KPFK has had installed a new Gen'l Mgr with big staff reactions too....

There is in our next post here a copied part of a 1967 KPFK Folio editorial written by someone in management then.    This writing is being revisited to note how more open and less fractuous the attitudes were when there were actual violent wars the USA was involved in fighting. With some similar questions of 48 yrs ago that still remains and needs confronting again.

Today KPFK has announced that it's operating staff is being reduced and some will be only working 1/2 time, for maybe a temporary or extended time period. This is  decreed by the new set-up Gen'l Mgr - who was suddenly brought-in-by-a-fading-KPFA-power-player [Margy Wilkinson] -- who had also just priorly set herself up to be the high authority as  'interim Exe Director of Pacifica' -- the KPFK's and KPFA's umbrella organization. 

This becoming an iED of a huge nonprofit corporation was  integral to an ousting of the priorly elected ED, [Summer Reese] who had worked as iED for over 3 years before already  -- and then she was suddenly 'fired' by the Pacifica Nat'l Board . The sudden switch move is what has also been described as their legally-by-laws-binding maneuvers by a few in their own interests. This dispute is probably going into costly lawsuits, that will divest Pacifica of more $$-funds too.

Thus this  recently & quickly imposed  Gen'l Mgr of KPFK  recently selected thru a 1-person-action  - as info can be found out so far within so much secret maneuverings happening  - this newly-positioned & radically leaning all Extreme-Left-Edge-Only :  Gen'l Mgr at KPFK in Los Angeles .  

She  has also then created an even worse work-environment at the radio station [ 90.7 FM in LA and nearby areas] -- as her personal views and choices are being superimposed on those who have long diligently worked at station - long and hard for many many years before this sudden shift in who is their boss and their game-changer. Rather a shock and surprise, unwanted and apparently unavoidable now...or is it ?

The new GM at KPFK has been criticized elsewhere already,  about her lack of managerial or radio broadcasting management credentials, as well as her own interpersonal-style. 

Then, to add to the dire financial difficulties, KPFK's loss of listenership, the  lack of  proper budgets, audit and  business-management correctness,  and proper business reporting updates,and revealings to their stakeholders too --- in other words, business as it must be upheld for maintaining licensure, for honest accounting practices and having $$$ pledgers  then giving their honest $$$ earnings to KPFK - has not been done, not right, not as required to stay afloat.  [KPFA seems to be in similar dire conditions too ]

And for a long while now, a lack of good-leadership by a  competent GM is showing- as the end-result of the mismanagements and inefficiencies...so the dangers of  the final failing of Our Radio Station seems eminent.  as cliches say : "The situation is dire. "

So this next posted here editorial is offered as a Review of how KPFK thinking was before this now, and also how thinking openly was allowed to be exposed. That is very different from the total lack of transparency and the repeated mis-managements of many recent years.  

Could the radio station that continually is claiming  to be 'free' in every-anything - could this entity ever again be free-enough to allow any new or other voices -  other than the same staid, repetitive ones - those already entrenched and repeating their same views and biases- yr in and yr out?  

Could this non-commercial station find any other ways of maintaining some  financial independence ?  Or differently  than this constant irritating infomercials and the pretenses to be oh,so much more worthy than any NPR ... or even other media ?  

Could anyone involved with KPFK ever admit the payola, =the benefits that 'volunteer' unpaid programmers gain and obtain with their media access to on on-air time slot =, which must be valuable, if not in cash but then in many other favorable terms, which always remain denied and unnamed ?    This topic can not ever even be discussed because it is so tricky and hidden from listeners & stakeholders.  

But the perpetual:  lauding, promoting, superlatives and bragging that 'guests' get on air that is elsewhere  openly admitted as being PROMOTIONS and PR paid for there with green $$ or favor-tradings. No one is just that admiring of KPFK's advertised products, events, artists -- and anyone that is promoted and lauded on-air  apparently for free ? 

Then there are the failures to maintain or even reveal honest Budgets, audits and the financial health of these radio stations have lost their annual contributions from CPB [govt funds to nonprofit media], and then the Berkeley station is about 2 years behind in producing any kind of audit that can be read, believed or even given to the new Exe Director of Pacifica. What is wrong there and here ?   Who is responsible for the messes?

Mr. Proffitt, the new E.D., hired by others than those holding on tightly to the controlling reins, was upstaged with the hiring of this latest KPFK new Gen'l Mgr- who was hired just 1 day before he could even investigate, inquire or even make his authorized choices or decisions ....or even ask any questions about a move that usurped his given authority as ED. 

That sudden unethical move aroused alarms to all involved, even Proffit himself. 

 While Wilkinson appears to have her very own hidden plans, with her own undue- influential attorneys, and secret strategies -- to do a 'make over'  --of both KPFK and KPFA - the only 2 viable of 5 national radio stations under Pacifica. The revelations are only after-the-facts are done and thus create turmoil, distrust and difficulties for everyone else.

The next posting here to this is the 1967 editorial,shared to elicit thinking, questions, & openness- all that is prohibited from KPFK  to those outside their halls,  now in August 2015. 

On Aug 17 an akward 'report to the listeners' from this controversial GM to those who happen to listen at that 8:30 pm hour, accidentally mostly, was revealing anyhow. The stiff manner of speaking and not responding to 5 listener-call-in-questionners allowed their bare minimum comment or question was difficult to hear and accept. The ways questions were slipped away from and going to the 'next caller' immediately to prevent having to actually say anything other than "it is not for me to ...."  

The whole dismal surprise pretense of being Open and Receptive to Listeners was heard to be a sham and disaster. It can be found in the Radio Archives on line at that time slot if anyone is interested in listening or transcribing and sharing that word for word sad display of avoidance and defensiveness. 

Where is there any discussion, a viable feedback loop,  or the possibility of communicating with staff or management at KPFK ?  

ohhhhh... it is no where found - even tho it has been requested repeatedly for years.  

Is all already lost ? Is KPFK Un-improvable ?  Wasted ? away....? Done and almost gone?   already ? 

 (c) 2015  bt