Where are the values many want to find at KPFK ?

Media is varied and informative. Comparing one corporation to others is inevitable as we are all inundated with media of many sorts.   Television while listening to radio, while reading book or magazine, when the cell phone rings and lights dim.

CBS TV advertises cleverly, showing their latest motto:

                                                    H O N E S T Y

                                   I N T E G R I T Y

                            A C C O U N T A B I L I T Y


Wow !!!!   sounds great !!!  Can this be true and real ?   Or is it the usual - the euphemisms of  clever advertising, promotions, and commercial messages - all used repeatedly to convince the media-consumer that  Yes ! This is a Better one ! .... than any of  those others who are not labeling themselves as these fine-quality values ?

How to measure CBS or KPFK on these exemplary practices and attitudes ?

How to insure we are not being bamboozled and brain-washed by fake P.R. and branding yet again ? 
  
Yes ! These are good, desired values that should [and could] apply to non-profit corporations too, like KPFK !  Why not ?

But.... then there is Pacifica's conflict-full chaos-   all hidden, so that  realities are barely apparent to it's radio listeners.  Except  that subscribers do wonder what is going on inside the radio station we all pay for ?  

Why does no one answer emails ? or questions ? or suggestions sent? or voice mails left for management ? or what is offered at LSB meetings ?
 
Who is responsible or accountable for the financial distresses that repeat and resume every 3 months or sooner ?     

Why are we paying and giving so much of our meager earnings and see no improvements ?
 
For all those repeated 'commercials' that bore listeners  & frustrate KPFK's paid-up sponsors, can these endless pleas for more and more and more $$$$ stop yet ?  These are endlessly recycling weeks/months of  begging  - wanting to be disguised as we are  "not-selling" merchandise - stuff promoted and called "premiums" or "gifts"- which are being  traded for money. $$$$, pledges to pay up- but then - these are merchandise and commercials, in effect, anyhow.

The disguise is that Our radio stations that  had provided some innovative, alternative, rebellious and dissenting views, news and current events, do little of that.  And then there are programs that are self-defined as "listener"-funded, ONLY.   Not ever mentioning the 10% that [was previously ]
paid by CBC, and that cannot be received now due to accounting/audit neglects. Or  promoted-events and all the Free Advertising and Public Promotions that are included in each and almost every single program - with guests who are musicians, authors, politicians, writers and who have vented self-interest businesses. Do they just get free PR and give nothing back ? Really ? How come?

There is a 'bad word' called 'hated speech' that is never admitted: "P A Y O L A" ...

that's a word used in other times to describe the give-back and trades done for radio-air-time access.... and for listeners to hear about them and then buy that product or go to that place, etc.  Now, it is best to pretend that is not happening in a non-commercial, non-profit corporation- that is pretending  to be a saint while sinning or lying.

KPFK in L.A. is our local radio station. Our Station = that has been on an Extended Much Too Long "Fund Drive" - for a whole month of February - with  repetitious clips and programs that drive their regular donors away.   

While the KPFK management is wanting to attract "new subscribers" - the station's methods do the opposite. As even if a newbie, who  has never heard the 1st version of the same-old, same-old repeated program during this last month [and the same clips similarly repeated endlessly in prior money-gathering-long-weeks-of-asking-repeating-demanding-money ],  they will again hear the forever-repeat-lure over and over again. And  then they too will realize that this is not a place to return or  listen because it is so repetitious. Mostly during 'fund drives'.

And while promises of reducing the length and frequency of money-begging-pleas the real story sounds like promises are not honest, not with integrity nor accountability, as it is the same, over and over and again....until.....


     Try acting with more HONESTY + INTEGRITY TO GET TO = ACCOUNTABILITY first, 
                                                   please, KPFK !

Do not say that the station is dying off from just lack of money. Do not repeat that the 'victim' mentality is the only virtuous one and KPFK is just another victim full of such claims, as is made by many programmers [ who blame "everyone but us", as in  'They' did to us, we are innocent and clean and pure" ...etc.]

The poverty mentality claims that the poor MUST BE given more, helped for free, assisted because they obviously lack the .....what ?    skills ?   opportunities ?   security [internal more than external or financial]?   The poor non-profit KPFK can't keep paying it's unionized small size staff or equipment ?    They are at the mercy of someone else who must be at fault, surely no one at this station is responsible in any way, right ?  It was "them !" never, partly it is us, too. 
 
 Anyone who has experienced any other locale - outside of this 'resources-full' USA - has seen, and known that poverty may exist alongside and inside of a caring community  - and known the sharings of whatever is available. How the poorer elsewhere also are creating caring relationships - which even they value as more important than external wealth and status. Poverty does not always mean people suffer or complain or compare themselves to the rich. But helping the poorer of us is a good act - whenever possible, anywhere, any time.  

What is "poor" here is considered there, elsewhere, as  "a lot ! great ! = more = middle level" there, and in many places,  and even in US in prior times.   

But Now - the "entitled" people all claim they are not given all they are Deserving and Entitled to have, own, access, take.... mostly seen as compared to anyone else they chose to compare to. As Never-enough is the main theme and Blame-Them the easy answer.

KPFK has probably not well managed it's own business nor created 'good business practices' , nor selected/ maintained skilled management, for the station to have fallen so low.  Obviously, it is not  just privatization that makes a  corporation succeed or survive, even a non-profit one.

It is not just "everyone can have anything and everything" and also have access to 
on-air-advantaged public radio programs.  

There is not a free-for-all practical method that solves the problems  - of having poor leadership and fake/ incompetent management.   But don't blame anyone or they will be quickly  be labeling themselves as  "just a victim' too.  It must be a mess inside KPFK - covered up by radio broadcasts that appear to be within a stable entity, able to continue presenting on-air. While still  claiming poverty year after year for 56 years ? 

How does that happen ?      Repeatedly ?

And there is no '1' to blame, to accuse, to demand restitution from - for what KPFK and Pacifica has become, yet again,...As this story seems to be similar to what has transpired before -  maybe many time periods - that are not  mentioned nor remembered...deliberately ?

And there seems to be a repeat trend lately:   To focus on re-balancing the racial and financial differences of groups,  and insisting on rectifying what is seen [by them as stated elsewhere ] as being grossly 'unfair' and 'unequal'  - and KPFK people wanting to compensate for it all there =  at a limping or crippled radio organization. This may seem more than idealistic and unrealistic too.  This fight and attempt has been done before, many times. 

And never mentioned is that listeners, donors, & subscribers have deserted the very-slanted version of what was before more a balanced schedule of programs. KPFK  was heard -  before  - as being diverse and with varied, alternative viewpoints, with innovative, creative sources -  instead of just focusing mainly on 1 or 2 minorities groups - who also want to dominate these airwaves - at least as it is heard here, and as they are allowed to do so here.

 a burning tent - BBC.com

Surely, an accusation will emerge with blame and name-calling for even hinting that there are slants that are prominent at KPFK, and as not heard so much elsewhere.  The name-calling has already occurred and been allowed by others. 


" Hate speech" can include more than the common legal definition: 

"Hate speech is speech that offends, threatens, or insults groups, based on race, color, religion, national origin, sexual orientation, disability, or other traits. "  

from  Hate Speech Debate - American Bar Association  

So anyone in any group can blame another -it's easy !  -  for saying what they think or feel that 'offends' them or 'insults' them.   How easy that is to claim and exclaim  - and then riot behind it righteously.  How are emotions and reactions validated to be what is claimed by some and not others ?  Who defines what is what and how it affects another ? Who is Righteous and who is to be attacked and Blamed ?

And then that legal definition is left 'open' to 'or other traits' so that open category remains undefined,  for  any one of those who see themselves as 'victims' - claiming no part in any stereotype or descriptions that may be stated by 'another', of course. It is an open market to play "victim" again and again, anywhere, any time. How fun and games, or is it ? 

or as wikipedia writes about hate-speech in a description that is broader and informs us better  :

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hate_speech   =  

"In law, hate speech is any speech, gesture or conduct, writing, or display which is forbidden because it may incite violence or prejudicial action against or by a protected individual or group, or because it disparages or intimidates a protected individual or group."

Interesting to have to wonder about "hate speech" vs. "free speech" which KPFK likes to claim but does not actually allow either.  Victims apparently prefer to claim NO RESPONSIBILITY at all, not 10% nor 28% nor 51% for any part of what others may perceive or experience from them, or those of their 'group' identities. This avoids ACCOUNTABILITY & HONESTY too. 

While CBS may also not be able to live up nor show they are what they advertise, the blame is laid on their being commercial, private, owned by rich people and politically incorrect, mostly. But Pacifica and KPFK make different claims for why they are not what their donors want from them: 

to be YES -   HONEST !     WITH INTEGRITY !!   AND ACCOUNTABLE !!!

 Is that so difficult ? Apparently it is.

(c) 2016  btt