BREAKING NEWS — A VICTORY! Over the weekend, hundreds of you sent letters to KPFA’s managers protesting their plan to make sweeping programming changes without input from staff and listeners. In a hastily-called staff meeting yesterday morning, according to KPFA workers, the station’s interim general manager Andrew Phillips and interim program director Carrie Core agreed to not cancel the 9 AM broadcast of Democracy Now!. They said they’d been influenced by the outpouring of listener letters and phone calls over the weekend. You made the difference!
For instance, referring to new revelations of corporate money from Goldman Sachs, Daniel Goodwin writes “I have listened and contributed to KPFA since I moved to the Bay Area 35 years ago. I have never before witnessed such a grotesque assault on noncommercial radio, on the very core of Lewis Hill’s vision, as we see unfolding today. Corporate money flows into WBAI programming, while KPFA’s GM characterizes Lewis Hill’s values as outdated…. these people have no shame.”
Listener Iris Biblowitz wrote: “I don’t understand how Pacifica can make dictatorial changes in KPFA’s schedule, treating competent, truth-seeking, and hard-working journalists like cards to be shuffled.”
“What has been happening to KPFA programming — and what I understand is now about to happen at the hands of people who temporarily occupy positions with decision-making authority — is really horrific,” wrote listener Phyllis Willett. We need to have The Morning Show restored and we certainly should not be reducing Democracy Now’s airtime.” | MORE LETTERS
Unfortunately, Phillips and Core say they’re committed to keeping the Morning Show from returning to KPFA, and to many of the other program changes they announced last week, including moving Hard Knock Radio and Flashpoints to the morning (without explaining where exactly they’d go).
KEEP THE PRESSURE ON! Tell management to back off on these unwise changes, respect KPFA staff and listeners, and return the Morning Show to the air. EMAIL via this page or PHONE interim managers Andrew Phillips (510-848-6767 ext 203) and Carrie Core (510-848-6767 ext 209).