RadioPoetics.org

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.

3. When the bylaws were written two separate categories of LSB candidates were created, i.e. “listeners” and “staff”. The rationale at the time was that staff candidates would have an unfair advantage over listener candidates due to their on-air name recognition.

4. In 2006 then National Election Supervisor Les Radke ruled in the two instances outlined below that “change of status” is not a disqualifying act for removal from an LSB. Pacifica’s General Counsel at the time, Dan Siegel, concurred with Les’ interpretation of the bylaws.

5. Two examples:
* KPFA – in 2006 Steve Zeltzer wanted to run for the LSB as a listener rep, even though he qualified as a staff rep at that time. Steve asserted that his status would be changing since he was no longer working as an unpaid staff person. Les Radke ruled, and Dan Siegel concurred, that Steve had to run as a staff rep, since he qualified as a staff rep at the time of the election, even though his “status” would change if he was elected.
* KPFK – In 2006 Sherna Gluck was working as unpaid staff person but didn’t have enough work hours to qualify as staff for the LSB election. She ran for a seat on the LSB as a listener rep. After becoming elected she earned the requisite number of hours to qualify as a staff rep but Les ruled, and Dan concurred, that she would have to serve out her term a listener rep. In a subsequent LSB election Sherna ran as a staff rep.

6. “Change of status” is one of many issues that need to be clarified in any future revision of the Pacifica Bylaws. Until then we need to be fair and balanced and to stick with past practice/precedents about “change of status” so that no individual is singled out for removal from an LSB because of their Pacifica political affiliations.

Chandra Hauptman, KPFA LSB