Urban Unrest

28 January 2007 | Pacifica | Ernesto Aguilar

6:30 p.m.: Arrived and all good. Semi-packed house.

7:00 p.m.: Greg Guma is doing his presentation. He’s touched upon a variety of topics, including how programming can change (giving both sides of board members who want programming to change and staff that can be reluctant to change programming due to perceptions of board intervention); elections and whether they are bringing the necessary talents to the organization; bylaws and potential changes and staffing matters. He’s covered lots of ground so far. Asked by one board member to slow down. Guma asks to work on a civil culture, emphasizing free expression and credibility; nurturing new voices; and at least three hours a day of national programming at each station. In addition to DN, Guma recommends addition of From the Vault and Informed Dissent to the pool. He concludes by saying he’s unimpressed by his own progress, because the “deficit of trust” remains significant. he suggests taking more risks and welcoming more system changers.

7:14 p.m. Question and answer begins. Chandra Hauptman starts by saying democracy is messy. Asks for a budget for national office needs. Criticizes Francie Warner’s accessibility report that has not been seen by Accessibility Committee.

7:17 p.m.: Bob Lederer asks about Affirmative Action and producers of Informed Dissent; and what is Guma planning to incorporate diversity issues in programming. Guma says he doesn’t even have addresses for all 55 people in Informed Dissent, and invites Bob to mail them if he’d like. Guma says Affirmative Action will be monitored; issue is inclusivity not quotas.

7:20 p.m.: Sarv Randhawa asks about goal for organization. Guma replies news coverage and its comprehensiveness and objectivity are probably not values we are doing or necessarily want to do. Guma says mission is wonderful, but needs to be revisited. Sarv Randhawa asks about Guma’s past statements of concern about “ideological hegemony.” Guma says it’s important to be the megaphone of movements, but not surrender independence of thought to even critiquing allies.

7:25 p.m.: Margaret Prescott asks about outreach to diverse communities, and clarifying about quotas. Says she is encouraged by some of Guma’s comments. Guma says he has been approached by factions which claim programming should be structured around demographics of a city; in the end, he says, that will make programming incoherent.

7:31 p.m.: Thomas Ruffin comments that he’s disturbed that Guma says taking quotas farther can be divisive. Adds that he is disturbed by a white man trying to protect against diversification of programming. Guma says he doesn’t want to place down on said board member’s station to make programming 50 percent Latino programming, if we follow the Race and Nationality Policy to the letter; he says we must avoid following items to the letter.

7:36 p.m.: Adelson says we need to shift agenda due to time which involves trimming time. Motion to postpone thematic discussion passes. Break until 8 for dinner.

8: 15 p.m.: Board reconvenes for KPFT report. Duane Bradley welcomes everyone to Houston, and says he respects and honors what the board members represent.

8:18 p.m.: Duane notes his report in members’ binders, and that he will visit with people about the contents after his remarks. He highlights positives, including the 100,000-watt transmitter and incoming HD unit; grant effort to replace studio equipment; and recent Pacifica Radio Archives’ donation to Texas Southern University.

8:22 p.m.: Says drive is going okay, although some lines are down, and we only have two phone lines up.. We finally got lines going in the afternoon.

8:24 p.m.: Discusses his history at KPFT, including his work as a volunteer, programmer, staff, PD and Pacifica leader/activist. Accepted GM position five years ago next week.

8:28 p.m.: Begins what he calls a sermonette. Says he believes in Jesus’ message and tries to walk a righteous path. Knows in his heart that are all one. Talks about Sermon on the Mount, regarding peacemakers. Feels Pacifica is rife with absolutism, negativity and warring, even after Lew Hill took his life. He says people assign the worst motives, operating out of fear rather than faith. The fear prevents us from moving forward.

8:31 p.m.: “We have the power to choose faith over fear.” Says he prays we seek path of trust, faith and love. He asks us to practice the conscious choice of harmony because Pacifca and the world needs it. Asks people to please release factionalism. He believes ghosts of our ancestors are watching. Standing ovation.

8:35 p.m.: Question and answer session. Evelyn Bethune says she will do her best to follow that example. Lisa Davis asks about Black History Month. Duane says drive was moved into January. notes all Open Journals post-pledge drive will be preempted for Black History Month programming, and encouragement to include Black History Month programming in all programs. Also discusses the summer youth program.

8:45 p.m.: Michael Woodson asks placement of progressive programming on weekdays and music on weekends, and whether programming is progressive as it might be. Duane says dynamics are complex, including support of programming, success of programs, and debatability of progressivism of programming.

8:48 p.m.: Lederer asks about morning drivetime programming, specifically Morning Mix and BBC. Adelson adds a comment about tensions of financial constraints and how KPFK changed its programming and found a new audience. Duane responds that morning programming has evolved over the years. He says it’s not Uprising or Wakeup Call, but is uniquely Houston’s. BBC relationship is indicative of unique international communities who find BBC brings them a bit of home. He says there is no more a comprehensive a news source.

8:57 p.m.: Agenda deferred to let Jane Jackson speak. She speaks about first meeting Duane, and how Houston has done more with less regarding accessibility. She threatens to sue Pacifica in May if buildings are not accessible.

9:03 p.m.: Robert Scott Adams makes the WBAI report. Says he could go a lot of ways with his report, but gives a personal history.

9:09 p.m.: Says he felt like he’s not wanted here. Says he’s told by everyone that he has a tough job. Found that no faction wanted him at WBAI.

9:10 p.m.: Continues personal history. Says he appreciates being interim GM, but has removed himself from selection process.

9:12 p.m.: Talks about fund drive and staffing. Says it is hard to figure out staff, including constant warnings of enemies from everyone, except from national office. Figuring out staff has been a major task, including evaluations and setting up standards. His job is now pulling themselves out of what they are used to doing, including not working together, or extra hours on projects, and a level of comfort among staff.

9:18 p.m.:Says he wants WBAI invites everyone to become involved, as well as outreach. WBAI, he says, needs a new image, and will seek a new logo and new slogan. Media is spontaneous and there are times when Gms and Pds must make unilateral decisions to do our jobs. Purpose is not exclusion, but we need to have understanding for experience.

9:23 p.m.: If listeners knew what was going on, there would be a riot.

9:26 p.m.: Question and answer session. Berthold Reimers says he will accept challenge and volunteer at station.

9:28 p.m.: Sarv Randhawa asks about the value of the commodity. Adams says if people understood what we can do for them, tey can enact change in their communities.

9:31 p.m.: Thomas Ruffin remarks that one does not have to be liked, but you do a good job.

9:33 p.m.: Don White says WBAI lacked a management team, and asks if trust is being developed and whether team can move forward. Adams says yes. Says he told PD that he needs him here, but also Adams needs PD to do what he needs him to do.

9:35 p.m.: KPFK Report. Eva Georgia says congrats to new board. Talks about Informativo Pacifica. Mentions staff and other issues with KPFK.

9:42 p.m. WPFW Report. Last two drives fell short. Pledge levels are lower. Mentioned a few solutions, including use of Archives material. Ron Pinchback says there are some programming vacancies. Should get a PD and a News Director shortly. Celebrating 30th anniversary on February 28. Will be launching new website shortly.

9:51 p.m. KPFA Report. Lemlem Rijio covers station issues. Drive missed last goal by $100,000, but recouped $40,000 with phone bank and web campaigns. Interim PD hired after seven years without one.

10:01 p.m. Station reports end. Question and answer sessions start. LaVarn Williams asks about Pinchback’s remark about programming as real estate.

10:02 p.m. Berthold Reimers asks about exchange of information among stations, and about all the shortfalls in fund drives. Pinchback talks about constituencies change with programming, as well as annual programmer contracts and triannual evaluations. Rijio says KPFA made a commitment to ending drives on time, thus shortfalls. Adds that DN is not raising what they used to. Pinchback says operations collective recently had a productive meeting with DN. Georgia talks about community outreach efforts.

10:10 p.m.:Hauptman says we must market ourselves more. Georgia says Pacifica needs a vision and strategy for outreach.

10:11 p.m.: Lisa Davis raises issue of diversity at WPFW. Pinchback says recent postings have sought to recruit new communities. Doesn’t anticipate a huge staff turnover, and expects more diversity through attrition.

10:16 p.m.: Thomas Ruffin asks why Free Speech Radio News is at midnight, and about adoption Pacifica.org website changes. Pinchback says FSRN has not been a revenue generator. Hauptman outburst admonished by Adelson.

10:20 p.m.: Adjourn

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