KPFA

WIDEye wideye at ziplink.net
Fri Jul 16 18:18:59 PDT 1999



> My reply:
>
> I AM concerned. I think a corporate-style,
in-contempt-of-democratic-principles coup on the part of the Pacifica board should be fought tooth-and-nail, to a point. That point is where it becomes fruitless or an alternative presents itself. I am, by the way, financially supporting the proposed litigation challenging the board.
>
> In my original note I was wondering about the lack of a strategic, but
perhaps high-risk, high-payoff alternative for those who support KPFA as it is at present. Such a strategy might go thus: presumably Berry, Chadwick et al are successful ladder-climbing, ass-kissing organizational types who understand certain uses and abuses of power but lack creative understanding of media or entrepreneurship. Why else would they seek to steal control of a network rather than start anew? I can't imagine how people with even subnormal intelligence could imagine they could maintain Pacifica's audience with such unsubtle tactics.
>
> The value of a media outlet lies mostly, if not completely, in its
listenership. Studios, offices, electronics are commodities. I realize that obtaining a frequency is an issue, but I am aware that there have been many ethnic electronic media startups in recent years, bankrolled as far as I know without help from Bill Gates or Ted Turner.
>
> So let Berry, Chadwick and the other generals have their radio station.
KPFA really consists of its listeners. Have a big fund drive called "Starting Over" and buy another frequency and another transmitter and start over.
>
> Maybe buy a couple of each. Leave the Pacifica board holding an empty bag.
>
> M. Ferro
>
i kind of though about this as being a plausible alternative for the KPFA'ers. the problem is that the PacMan would have the Pacifica name and the network. i read a few of the lew hill vision statements a few days ago and its some heavy shit. to simply give up and hand over the 50 years of work that went into making that vision real is an emotional non-starter.

what are the chances that all of the network affilitiates tell PacMan to go to hell and sign up with the Starting over crew? what are the chances of getting the priceless archives? what about all of the talent that is not at KPFA, but spread through the country?

these are some big what if's and should only be the last resort.

alex



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