PACIFICA STRUGGLE UPDATE

(708 Words)

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A great deal has happened since our last Folio issue in December 2000. On January 31, 2001, Democracy Now! co-host Juan Gonzalez tendered his resignation, announced the birth of the "Pacifica Campaign," and called for a Pacifica funding boycott. Here is an excerpt of that announcement:

"... the Pacifica board has been hijacked by a small clique that has more in common with corporate vultures than with working-class Americans. That clique has illegally changed the Foundation's by-laws, and during the past two years it has methodically sought to squash dissent throughout the network -- first at KPFA, then at PNN news, then at Democracy Now!, and now at WBAI. This group does not respect free speech. It does not respect labor or civil rights. It does not even practice due process for its own managers. And it is now seeking to radically alter Pacifica's by-laws to pave the way for the selling of one or more stations. Furthermore, this clique insults Pacifica's loyal and sophisticated listeners by asking them to finance its shenanigans with their donations.

"Starting today, I will be joining other Pacifica listeners in a national corporate campaign that will not rest until every board member who has orchestrated this hijacking resigns and a new board is in place -- one that is democratically accountable to the network's listeners, community and staff.

"Our campaign will call for listeners across the country to withhold donations to Pacifica in a mass referendum against your policies. Instead, we will urge them to contribute their money to a variety of groups around the country that are battling the Pacifica board -- including the legal fund for court suits which are currently challenging the board's legitimacy..."

Here are recent WBAI fund drive totals: Spring 2000: $850,000, followed by $950,000 in the Fall. With the Boycott called and well publicized, the Spring 2001 fund drive netted WBAI only $360,000, despite an extended three week effort.

Not coincidentally, following the boycott, and the resulting rapid shift of funds to the four lawsuits underway, a call was made by Pacifica to each set of Plaintiff's attorneys to begin presettlement talks. (The current lawsuits include: The Listeners' Lawsuit - Carol Spooner lead plaintiff, LAB Lawsuit - David Adelson lead plaintiff, PNB Directors' Lawsuit brought by Rob Robinson and Rabbi Aaron Kriegel, and a second Directors' Lawsuit recently brought by Tomas Moran and Leslie Cagen.)

These and other recent events have lead to the recent resignations of Frank Millspaugh, Michael Palmer, Karolyn Van Putten, and David Acosta from the Pacifica National Board. The heat is on and those who have acted against the public good are evidently fleeing the kitchen. We hope to inform you in a future Folio edition (in print or on-line) of either a settlement ridding the National Board of those who have attempted to destroy our resource and including the creation of a democratic system of selecting directors, or of the trial date later this year. Please continue to support the lawsuits by sending funds to any of the following:

LEGAL UMBRELLA FUND
(Tax deductible; supports the Listeners' lawsuit, LAB lawsuit and the directors' lawsuit jointly) Free Pacifica Legal Action/Vanguard Foundation
c/o The Vanguard Public Foundation
383 Rhode Island Street, Suite 301
San Francisco, CA 94103

LISTENERS' LAWSUIT
(Non-Tax deductible contributions can be sent to:

Committee to Remove the Pacifica Board
1136 Wild Rose Drive
Santa Rosa, CA 95401

(Contact Carol Spooner at (707) 526-2867 or wildrose@pon.net for more
information -- web page http://home.pon.net/wildrose/remove.htm)

(Tax deductible contributions of $500 or more to support the listeners'lawsuit can be made to:

Marin Health Fund/Public Media Initiative
P.O. Box 5402, Mill Valley, CA 94942.

(Contact Linda Remy at mhf1982@pacbell.net for more information.)

LOCAL ADVISORY BOARD LAWSUIT
(Non-Tax deductible)

Siegel & Yee Trust Account
499 14th Street Suite 200
Oakland, CA 94612

(Checks payable to Siegel and Yee Trust; write memo "Pacifica Suit" on the check.)

DIRECTORS' LAWSUIT (Robinson & Kriegel)
(Non-Tax deductible contributions can be sent to:

Kenneth N. Frucht Trust Account
660 Market Street, Suite 300
San Francisco, CA 94104

(Please write "Pacifica suit" in the memo area of your check.)

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