Nov 11 2010
Pacifica ED Responds to KPFA Crisis
Yesterday we spoke with Brian Edwards Tiekert, host of the Morning Show at KPFA, our sister station in Berkeley and also the oldest station in the Pacifica network. Edwards-Tiekert and his co-host of the Morning Show, Aimee Allison, were laid off this week, an action that has sparked an outcry as well as an Unfair Labor Practices Charge with the National Labor Relations Board. In place of the two hour show, KPFA is airing KPFK’s 7-9 am line up: Sojourner Truth and Uprising. The Morning Show says they are “KPFA’s largest fundraiser, accounting for about 25% of total dollars pledged,” and that they “have the largest audience of any program produced at KPFA.” Why then was the staff of the Morning Show laid off? To answer that and other questions we turn now to Arlene Engelhardt, the Executive Director of Pacifica, and the person who directly ordered the lay-offs.
GUEST: Arlene Engelhardt, Executive Director of Pacifica Radio
More information at www.pacifica.org.
Listen to Uprising’s interview with Brian Edwards-Tiekert here: http://uprisingradio.org/home/?p=17088
3 Responses to “Pacifica ED Responds to KPFA Crisis”
Outrageous! I listen to this radio of Pacifica and all its sister stations as I travel throughout the country and online. During fundraising the hosts say “vote with your contributions to keep our show on air and station going”. Obviously it is a line the adminstrations of Pacifica tell hosts to say because they still take them off with no public input. Pacifica you are screwing this up for the listeners supporters and yourselves, I stopped contributing to KPFK for the same reason all adminstrators LIE the public does not vote with thier contributions and “no” the public is never consulted about the changes to occur in programing and I can bet not one person contributor who calls in to complain wil thier calls be returned. That happened to me at KPFK I called 3 times left messages spoke to the guy, OF KPFK, making all the changes in programming at a meeting in Pasadena where Amy Goodman had a fundraising & book sign event for KPFK. Now when the news segment fundraising airs for KPFA my contributions to any station have now ceased to exsist from me to you, Pacifica. Pacifica is a lie, like the corporations and goverment entities. What next? Take DemocracyNow off the air? That or selling the station is probably your next move, would not suprise me!
I’m sorry to hear this situation is actually taking place in Pacifica. However; it doesn’t come as a surprise. When a not-for-profit organization fails to evolve in the face of the changes around them and don’t adapt to these by adjusting the way in which the organization attracts funds, sooner or later their inability to do so will catch on with them.
I’d say this is a matter of leadership.
When only one person decides the fate of an organization that’s supposed to take into account all stakeholders input, that points at deeper problems beyond funding.
I am concerned that as the host of Uprising you took such a strong stance of support for 2 staff people who have been laid off from KPFA without hearing both sides of the story.
Sounds to me like Arlene Engelhardt made a lot of sense on this show. It is important that KPFA stays in their budget and lay-offs should be done by seniority. I am glad that they are not forcing people to go on Medi-Care instead of providing health insurance. KPFA Morning Show has had a number of different hosts and if to survive they need to shuffle senior staff, I’m ok with that. I haven’t been that impressed with Brian Edwards Tiegert’s work; Aimee was better but a newcomer. Remember – we’re in the real world of Silicon Valley with budget problems & difficult economics. This should not be seen as personal. I’m a 30 year listener/member of KPFA; previously WBAI. We need to support Pacifica.