LAB SUIT PLAINTIFFS DEFEAT PACIFICA DEMURRER

On April 28th Oakland Superior Court Judge James Richman issued his long-awaited ruling that the plaintiffs in the LAB lawsuit (representatives from four of the five Pacifica stations – Local Advisory Boards, or LABs) do have standing to sue Pacifica. This ruling is a victory for the LABs' claim that they have the right to elect (and to remove) two directors from each local station. Now, plaintiffs are free to subpoena documents, take deposition testimony under oath and to collect evidence to prove their case that the board has engaged in improper conduct and unfair business practices.

KPFK AND WBAI LABS ACT SWIFTLY TO REMOVE FARRELL, MILLSPAUGH & CISCO - KPFK LAB ELECTS KHALIL-ULLAH TO THE PACIFICA NATIONAL BOARD

Acting swiftly upon Judge Richman’s ruling, on May 4th the KPFK Los Angeles LAB voted to remove Director Robert Farrell and elected Dawud Khalil-Ullah Abdullah to represent the KPFK LAB on the Pacifica National Board. And on May 11th the WBAI New York LAB voted to remove Frank Millspaugh and Andrea Cisco as Pacifica Directors. The WBAI LAB has not yet elected their successors. Without court orders, the Pacifica Board is not expected abide by the law and accept the LAB actions at the upcoming June 9-11 National Board meeting in Washington, D.C. — So look for more court action to come soon!

Community and Staff Must Choose KPFA's Manager

To the Officers and Board of the Pacifica Foundation:

May 9, 2000

The undersigned organizations strongly object to your posting the Station Manager position for KPFA. It is now more than a year since Pacifica fired KPFA’s Station Manager, Nicole Sawaya. That act set off a conflict that has not yet been resolved. From the outset we have demanded that Nicole Sawaya be rehired as KPFA’s manager. We reaffirm this demand. Should Nicole Sawaya decline the position we demand that no permanent manager be hired except by a process designed by and centered at KPFA.

The length of the conflict has only deepened our determination. We assure you that anyone hired under ircumstances that do not comply with these demands will find it impossible to manage KPFA.

The KPFA Local Advisory Board; The KPFA Steering Committee; Coalition for a democratic Pacifica; Northbay for KPFA; The Mid-Peninsula Committee for a Free Pacifica; Friends of Free Speech Radio; The Ella Baker Center for Human Rights; The Peninsula Peace and Justice Center

PNN STRIKE CONTINUES

The striking Pacifica National News reporters voted to extend their strike beyond its original three-month period. They overwhelmingly chose to continue striking until a negotiated settlement is reached. Not a single striker voted to end the strike. Twenty-six stations have picked up the strikers’ weekly newscast, which is carried on KPFA on Friday afternoon.

Strikers were active during the April 16 protests against the WTO in Washington DC, producing daily half-hour programs during the week of protests. Individual reporters were also active with the Indymedia center that coordinated news from the demonstrations. (See “Whose Radio” - this issue)

In response to an interview request from reporter Heather Szerlag, filing for PNN, the Independent Media Center decided to join the boycott against PNN by refusing to credential PNN reporters, give them interviews, or allow PNN to use material created by Indymedia.