Month: March 2011

KPFA staff to picket Pacifica on April 4, as part of National Day of Action

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KPFA’s workers are inviting listeners to join them for an informational picket on MONDAY, APRIL 4 from 7:30-8:30 AM at Pacifica’s offices, 1925 MLK Jr Way in Berkeley. April 4 is a national day of action to defend unions and bargaining rights.

KPFA’s community is concerned that over $30,000 of the station’s funds have been spent on anti-union lawyers. Pacifica still refuses to enter mediation, even after multiple resolutions by the cities of Berkeley and San Francisco, dozens of elected officials, and three labor councils.

Pacifica’s layoff of news anchor John Hamilton was averted yesterday at the last minute. Five union workers presented a plan to reduce their time by 22 hours a week and donate them so Hamilton could stay at his part-time job at no cost to KPFA except for his benefits. | MORE

NEWS CLIPS: Philip Maldari on KPFA at Berkeley Citizens Action meeting | KPFA’s LSB Show includes updates on KPFA finances, outreach, legal matters | A short labor history of KPFA

Pacifica manager’s anti-worker comments; AIDS denier being considered for KPFA show

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Workers at some of Pacifica’s stations have been speaking out about what they say is censorship, including political journalist Bill Weinberg of New York City’s WBAI. Weinberg’s show was taken off the air by WBAI’s interim general manager Tony Bates, who has removed or marginalized dozens of other programs, including left economist Doug Henwood‘s Behind the News.

Postings by Bates on his Facebook page this week display an alarming anti-worker bias. (Bates wrote as “Tony Beezy” to KPFK staffer Zuberi Fields).

“The Pacifica network should not tolerate this sort of behavior from any manager,” said Margy Wilkinson, chair of KPFA’s local board. “Arlene Engelhardt is this guy’s boss, and she needs to take strong action immediately.”

Meanwhile, over strenuous objections from AIDS activists and physicians, Bates also replaced some of WBAI’s local programming with a show by vitamin salesman Gary Null, who denies that AIDS is caused by a virus. Null openly markets his own products on the air, including one so badly formulated that, by his own account, it nearly killed him.

Critics say such programming is downright dangerous  to the millions who live with HIV and AIDS, as well as other health conditions, and could put Pacifica in legal jeopardy. On World AIDS Day last December, bay area activists protested Null’s show outside of Pacifica’s Berkeley offices. | KPFA News report on Null protest

Pacifica executive director Arlene Engelhardt and newly-appointed KPFA interim general manager Andrew Phillips are currently considering bringing Null’s program to KPFA.

Outraged? Let them know by writing KPFA here, or by calling Engelhardt at 510-402-9880 and Phillips at 510-848-6767 ext. 203. Or if you prefer, you can use SaveKPFA’s write Pacifica page and we’ll forward your email to boards and managers.

Listeners oppose censorship, want open discussion of KPFA/Pacifica relationship

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A flood of emails arrived from listeners last week after KPFA and Pacifica managers issued a gag rule against staff talking about problems at the network. Here’s just one:

“What are you doing to KPFA?” wrote UC Berkeley professor Richard Walker, “KPFA is the heart of Pacifica, yet you are at war with us. What madness is this? You won’t let the dispute between KPFA and Pacifica be discussed on Mitch Jeserich’s show? You won’t accept $60K in pledges to restore the Morning Show and the brilliant Aimee Allison? This is pig-headedness raised to an art form.”

Many also raised objections over the $30,000 of KPFA’s funds that Pacifica has spent on anti-union lawyers. “I’m furious that the hundreds of dollars I’ve donated to KPFA this year could potentially be used to injure the station’s workers,” listener Kristen Burlington wrote. “We don’t have time for this. There is quaking and melting and oppression in this world….We want the Morning Show back. We want John Hamliton back. We want our right to free speech back. We want our hard earned money to go to the propagation of truth and justice. And we want no more evasion and manipulation from you, Arlene.” | MORE LETTERS

She’s referring to Arlene Engelhardt, Pacifica’s executive director. On March 17, KPFA News interviewed the station’s local board treasurer as well as Engelhardt about the details of Pacifica’s $30,000 expenditure to fight KPFA’s union.

NEWS CLIPS | Matthew Lasar: What is “professionalism” in community radio?