KPFA

[Sam Pawlett]

The oddest thing about the Pacifica palace coup is why a faction would
want to take over and change the policies of a *non-profit* station.
What is to be gained beyond sheer power within the station and the
foundation? Sounds like some very zealous and doctrinaire types hell
bent on eliminating the last vestiges of free speech in the USA.

  In Vancouver, we have Co-Op radio(102.7) which is an excellent
non-profit station, indeed one of the best stations I've heard anywhere.
It is financed entirely from listeners contributions. It broadcasts in
mono, occasionally runs Pacifica produced programs and regularly runs
David Barsamian produced programs. There is a faction in it that wants
to make it more like a capitalist enterprise but they don't want to
change the programming policies. It has programs in over 25 different
languages not mention music programs of just about every style,
including the only Armenian language show outside Armenia, I
believe. The station broadcasts stuff that is far more radical than what
you would hear elsewhere. I think even the Spartacist League has a 1/2
hour slot for awhile. The station has a budget of about C$150,000 per
annum. A good model for alternative radio elsewhere.

sam Pawlett