RadioPoetics.org

Dear Listeners and Supporters of WBAI,

I have served as Public Affairs Director for WBAI Radio for six years, and I am completely dedicated to the mission of Pacifica and maintaining the integrity of WBAI. I do not support and would not support a takeover by forces from within the network. Neither will I support local forces which would risk the loss of our radio station and which wage a campaign of distortion in order to manipulate the hearts and minds of our listeners for their own personal gain or salvation.

Adrianne Aron, one of our own (the KPFA community), has completed the translation of a play about a torturer and his victim, that has been published. Please join her at the book party tomorrow.
Chandra

This THURSDAY EVENING 5/28

7 p.m. BFUU Hall 1924 Cedar Street @ Bonita, Berkeley /**. *

Celebration of the publication of PEDRO AND THE CAPTAIN, Adrianne Aron’s translation of Mario Benedetti’s play about a torturer and his victim.

7 p.m. Wine and cheese, visiting with friends

Without prior notice or consultation Sasha Lilley, interim Program Director, informed Women's Magazine (WM) on 1/20/09 that the show would be temporarily taken off the air for 3 months in order to run special programming “Letters from Washington” hosted by Mitch Jeserich.

Over 50 listeners filed complaints to KPFA mgmt, via email and telephone, about the abrupt cancellation of the show.

A requested meeting with Sasha and Amelia Gonzalez and WM liaison Lisa Dettmer occurred on 2/19/09. Sasha re-affirmed that the show would be back on the air at the end of 3 months and that this was only a temporary pre-emption. She stated the reason our slot was chosen had nothing to do with WM but was merely because they needed a public affairs slot that was early in the week to have the news be fresh.

Folks,
I thought you'd like to know we have "sham/runaway" majority LSB board that doesn't believe in democratic process let alone fairness. Below are some examples from the 5/9/09 LSB Meeting:

_"DIS-ACTION" 1: _

1. Before the removal of Noelle Hanrahan from the KPFA LSB, no one, at any of the Pacifica Network stations had ever been removed from an elected LSB seat due to a “change in status”.

2. Current bylaws do not indicate that “change of status” is a disqualifying act that can be used to remove someone from an LSB.

I am happy to announce that I have engaged Les Radke as National Election Supervisor. His qualifications, reputation for fairness and impartiality, past experience with Pacifica elections and dedication to the Pacifica Mission and Bylaws make him an excellent candidate for this position.

I am grateful for the hard work, diligence and persistence of National Election Com. members and hope that this Com. will continue to meet to support the NES, Local Election Supervisors and the election process.

In Peace, Grace Aaron
Interim Executive Director of The Pacifica Foundation

Timeline for Pacifica Elections

June 1^st

Nomination period begins.

REVISED to include language of pending motions

Pacifica National Board meeting
Berkeley, California
April 24, 25, 26, 2009

Friday, April 24

Noon – 3 pm, Executive Session – Legal Matters.
Including briefing and discussion with attorneys Ricardo deAnda, John Crigler and Benjamin Lambiotte from 1 – 3 pm.
3 - 3:30 pm Break
3:30 – 4 pm Approve Agenda
4 - 4:15 pm Approve Minutes
4:15 – 4:45 pm Discussion of WPFW and Motion to rescind:

PNB Meeting is happening this weekend in Berkeley, beginning at 6pm this Friday and ending on Sunday at 2pm. Mtg will be held at UC Berkeley's International House (I House), 2299 Piedmont Ave, Berkeley. KPFA reception will follow the end of Friday's public session.

Transportation still needed to/from the I House. Please let me know if you can help transport people.

If you can help provide housing for this weekend for Pacifica's two engineers, Otis Maclay and Jon Almeleh, please let me know. Otherwise Pacifica will have to shell out money for their hotel rooms.

Thanks, Chandra

The Coalition for a democratic Pacifica (CdP)
is sponsoring a short discussion & 60th ANNIVERSARY PARTY
for
KPFA and PACIFICA

Monday, April 27,2009, 7-10 pm
Berkeley Fellowship of Unitarian Universalists
[Corner of Cedar & Bonita, Berkeley]
A. Short Informational Items (5 mins each)
§ Vision & Role of Pacifica – Les Radke
§ KPFA LSB Election Report – Sally Sommer
§ Pacifica National Board Report – Chandra Hauptman
§ Pacifica Financial Report – LaVarn Williams
§ KPFA Programming – Tracy Rosenberg
B. Discussion/Open Mic
C. PARTY!

Wheelchair Accessible

some refreshments provided – bring food/drink to share

For more info: 510-644-1937

--
Chandra Hauptman

Joe Garofoli, Chronicle Staff Writer

KPFA-FM will celebrate its 60th birthday this week, and the Berkeley
public radio station that was the nation's first listener-supported outlet
is still the proudly lefter-than-left Bay Area institution that thinks
National Public Radio is too conservative and isn't shy about calling
itself "radical."
But the station founded by pacifist Lew Hill is still bogged down by
behind-the-scenes bickering, a distraction that some say hinders KPFA from
reaching more Californians.

Full story at SF Chronicalsite:
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/c/a/2009/04/13/MNKJ170BA...