It ain't over til it's over--and the fat lady walks.
Chuck Grimes
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UPDATE: BATTLE CONTINUES FOR KPFA, PACIFICA REFUSES ACCESS FOR TRANSMITTER REPAIR AND MAINTENANCE
PACIFICA REFUSES TO ALLOW TRANSMITTER REPAIR, KPFA STAFFERS STILL NOT WORKING Legislators Add Support for Hearing on KPFA Lockout
BERKELEY, CA - KPFA staffers showed up at their boarded up station yesterday afternoon only to be met with management's refusal to allow repair of the station's transmitter. Despite orders to staff to return to the station by 2 pm Monday, only ten people were allowed in the building because Pacifica has not yet repaired damage to the station that occurred during its watch of the premises.
Pacifica executive director Lynn Chadwick refused to allow KPFA's transmitter to be repaired, and staff questioned why they would be ordered back to work when Pacifica has not taken the necessary steps to allow the station to broadcast. Armed guards still surround the station's Berkeley hills transmitter. There will be a demonstration at noon, Tuesday August 3rd, at the transmitter, in support of KPFA staff regaining access to the airwaves.
"Pacifica is saying the station is in our control," said Media Alliance executive director Andrea Buffa. "But Chadwick is still monitoring attendance, Pacifica's leadership is still unaccountable to our community, and they could sell the station or shut it down again at any time. We're tired of Pacifica saying one thing and doing another. We need to reform Pacifica from the inside out so this doesn't happen again."
15,000 people from up and down the West Coast attended a mass march and rally on behalf of KPFA on Saturday, July 31. Speakers included City Council members from Berkeley and Oakland; Mayor Willie Brown and Supervisor Tom Ammiano from San Francisco; Berkeley Mayor Shirley Dean; Dolores Huerta, United Farmworkers of America; Audie Bock, California State Assemblyperson, Green Party; June Jordan, poet; Peter Coyote, actor and author; and Tom Rankin, President, California Federation of Labor, AFL-CIO. Dr. Loco and His Rocking Jalapeño Band, Michael Franti of Spearhead, Culture Clash, and others performed.
Shortly before Saturday's rally, KPFA supporters learned that Pacifica's high-priced public relations firm, Fineman and Associates, had quit. Also on Saturday, Assembly Speaker Pro Tem Fred Keeley, D-Santa Cruz, was one of eight legislators adding their support for a special hearing by the Joint Legislative Audit Committee to investigate the dispute between KPFA and the Pacifica Foundation. To date, 24 members of the California Legislature have requested a public hearing on the situation at KPFA radio.
Legislators are concerned that Pacifica has undertaken a number of actions that may violate its charter and its tax-exempt status. The Pacifica Board voted to disenfranchise its Local Advisory Boards, and allegations have been raised that funds may have been used for purposes inconsistent with its charter. The letter states, "Because Pacifica is incorporated in California and owns not only KPFA, but also KPFK in Los Angeles, we feel it is highly appropriate for the Legislature to take upon itself this oversight responsibility." For additional information, contact: Assembly Speaker Pro Tem Fred Keeley, (831) 425-1503.
The following is a press release from Pacifica Executive Director Lynn Chadwick:
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>IMMEDIATE RELEASE
> August 3, 1999
> Contact: Lynn Chadwick
> Pacifica Foundation Executive Director
> (510)-843-0130 x202
>
> KPFA PROTESTORS TRESPASS
> AT TRANSMITTER SITE
>
>Berkeley, CA • August 3, 1999 • In a move designed to continue a
>confrontational protest style, several dozen radio station KPFA
>demonstrators today rallied at the station's transmitter site in the
>Oakland hills. One of the protesters climbed under the fence
>surrounding the transmitter located in the East Bay Regional Parks
>District, and remained seated near the transmitter building. He was
>later arrested for trespassing.
>
>Pacifica Foundation's Executive Director Lynn Chadwick says that
>she is "puzzled at this example of bad faith. After we made this
>major concession to turn over the programming to the KPFA staff,
>and just at the time we were preparing to remove the guards from
>the transmitter site, we continue to see efforts to undermine the
>orderly transition to staff control of the station."
>
>To further clarify the situation for KPFA listeners, the following
>statement is being prepared for regular broadcast on KPFA
>94.1FM IMMEDIATELY:
>
>"KPFA's staff checked in for work on Monday, August 2, 1999 as
>agreed. The Pacifica Foundation board relinquished control of local
>programming to the staff and we expect them to go on the air as
>soon as possible. However, they have given no indication as to
>when they will accept their responsibility and go on the air. Until
>such time as they choose to prepare programming for the
>community, we will continue to broadcast as we have for the last
>several days. We look forward to the return of local programming to
>KPFA airwaves."
>
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