UPSO RESOLUTION: We request a copy of the page and a half
summary of the investigator’s conclusions.
In favor: 5
Abstained: 2
Opposed: 1
Resolution passed 10-17-13
Sunday, October 20, 2013
Notes: UPSO Membership Meeting 10-17-13
Present: Adrienne Lauby, Gabriella Wilson, Ann
Garrison, Eddie Ytuarte, Anthony Fest, Emmit Powell, Shahram Aghamir, Lisa
Dettmer, Carla West, and Tim Lynch.
Guest: KPFA Interim General
Manager Richard Pirodsky
1) KPFB
2) Program Councils
3) Program Changes at KPFA
4) Hiring
5) Pacifica Investigation at
KPFA
6) Fund Drive
1) KPFB. Richard says that KPFA needs a "feeder
station," that would try out programs that might be given time on KFPA if
they appear to be successful. He has
never been at a station that didn't have any way to regularly try out and
improve new programming before it came to the grid. At this point, however, he said there's no
open slot to put a new show on KPFA.
KPFB
is a radio station, not just a repeater. “…to just repeat KPFA programs is a
waste of the frequency.” It originally covered areas around Berkeley
that KPFA could not reach but, due to technical advances, KPFA now reaches
those areas. (Michael Yoshida is doing a
study of that to be sure.)
Richard described an
experience with a situation similar to his plans for KPFB at college stations,
where turnover was far more frequent, as students graduated and moved on. The station he was talking about covered the
campus and the vicinity around the campus.
KPFB will impose two very
strict limitations.
**KPFA does not have the revenue to pay
people on KPFB.
**It will have to be pre-recorded, because
live production studio space isn't available
Otherwise, Richard said, it
gives us a chance to experiment with programming. It will have its own web
stream and be promoted on KPFA. It
wasn't clear whether it would have it's own website as well. Richard has asked a LSB Task
Force, with both caucuses represented, to consider KPFB.
There was general excitement about the idea of KPFB programming.
Eddie Ytuarte asked,
"How much does it cost to run the station?"
Richard said: Nothing more.
It will mean no addition to the budget.
Someone asked if it will be
on 24 hours? The only answer for now
was that only the Berkeley City Council and School Board meetings are on the
KPFB schedule separate from KPFA at this time.
Gabrielle Wilson did not want
to see KPFB ghettoized as, she said, most programmers of color are currently at
KPFA.
Question (Adrienne): will
this new use of KPFB have to wait until there's a Program Council?
Answer: not necessarily; we
could at least solicit applications, e.g. the Strike Debt group has already
asked for a show.
2) PROGRAM COUNCILS: Richard said that, the PNB has passed a
general rule that every station must have a Program Council but let the
individual stations define their structure and responsibilities. The Program Council needs to represent both
caucuses on the LSB. Uncertainty
remains about who will have the authority to approve programming.
The LSB Task Force, with
representatives from both caucuses, will come to a consensus as to what a
Program Council at KPFA should consist of in response to the resolution by the Pacifica
National Board.
Tim Lynch said that the LSB
should not have any role in programming, that it should have only a governance
role.
Richard said that a member of
the LSB has already suggested that the Program Director should propose
programming, the Program Council should dispose (decide), and if there's a
deadlock between the two, the LSB should break the deadlock.
Richard strongly believes we
need good program evaluation. The only
data that can currently be collected about audience or enthusiasm are the
number of hits on the website and $$ raised during pledge.
Richard said we need better
metrics.
3) PROGRAM CHANGES AT KPFA?
What strategies are we using
for making choices?
Richard: There's a very slow turnover process for
KPFA.
Richard: There has never been
strategic thinking here about scheduling; I wanted to do some, but thought I
should talk to the LSB about it. I did, and discovered that neither caucus
wanted to see changes. Also, changes
ought to be done soon after a pledge drive, but we won't be doing them when the
present drive ends tomorrow... so the next time to do it would be after the
December drive – but I will be leaving by then. Interviews for a permanent GM are underway
this week (and I'm not a candidate for the permanent job).
4) HIRING
Lisa asked when the GM hire
will be made. Richard said that that
members of the committee said they're interviewing this week, and that they
will present a short list to the LSB.
Richard himself did not apply
and said that he was brought in specifically to make sure the investigation was
conducted fairly and that Pacifica National had promised to get him out of
there before long.
Question: Have hiring committees been formed for the
Board Op and Phone Room jobs? Richard: no.... I'm not sure
what the process is.
There are other hires in the
works. . . Board Op and Fund Drive Coordinator/Volunteer Coordinator. The Board
Op job is union. The other is half time
non-union. (see KPFA website>About>Jobs
for details) UPSO usually has a representative
on these hiring committees. Eddie
Ytuarte volunteered to serve on the GM hire committee. Richard says he is unable to find any
written, established procedure regarding hiring committees, so this seems to be
up in the air, but he was not opposed.
5) PACIFICA INVESTIGATION AT KPFA
Any outcomes besides JR being
banned? One unpaid staff person got an
apology. There were other
recommendations. Whether or not to move
on the recommendations is up to the LSB and the Executive Director.
Richard: I haven't seen the
investigator's report, but there was a list of recommendations passed out to
LSB members (during executive session).
Shahram: the recommendations
were very general.
Gabrielle: if nothing is
shared with staff, how will KPFA learn anything from this??
Gabrielle Wilson mentioned
the double standard that led to former Program Director Sasha Lilly banning
Youth Radio on KPFA, because a Youth Radio programmer allowed the "f"
word to be said over the airwaves. Youth
Radio went national and opened a big office in Downtown Oakland and went down
as a big missed opportunity for KPFA to have played a role in nurturing it to
its national audience and prominence..
Sasha Lilly, as co-host of Against the Grain, let the f-word onto KPFA
airwaves in a pre-recorded segment, in which it could have been caught, but was
never disciplined in any way, much less banned.
Others present agreed that
this is an example of the double standards that they had been hoping the
grievance process would address but, so far, has failed to.
Shahram said that the only
evidence of a formal resolution of grievances against Andrew was a statement in
the summary sent to the LSB, saying that he had not handled personnel issues
properly.
Richard said that Pacifica's
insurance company had insisted on the investigation to reduce the costly
litigiousness at KPFA and had said they would not insure Pacifica any longer if
they did it. Richard also said that if
the costly lawsuits at KPFA decreased as a result, then the investigation would
be considered a success.
UPSO RESOLUTION: We request a copy of the page and a half
summary of the investigator’s conclusions.
Resolution Passed.
In favor: 5
Abstained: 2
Opposed: 1
Support came from the sense
that many unpaid staff cooperated with the investigation and listener money
paid for it. Support also came from
those who want to learn the lessons so as not to repeat them.
Opposition was due to
possible liability issues, that KPFA airs too much dirty laundry, and that distributing the summary of the report to the
UPSO would make it public information.
6) FUND DRIVE
Widely agreed that the fund
drive has been going on too long. Might
make goal if tomorrow's a good day, but might not. (At that point, Thursday evening, it was at
$610,000. and it ended the next day at $671,000.) Richard: This drive has been going for about
24 days now... even though it's short of its goal, it can't be extended.
Richard: some programmers
haven't changed their approach to fund drives, to reflect what we're learned by
experience or from Goal Busters. For example, nobody likes a long pitch at the
end of a show, but some programmers are still doing their pledge-drive shows
that way.
Richard said that National
(the board? the office?) has told him
that KPFA must make its goals.
Notes by:
Ann Garrison
Independent Journalist,
SKYPE: Ann Garrison, Oakland
415-503-7487
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