Although the author of this is not clear, the points in the article are clearly cited.  From L.A. Indymedia.  -ed.

by Wachale Sunday, Oct. 04, 2009 at 12:51 AM

An untold chapter on the tactics used by Aaron and her CTSK to win the 2007 election at KPFK that propelled her climb to controlling Pacifica Radio.

Voted yet in the KPFK Local Station Board elections? If you haven’t, read this first. If you have, read this and then ask the KPFK Local Elections Supervisor for a replacement ballot.

In 2009, the Committee to Strengthen KPFK is trying to buy an election. In 2007, they tried a lawsuit against the Pacifica Radio Foundation.

In 2009, CTSK, led by Grace Aaron, has foregone most of the manipulations they used to win in 2009. This year, the CTSK group has shrunk and their endorsements have shriveled, so it’s resorting to the mainstay of Democratic politics: money. They’ve marshaled their friends who still have excess money to seduce witless voters with another round of costly mailers and the back page of Change Links. Whether money buys elections at the potentially, and sometimes actually, radical community radio station remains to be seen. Ballots are due in on October 15.

The 2007 CTSK leader, Grace Aaron, has stepped away from openly leading CTSK, since she’s now heading the whole Pacifica shebang, of which KPFK is but one part. She’s both Chair of the Pacifica National Board and Executive Director. Have you heard the current fund drive? The snake oil and hocus pocus are not just a transparent appeal to aging baby boomers’ lost youth, it’s Aaron’s vision of a KPFK make-over. The same pablum is being doled out across Pacifica stations.

Ever wondered why KPFK’s news is now broadcast out of Berkeley?

Aaron will term out in March, but she’s leaving in her wake the rest of the CTSK slate, led by her husband, Ken Aaron.

Grace’s rise to power began with the 2007 elections, but she first flexed her muscle in a lawsuit to squeeze one more CTSK member on to the KPFK Local Station Board. The story never made it to LA Indymedia, but the whole account is in the Local Election Supervisor’s report.

Makes you wonder what Grace and CTSK will do to Pacifica and KPFK if they don’t win this year.

Here’s the long, sordid, and revealing tale: Read more…

Mr. Edwards-Tiekert has permitted publication of this letter with the caveat that he is not endorsing any candidates in LA, including those recommedned on this website. –ed.

by Brian Edwards-Tiekert

I’ve just read Carol Spooner’s recommendations for the KPFA election. I know Carol has played a significant role in Pacifica governance in the past, but she has not been involved for five years, and she has muddled some important facts about Pacifica’s financial crisis in the statement supporting her slate picks. I’m writing to set the record straight on a few key points. In the past, Carol’s been a pretty good sport about issuing corrections–hopefully she will again.

I’ve written something a bit longer than I’d intended to, so I’ll start with the take-aways, in bullet form – you can read further for detail:

• Pacifica National did not spend the last five years taking money from KPFA (though it may start soon!)

• Some of the people Carol attacks are the very ones who started to staunch the bleeding at WBAI last year–by cutting half a million dollars in unsustainable spending.

• Though the new regime Carol supports has improved fund drive results at WBAI, the station hasn’t turned the corner–it’s still slipping further into debt.

• Meanwhile, the new regime at Pacifica is ramping up national spending on salaries and consultants at an unsustainable rate – a 40% increase in just 5 months. Most of that spending has gone to hire board insiders to fill the network’s top-paying positions—without even the pretense of open hires.

• The Pacifica Network’s financial position has gotten worse—not better—over the nine months that the new regime’s been in power.

• Pacifica is flying blind through its financial crisis: with less than three weeks until the next fiscal year starts, the new regime hasn’t even produced draft budgets for more than half the network.

KPFA

In the context of attacking the leadership of Pacifica from 2004-2008, Carol writes, “as of 9/30/08 the National Office had accumulated_$1.4 million_ in debt to KPFA”. This implies that the Pacifica National Office has been taking money from KPFA for the past five years—which is false.

Pacifica’s independently audited financial statements show that the rest of the network had already chalked up over $1.4 million in debt to KPFA by 2004. The reason? During Pacifica’s Civil War 10 years ago, the rest of the network DID raid KPFA’s funds, and KPFA’s balance sheet has recorded the IOUs ever since. But no comparable “raids” have happened in the past five years – Pacifica’s 2008 audit shows the balance at the same $1.4 million it was four years prior. (Although that might change soon, if the new regime that Carol’s supporting gets its way – see below).
WBAI

Carol IS correct that Pacifica station WBAI has been losing money since 2004. Actually, she understates the case: Carol writes that “WBAI was losing $100k/year”; In fact, by mid-2008, WBAI’s annual deficit had topped $600,000.

But what Carol writes next—that “no corrective action was taken”–is patently false. In late 2008, Pacifica finally tackled its yawning deficits head-on, requiring WBAI to cut more than half a million dollars in expenses (mostly staffing); and also imposing roughly equivalent cuts at the Pacifica National Office and KPFK, which were running deficits of their own. It’s a good thing those cuts happened—without them, our network would already be insolvent.

In Pacifica, imposing cuts is virtually political suicide—but the people who sucked it up and made it happen are some of the very people Carol attacks. Nicole Sawaya, who was Executive Director; and Sherry Gendelman, who was Chair of the Board.
Blaming Snowball

Carol’s analysis hinges on this statement: “three of the four PNB members from KPFA consistently voted to prevent changes in management at other stations.” There are two main problems with this:

• ·The slate from KPFA that Carol attacks—“Concerned Listeners”—didn’t have three members on the Pacifica National Board UNTIL 2008 – the first year the board took serious action to address the network’s deteriorating financial condition. Read more…

My name is Fernando Velazquez. I have a 30-plus years relationship with KPFK and the Pacifica family. Sometimes as paid staff, mostly as a volunteer.

I have worked as a News Director, Producer, News Engineer, On-air Engineer, reporter-trainer, and currently as Project Director for “Informativo Pacifica”, our national and international Spanish Language news program.

As a member of the Local Station Board I will use every bit of my strength to make sure the people who labor for the betterment of our radio station, have a stress-free environment so they can be more creative and productive. Read more…

There was a time I was extremely frustrated with media, all forms of news and music media on radio and television. Then one day I tuned into KPFK, and a small seed already planted within me sprouted as if towards sunlight. I, like so many others, have turned to KPFK over the past fifty years, (sixty for KPFA listeners) for the community news, arts, music, education and humanities outreach media outlet that it is. KPFK’s mission statement is a beautiful idea and many of us with conscious intellect and philosophical outlooks have turned to KPFK from the spark that exists within us. We are all the same in our respectful listener beginnings. I began volunteering with KPFK seven years ago, and the educational knowledge from that of the archives or the films and various other events were always rare gems I acquired during my volunteer times with KPFK…I used to joke, “will work for knowledge”. Since then, I have seen bird’s a like flock. Since being at KPFK, i have listened to knowledge from grandfathers such as John Henry Clarke, Malcolm X, Alan Watts, just to name a few… I respect KPFK for the historical, educational enrichment which it stands for. Read more…

I’m a Candidate for KPFK Local Station Board (LSB) Member.

First, I bring my cultural diversity as an Orange County resident. (LOL)

Professionally, I’m a hands-on landlord; I collect rent with my right hand, clean toilets with my left. I’d bring a directness and business background to the LSB.

I’m also a registered Green Party member, have been active in Orange County, and worked closely with Cynthia McKinney in her Presidential Campaign.

I bring an understanding of politics and public policy to the LSB.

While I don’t intend to use my Board membership to promote my political views, I will insist that grassroots democracy, nonviolence, social justice and ecological wisdom be promoted at KPFK, both within and in broadcasting at the station.
Lastly, as an LSB Member, I plan to be more of a listener and less of a broadcaster. I would like to see the Board continue to focus on creating new listeners, particularly from the young.

I welcome your support, encouragement and vote! Read more…