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I will fight to keep KPFA your source for culture, public affairs, and news because it provides alternatives to the usual radio fare. I have a solid understanding of how the board works, the cast of characters, the issues and concerns KPFA faces.
Our station has been the one place to turn for an alternative to mainstream media. However, that may not continue to be the case. My primary concern for KPFA is that we will lose the community voices and alternative news and public affairs that make us what we are.
I have been on the KPFA board for the last three years. Recently, I became aware of an interest in replacing a number of locally produced KPFA programs with shows produced elsewhere and aired on a number of different stations nationally. This includes public affairs programming that bring us alternative news. In other words, these changes would go to the heart of what KPFA is and has been. It’s the beginning of the slide towards NPR.
In addition, the hard-won democratic changes that resulted from the huge battle over KPFA a number of years ago have never been allowed to work. In the last two years many of the democratic structures have been destroyed, others are ignored. The changes I fear will come to KPFA’s programming, and the fact that the democratic structures are not allowed to exist or function, are connected.
Factions and slates rule the day on the board with thoughtless, lock-step voting by the current majority. Frankly, candidates often appear to be chosen for just that reason. As board members, many have little or no knowledge of KPFA and the challenges we face, or much understanding of media and the changes it is undergoing. Board members need to be able to think through the issues and be willing to break rank with their slate in order to make decisions that will allow KPFA to continue and thrive as an alternative media source.
Along with having been a journalist and an activist on many issues, my background includes starting a media monitoring project of war coverage, winning first place in reporting Project Censored’s most censored story of the year, getting fired from mainstream media jobs for taking a stand on journalistic ethics. (For this job, that is an asset.) In addition, I did six year’s “hard time” on the KQED board of directors and single-handedly stopped their one hour infomercial on Robert Mondavi from being produced.
Please vote for me, Sasha Futran. Thank you.
Partial list of endorsers:
Independents for Community Radio
Joe Wanzala (Vice Chair of Pacifica)
Tracy Rosenberg, Executive Director, Media Alliance
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