Friday, November 27, 2009 from 3-6 pm

Gather at Metro Red Line Universal City Station
Lankershim Blvd & Universal Terrace Pkwy
Universal City, CA 91608

March to KPFK From the Metro Station
Rally at KPFK
3729 Cahuenga Blvd. West
N. Hollywood, CA 91604

We oppose the new programming schedule adopted by KPFK interim management without listener input, which dropped, reduced or rescheduled grassroots programs. We urge that it swiftly be replaced by a new “grid,” one adopted after broad consultation with listeners, programmers and community activists about how air-time on KPFK can best be used to meet the communities’ needs and to fulfill the Pacifica mission to explore the reasons for conflict and promote peace.
The recent changes cannot be allowed to stand, because they will silence truth-telling on KPFK, exactly at the moment when economic, political, social and environmental crises cry out for a medium of communication open to the struggles and resistance of popular movements. KPFK must be a voice of community activism, cultural and ethnic diversity, and incisive dissent.

GRASSROOTS KPFK COALITION

Read the OPEN LETTER regarding KPFK programming changes and sign the petition.

For those who sign the petition and who also wish to participate in the next planning meeting, please send an email to us indicating your interest.

Email us at: grassroots kpfk

ESTE VIERNES 27 A LAS 3.00 PM

FUERA DE LA ESTACION DEL METRO EN ESTUDIOS UNIVERSALES

Nos oponemos a los cambios de programacion adoptados  por la gerencia interina de la radio KPFK sin tomar en cuenta la opinion de radio oyentes. Estos cambios incluyen la eliminacion, reduccion o transferencia de programas comunitarios. Exigimos que esta programacion sea reemplazada por otra que incluya las sugerencias de oyentes, programadores (as) y activistas comunitarios.  Una que satisfaga las necesidades comunitarias y este de acuerdo con la Mision de Pacifica: explorar las raices de los conflictos para promover la paz.

Los cambios recientes no deben ser permanentes porque callaran las voces de los/las que quieren explicar que pasa en estos momentos de crisis economica, politica, social y ambiental, que piden a gritos un medio de comunicacion abierto a las luchas y la resistencia de movimientos sociales. La Radio KPFK debe ser la voz de los activistas comunitarios, de la diversidad etnica y cultural, y la disencion marcada.

Visita este sitio y firma nuestra carta abierta

www.iPetitions.com/petition/KPFK_Programming_Changes

Nuestro sitio web: www.takebackkpfk.org

Nuestro correo elecronico grassrootskpfk@gmail.com

La proxima reuinion de planificacion para aquellos que firmen la carta abierta sera el Domingo 29 de Noviembre

MANIFIESTATE A FAVOR DE UNA RADIO COMUNITARIA CON LIBERTAD DE EXPRESION

We, the undersigned, strongly oppose the new programming schedule (”grid”) adopted by management without listener input. We urge that it be swiftly replaced by a grid adopted after broad consultation with listeners about how air-time on KPFK can best be used to fulfill the Pacifica mission and meet the communities’ needs.

The new grid reflects an ongoing effort to sanitize the airwaves, silence voices of dissent outside the Democratic Party, and marginalize or eliminate grassroots community voices. It could only be imposed in the undemocratic way that it was, without engaging listeners, staff and stakeholders in an informed discussion about the station’s future.

The grid is expressly based on financial considerations and driven by Arbitron ratings, even though Arbitron is widely understood to misrepresent audiences, especially by under-counting young people and poor people, particularly people of color. The grid favors so-called “strip programming,” in which a single gate-keeping host controls a block of air-time throughout the week.

To carve out that time, management has dropped shows and cut others to 30 minutes, rescheduling them and others at hours unfamiliar to their audiences, and when talk-radio audiences are small. Intentional or not, the effect of this kind of rescheduling will reduce the listeners of these shows, increasing the likelihood of their ultimate elimination. These changes in programming correspond to other undemocratic changes in management and governance, including illegal “suspensions” of elected board members and efforts to pre-ordain the outcome of searches for new management.

These changes cannot be allowed to stand, because they will doom KPFK to irrelevance at best, exactly at the moment when economic, political, social and environmental crises cry out for a medium of communication open to the struggles and resistance of popular movements. The forces seeking to neuter KPFK as a voice of community activism, cultural and ethnic diversity, and incisive dissent have already driven away more than 10,000 listeners in the past 4 years. The new grid and other purges could destroy the station entirely.

We invite all those who share these concerns to come to a planning meeting on Sunday, November 8th to develop a grassroots community campaign to stop the sell-out and build a Pacifica-mission-compliant, community-based programming grid: 5-7pm, Echo Park United Methodist Church, 1226 N. Alvarado.

Please sign and circulate this petition and send in signatures to: grassrootskpfk@yahoo.com. Please sign the iPetition at http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/KPFK_Programming_Changes, forward this email to other supporters of Pacifica’s original Mission, and print out hard copies of the attached Petition to collect further signatures.  Thanks for supporting more diverse, grassroots, community radio!

Carta Abierta a la Gerencia y Mesa Directiva de la radio KPFK sobre su nueva programacion

Nosotros los firmantes de este documento nos oponemos categoricamente a la nueva programacion adoptada por la gerencia sin consultar a los radio oyentes. Y pedimos que sea reemplazada de inmediato por una derivada de una consulta con la radio audiencia sobre la mejor forma de usar las ondas herzianas para cumplir con la Mision de Pacifica y satisfacer las necesidades de la comunidad.

La nueva programacion refleja un esfuerzo por esterilizar las ondas radio electricas, silenciar las voces disidentes fuera del partido Democrata, y marginalizar o eliminar las voces de las comunidades de base. Esa programacion solo pudo imponerse en la forma anti democratica que se hizo, excluyendo de la discusion sobre el futuro de la emisora, a los radio oyentes-patrocinadores y a los empleados.

La nueva programacion esta basada estrictamente en el aspecto financiero y los resultados de encuestas de “Arbitron,” entidad que es bien sabido, deja fuera de sus analisis a segmentos de la poblacion especialmente los jovenes, los pobres y la gente de color. La nueva formula favorece la llamada “programacion de franjas” en la cual una sola persona controla un bloque de tiempo en el aire durante la semana. Para diseniar la nueva configuracion, la gerencia ha eliminado algunos programas y reducido otros por mitad, cambiandoles el horario de transmision a tiempos que su audiencia regular ignora, o a horas en que hay poca audiencia. Intencional o no, los cambios reduciran el numero de oyentes de esos programas, haciendolos vulnerables a su posterior eliminacion. Esos cambios anti democraticos en la programacion son similares a otros como “la suspension” de miembros electos de la Mesa Directiva y acciones tomadas con el fin de predeterminar la conclusion de la contratacion de miembros de la gerencia.

No se puede permitir que esos cambios se hagan permanentes pues eso condenaria a KPFK en el mejor de los casos, a convertirse en una emisora irelevante, en momentos en que la crisis economica, politica, social y ambiental, piden a gritos un medio de comunicacion abierto a las luchas de resistencia de los movimientos sociales. Las fuerzas que tratan de prevenir que la radio KPFK sea la voz del activismo comuntario, cultural, diversidad etnica y disencion aguda, ya han alejado mas de 10,000 radio oyentes en los ultimos cuatro anios. La nueva programacion podria destruir la radio completamente.

Favor de firmar y circular esta peticion y enviar las firmas a la siguiente direccion: grassrootskpfk@yahoo.com. Gracias. Las personas que quieran firmar y escribir un comentario pueden hacerlo en el siguiente lugar: http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/KPFK_Programming_Changes.

Signed,

The Ad Hoc Committee for KPFK Community Radio welcomes all of the KPFK Local Station Board election candidates to KPFK governance, “winners” and “losers” alike, since they’ve all proved their dedication and commitment to our station through a grueling election cycle.

Most especially, we look forward to seeing our candidates, Rodrigo Argueta, Ian Johnston, Fred Klunder, Dutch Merrick, and John Parker, leading the LSB to fulfill its commitment to our listeners and staff.

We extend our deepest thanks to all the voters who looked beyond expensive mailers and the status quo to seek out the candidates committed to the Pacifica Mission, local decision-making, transparency and responsibility, diversity, Spanish-language programs, and listener accountability. Our voters rock!

We also thank our Local Election Supervisor, Michael Sanchez. Michael had a lot of baggage to carry from past elections. Not only did he handle did the pressure with aplomb, he also set a new standard for what our elections should be.

We hope to see all of the candidates at our LSB meetings. They offered some great ideas for the station throughout the past three months, and we look forward to seeing those ideas come to pass. They’ve all picked up a lot of important information about how governance happens here at K and when they put that with their ideas, we’ll have a dynamic and truly progressive station with everybody’s help. There’s plenty of work to go around in the station, on committees, and at LSB meetings. See you in January!

Subject: KPFK LSB ELECTION RESULTS, SUNDAY NOV 8, 2009
Date: Mon, 9 Nov 2009 00:46:55 -0800
From: D. J. Sanchez

HELLO, ALL…

Here are the complete results of the KPFK LSB Election for both STAFF and
LISTENER-MEMBERS…

These results will also be posted on the KPFK WEBSITE and announced on the air…
I will be taking a few days off.
(I’ve been at the station, NON-STOP, since Friday Afternoon.)

Congratulations to everyone!!!

Michael Sanchez
Local Election Supervisor

KPFK LSB Listener Election Results

November 8, 2009
9 SEATS TO FILL (Plus Alternates)
1).Bree Walker ELECTED
2).Ken Aaron ELECTED
3).Ian Johnston ELECTED
4).John Wenger ELECTED
5).Dutch Merrick ELECTED
6).Kim Kaufman ELECTED
7).Fred Klunder ELECTED
8).Sequoia Olivia MercierELECTED
9).John Parker ELECTED
10). Luis R. Cabrales 1ST ALTERNATE
11). Margie Murray 2nd ALTERNATE
12). Christopher Bayard Condon3rd ALTERNATE
13). Chuck Anderson 4th ALTERNATE
14). Luis A. Garcia 5th ALTERNATE
15). Dr. Chipasha Luchembe6th ALTERNATE
16). Lawrence Reyes
17). Edgar Toledo
18). Khallid Al-Alim
19). Nick A. Kolev, PhD
20). Richard A. Vega
21). Ahjamu Makalani
22). Teresa (Terrie) Brady
23). Tej Grewall
24). Ruby Medrano
25). Joe Lawrence Matthews
26). Sandy Stiassni
27). Cuco
28). Howlett Smith
29). Rob Macon
30). Ray Winkler

The election was certified by Les Radke, National Election Supervisor

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KPFK – LSB
STAFF ELECTION RESULTS
November 8th, 2009
3 SEATS TO FILL:

1).ALI LEXA
2).RODRIGO ARGUETA
3).JOHN CROMSHOW
4).STEVE PRIDE 1ST ALTERNATE
5).FERNANDO VELAZQUEZ2nd ALTERNATE
6).DAN FRITZ 3rd ALTERNATE
7).OMAR BURDETT
8).DOUGLAS BARNETT
9).NADIA RICHARDSON

This election was certified by Les Radke, National Election Supervisor.

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