KPFK Column

By Vince Ivory

(473 words)

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KPFK has begun webcasting, nearly seven months after General Manager Mark Schubb said they were virtually ready to go, although not every programmer has signed the "Y2K Compliant KPFK Programming Agreement." For those who haven’t followed this particular issue, "Y2K" is the contract which classifies all programming as "work for hire" and and gives ownership of the programming to KPFK and Pacifica management. (See www.pacfolio.org for the complete "Y2K" text.) Schubb claimed the Y2K agreement was necessary to enable KPFK to webcast. In a memo to programmers dated 3/30/00 and attached to a revised agreement, Schubb wrote that as soon as all the programmers signed, the station could begin webcasting. "Please return your signed form right away; we could start streaming as early as next week," Schubb wrote.

Roz and Howard Larman, produces of "Folkscene," refused to sign the Y2K agreement. In apparent retaliation for their refusal to sign, "Folkscene" was removed from the air after 30 years. A benefit concert is set for November 28 to help offset Folkscene's legal expenses from their battle with KPFK management. Among the performers will be Jackson Browne, Richard Thompson, Van Dyke Parks and Dan Crary, and it will be hosted by Harry Shearer & Mark Maxwell-Smith. (See www.folkscene.com for updated information.)

"Mike Hodel’s Hour 25" is a program which moved to the internet (www.hour25.org) when confronted with the "Y2K Agreement." I have two corrections from last month’s column. I neglected to mention engineer Burt Handelsman, who is a part of the "Hour 25" team. It was the entire team -- Handelsman, producer Suzanne Gibson and host Warren James -- who offered to pay for insurance to protect the station from possible lawsuits, when Schubb raised that as a concern after 28 years of broadcasting the program with no legal problems. I apologize for the oversights.

In the ongoing effort to inform people about what is really going on at KPFK and Pacifica, we have to deal with management spin. When management harassment of Amy Goodman was recently brought to light, Schubb responded with a letter which claimed that KPFK was "the only station anywhere" broadcasting "Democracy Now!" twice a day. In fact, "Democracy Now!" is broadcast twice daily at KFAI ("People Powered Radio" for Minneapolis & St. Paul). Lyn Gerry has done a great deconstruction of Schubb’s letter at www.radio4all.org/freepacifica

A new KPFK listeners group is being formed. They have meetings scheduled for the first and third Sundays of December and January at 4:00 PM, at the Quaker Meeting House, 4167 S. Normandie Ave., Los Angeles. The meetings are preceded at 3:30 with an orientation session, for those new to the Pacifica issues. They are forming working committees, and have a list-serve (freekpfk-subscribe@egroups.com). For more information call 323/549-5373.

The date and location of the December meeting of the KPFK Board will be posted at www.stationadvisoryboards.org

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