Re: The Economics of Community at KPFA and Pacifica

[Sasha Lilley <sashalilley@xxxxxxxxx>]

I meant to respond to your earlier posting but I will
make my comments here.

--- Doyle Saylor <djsaylor@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:

> Greetings Economists,
> A particularly strong cry has come from Doug Henwood
> trying to get the
> grassroots organizations forming the LSB movement to
> define 'community'.

I still don't think you've defined community here.
The community we are producing for surely extends
beyond what you refer to as "the grassroots
organizations forming the LSB movement".  As I see it,
it goes even beyond those who listen to KPFA or
Pacifica.

 In many ways the current dispute is
> another level of the whole
> radio community continuing a heartfelt debate about
> where things are going
> and an effort to protect all sides against the
> ravages of capitalist
> transformation of the work place against all workers

I have heard LSB members and their supporters refer to
KPFA as a collective, which we clearly are not.  We
have unionized paid workers, unpaid workers, a
management structure, the LSB, and listeners.  My
livelihood is dependent on KPFA and I, like the other
workers at the station, create the value that makes
KPFA exist and function.  It should no surprise that
KPFA, like many non-profits, exploits its workers.
Listeners are an essential part of KPFA and Pacifica,
and the station runs on their donations (along with
funding from the government), but this pretense that
we are all stakeholders in the same way is disingenous
-- and it leads some listeners, as I have encountered,
to believe that their $25 yearly donation makes them
my boss and that they can scream obscenities if they
don't like a program, if we choose not to do a show on
the use of satellite rays for mind control, if I
wasn't able to personally answer their call, etc.




=====
Sasha Lilley
Producer, Against the Grain
Pacifica Radio's KPFA
510 848-6767 ext 209
www.againstthegrain.org



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