Detailed Description - New Day Pacifica

New Day Bylaws Proposals

The New Day Bylaws proposals center around Pacifica’s National Officers, National Board and Local Station Boards, their election, term and duties. The New Day bylaws also name the four Transition National Officers and how the Transition National Board and Local Station Boards are chosen. Most of the current bylaws are unchanged.

Note: To read, download, and/or print the complete New Day Pacifica Bylaws, with their transition provisions, see newdaypacifica.org/new-day-bylaws

1–Changes to Pacifica’s National Board (PNB)

Size of PNB drops from 22 to 15, allowing the Board to function in a well-organized and more democratic manner.
Term of office increased to 3 years, allowing for a stable and focused PNB. For the first time ever, PNB members can fully concentrate on the work of the Foundation for 3 years before they have to think about their own re-election. (Under the current bylaws, the PNB members only serve for 12 months at a time. There are elections for all PNB seats every 12 months, followed each 12 months by election for the National Officers and election of committee members. Each 12 months there typically is a different PNB, with different National Officers and different PNB committee chairs and committee assignments.)
Members elect National Officers and the rest of PNB. For the first time ever, Pacifica listeners and staff will directly elect the most important policy-makers in Pacifica, the National Officers and National Board. This will ensure accountability to the membership.
- The listeners will elect the National Officers and the Station Representative Director from their station.
- The staff will help elect the National Officers and will vote for the Staff Directors.
- Under current bylaws, the national board is elected in an antiquated 2-step process with the national officers elected by and from the national board.
Paid Staff and Volunteer Staff elect Paid Staff Director and Volunteer Staff Director. The New Day bylaws recognize the important perspectives brought by the paid and the volunteer staff by designating one of the two Staff Director positions as the Paid Staff Representative Director (to be elected by Pacifica’s paid staff nationally), the other the Volunteer Staff Representative Director (to be elected by Pacifica’s volunteer staff nationally).
Affiliates elect Affiliate Director. For the first time ever, the Affiliates will elect the Affiliates Representative Director (through the Association of Affiliates). (Under current bylaws, the Affiliates submit names and resumes to the PNB, with the PNB making the final decision.)
At-Large “expert” Directors. For the first time ever, the PNB will be able to bring three experts onto the PNB who are recruited for the specific skills and experience needed by the PNB. Some possible areas include fundraising, social/alternative media, social justice experience and networking. The current bylaws allow the PNB to recruit one At-Large Expert to serve on the PNB, but no PNB has ever taken advantage of this opportunity.

2–Changes to the Local Station Boards (LSBs)

LSBs will no longer be involved in personnel, budget and other station management issues. LSBs will instead focus on critically important fundraising and off-air membership drives, community outreach and related general program evaluation, local oversight of the station and publicity to support the station.
Under the current bylaws, LSBs are involved in personnel and budget issues. Each LSB at each station devolves into two camps, those who like the current general manager and those who don’t. Countless hours of LSB time are spent by the anti-GM camp trying to get the LSB to write a bad yearly evaluation of the GM so the GM can be fired and/or pushed out, countered by those supporting the GM. Real oversight is nonexistent.
The five LSB Officers will be elected by the station listener-members, with LSB Staff Representatives elected by the Station staff. LSB Officers are Chair, Vice Chair, Secretary, Fundraising and Community Outreach. The LSB Officers and Staff Representatives appoint additional members to the LSB.
LSB Officers and LSB Representatives are elected to three-year terms, and are elected during the National Elections every three years. (Under the current bylaws, LSB members are elected in staggered three-year terms, with elections two out of three years.)

3–Changes to Pacifica’s elections

National Elections will be held every three years starting in 2023. (Under current bylaws, national elections are held two out of every three years). This will cut Pacifica’s election costs by 50%.
National Officer and Board elections: Pacifica listeners and staff elect the National Officers (Chair, Vice Chair, Treasurer and Secretary), Pacifica listeners elect the Station Representative Directors, and Pacifica staff elects the Paid Staff and Volunteer Staff Directors. (Under the current bylaws, National Officers, Station Representative Directors and Staff Directors are elected in an antiquated two-step process.)
LSB Elections: station listener-members elect the LSB officers; station staff elects the LSB staff representatives. (Under the current bylaws, LSB officers are elected in an antiquated two-step process.)

4–Most of the current bylaws are unchanged.

New Day bylaw proposals focus on the National Officers, the Pacifica National Board and the Local Station Boards, leaving most of the bylaws unchanged.
Some of the many bylaws that did not change: $25/year dues, 3 hours volunteer time in lieu of dues, 10% quorum, and Pacifica’s diversity commitment.

5—Transition Period (2021-2023)

Four National Transition Officers are named in the New Day bylaws, and will serve if Pacifica members approve the New Day bylaws. Sharon Kyle KPFK as Transition Chair, Jan Goodman KPFK as Vice Chair, Lynden Foley as Treasurer and Aki Tanaka as Secretary. Their mandate is to implement the new bylaws and bring Pacifica back to financial and governance health.
The five Station Directors will be chosen by the current Local Station Boards from among station listeners within nine days of the bylaws election announcement in time for the first meeting of the Transition PNB. The Station Director does not have to be a member of the LSB.
The Association of Affiliates will notify Pacifica of their Transition Affiliate Representative Director before the first meeting of the Transition PNB.
The first meeting of the Transition PNB will happen within two weeks of the bylaws election announcement, so the PNB can get to work addressing Pacifica’s financial crises.
Pacifica’s National Election Supervisor will conduct an expedited election among Pacifica’s staff so they can elect the Paid Staff Director and the Volunteer Staff Director to the PNB, with paid staff nationally electing the Paid Staff Director and volunteer staff nationally electing the Volunteer Staff Director. The Staff Directors will join the PNB as soon as elected and do not have to wait until the next PNB meeting to join the Board.
The election by the PNB for the At-Large “expert” Directors will be held at the first meeting attended by the newly-elected Staff Directors.
The current LSBs will meet within nine days of the bylaws election announcement to choose the Transition Station Representative Director.
The current LSBs will transition to the new LSB structure during the course of the transition period, with current LSB members serving out the entire term for which they were elected.
The transition period ends with the election and seating of the National Officers and National Board after the 2023 National Election.

Note: To read, download, and/or print the complete New Day Pacifica Bylaws, with their transition provisions, see newdaypacifica.org/new-day-bylaws