KPFA's morning staff axed; heated debate live on-air right now

[EastBay]

It's all-out war live on-air on KPFA between mamagement and the now ex-staff. Wow.

 

[marshallstax]

Hmmm... probably just a ratings-grabbing stunt!

(kidding!)

 

[travisl5678]

Personally I'd like to see the station sold

 

[BossRadioDJ]

Personally I'd like to see the station sold

Okay, I'll bite. Why?

 

[travisl5678]

Because it has about one listener per watt

 

[marshallstax]

There's a protest planned for today at 11AM in front of the station:

PROTEST CALLED: Tuesday, November 9th at 11am in front of KPFA Radio, 1929 Martin Luther King Jr Way in Berkeley (cross street University Avenue).

The Executive Director of Pacifica Radio today dismissed the entire staff of the KPFA Morning Show–Aimee Allison, Brian Edwards-Tiekert, Laura Prives, and Esther Manilla–and ordered tomorrow’s program to be taken off the air, according to the KPFA News.

More details: http://kpfaworker.wordpress.com/

 

[BossRadioDJ]

Because it has about one listener per watt

Wow. Great answer.

 

[TheBigA]

Pacifica is one of those interesting places where, when you don't base hiring and firing on ratings, you end up using more subjective things like personalities. I've seen it happen at WBAI and WPFW, where a regime change leads to mass firings because the new leaders want their own peeps. Especially in an environment where people live hand-to-mouth, it can be more frustrating than working for a big corporation. Don't know if that's exactly the story at KPFA, but it reminds us all that no job is forever regardless of employer, and, as Bob Dylan once pointed out, we all gotta serve somebody.

As I posted in the NYC board, Pacifica has been approached many times by many companies to sell their extremely valuable properties, and they've always turned it down. Radio isn't a business, but a mission for them. Not unlike the religious broadcasters, just insert politics for God.

 

[jonbruce]

Why don't they just sell KPFB ? Somebody out there might be interested in it and it seems to not be needed by KPFA.

 

[travisl5678]

Because it has about one listener per watt

Wow. Great answer.

So tell me, what would we lose if KPFA was sold or went dark, I could see it being KGO-FM maybe

 

[TheBigA]

So tell me, what would we lose if KPFA was sold or went dark, I could see it being KGO-FM maybe

From their cold dead hands...and even then, they would never ever ever sell to a corporation.

There are lots of rich lefties in Marin who'd be glad to bail out the station if it needed cash.

 

[HenryOchs]

Personally I'd like to see the station sold

Maybe to Bonneville? I would love to see The Drive format make a comeback here!

 

[travisl5678]

I think Bonneville is done with SF, and do they have enough money to pick up a new station? There is no doubt that it would sell for tens of millions, Its a grandfathered signal (I think) in a good part of the Comm band.

 

[RadioJunkieMike]

I would love to see The Drive format make a comeback here!

uh, there's this station called 103.7 The Band...

 

[davideduardo]

I think Bonneville is done with SF, and do they have enough money to pick up a new station?

If there is one company that could buy a station today, it's Bonneville. The issue is whether they could justify the investment, not whether they can afford it.

 

[Madmansam]

Because it has about one listener per watt

Wow. Great answer.

So tell me, what would we lose if KPFA was sold or went dark, I could see it being KGO-FM maybe

I read somewhere (maybe here) that King Broadcasting wanted to buy 94.1 and offered to pay cash PLUS give Pacifica 93.3 to move KPFA, back in the 1980's. I don't know if this is true or not.

 

[SamadhiWarrior]

Enough with all the drama that surrounds this KPFA political nonsense... As someone who likes to support public/community radio I will say this, I will be glad to see these issues with the morning show staff resolved soon. I love listening to KPFA and do so all day long. But the morning show... enough already. Glad to see them go. The I have recently concluded that the interviews are one sided, biased and very " leading". I feel like I am being pandered to and spoon fed what Brian feels is important to him and him alone, and frankly it is the one time of the day that I have to find something else to listen to, usually the Jazz down the dial which I can count on to not curdle my milk...

Good Riddance... Please...

 

[LKellerIII]

I'm only an occasional KPFA listener, but I think the station provides a valuable resource, and I'd hate to see it gone. However - I agree with Samahdi up to a point. All of the political intrigue and internecine warfare at KPFA is tiresome, not to mention "deja-vu all over again," to quote Yogi Berra.

I'm frequently reminded that people with left-wing viewpoints, if left to their own devices, will predictably form a circular firing squad.

 

[kc1ih]

Somebody must be listening. I’m trying to listen to the stream right now, and it keeps dropping out, which is usually a sign that that too many people are trying to stream at the same time.

 

[travisl5678]

Or that the steam just sucks...