Battle for KPFA goes on

By Herb Kaye

BERKELEY, Calif. - In an ongoing battle over its role as a voice of independent radio, management forces in the Pacifica Foundation, governing body of KPFA radio in Berkeley, had armed guards escort all 30 paid staff and 200 part-time volunteers out of the building on July 15. All regular programming was suspended.

This action was preceded a day earlier by the arrest of 54 demonstrators, part of a crowd of several hundred, who had gathered to protest the removal of 20-year veteran broadcaster Dennis Bernstein from the staff because of his airing of a news story detailing the ongoing struggle at the station.

The struggle has escalated from the March 31 firing of popular station manager Nicole Sawaya who was told that she "was not a good fit." Shortly afterward, 30-year veteran Larry Bensky and another staffer were fired by Pacifica Executive Director Lynn Chadwick because they spoke up on the air against the firing of Sawaya.

The firings have been accompanied by the placing of armed guards at the station, daily vigils and demonstrations by supporters of the fired workers, including a July 14 march of 1,500 that blocked traffic. Noted author Alice Walker told the demonstrators, "This station is something that is precious - something that is ours and something that we paid for."

This referred to the role that KPFA has played as a voice for anti-establishment, pro-labor and civil rights and liberties radio for 50 years, beginning in Berkeley but now heard in four other cities across the country. It is the nation's oldest community sponsored radio station.

Pacifica spokesmen have stated that they want the station to change to increase listenership and promote diversity, but the protesters and staff say that what is really intended is to make the programming more commercially appealing and financially profitable.

The situation has sharpened further with the issuance of a letter signed by 16 state legislators, including state Senate President Pro-tem John Burton and Assembly Speaker Antonio Villaraigosa, criticizing Pacifica for locking out the station staff and for denying local boards of Pacifica the right to elect representatives to the national board.

U.S. Rep. Barbara Lee has also issued a statement saying that she was "extremely troubled and disappointed" over how Pacifica has handled the crisis. "KPFA exemplifies the most progressive and informed news reporting in the country and provides our community with an outstanding public service," said Lee.