Urban Unrest

25 September 2006 | Pacifica, Programming | Ernesto Aguilar

Tonight will mark the launch of Informed Dissent and Informativo Pacifica on KPFT. You can catch Informed Dissent at 11 tonight and Informativo Pacifica at 11:30.

Informed Dissent is the Pacifica Foundation’s first major foray into programming in many years. In the tradition of Democracy Now, which was launched as an election-year program ten years ago, Informed Dissent seeks to bring focus to the mid-term elections this year, covering both the daily events and the root causes of conflict around the globe. I am proud to say KPFT is well represented on Informed Dissent, with contributions from Pokey Anderson and Mark Bebawi of the Monitor; Akua Holt of Pan African Journal; and Curt Schroell of the InnerSide. The program is produced by Otis Hardy Maclay, KPFT’s former program director as well as producer of We the People, Us the Folks and many other great programs.

Informed Dissent produces four programs per week, and airs Monday to Thursday here on KPFT. Friday nights at 11, KPFT welcomes an old friend back to our program schedule. Although Counterspin, the weekly program by Fairness and Accuracy in Reporting, has bounced about the schedule over the last few years, it’s not a statement on the importance of the program, which we’ve actively sought to return to the airwaves. We’re excited to return Counterspin to our schedule on Friday night, where it traditionally aired.

Informativo Pacifica is the fulfillment of a resolution by the national board of directors that the network launches a progressive news source in Spanish. All five of Pacifica’s signal areas feature large Spanish-speaking populations and a significant amount of Spanish-language media. However, media consolidation has hit Spanish-language markets just as heavily as what you hear about on KPFT. There is a severe lack of politically progressive reporting, contextual voices and analytical coverage of global issues. For those reasons and others, we are proud to introduce Informativo Pacifica to KPFT listeners. Informativo is produced at KPFK in Los Angeles by Fernando Velasquez, who brings over 10 years of experience to this role. As of last Friday, KPFT began submitting content to Informativo, and we hope to launch daily news as part of Informativo shortly.

One of the most common questions about Informativo has to do with whether the program can be produced bilingually or solely in Spanish. The national board resolution called for a Spanish-language news program, which Informativo set to fulfill. However, there has been developing opinion that the program be done in both Spanish and English, similar to what KPFK does with Pueblos Sin Fronteras, KPFK’s interlingual news program. I expect this will be an ongoing question, for which your input is welcomed.

KPFT is the only station in the five-signal-area Pacifica network to carry BOTH Informed Dissent and Informativo Pacifica.

As of today, Flashpoints joins our family of programming on KPFT’s podcasting site, KPFTi.org. Internet delivery of programming, as well as HD Radio and other venues, is a response by many radio stations to provide multiple streams of programming from which listeners can choose, in some cases without even having to be in front of a radio. Many of these technologies are developing, but what research indicates is that they’re experiencing a surge in usage, attract a younger, more connected audience and represent growth opportunities for KPFT. We appreciate the coverage that Flashpoints offers to listeners and hope to see listeners catching Flashpoints online.

In addition to our program debuts tonight, we also welcome Coming to America to our schedule. Our new program on immigration started early this month. It is produced by former KPFT Assistant News Director Valarie Torres and hosted by Gordon Quan, former Houston City Council member and immigration attorney who has been outspoken on a number of important city issues. Coming to America airs Tuesdays at 7 p.m.

Finally, I have a number of administrative issues to report on.

September’s New Voices training concluded this past week with several individuals I expect to host another New Voices training shortly. October may instead be changed to focus solely on news, but we will keep you updated.
This month, I have been addressing the issue of freelancing with KPFT’s news department. Issues that come up are matters of ethics, transparency and space considerations. I want to thank Tucker Wilson of our news department for leading productive discussions about these issues.

And finally, we’re in development of a program on men’s issues, featuring the New Conversation with Men segment that appeared on Earth 101 some months ago. In the spring, KPFT’s program council approved a men’s program to alternate Saturday nights with Hot and Bothered, and I expect we will see that program launch in October.

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