RadioPoetics.org

Attached and below is the latest version of KPFA staff's statement of no confidence now containing 69 staff signatures.
Chandra

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*For Immediate Release* **

September 23, 2008

* UPSO (Unpaid Staff Organization) Contacts *
Malihe Razazan (510) 501-1057 mrazazan@sbcglobal.net
Ruthanne Shpiner (510) 524-9680 ruthanne@sonic.net
Anthony Fest (415) 703-5790 adf55@yahoo.com
Nick Alexander (510) 919-5384 nalexander@igc.org
* *

*KPFA Staffers Release No-Confidence Statement as Fall Fund Drive Begins*

/Community Supporters Express Dismay at Use of Police/

Berkeley, CA \u2013 Nine years have passed since Pacifica radio station KPFA, the seminal community radio outlet founded by pacifist Lew Hill in 1949, last had the police inside its doors to arrest its workers, but on August 20, 2008, the Berkeley police were again summoned to 1929 Martin Luther King Jr Way, and asked to eject programmer Nadra Foster, who had been allegedly banned for a disagreement involving usage of a copier.

Sixty-nine of the station's workers, paid and unpaid alike, have joined together to condemn what they describe as a growing atmosphere of intimidation, including increased security measures, restrictions on airing discussion of internal issues, the return of banning individuals from the premises, and the use of police force to address non-violent policy issues. Many of these staff have already signed a letter at http://www.physicszone.org/letter2008/letter.html outlining positive attributes for new leadership at KPFA.

Several prominent members of the progressive community the station serves have decried the use of force, including authors Michael Parenti and Norman Solomon, devorah major, former SF poet laureate, Jack Heyman of the ILWU, Mills College professor Julia Sudbury and advocacy groups Critical Resistance, Legal Services for Prisoners with Children and Copwatch.

Project Censored Executive Director Peter Phillips commented "KPFA should only use outside police in the station when a serious life-threatening circumstance is evident or major crime is in progress. A progressive self-managed system of mutual respect and communication must take priority over outside force".

After Pacifica Radio surmounted a major crisis in the late 1990's that involved ousting a Board of Directors that planned to sell the stations, a subscriber-elected governance system was put into place, allowing listeners who pledge $25 annually to select the network's directors. An attempt to replace the current interim manager, the station's former development director, with a permanent hire was stymied last year and the hiring process is again underway.

Media Alliance director Tracy Rosenberg, an elected local board member, commented "It is way past time for KPFA and Pacifica as a whole, to move away from discredited command and control tactics to manage its diverse workforce".

The Unpaid Staff Organization, (UPSO) which from 1990-onwards organized the 160+ unpaid programmers, was de-recognized in August 2007, leaving the majority of the station's producers and hosts with no avenue for internal appeal of disciplinary actions and/or loss of status.

Programmer Foster, who suffered a severe sprain and bruises during her arrest, is still facing five misdemeanor charges in Alameda County, including trespassing, resisting arrest and battery on an officer. Her pre-trial hearing is scheduled to resume on September 22^nd . Fellow staffers are trying to arrange a fundraiser to assist her with legal expenses stemming from the August 20^th incident.

The Pacifica Radio network, one of the few national media outlets that feature news, information and culture with a decidedly progressive slant, is said to be facing significant financial challenges in what is clearly a difficult economic environment for journalism.

* STATEMENT OF NO CONFIDENCE*
* *

We, the undersigned paid and unpaid KPFA staff do not have confidence in the management of KPFA's Interim General Manager Lemlem Rijio. Rijio's actions during the past 2 years have caused the alienation of a large of number of staff members, have created turmoil within the station and have resulted in her losing credibility with many staff members. Her shift of KPFA's culture away from one of collaboration and mutual support helped create the climate leading to the tragic and unnecessary police arrest of unpaid staff member Nadra Foster. KPFA and Pacifica management's transformation of a workplace dispute, internally resolvable through collaborative means, into a major police action violates KPFA's mission to promote peaceful ways to solve conflicts. Moving toward a more restrictive work environment will distance the station further from grassroots communities that Pacifica aims to serve.

We look forward to the appointment of a new General Manager from the list of 11 candidates, prepared by KPFA's Local Station Board, in order to bring comprehensive teamwork, support, and peace to the station. We agree with the nearly 80 staff members who signed a recent "Open Letter on New KPFA Leadership Attributes/Priorities" that it's time for fresh leadership.

/1*) Matthew Abaya*, Filmmaker, Educator, API Specials/
/2) *Shahram Aghamir*, Producer, Voices of the Middle East and North Africa/
/3) *Nick Alexander*, KPFA Producer, Reporter/
/4) *Naji Ali*, Graduate First Voice Apprenticeship, Co-producer, Full Circle, Executive Producer/Host Crossing The Line: Life in Occupied Palestine./
/5) *Rosie Austin*- First Voice Group 33/
/6) *Nora Barrows-Friedman*, Senior Producer & Co-host, Flashpoints/
/7) *Amanda Bellerby*, Producer, Flashpoints/
/8) *Donna Bellorado*, First Voice Graduate 2007, pending Lead Segment Editor/
/9*) Khalil Bendib*, Producer & Co-host, Voices of the Middle East & North Africa/
/10*) Mary Berg*, Music Programmer, Host of a Musical Offering/
/11*) Dennis Bernstein*, Host, Senior Producer, Flashpoints/
/12*) Bonnie Bone*, Engineer, Early Morning Music Host/Producer/
/13*) Allison Budner*, First Voice Apprentice, Full Circle Producer/
/14) *Erica Bridgeman*, Engineer, Co-Producer, The Radio Chronicles/
/15) *Greg Bridges*, Host of Transitions on Traditions/
/16) *Afrikahn Jahmal Dayvs*, Producer/Host of BAJABA on JazzLine, and substitute voice @ KPFA/
/17) *Darren J. de Leon*, Producer/Co-Host Radio 2050/
/18) *Angela Fautt-DeCastro,* First Voice Group 33/
/19) *Lisa Dettmer*, KPFA Producer, Women's Magazine/
/20*) Meg Dixit*, News/
/21) *Tara Dorabji*, Co-Host La Onda Bajita/
/22) *Emiliano Echeverria*, Producer: Radio Cuba Canta (sub for Con Sabor), at KPFA since '68/
/23) *Doug Edwards*, Programmer/Producer, Music of the World and Ear Thyme/
/24) *Professor Samera Esmeir*, Producer, Voices of the Middle East & North Africa/
/25) *Bonnie Faulkner*, Host and Producer of Guns and Butter/
/26) *Anthony Fest*, News Anchor/
/27) *Rainjita Geesler*, First Voice Co-Director, Co-Host Apex Express/
/28) *Victoria Gutierrez*, Co-host, Radio Zapatista (La Onda Bajita)/
/29) *Shawn Hamilton*, News Reporter/
/30*) Stephanie Hendricks*, former producer, Pacifica Radio National Programming, Sunday Salon, Flashpoints, Visionary Activist Show/
/31*) Francisco Herrera*, Co-host and Producer, Flashpoints, La Onda Bajita/
/32*) Yvette Hochberg, *producer Women's magazine/
/33*) I~los*, Roots Kommunikations kru, API Specials Team/
/34*) Ras Ivier*, KPFA DJ & Producer, Reggae Express/
/35) *Shuka Klanatari*, Producer, Voices of the Middle East and North Africa./
/36*) Anita Johnson*, Senior Producer, Hard Knock Radio/
/37*) Kayumanggi' Kaloy*, KPFA DJ, API Specials Lead Producer, Apprenticeship Grad '89/
/38) *Wildecy de Fatima Jury*, Apprentice, graduated from Quilombo Group/
/39*) Rahul C. Lagura*, KPFA API Specials, Smartmoves/East Oakland Boxing Association Athletic Director/
/40*) Adrienne Lauby*, Producer/Host Pushing Limits/
/41) *Fabian Chavez Martinez*, Live Music Engineer/
/42*) M. Mayzes*, Producer/Engineer/
/43*) David McBurnie*, Producer, Music of the World/
/44*) Miguel Molina*, Executive Producer, La Onda Bajita; Roving Producer, Flashpoints/
/45*) Jill Montgomery* First Voice Apprentice, KPFA Board Operator/
/46) *Tony Moses*, KPFA Reggae Programmer (Since 1974)/
/47*) Daniel Nemser*, Co-Host, Radio Zapatista collective of La Onda Bajita/
/48*) Miguel Perez*, La Onda/Vox-Populi Co-Host/
/49*) Emmit A. Powell*, DJ and Programmer, The Gospel Experience/
/50) *Kate Rafael*, Producer, Women's Magazine/
/51) *Malihe Razazan*, Producer, Voices of the Middle East and North Africa/
/52*) Alejandro Reyes*, Radio Zapatista (La Onda Bajita) and Mexico correspondent, Flashpoints./
/53) *Rosi Reyes*, Host, Ritmo de las Americas/
/54) *Raynelle Rino*, Scientist, Educator, API Specials Team/
/55*) Art Sato*, Host, Producer, In Your Ear/
/56*) Jan Santos*, Producer, Pushing Limits/
/57) *Doyle Saylor,* Host, Producer Pushing Limits/
/58) *Adália M. Selket*, Brazilian Music Program Producer, 1st Voice Graduate/
/59*) Nina Serrano*, Co-producer La Raza Chronicles, Monthly Host/Producer, Open Book/
/60) *Preeti Shekar*, Producer, Women's Magazine/
/61) *Ruthanne Shpiner*, News Reporter, Host, Producer, Pushing Limits/
/62) *Frank Sterling*- First Voice Technical Fellow/
/63*) Kirsten Thomas*, Board Op/Producer, Morning Show/Democracy Now! Apprentice Alumnus/
/64*) Walter Turner*, Producer, Host of Africa Today/
/65) Minister of Information *JR Valrey*, Producer of POCC: Block Report Radio/
/66*) Carla West*, News, Apprenticeship Graduate/
/67) *Gabrielle Wilson*, Producer, Co-Host of The Gospel Experience/
/68) *Ali Zadeh*, Voices of the Middle East & North Africa/
/69) *Dr. Zeina Zaatari*, Producer, Voices of the Middle East & North Africa///

/-/

*STATEMENT OF COMMUNITY SUPPORTERS*

As part of the progressive community, we are appalled at the use of the Berkeley Police Department to remove unpaid programmer Nadra Foster from the KPFA premises on August 20th, 2008. This act is contrary to principles of justice, free speech, and peace that we expect KPFA to practice, on-air and off. / (selected list)/

*/Peter Phillips/*/, Project Censored/
*/devorah major/*/, former poet laureate of San Francisco/
*/Karen Shain/*/, Legal Services for Prisoners with Children/
*/Michael Parenti/*/, Author/
*/Norman Solomon/*/, Author/
*/Rose Braz, /*/Critical Resistance**/
*/Julia Sudbury/*/, Chair Ethnic Studies, Mills College/
*/Andrea Pritchett/*/, Copwatch/
*/Jack Heyman/*/, ILWU Local 10/
//*/Maria Gilardin, Host, /*/TUC Radio/
*/Tim Durning/*/, Treasurer, Harvey Milk GLBT Democratic Club/
*/Leslie Mullin/*/, Haiti Action Committee/
*/Tommi Avicolli Mecca/*/, LGBT activist/
*/Janelle White/*/, San Francisco Women Against Rape/
*/David Barsamian/*/, Author and Host of Alternative Radio /
*//**/Audrey Hawley/*/, Sonoma Valley Peace and Justice /
*/Tom Lacy/*/, Chair SF Peace and Freedom Party, OPEIU Local #3/
*/Vicky Fouts/*/ \u2013 KFCF, Fresno FCF/
*/CT Weber/*/, Region 3 Director, California State Employees Association, SEIU/
*/Eloise Rose Serrano Lee/*/, Program Director, Media Alliance/
*/Noelle Hanrahan/*/, Prison Radio Project/
*/Georgia Williams/*/, State Secretary, Peace and Freedom Party/
*/Robert English/*/, SF Public Utilities Commission/Linda Hewitt/
*/Willie and Mary Ratcliff,/*/ Publishers, San Francisco Bayview.com/
*/Elizabeth Stinson/*/, Peace and Justice Center of Sonoma County/
*/Lily Haskell/*/, Arab Resource and Organizing Center/
*/Richard Becker/*/ \u2013 ANSWER (Act Now to End War and Racism Coalition) \u2013 SF/
*/Kiilu Nyasha/*/ Producer, Freedom is a Constant Struggle/
*/Michael Lyon/*/, SF Gray Panthers/
*/Aaron Shuman,/*/ member, All of Us or None,
Former coordinator, Prisoner Solidarity Project, Prison Activist Resource
Center former prisoner of conscience, School of the Americas Watch/
*/Coalition for a democratic Pacifica, /*/KPFA listener/activist group in the East Ba*y** */
*/South/**/ Bay for KPFA, /*/KPFA listener/activist group in the South Bay* */
*/Richard Phelps/*/, Former Chair, KPFA LSB /
*/J. Heyward/*/, Committee in Solidarity with the People of El Salvador (CISPES) /
//