Democracy Now

[Mark Roberts]

This came up in the thread that closed today - thus I didn't have the opportunity to append to the thread to point out that, while Democracy Now was started by Pacifica, it is now an independent organization, and carried by quite a few stations in addition to the Pacifica network of radio stations, even a few NPR member stations (e.g. KUNM Albuquerque), and, for TV, on multiple PBS member stations. (I was astonished to find that KMOS-TV in central Missouri carries it.)

From History & Highlights - Democracy Now! is a 501(c)3 non-profit news organization. We do not accept funding from advertising, underwriting or government agencies. We rely on contributions from our viewers and listeners to do our work.

 

[davideduardo]

This came up in the thread that closed today - thus I didn't have the opportunity to append to the thread to point out that, while Democracy Now was started by Pacifica, it is now an independent organization, and carried by quite a few stations in addition to the Pacifica network of radio stations, even a few NPR member stations (e.g. KUNM Albuquerque), and, for TV, on multiple PBS member stations. (I was astonished to find that KMOS-TV in central Missouri carries it.)

Actually, it appears that Democracy Now was started independently at WBAI in 1996 by independent producers. It was often in dis-accord with Pacifica and in 2001 kicked out of the Pacifica studios. It's carried on Pacifica, but, like many / most Pacifica shows, independent of the station owner group and its management.

 

[Mark Roberts]

Actually, it appears that Democracy Now was started independently at WBAI in 1996 by independent producers. It was often in dis-accord with Pacifica and in 2001 kicked out of the Pacifica studios. It's carried on Pacifica, but, like many / most Pacifica shows, independent of the station owner group and its management.

From the KPFA website, which mixes milestones in KPFA history with Pacifica history:

• 1996 Pacifica launches Amy Goodman and Juan Gonzalez’s Democracy Now! as the only daily election show in public broadcasting. Due to popular demand, Democracy Now! continues beyond the presidential elections, soon becoming Pacifica’s flagship news and public affairs program.

History | KPFA

1946 Lewis Hill moves from Washington DC to the San Francisco Bay Area and begins work toward creating the first listener supported non-commercial radio station in the United States. 1949 Pacifica first goes on the air April 15 as KPFA 94.1 fm in Berkeley CA. 1950 Hill and others criticize the...

kpfa.org

Regarding 2001, newspaper reports of the time indicate that Democracy Now was caught up in a broader dispute between Pacifica's central governing board and the individual stations in 2001. In particular, there were accusations that the central board was going to sell off the stations, especially WBAI and KPFA, which are on channels where commercial operation could be permitted. There were also accusations of workplace harassment. Pacifica stations except KPFA stopped broadcasting new shows of the program on August 14 of that year, instead airing reruns. At least one station carrying Democracy Now, WMNF in Tampa, chose to continue broadcasting new shows. Goodman stated at the time that she was broadcasting from other studios "in exile". The program returned to WBAI (possibly others) in January 2002.

 

[davideduardo]

From the KPFA website, which mixes milestones in KPFA history with Pacifica history:

• 1996 Pacifica launches Amy Goodman and Juan Gonzalez’s Democracy Now! as the only daily election show in public broadcasting. Due to popular demand, Democracy Now! continues beyond the presidential elections, soon becoming Pacifica’s flagship news and public affairs program.

Yes, it launched on on WBAI. As an independent production. And it was not added to other Pacifica stations until later, once it seemed to have "legs". It was not financed or managed by Pacifica, then or now.

Pacifica calls every show they run "theirs"... even one I questioned them on where the host called on the assassination of anyone affiliated with the then president of Honduras! It's their way of saying even the wandering sheep are part of their flock.

Regarding 2001, newspaper reports of the time indicate that Democracy Now was caught up in a broader dispute between Pacifica's central governing board and the individual stations in 2001. In particular, there were accusations that the central board was going to sell off the stations, especially WBAI and KPFA, which are on channels where commercial operation could be permitted. There were also accusations of workplace harassment. Pacifica stations except KPFA stopped broadcasting new shows of the program on August 14 of that year, instead airing reruns. At least one station carrying Democracy Now, WMNF in Tampa, chose to continue broadcasting new shows. Goodman stated at the time that she was broadcasting from other studios "in exile". The program returned to WBAI (possibly others) in January 2002.

Again, illustrating that the show was affiliated or associated with Pacifica as "part of the flock" but Pacifica did not administer, write, deliver or do anything except feed it to their transmitters. Of course it is a good fit, but if anyone has dealt with Pacifica they know that there is no such thing as a management or administrative consensus in that group.

Interestingly, I've often thought that were Pacifica running stations in nations closer to their philosophies such as Venezuela and Nicaragua, most of their staff would be in prison or "disappeared". d

 

[Mark Roberts]

Yes, it launched on on WBAI. As an independent production. And it was not added to other Pacifica stations until later, once it seemed to have "legs". It was not financed or managed by Pacifica, then or now.

It's a little tough to disambiguate this from the history that KPFA has provided. That history was, at times, written as if KPFA and Pacifica were one and the same. That was the case originally, but the foundation evolved as stations were added.

The fights in the late 1990s and early 2000s were about centralization and the authority that the foundation board would have over the individual stations. The stations appeared to have won, though spats have broken out now and then.

Again, illustrating that the show was affiliated or associated with Pacifica as "part of the flock" but Pacifica did not administer, write, deliver or do anything except feed it to their transmitters. Of course it is a good fit, but if anyone has dealt with Pacifica they know that there is no such thing as a management or administrative consensus in that group.

I think that's understood by anyone outside the hothouse. Everything has to be argued over.

Open-access stations generally are prone to these issues, as Lorenzo Milam so memorably recounted in Sex and Broadcasting. It's hard for true believers to compromise and adapt.

Interestingly, I've often thought that were Pacifica running stations in nations closer to their philosophies such as Venezuela and Nicaragua, most of their staff would be in prison or "disappeared". d

I feel that way about Oakland city government, but that's a whole other topic. Meantime.... Look at what happened to the Mensheviks!