Welcome to People's Radio

Who is People's Radio ?

We are a diverse group of people who believe in the concept of community radio. We are long time KPFA listeners, some for over thirty years. Some of us have worked in radio and some of us do or have done programs on KPFA. We think that the Pacifica Foundation’s five stations and numerous affiliates are the current best hope to get the truth about what is happening at home and abroad to the people of our communities. We have long histories of working for peace and social justice; many of us are union activists or have been in the past. We understand how important KPFA can be in helping educate and activate people.

Coming out of the attempt to hijack the Pacifica Foundation in 1999, which really began many years earlier, the new Bylaws gave the listener/sponsors some participation in a new democratic process for governance at KPFA and Pacifica. After a few months of the new process we saw some trying to stifle the development of listener involvement at KPFA and other stations. We also saw Pacifica national leadership fighting against transparency and accountability.

In 2004 we formed People's Radio and ran candidates for the Local Station Board. Our candidates were/are dedicated to community radio, listener/sponsors rights to participate in democratic governance, transparency and accountability. People's Radio candidates ran on a 10 point program - see the current version below - and we won six of the nine seats up for election. There were many problems with the way the election was run and our LSB members and democratic allies have worked hard to fix these problems.

People's Radio’s elected representatives also took on the former Pacifica Executive Director (ED) Dan Coughlin, who refused to allow Directors to inspect the finances or anything else. The Bylaws and state law allow Directors the right to inspect all corporate documents and property. People's Radio’s elected representatives, together with others in New York, demanded their rights and working on both the political and legal fronts, won. The former ED has since resigned and we have a more transparent national office.

We value KPFA and want to make it more responsive to the Bay Area’s community needs. During the Bush regime KPFA’s listener/sponsor membership has not increased! Positive changes need to be made to increase KPFA’s audience and its effectiveness in educating and activating people in a time of great need for more people to stand up for peace and social justice!

our 2009 TEN POINT PROGRAM
for Continued Progressive Growth at KPFA and Pacifica

KPFA should be a vigilant critic of our corporate dominated society, with no corporate underwriting. We acknowledge our listener sponsors as our primary source of financial and political support. Thank you!

There should be a democratically elected Program Council with listener representation equal to staff, and with the authority to make programming decisions by majority vote. There should be transparency in the process by web casting the Program Council meetings and posting the minutes.

KPFA must achieve broader diversity in programming as well as increased outreach to underserved communities, including more labor/workplace coverage, progressive analysis of world events, and enhanced coverage of developing political parties and movements.

Newscasts should be based primarily on progressive sources, not just the AP wire, and include coverage of news and community events for areas outside Berkeley, Oakland, and San Francisco.

Democracy Now! should be broadcast at 7:00 a.m. (prime time) and possibly once in the evening, to reach as many listeners and potential new listeners as possible.

There must be transparency in all station affairs where legally possible, including finances, job postings, and contracts, with an accountable process for management decisions at the station.

There should be strong, effective and transparent elected boards at KPFA and Pacifica, to prevent future anti-democratic takeovers. Meetings should be web cast and archived, agendas and minutes promptly available on the KPFA website.The LSB e-list should be open to listener observation.

Unpaid programming staff must be allowed to organize for representation on the Program Council, and to negotiate with management. Unpaid programming staff should be reimbursed for the out-of-pocket expenses of producing their programs.

The station should produce a Folio with listener comments to inform and unite the listener community. The new Folio will exist primarily online to save money,and should be printed and mailed to those without computer access.

Fundraising must be treated as a means to accomplish the Pacifica Mission.Mission. Fundraising must not inhibit the Mission or make information a commodity to sell, as is currently done. All speeches valuable enough to sell must be played for all to hear. KPFA must not have two classes of listeners when it comes to public information, like speeches.

Welcome to People’s Radio