Journalists, listeners meet to discuss crisis at KPFA

Listeners and staff of Berkeley's KPFA Radio (94.1FM) will host a briefing on the current crisis at the public radio station, including the termination of KPFA's Morning Show.

WHEN: Saturday, February 12 at 10 AM   

WHERE: North Berkeley Senior Center (1901 Hearst @ MLK Jr. Way in Berkeley)

 Attendees include Larry Bensky (former Pacifica National Affairs correspondent), Aileen Alfandary (KPFA News co-director), Aimee Allison (former co-host of the Morning Show), Brian Edwards-Tiekert (former co-host of the Morning Show), Mitch Jeserich (host of KPFA's Letters & Politics), Ying Lee (long-time KPFA listener), Laura Prives (Morning Show producer), Augustine Ramirez (ILWU) & other invited special guests.

 Even though the Morning Show was the station's biggest money-marker, raising three times what it cost to produce, the Pacifica Foundation -- which holds KPFA's license -- axed the popular, long-running show in November.

 "Listeners were stunned hear Pacifica executive director Arlene Engelhardt claiming that canceling the Morning Show and laying off its co-hosts, Aimee Allison and Brian Edwards-Tiekert, was necessary to address KPFA's financial problems," said Arpi Kupelian, a KPFA listener. 

 The move elicted thousands of letters of protest from the station's supporters, many of whom are also concerned that the layoffs violated the station's union contract. A community effort by SaveKPFA to return the show to the air has so far raised over $60,000, but Pacifica's management has ignored that offer.

 Casualties of the Morning Show's cancellation also include several unpaid staff, such as labor programmer David Bacon.  Bacon hosted one of the few weekly Bay Area programs reporting on labor. "Bacon is the premier labor journalist in the US," said UC Santa Cruz history professor Dana Frank. "His program is of vital importance for all of us in the labor and social justice movements throughout Northern California."

 "Bacon's show is a crucial resource for organized labor, and we want it back on the air," said Peter Olney, organizing director of the International Longshore Workers Union.

 "Pacifica is silencing the voices of the vast majority of its listeners," said SaveKPFA's Margy Wilkinson, who also serves as chair of the station's local board which has gone on record opposing Pacifica's actions. The press and public are welcome to stay for the KPFA local board meeting, which begins at 11 am in the North Berkeley Senior Center.

 *****     

 Follow us on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/Save_KPFA 

Become a Facebook fan:  http://www.facebook.com/home.php#!/profile.php?id=100001485273815