[PEN-L:8294] Pacifica protests

[Louis Proyect <lnp3@xxxxxxxxx>]

NEWS

June 21, 1999 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

CONTACT: Coalition for a democratic Pacifica Andrea Buffa 415-546-6334 x309
or mobile phone 415-303-3540.

KPFA Air Goes Dead as Programmers, Listeners Protest Pacifica Arrests Nine
Peaceful Demonstrators

BERKELEY, CA - On the morning of June 21 Berkeley Police arrested nine
peaceful demonstrators at community broadcaster KPFA at the request of
Pacifica Radio Director Lynne Chadwick. Over 300 outraged KPFA listeners
and staff gathered on Sunday June 20 to protest the firing of veteran
programmer Robbie Osman. They vowed to camp out in front of the station
until Pacifica agreed to KPFA staff demands for mediation of the deepening
crisis at the station.

Those arrested include Andrea Buffa, executive director of Media Alliance,
and Barbara Lubin, a former Berkeley School Board member and director of
the Middle East Children's Alliance. KPFA's signal went dead for two hours
Sunday as KPFA staff refused to replace fired programmer Osman.

22 year KPFA veteran Osman is the third KPFA staffer to be fired by
Chadwick for violating the so-called gag rule, which prohibits station
staff from commenting on KPFA matters on the air.

"Lynne doesn't have the situation under control," Buffa of Media Alliance
said. "She's desperately, and aggressively, trying to make KPFA's loyal
staff and supporters go away. But it's not going to work: we have kept this
station alive for 50 years. We won't stand by and watch it be taken from
the diverse community that supports it -- financially, politically and
creatively."

At 5pm on Monday June 21, at KPFA, the Coalition for a democratic Pacifica
will continue protesting. At 4:30 pm on Tuesday June 22 a press conference
will be held.

Osman's firing is the most recent outrage in the crisis at KPFA, the oldest
listener-sponsored radio station in the United States. The crisis began on
March 21, when Chadwick dismissed respected station manager Nicole Sawaya.
After two months, Chadwick and Pacifica still refuse to explain why they
fired Sawaya. Pacifica also fired veteran programmer Larry Bensky and
disciplined at least six other staffers for discussing Sawaya's termination
on the air.

KPFA supporters and staffers will stay at the station until the Pacifica
Radio board of directors agrees to staff demands to: 1) Rehire Nicole
Sawaya; 2) Participate in mediation of the dispute; and 3) Reverse
disciplinary or adverse action taken against KPFA or Pacifica staff since
Sawaya's termination. The Pacifica Radio board meets June 25-27 in
Washington DC.

For more information, see www.savepacifica.cjb.net

========================================================

SAVE PACIFICA BULLETIN ON ARRESTS 6/21/99

URGENT!!!!

ARRESTS CONTINUE IN BLOCKADE OF PACIFICA OFFICES...AFTER HUNDREDS
DEMONSTRATE IN SUPPORT OF FIRED KPFA PROGRAMMERS...KPFA OFF AIR DURING
ROBBIE OSMAN'S PROGRAM TIME...URGENT NEED TO FAX PACIFICA BOARD MEMBERS IN
D.C. THIS WEEK!

Fourteen people were arrested today outside of Pacifica radio's downtown
Berkeley headquarters, after an all-night vigil. The demonstrators were
demanding the immediate presence of Pacifica radio's board chair, Dr. Mary
Frances Berry, who has refused to come to Berkeley to discuss the
foundation's actions in firing Nicole Sawaya, and afterwards firing
programmers Larry Bensky and Robbie Osman for discussing the crisis on the
air.

Pacifica executive director Lynn Chadwick and members of her staff were
seen removing boxes of material from the Pacifica offices after the latest
arrests took place. KPFA news reported that Chadwick and her staff may be
moving their headquarters elsewhere, to avoid further protests.

KPFA news also reports that Berkeley police had refused to arrest the
protestors, but were forced to do so when Chadwick did "citizens arrests"
herself.

A DEMONSTRATION IN SUPPORT OF THOSE ARRESTED...AND IN SUPPORT OF THE KPFA
STAFF'S DEMANDS...IS SCHEDULED FOR FIVE O'CLOCK TODAY...MONDAY...IN FRONT
OF THE PACIFICA/KPFA OFFICES...1929 MARTIN LUTHER KING JR. WAY (NEAR
UNIVERSITY) IN BERKELEY.

On Sunday, hundreds of outraged KPFA listeners and supporters picketed the
station for four hours beginning at 11 a.m., the time when Robbie Osman's
"Across the Great Divide" is usually broadcast. Osman, a volunteer KPFA
music programmer for 22 years, was fired by Pacifica's Lynn Chadwick on
Friday, ostensibly for breaking the "gag rule" against discussing
Pacifica's current crisis on the air. Chadwick was unable to
convince/coerce anyone from KPFA's staff or management to go on the air
during Osman's time period, so the station's transmitter was turned off for
two hours. It's the first time since 1974 - when KPFA was off the air for a
month, due to a dispute between station staff and Pacifica - that the
station was silent during normal programming hours because Pacifica could
not provide engineering or broadcast personnel willing to cross picket lines.

PACIFICA'S NATIONAL BOARD MEETS THIS WEEK IN WASHINGTON, D.C.

The staff of KPFA urges all concerned to FAX or phone board members at
their Washington headquarters hotel, starting Thursday 6/24. LET THEM KNOW
YOU ARE CONCERNED/OUTRAGED at the continuing firings of key KPFA
programmers and the general manager, the arrests of protestors, and the
unwillingness of Dr. Berry to enter into serious conversations about
Pacifica's arbitrary actions. If you've written/e-mailed, or FAXed
before...please send new letters, or SEND YOUR OLD LETTERS AGAIN BY FAX.

Each board member should get HUNDREDS of FAXes a day! You may also want to
phone board members to express your opinion.

Embassy Suites 1250 22nd St. NW Washington, D.C. 20037

phone: (202)857-3388 FAX: (202)293-3173

Board members are Dr. Mary Frances Berry; Loretta Ross (at large); Andrea
Cisco, Frank Millspaugh, June Makela (N.Y.); Ken Ford, Bill Lucey, Rob
Robinson (D.C.); Micheal Palmer, David Acosta (Houston); Rabbi Aaron
Kriegel, Bob Farrell (L.A.), Pete Bramson, Jewelle Taylor-Gibbs (Berkeley).


Louis Proyect

(http://www.panix.com/~lnp3/marxism.html)