that might sound reasonable, except that the board under their control has no functioning committees!
The CL majority has also gone out of its way to minimize communications between the LSB and the wider KPFA community. The by-laws oblige the LSB to "conduct 'town hall' style meetings at least twice a year, devoted to hearing listeners views, needs and concerns." Under CL control the board has simply ignored this requirement - no such meeting has been held in years.
And the CL member the majority elected to serve as secretary of the board - normally a capable person - has not managed to post either agendas or minutes of board meetings on the KPFA web site since November 2008.
Altogether, these realities are what Independents for Community Radio and other critics of the status quo mean when we talk about top-down, corporate-style management. Matthew Hallinan asks why seasoned progressive activists like CL would support such a model. That's a good question. I wish he'd answered it.
What, concretely, do the rest of us propose as an alternative?
* The Program Council should be restored, so all elements of the KPFA community can work together to preserve and enhance what's best in the station's current programming and bring in new approaches and new voices to replace what's gone stale.
* The LSB, which is charged by the by-laws with the duty of evaluating the station's general manager and program director, must make clear that respecting the letter and spirit of the by-laws is a requirement for these jobs. That means, among other things, that the general manager should attend LSB meetings regularly and use her time on the agenda not just to boast about fundraising successes (the current pattern), but to get input and feedback from the board and the community about major policy decisions.
* The board itself should meet at least monthly, probably more often, rotating through all parts of the KPFA listening area. It should make complete, comprehensible agendas and minutes readily and promptly available. It should have functioning committees to (among other things) increase outreach and develop a strategic plan for enhancing KPFA's online presence, which falls farther behind the technological curve by the month. And it should live up to all of its by-laws-mandated obligations.
That's some of what we mean by our slogan, "Putting the community back in community radio!"
If you haven't voted yet, you have until midnight tonight (Oct. 15). Please cast your top votes for me and others endorsed by Independents for Community Radio.
Henry Norr (henry@norr.com) is a candidate for re-election to KPFA's Local Station Board.
In his discussion of "What's at Stake in the KPFA Board Election?" http://www.berkeleydailyplanet.com/issue/2009-10-08/article/33882?headline=What-s-at-Stake-in-KPFA-Board-Election- Matthew Hallinan starts out on the right track: there really are important substantive differences between the group he's part of - the Concerned Listeners (CL) - and just about everyone else involved in the election, including not only the ticket I'm on - Independents for Community Radio - but also the other two slates in the race for the Local Station Board.
But in seeking to explain these issues, Matthew sets up a straw man that only obscures the real nature of the contest. Critics of the current CL majority and the status quo it supports, he tells us, "propose what is essentially an all-volunteer KPFA [with] no professional management and no paid staff."
With all due respect, this is sheer fantasy. No one on the Independents for Community Radio list nor anyone else involved in the current election has made any such proposal, directly or indirectly. All the candidates recognize the need for paid management and staff. I for one wish we had stronger, more professional management - i.e., managers with training and/or pre-KPFA experience in running a media outlet.
The question that actually divides us is not whether we need management, but how management should relate to other elements of the KPFA community. In the view of Independents for Community Radio and other critics of CL, the station's traditions and professed values, not to mention the letter and spirit of the Pacifica by-laws, require that listeners and unpaid as well as paid staff should have a real voice in major decisions.
In contrast, Concerned Listeners, in the name of "professionalism," believe the station's managers should make all major decisions by themselves. They have consistently supported the current management's policy of dismantling, disempowering, or disregarding every representative body that has evolved over past years at the station. Some examples:
*Management unilaterally dismantled the Program Council, a decades-old body that brought together representatives from management, paid and unpaid staff, the board, and community representatives to evaluate existing programs and new program proposals. Now top managers alone make all decisions about programming, without consulting anyone else - such as the current plan to eliminate the morning "Music of the World" show. There's no longer even a procedure for anyone to submit a proposal for a new program. The by-laws oblige the Local Station Board to ensure that programming decisions are made in "a fair, collaborative and respectful manner." Can anyone seriously claim that that's the case today?
*Management unilaterally "de-recognized" the Unpaid Staff Organization, the body that defends the interests of the people who produce about 70 percent of KPFA's programming. Yes, UPSO hadn't been functioning effectively for several years, but that apparently didn't bother management - they "derecognized" the group only when it started to get its act back together. When both KPFA Local Station Board and the Pacifica National Board passed resolutions directing management to reverse this "derecognition," KPFA management defied them for months, giving in only in the face of direct orders from Pacifica's interim Executive Director.
* On the LSB itself, the Concerned Listeners group has used the majority it has maintained for three years to impose a do-nothing policy. After management called the police into the station to deal with a minor, non-violent dispute with unpaid programmer Nadra Foster, and the police brutalized Foster and hauled her off to the Santa Rita jail on five felony charges, we in the minority sought to have the board investigate the incident with an eye to developing policies that could prevent a repetition; CL refused to put the issue on the agenda. (To this day, the board has not held even one moment's discussion of this deeply troubling incident.) On another occasion the minority, concerned about staff complaints of unfairness and unclarity in policies applied to them, as well as repeated complaints of sexual harassment (and expensive lawsuits as a result), requested copies of any written personnel policies in effect at the station, but CL went along with management's refusal to turn over such policies - even though reviewing personnel policies is surely a basic function of a non-profit board.
This year, CL's response to declining listenership, a large financial deficit, and serious staff morale issues was to reduce the frequency of board meetings from the traditional monthly schedule to bi-monthly. They claim this will allow time for more work to be done in committee - an argument that might sound reasonable, except that the board under their control has no functioning committees!
The CL majority has also gone out of its way to minimize communications between the LSB and the wider KPFA community. The by-laws oblige the LSB to "conduct 'town hall' style meetings at least twice a year, devoted to hearing listeners views, needs and concerns." Under CL control the board has simply ignored this requirement - no such meeting has been held in years.
And the CL member the majority elected to serve as secretary of the board - normally a capable person - has not managed to post either agendas or minutes of board meetings on the KPFA web site since November 2008.
Altogether, these realities are what Independents for Community Radio and other critics of the status quo mean when we talk about top-down, corporate-style management. Matthew Hallinan asks why seasoned progressive activists like CL would support such a model. That's a good question. I wish he'd answered it.
What, concretely, do the rest of us propose as an alternative?
* The Program Council should be restored, so all elements of the KPFA community can work together to preserve and enhance what's best in the station's current programming and bring in new approaches and new voices to replace what's gone stale.
* The LSB, which is charged by the by-laws with the duty of evaluating the station's general manager and program director, must make clear that respecting the letter and spirit of the by-laws is a requirement for these jobs. That means, among other things, that the general manager should attend LSB meetings regularly and use her time on the agenda not just to boast about fundraising successes (the current pattern), but to get input and feedback from the board and the community about major policy decisions.
* The board itself should meet at least monthly, probably more often, rotating through all parts of the KPFA listening area. It should make complete, comprehensible agendas and minutes readily and promptly available. It should have functioning committees to (among other things) increase outreach and develop a strategic plan for enhancing KPFA's online presence, which falls farther behind the technological curve by the month. And it should live up to all of its by-laws-mandated obligations.
That's some of what we mean by our slogan, "Putting the community back in community radio!"
If you haven't voted yet, you have until midnight tonight (Oct. 15). Please cast your top votes for me and others endorsed by Independents for Community Radio.
Henry Norr (henry@norr.com) is a candidate for re-election to KPFA's Local Station Board.
Monday, October 5, 2009
Adam Hudson's Rally Against War Crimes Speech
http://ajhudson.wordpress.com/2009/10/05/rally-against-war-crimes-speech-featuring-noam-chomsky/
Adam Hudson's Rally Against War Crimes speech (featuring Noam Chomsky, Oct. 4, 2009)
October 5, 2009 · 1 Comment
Forty years ago, on April 3, 1969, more than 800 people met in Stanford University’s Dinkelspiel Auditorium to form what became known as the April Third Movement (A3M). This movement called upon Stanford and the Stanford Research Institute, which was owned by the university, to halt chemical and biological warfare research, classified research and other programs related to the Vietnam War. The April Third Movement was more than just an activist movement that took place at Stanford. It was part of a national youth movement that mobilized against America’s colonial and atrocious war in Southeast Asia. This movement occurred on university campuses across America, in which students organized sit-ins, teach-ins and rallies, printed flyers and occupied buildings to express moral outrage against and put an end to the war in Vietnam. Through their hard work and passionate organizing, Stanford students were successful in eliminating classified research at Stanford and contributed to the popular movement that ended the Vietnam War.
Adam Hudson's Rally Against War Crimes speech (featuring Noam Chomsky, Oct. 4, 2009)
October 5, 2009 · 1 Comment
Forty years ago, on April 3, 1969, more than 800 people met in Stanford University’s Dinkelspiel Auditorium to form what became known as the April Third Movement (A3M). This movement called upon Stanford and the Stanford Research Institute, which was owned by the university, to halt chemical and biological warfare research, classified research and other programs related to the Vietnam War. The April Third Movement was more than just an activist movement that took place at Stanford. It was part of a national youth movement that mobilized against America’s colonial and atrocious war in Southeast Asia. This movement occurred on university campuses across America, in which students organized sit-ins, teach-ins and rallies, printed flyers and occupied buildings to express moral outrage against and put an end to the war in Vietnam. Through their hard work and passionate organizing, Stanford students were successful in eliminating classified research at Stanford and contributed to the popular movement that ended the Vietnam War.
Thursday, October 1, 2009
thoughts on latest on-air forum and election, thus far - Adam Hudson
thoughts on latest on-air forum and election, thus far - Adam Hudson
So I thought I'd take a chance to write my thoughts on the on-air forum I participated in and the election, thus far. I should state, though, that this is a long piece so read the whole thing if you have time. [The first half is mainly about KPFA and the second half is a historical comparison to the Russian Revolution and the Soviet experience with a conclusion at the very end. So you can read one half and neglect the other, if you wish, but I would advise against that since I did put the time and effort into writing this entire thing. All italics and bold in quotes are mine.]
http://www.indyradio2009.org/
Tuesday, September 29, 2009
Rebecca Riots, Shelley Doty and Blood Sugar Sex Machine, Fundraiser for Independents for Community Radio
Rebecca Riots, Shelley Doty and Blood Sugar Sex Machine at Ashkenaz 9/30
A Fundraiser for Independents for Community Radio
Date: Wednesday, September 30, 2009
Time: 7:30pm - 10:30pm
Location: Ashkenaz Music and Dance Cafe
Street: 1317 San Pablo Avenue
City/Town: Berkeley, CA
An evening of Folk, Funk and Fun to help Independents for Community Radio (ICR) get elected to the KPFA Local Station Board and bring the community focus back to KPFA.
Learn more about ICR at indyradio2009.org
With: Jazz-Rock guitar sensation Shelly Doty, activist-folk trio Rebecca Riots, comedy from "The Prez in the Fez" Khalil Bendib and some closing break-a-sweat funk with Blood Sugar Sex Machine.
Tickets: Sliding scale - $20 donation requested - No one turned away for lack of funds
Whose radio? Our radio.
A Fundraiser for Independents for Community Radio
Date: Wednesday, September 30, 2009
Time: 7:30pm - 10:30pm
Location: Ashkenaz Music and Dance Cafe
Street: 1317 San Pablo Avenue
City/Town: Berkeley, CA
An evening of Folk, Funk and Fun to help Independents for Community Radio (ICR) get elected to the KPFA Local Station Board and bring the community focus back to KPFA.
Learn more about ICR at indyradio2009.org
With: Jazz-Rock guitar sensation Shelly Doty, activist-folk trio Rebecca Riots, comedy from "The Prez in the Fez" Khalil Bendib and some closing break-a-sweat funk with Blood Sugar Sex Machine.
Tickets: Sliding scale - $20 donation requested - No one turned away for lack of funds
Whose radio? Our radio.
Tuesday, September 22, 2009
What's Goin On at KPFA...
What's Goin On at KPFA...
Hey all, Here is an article I wanted to write based on what I've gathered so far from the election process. My goal is to simplify the complex issue plaguing KPFA in language for all sides/slates and listeners to use as an investigative tool. May the truth prevail! - Rahman
http://www.indyradio2009.org/content/whats-goin-kpfa
Hey all, Here is an article I wanted to write based on what I've gathered so far from the election process. My goal is to simplify the complex issue plaguing KPFA in language for all sides/slates and listeners to use as an investigative tool. May the truth prevail! - Rahman
http://www.indyradio2009.org/content/whats-goin-kpfa
Stanford Student Activist runs for KPFA Local Station Board
September 21, 2009
Stanford student activist runs for KPFA Local Station Board
Adam Hudson
http://www.sfbayview.com/2009/stanford-student-activist-runs-for-kpfa-local-station-board/
Throughout history, students have played a crucial role in furthering social change. During the Vietnam War, there was a nationwide youth rebellion in the U.S. against America’s imperialist war in Southeast Asia and the ensuing atrocities. On university campuses across America, from the University of California, Berkeley, to Columbia University, students organized sit-ins, teach-ins and rallies, printed flyers and occupied campus buildings to protest against the injustices occurring at home and abroad. These protests were not only a sign of moral outrage; they were also strategically designed to end the involvement of American universities in perpetuating the atrocities in Vietnam and other social ills.
Stanford student activist runs for KPFA Local Station Board
Adam Hudson
http://www.sfbayview.com/2009/stanford-student-activist-runs-for-kpfa-local-station-board/
Throughout history, students have played a crucial role in furthering social change. During the Vietnam War, there was a nationwide youth rebellion in the U.S. against America’s imperialist war in Southeast Asia and the ensuing atrocities. On university campuses across America, from the University of California, Berkeley, to Columbia University, students organized sit-ins, teach-ins and rallies, printed flyers and occupied campus buildings to protest against the injustices occurring at home and abroad. These protests were not only a sign of moral outrage; they were also strategically designed to end the involvement of American universities in perpetuating the atrocities in Vietnam and other social ills.
Report from September 21 candidate forum in Palo Alto
Peter Broadwell reports from Monday September 21 candidate forum at the Unitarian Universalist Church in Palo Alto, hosted by Tomas Moran and Ray Meyer.
Went to the second Palo Alto candidate forum tonight. It was much better attended than the first Palo Alto one, perhaps because the ballot have actually arrivedwith the event dates in them.In attendance were representatives from Independents for Community Radio[1],Peoples Radio[2], Voices For Justice [3] and one completely unaffiliated candidate Judith Gips. Thomas Moran (former Pacifica Board Member) was in the audience and asked several probing questionsthat got all the candidates talking about how KPFA needs to get back to it's activist roots. This seemed to resonate well with the audience. Another topic that elicited much discussion was the archiving of non-music shows. The audience seemed to like the answers to this as well - action as opposed to rolling over andmaking the archives less useful.
Hopefully the audio will be available soon so others can hear the answers too.
[1] http://indyradio2009.org[2] peoplesradio.net[3] voicesforjusticeradio.org
Went to the second Palo Alto candidate forum tonight. It was much better attended than the first Palo Alto one, perhaps because the ballot have actually arrivedwith the event dates in them.In attendance were representatives from Independents for Community Radio[1],Peoples Radio[2], Voices For Justice [3] and one completely unaffiliated candidate Judith Gips. Thomas Moran (former Pacifica Board Member) was in the audience and asked several probing questionsthat got all the candidates talking about how KPFA needs to get back to it's activist roots. This seemed to resonate well with the audience. Another topic that elicited much discussion was the archiving of non-music shows. The audience seemed to like the answers to this as well - action as opposed to rolling over andmaking the archives less useful.
Hopefully the audio will be available soon so others can hear the answers too.
[1] http://indyradio2009.org[2] peoplesradio.net[3] voicesforjusticeradio.org
Monday, September 21, 2009
The significance of the KPFA board elections
KPFA listeners know that the Local Station Board elections tend to be acrimonious. What many listeners might not realize is that the controversy of the LSB elections actually reflects a historical issue about the nature of community radio itself. The four of us founded the Independents for Community Radio affinity group of LSB candidates with the goal of ensuring that KPFA remains rooted in the communities it serves.
In October, 2008 nearly 90 KPFA staff members issued a statement articulating their goals for leadership at the station. They called for management committed to fulfilling the historic Transformation Proposal made during the 1999 KPFA Lockout. They also called for leaders who support the unpaid staff, maintain a respectful and collaborative approach to station operations, and understand that KPFA should include community representatives on its decision making bodies. (http://mediajusticekpfa.blogspot.com/2008/10/open-letter-on-new-kpfa-lea...). These aspirations remain largely unfulfilled or have been undermined by the current management and its Concerned Listener allies. Read the full article at http://www.indyradio2009.org/content/community-radio-crossroads
In October, 2008 nearly 90 KPFA staff members issued a statement articulating their goals for leadership at the station. They called for management committed to fulfilling the historic Transformation Proposal made during the 1999 KPFA Lockout. They also called for leaders who support the unpaid staff, maintain a respectful and collaborative approach to station operations, and understand that KPFA should include community representatives on its decision making bodies. (http://mediajusticekpfa.blogspot.com/2008/10/open-letter-on-new-kpfa-lea...). These aspirations remain largely unfulfilled or have been undermined by the current management and its Concerned Listener allies. Read the full article at http://www.indyradio2009.org/content/community-radio-crossroads
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