I am Jack Neff and KPFK radio works best when it broadcasts diverse voices providing censored news, critical education, and soul-stirring entertainment from a local and global perspective. I love KPFK because it gives voice to people from all walks of life, from perspectives that are directly engaged in the struggles for existence and dignity. KPFK and radio in general create solidarity for people living in our common struggle to get information, education, access to the big world around us, and enjoy some entertainment. KPFK is free radio, without broadcasting commercials. I appreciate listener-sponsors paying the bills at KPFK. It takes work to accomplish our mission within financial constraints. My job as a litigation paralegal has taught me to scrutinize various interests and to analyze financial documentation, to look at data critically, with a professional eye. Every situation is different, and the important elements are always the values of the people involved.
The KPFK Local Station Board (“LSB”) is a democratic committee created under the bylaws of the Pacifica Foundation National Board (“PNB”) so listener-sponsors and KPFK staff can be involved in KPFK decision-making. In Southern California, 98% of the commercial radio market is about corporate-controlled for-profit messages. KPFK is the exception to media censorship and KPFK’s LSB should support the PNB mission of a not-for-profit radio station, listener-supported and independent.
Critical issues face KPFK and the country. KPFK listeners need information and KPFK needs revenue. I agree KPFK needs to attract new, younger listeners with younger voices driving for increased numbers of smaller pledges, driven by premiums from the Pacifica Archives.
Work and cooperation between management, the LSB and paid KFPK on-air staff are needed to create a wide-ranging publicity campaign to show the wide world of LA radio listeners that censored information, critical education, diverse analysis and shake-it-up entertainment are always there on KPFK. If a new publicity campaign can show that the world really needs KPFK and the PNB mission, the LSB is doing its job.
KPFK is an educational organization airing voices for peace, justice, liberation, self-inquiry, skepticism, and real-time political struggles as they happen on live radio. KPFK is the only reliable radio media outlet giving regular air time to voices from incarcerated communities, the transportation-dependent, disabled, labor, feminists, Native-Americans, alternative cultures and to political progressive. KPFK is also changing the system by broadcasting censored voices in English and Spanish, which reflects the population realities of 2015 in Los Angeles. I love KPFK’s gumbo of programming which educates children, techno geeks, youth from various immigrant backgrounds and has music shows for almost every taste. KPFK’s website archive uploads programming on the internet for 60 days after broadcast, making KPFK unique radio. A publicity campaign should use KPFK’s website to bring round-the-clock, real-time livestream reporting from Southern California to the world.
I am with Grassroots Community Radio Coalition www.gcrc-socal.org I encourage listener-sponsors to vote for my fellow candidates. Please help make the LSB serve KPFK and our KPFK communities. |