SAVE WBAI 99.5 FM

The Pacifica Foundation, which operates WBAI radio in NYC and four other listener-sponsored stations around the country, has begun moving dangerously to the Right in a vain attempt to garner corporate funds and impose a more centralized control over programming:

• The Pacifica National Board is seeking large grants from corporate foundations such as Ford, Mac Arthur and the right wing Pew Charitable Trust - a complete contradiction to the original concept of community radio.¹



• Already Pacifica has purged dozens of the most important public affairs programs around the country, and threatens to do the same here in New York.

- In August 1995, Pacifica's KPFA in Berkeley eliminated more than 40 unpaid programmers. Canceled were shows on labor, Indian struggles, civil liberties, prisons, gay rights, women's issues, Central America and Cuba, drama and literature, and bilingual Spanish language programming. These important issues were replaced by music shows.

- At Pacifica's KPFT-FM in Houston Programming Director Jeff Hanson reported “public affairs programming does not work in Houston and the decision has been made to be a music station featuring Texas based music”.

- WPFW-FM in Washington DC reportedly now has an 80% music format.

• Pacifica has paid more than $30,000 to The American Consulting Group ² - an aggressive provider of anti-union services - in an attempt to bust the union at KPFK in Los Angeles and now at WBAI. These funds came from listeners, who sent in money to support their favorite programs and the concept of community radio.



• Pacifica has issued a gag-rule against any mention on air of what they are up to. They have fired Ron Wilkins, an African-American producer at KPFK in Los Angeles for the past 12 years, for talking about these issues on the air. Pacifica threatens to do the same elsewhere. (In NYC not a single radio personality has dared to expose this hypocrisy on air, although privately a number have).



• Pacifica is demanding a “No Strike clause,” which would prohibit even informational picket lines at what was formally described as “Free Speech Radio WBAI-New York”, along with give backs such as reduction of vacation times for paid staff and elimination of fair hiring practices.

- WBAI management has demanded that the unpaid staff, that's nearly all of the producers (read; most of the programs you listen to) be removed from the collective bargaining unit. This would eliminate the rights of these workers and reduce the union by 90%.

For regular updates, call the hotline - (212) 465 7562

2 "Satisfied" clients include Kraft, Inc., TRW, Nissan, Coca-Cola Enterprises, Sony, Union Carbide, and Dupont, to name a few.

This info was gathered by The Red Balloon Collective and other concerned listeners from; Take Back KPFA Newsletter, Free KPFK Internet Mailing List, Daily Challenge news article.