Public Comment

The current tempest at KPFA is deeply troubling to those of us who value independent radio journalism. And it is confusing because so much of what we read and hear seems so vitriolic and biased. The following petition is a call for fairness on KPFA's air. Please read this petition, and if it seems fair to you please sign it: 

http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/kpfafairness/ 

Signing online is best. And sending this to other fair-minded people is great. 

Here's a little background. Because Pacifica, KPFA’s umbrella network, is holding on against bankruptcy by a thread, its directors have initiated essential budget-balancing policies that promise to restore both the network and KPFA to solvency. 

Thanks to Pacifica, KPFA has recently acquired a new, experienced interim general manager, Andrew Phillips, who is committed to fairness in on-air reporting, in particular about KPFA's internal issues (the subject of the attached petition). And thanks in part to the long-overdue cost-cutting initiated by Pacifica, and to rebounding listener support, KPFA's financial health is showing signs of improvement. 

Pacifica still has a democratically elected board, not a self-selected one as in '99, though some are promoting a return to that. 

For a fuller account of the issues referred to here, take a look at the following: 

· http://www.supportkpfa.org, run by volunteers, updated periodically 

· http://www.acrossthegreatdivide.org, an in-depth survey of the current crisis by Robbie Osman, a long-time and highly valued KPFA broadcaster 

· http://www.danielborgstrom.blogspot.com/, an assemblage of opinion pieces