2015 Election Information

2015 SaveKPFA Platform

  • Local control at KPFA
    KPFA is an invaluable resource, sustained for decades by our diverse, local communities. Pacifica should respect each station’s right to select its own station manager, set its own budget, and determine its own programming. What we’ve done: In 2014, SaveKPFA led the effort that succeeded in putting KPFA back under the control of locally-hired management for the first time in 5 years — resulting in the recruitment of a talented General Manager, and a permanent Program Director hired by, and accountable to, KPFA’s elected local board.
  • Ensure high quality, progressive programming
    Quality programming attracts and keeps listeners. KPFA is world-renowned for its cogent and listenable news, commentary and public affairs broadcasts, as well as its groundbreaking music and cultural programming and serves as a forum for discussion on the left and is a voice of all those in struggle. Programming changes should be based on evidence gathered by regular listener surveys, community outreach and consideration of the media environment in KPFA’s listening area.  Program changes should have broad appeal, especially during AM and PM drive time, and should help KPFA attract new audiences.
  • Respect KPFA’s listeners
    KPFA’s listeners’ contributions have sustained the station since it was founded in 1949. Thousands of listeners objected to top down programming decisions from Pacifica – one of which cancelled the popular and financially successful Morning Show in late 2010.  What we’ve done: SaveKPFA campaigned against those changes, prevented some, and partially reversed others. We also supported the launch of “UpFront”, restoring local programming to KPFA’s morning lineup
  •  Support all staff and volunteers, without whom KPFA could not exist.  All staff (paid and volunteer) should have a voice in the station, as well as training opportunities, a supportive and safe workplace, and the tools to do their jobs well. What we’ve done: SaveKPFA led the successful fight to reverse Pacifica’s 2011 hiring of the nation’s top union-busting law firm; SaveKPFA members have also raised money to update aging equipment in KPFA’s studios, and established a training fund for volunteer staff in KPFA’s budget.
  • Require transparency and accountability from Pacifica
    SaveKPFA’s representatives on the Pacifica National Board are part of a  new majority that, since February 2014, has been rebuilding Pacifica, the nonprofit that owns KPFA and four other stations. What we’ve done: We have started dismantling a culture of secrecy in Pacifica, and protected KPFA’s funds from being taken without accountability. Listeners and staff are entitled to understand how KPFA’s money is being spent and how our representatives vote. In the past year with SaveKPFA’s Margy Wilkinson serving as Pacifica’s Interim Executive Director and the support of the majority of the PNB, a great deal of progress has been made in accountability and increased transparency in Pacifica’s finances. We have up-to-date financial reports and a more transparent method of support from the stations for the Pacifica National office.
  • Experiment with new shows; expand into new platforms
    As listenership to traditional, terrestrial radio shrinks, more and more listeners are moving to online, on-demand audio media. What we’ve done: Under SaveKPFA leadership, our station budgeted for, and carried out, a re-design of its website that makes it user friendly and easily accessible for on the go listening. KPFA has also started using its second station, KPFB, to pilot 20 hours of programming from new, energetic producers. Now, we want KPFA to take that new infrastructure and creative energy to move aggressively into the growing world of podcasting.
  • Reform Pacifica’s Byzantine Governance System
    We believe Pacifica’s acrimonious, factionalized boards  have generated many of its problems, and lost us thousands of listener donors . What we’ve done: SaveKPFA participated in cross-factional dialogue talks this year, and now endorses the Pacifica Unity Pledge, which commits us to participating in a network-wide consensus-building process with the goal of reforming Pacifica’s governance to make it simpler, effective, smaller, and calmer.