Urban Unrest

31 July 2007 | Pacifica | Ernesto Aguilar

The Pacifica Network is the only U.S. radio network with a democratically-elected governance structure. Our noncommercial broadcasting is Listener-supported, and supported as well by more than 1000 staff members nationwide, most of them unpaid staff. This network has survived McCarthyite repression, investigation by the House Un-American Activities Committee, and attacks from reactionary forces in this country.

The network is independent of government and corporate control, and thus is able to present unfettered public affairs programming as well as programs on music, the arts and humanities which are diverse and multi-cultural instead of profit driven.

This important network needs the support of all its listeners as never before. One part of that support is to become involved with the election of the Local Station Boards of each station.

An elections packet, compiled by me, is here.

Local Station Boards have the following duties and responsibilities:

• Actively reaching out to under-represented communities to help the station serve a diversity of all races, creeds, colors and nations, classes, genders and sexual orientations and ages. The Local Station Board is also directed to help build collaborative relations with organizations working for similar purposes.
• Assisting the station in fundraising activities.
• Conducting at least 2 Town Hall style meetings each year. These are devoted to hearing listeners’ views, needs, and concerns. Performing community needs assessments, or seeing to it that separate “Community Advisory Committees” are formed to do so.
• Working with station management to ensure that station programming fulfills the purposes of the Foundation and is responsive to the diverse needs of the listeners (demographic) and communities (geographic) served by the station, and that station policies and procedures for making programming decisions and for program evaluation are working in a fair, collaborative and respectful manner to provide quality programming.
• Reviewing and approving the radio station’s budget.
• Screening and selecting a pool of candidates for the position of Program Director at each radio station. The General Manager must make a hire from this pool of candidates.
• Writing annual evaluations on the job performances of the radio station’s General Manager and Program Director.
• Screening and selecting a pool of candidates for the position of General Manager from which the Pacifica Foundation Executive Director (ED) must hire.
• Ensuring that the station works diligently towards the goal of diversity in staffing at all levels and maintenance of a discrimination-free atmosphere in the workplace.

These Local Station Boards also have the following national responsibilities:

• Electing 4 members to serve as directors of the Pacifica Foundation which manages the radio stations in New York, Washington, D.C., Houston, Los Angeles and Berkeley. The Local Station Board can recall these Foundation directors by a 2/3 vote.
• The Local Station Board also appoints from its own membership representatives to serve on the committees of the National Foundation which review finances, programming, governance and other matters essential to the operation of the network.
• Each individual member of a Local Station Board should expect to attend monthly board meetings and actively serve on Local Station Board committees.

If you are interested in running for these boards, or know folks who you feel would add to the quality of your station by being on the Local Station Board, you should note the following summary timetable for the elections.

If you are NOT yet a member of your station, please subscribe with at least $25 or volunteer at the station for at least 3 hours by August 31st, 2007.

2007 Pacifica Elections Summary Timeline:

July 25th - Nominations of candidates begin

August 31st - Date of record for membership; all voters and candidates must be members as of this date, whether new, renewing or significantly lapsed

September 25th - Nominations are closed, campaign begins

October 16th - Ballots are mailed to members

November 15th -Ballots have to be received by Election Supervisor by this date

December 1st - Vote count to be announced by this date

Vote Quorum Required

To make this election valid, the bylaws require AT LEAST 10% of the eligible voters to actually vote. The on-air staff will encourage listeners to run for office and to cast their ballots but MUST refrain from endorsing candidates on-air or on any station-linked web site.

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