Pacifica’s latest outrageous attempt to silence NDP

In an astonishing and outrageous attempt to silence New Day Pacifica’s right to reach Pacifica members and supporters, Pacifica is asking the court to prevent New Day from merely asking Pacifica members to help fund our legal work in Pacifica vs. New Day. Communicating with you and other Pacifica members is of course utterly essential. How can we unite to save the network if we’re not even allowed to let you know what’s happening?

Pacifica seems to be saying in its most recent complaint that the New Day list of members — who voluntarily went to our website and gave their contact info in order to join the fight to save Pacifica — is actually Pacifica’s list. And they want the judge to think that the money New Day has raised is Pacifica’s money.

In addition, Pacifica is also trying to prevent New Day from making negative comments about the management of Pacifica, calling the comments libelous and slanderous, and, in a jujitsu move that tries to turn the truth on its head, blaming New Day for Pacifica’s continuing downward financial spiral. In reality, the only reason New Day exists is that members like you are desperate to halt the financial hemorrhaging and loss of listeners that’s been going on for a decade.

Pacifica’s ex parte filing, which NDP learned about only two days ago, asks the judge to prohibit NDP from: “(1) using Pacifica’s mailing list to seek donations for its legal fees to challenge the results of the failed Bylaw Referendum and (2) making slanderous or libelous communications regarding Pacifica and/or this dispute.”

Pacifica’s legal filing is filled with misleading (or worse) statements, such as the ones above where it says the NDP Bylaws referendum “failed,” and implying that we may make “slanderous or libelous communications.” That may be Pacifica’s attorney’s claim, but NDP strongly disagrees, and the referendum issue is still to be decided by the court. It’s not libel to state the truth, unpleasant as it may be to Pacifica’s leadership or attorneys. Perhaps they did not like our recent letter that included “Fire the Pacifica legal team” (point 5 in the article in that link).

DONATE to New Day Pacifica today!

NDP is fortunate to have two volunteer attorneys who have literally worked night and day, spending hundreds of hours to support New Day’s efforts to change the governance structure to a smaller, functional, democratically elected one, responsive to the needs and wishes of the members. Neither has taken attorney’s fees. And although they are handling much of the litigation, they themselves have actually been paying outside counsel to assist. New Day donations have paid for only a portion of these outside fees to date, and there are large ongoing expenses because of Pacifica’s legal efforts to stop the reforms that the majority want.

So we need your help today to win — or, really, to win in court what we believe we’ve already won in the recent elections. WE CAN DO THIS, but only with your support. We, and the majority of Pacifica members, know we’re right, and we’re not inclined to give up no matter how low the Pacifica legal team stoops to suppress the will of the majority and free speech rights

UPDATE:
The court was “dark” the day the above ex parte motion was set to be heard, and the motion was withdrawn. When/if it will be reset is unknown. Pacifica’s motion to throw out New Day’s entire cross-complaint is still set for March 11th. The struggle continues. . .

Why do we fight on? Because we must keep moving forward in turning our shared love of Pacifica into action, transforming the network and its member stations from a battered shell of their former glory into the left-media giant progressives desperately need to counter the now near-ubiquitous right-wing propaganda machine.

We cannot let the irreplaceable progressive assets of Pacifica be driven into the ground or bought out by corporate interests.

To save Pacifica and win this for you, we need:

  • two of you to give $10,000 each
  • at least three of you to give $2000 or more
  • five of you to give $1000 or more
  • 20 of you to give $500
  • 100 of you to give $200, and
  • 400 of you to give $50 or more.

Whether you can donate $5 or $25,000, please DONATE now to help New Day continue fighting for Pacifica’s survival.

Or mail a check to New Day Pacifica, 5627 Telegraph Ave., Suite 116, Oakland, CA 94609.

In desperation, some people have called for a boycott of Pacifica, but Jan Goodman, prospective Vice-Chair under the New Day Referendum, replied to that editorial: “PACIFICA IS OUR INSTITUTION. . . We cannot starve it to death. . . Everyone must make their own decisions about how much and to whom they donate money, but please continue to donate to Pacifica to keep it alive – since the purpose of New Day Pacifica is to help Pacifica flourish now and long into the future.”

California law guarantees the rights of members of Pacifica (and other non-profit corporations) to access the member list to communicate with other members about concerns they have with the organization, how it’s run, etc. Pacifica is clearly trying to interfere with that right, and doesn’t hesitate to use member donations to fund their efforts.

New Day Pacifica plans to continue communicating with members about critically important things you need to know about Pacifica’s dysfunctional governance, growing debt, home shopping network style programming (at KPFK and WBAI, where listener support is especially inadequate), deteriorating financial condition, loss of CPB funding, and more. And we’re not going to let Pacifica’s legal team silence us!

New Day does not want to roll over without a fight, but it takes money to fight in court. Will you join the more than 800 people who have supported New Day Pacifica (NDP) in the past? Your donations brought us over the election finish line last year, but we are now in higher stakes over-time because of Pacifica management’s unwillingness to recognize that the staff are treated equally to the listener members by the New Day Bylaws and that California law and the Pacifica Bylaws therefore require the recognition that the New Day Referendum passed.

We have done it before – with your help – and now’s the time to do it again!

Please contribute what you can. Give as if your station and your network depend on it, because they do.

DONATE to New Day Pacifica today!

We absolutely must keep moving forward in turning our shared love of Pacifica into action, transforming the network and its member stations from a battered shell of their former glory — remaking it into the Left Media giant progressives desperately need to counter the now near-ubiquitous right-wing propaganda machine. Pacifica has the power to remake our world via news, information, and analysis delivered from a fiercely fact-based, clear-eyed, independent progressive perspective. Pacifica needs to get back to providing independent news, pubic affairs, and music that other broadcasters won’t let you hear.

Pacifica, for 70 years, has been an amazing network. It has educated and kept us abreast of local demonstrations and actions as well as what’s going on in Africa, Central America, and elsewhere: around the world and around the block. But the network is on life support because current bylaws make it incredibly difficult to govern, to update the programming to give listeners what they want, and to do effective fundraising to make that possible.

Reforming the bylaws is critical, so Pacifica can survive, grow, and be more influential in crucial national and local discussions — a view that 55% of members participating in the most recent bylaws election agreed with and voted for. Yet our problems remain. Why?

New Day Pacifica’s reforms received a solid majority vote, but instead of respecting the democratic majority and relinquishing power in a peaceful transition, the board members opposed to reform have cited what we believe to be a non-relevant technicality to claim that the majority lost. We must now unlock our election victory by securing a court order recognizing the NDP victory, because the minority “powers that be” not only refuse to give up, but continue using member donations to pay attorneys to fight against the rights of members.

We are hopeful we will win, but we need your help, because courtroom fights can be quite expensive. The entrenched minority at Pacifica can simply divert the funds that listeners donate for their stations’ operations, to instead pay for lawyers to block change. But the funds to support what the majority of Pacifica members voted for have to come directly from those who support that change. In other words, from you and me and everyone who supports our cause.

We are hoping for significant donations. If a tax deduction would be meaningful to you, please let us know by writing to Info@NewDayPacifica.org but note that donations made directly to NDP are not tax-deductible.

DONATE to help NDP continue fighting for YOUR rights, and to save Pacifica

Read more about Pacifica’s efforts to derail democracy.

Pacifica’s Efforts to Derail Democracy

In 2021, there was a national referendum to both amend Pacifica’s bylaws to make network governance more workable by reducing the size of the board, creating direct election of national directors, and designate four transition Directors/officers of the Pacifica Foundation who could lead the new Board with the reform and saving Pacifica. This was the New Day Pacifica Bylaws reform.
 
The membership of Pacifica overwhelmingly voted YES for the referendum. The vote in favor of New Day’s reforms was approximately 55% to 45% of the members across all stations. The entrenched management, however, refused to acknowledge the results and instead claimed — on a disputed technicality that we believe is inapplicable to this election — that majorities of both listener-members and staff members had to separately approve.

Pacifica’s leadership claimed that staff members’ rights would somehow be adversely affected, compared with listener members’ rights, but New Day strongly believes that is just plain false.

Why Pacifica’s Claims are Not Valid

Pacifica Counsel argues that the 2021 New Day referendum would materially and adversely affect the staff in a manner different from the listeners because:

(A) it would have split the “Staff Class” into “Paid Staff “ and “Unpaid Staff”, and

(B) reduced the number of guaranteed seats that staff members would have the exclusive right to hold and to elect from 5 to two. Staff would have their guaranteed Board role reduced from 22.72 % to 13.3%. (First Am. Compl. ¶ 18.)

Following are the effect of the proposed Bylaws on the staff.

(A) If the staff voted as one class, the Board can end up with all paid staff Directors or all unpaid staff Directors. To ensure that the staff have fair and democratic representation, there would be one paid staff Director directly elected by the paid staff, and one unpaid staff Director directly elected by the unpaid staff.

Further, neither paid nor unpaid staff (separately or combined) can currently choose their own representatives to the national Board, because they are always outvoted (by 18-6) when Delegates vote for the Directors from their station.

Splitting the staff into paid staff and unpaid staff is “material” and “different” from how listeners would be affected but allowing paid and unpaid staff to elect their own representative actually enhances their voting rights and representation and thus does not affect them “adversely”.

(B) One of the goals of the New Bylaws was to reduce the size of the National Board to help make it more functional. The number of guaranteed staff and listeners seats were both reduced by two-thirds, so listener seats were reduced from 15 to 5, and staff seats were reduced from 5 to 2. Reducing the number of guaranteed seats that staff members would have is both “adverse” and “material”, but it is not “different” from how listeners would be affected.

Pacifica Counsel’s argument, that the Bylaws require separate approval of both staff and listeners, is not valid.

Please Donate Now so New Day Pacifica can continue fighting for democracy and your rights!

Messing with the Delegate Election at KPFK

In addition to the national vote, there was an election in Los Angeles for members of the Local Station Board. In this election New Day Pacifica endorsed eight candidates. New Day sent an endorsement postcard to members endorsing these eight candidates on one side and asking on the other for donations to enforce the national election results in court. 

Man's ballot going into trash

After the election results were in, management declared that four candidates endorsed by New Day Pacifica were disqualified because of a donation request in one small part of the endorsement postcard. These candidates were not notified of their disqualification, and member-voters were not notified that the candidates, whose names remained on the ballot during the entire voting period, would simply not be included in the final tallies no matter how many people voted for them — that a vote for them would be wasted. Vacated. Vanished.

It was not until after the election was completed that management announced the disqualification, without any prior notice, hearing, or justification.  They simply refused to count the votes for these candidates. Even though members had in good faith voted for them. 

It should be noted that the three candidates endorsed by New Day who were not disqualified were #1, #2, and #3 in the vote count. Voting experts have concluded that had management counted the disappeared candidates they would likely have won slots #4, #5, #6, and possibly #7 of nine Listener Station Board spots. Even the official Election Report noted that none of those candidates had violated any of the Fair Campaign Provisions. (The New Day–endorsed staff candidate also came in #1.   And in Berkeley and Houston the New Day–endorsed candidates similarly swept their elections.)

Messing with the Bylaws Election at WBAI

There are approximately 40,000 listener members and approximately 1000 staff members of Pacifica. The staff did not approve the officers directors and bylaws, voting approximately 59% “no” and 41% “yes.” But complicating this result is the fact that WBAI New York’s staff voted an eye-catchingly overwhelming 99% “no.” Without this 99% WBAI vote, Pacifica staff members overall would also have approved the changes and election. 

A 99% vote is a result that voting experts often cite as evidence of vote/voter fraud and/or manipulation.  Evidence of this includes: Management lied repeatedly to the staff about the contents of the bylaws, telling them that the PNB would be terminated and that the New Day Officers alone would be in charge of the network for months (a lie repeated incessantly) & could close down WBAI, telling staff they would be fired (not true) and the station shut down (the opposite of New Day’s mission, which is to restore each station’s financial footing and grow audiences) if the vote were yes.

Read more about Pacifica interfering with election results.

A motion was filed by your New Day legal team in Superior Court under Corporations Code 5617, which requires the court to determine a corporate election within five days. The court in its wisdom ruled that it did not have jurisdiction to rule on the merits of either election and denied the motions on that technicality. This was after considerable litigation, including the filing of numerous pleadings and a number of hearings.

We believe that the court was in error and are contemplating asking the Second District Court of Appeal for a writ of mandate ordering the Superior Court to rule differently. If we lose we will have to take the issue to trial, which will take years. Sadly, there is serious doubt about whether Pacifica will survive that long. 

Please Donate Now!

Comments from Signers of NDP’s Democracy & Survival Letter

Recently, New Day Pacifica asked for Pacifica members to sign on to their new letter entitled “We the Pacifica Majority Seek Democracy and Survival of Our Network.

Within just a few days, hundreds of people had filled out an online form to sign on to it. More people are still signing (and you can be one, too!)

Below are some of the many comments that they provided.

It’s hypocrisy that Pacifica talks about freedom and then trys to overturn the voice of the listeners. Management is clearly incompetent as the number of drives on WPFW exceeds that of any other public station. You can tell by listening that even the hosts are embarrassed.
What ever happened to Barry Smullen of the Head Room show?
Why can’t KPFK have any game shows, Science & Technology?
Current programming has become a waste land.
What ever happened to Barry Smullen of the Head Room show?
Why can’t KPFK have any game shows, Science & Technology?
Current programming has become a waste land.
I no longer contribute to kpft Pacifica given the blatant disregard for honoring the vote. To create two classes of voters which created the current situation is abhorrent to a democratic rule and over steps the Pacifica charter.
Looking at voting rights today Pacifica is just one more institution that has thrown good will and fairness in the toilet.
We are mortified that Pacifica is ignoring the majority of the listeners. Shameful!!!
Please let the will of the listeners direct the policies of the stations.
It appears to us that you, the obsolete governing board, want Pacifica and its stations to fail!
Shameful!!!!!
The vote is in. The numbers are there. Let’s move forward.
I am a sustaining member and decades-long listener. Even though I often vote conservatively, as an Independent, I value KPFT as a voice of Liberty and Dissent as well as the last bastion of local artist music.
Pacifica current board should be a leader promoting and subverting democracy, they are acting like the republicans party…. trying to steal the votes!!
We need new management and new bylaws. Respect the majority vote.
It appears that Pacifica management has taken a leaf from the Donald Trump playbook: intimidation by means of litigation. How sad.
While I may not always agree with the opinions expressed on KPFA, those opinions and viewpoints need to be heard and that’s why I support New Day Pacifica in its efforts to sustain the mission of the organization in a responsible manner.
For once and for all, let’s get this bicking over with. The election results are in and we voted for a new direction and leadership!
Do the right thing and listen to and support New Day Pacifica
I am a sustaining member and have been one since before there was a sustaining program. I have been a member since 1970. Never during all that time have I feared for the survival of Pacifica as I do now. Current management is undemocratic and reactionary. If we do not change course we can lose Pacifica and that would be an incalculable loss
Good luck with rescuing Pacifica from being run into the ground.
The future of non-commercial, non-exploitative, democratic radio is at stake. The leadership of Pacifica has fundamentally betrayed the vision and the practical management of liberative public radio, as well as the will of the majority of its membership!
My parents were among the first listener sponsors of KPFK and I have been one for 45 years. I continue to support KPFK, but I hardly listen anymore because the station has gone so far off the rails.
Don’t be trumpists. Honor the vote.
Keep going. You are right.
Stop the Steal!
Please respect MY vote. I am member and along with other members we stated our wishes.
Why ask us to vote if you are not and planned not to listen to us.
It’s beyond belief how churlish the opposition to reform has become! Disappearing LSB candidates, twisting majority rules, packing voter rolls, not to mention the continuing misbegotten legal actions…
Time for it to be stopped is way past!
Thanks to everybody who is managing to keep the airwaves humming despite myriad challenges.
I stand with NDP.
Anyone who seeks the aid of a court to influence the policy direction of KPFA is anti-democratic and not on our team.
– KPFA listener since it began, when I was 7 years old
RESPECT THE MAJORITY VOTE of the PACIFICA MEMBERSHIP
IMMEDIATELY DISCLOSE THE TRUE VOTE COUNT IN THE KPFK BOARD ELECTION and INSTALL THE TRUE WINNERS
NVESTIGATE POSSIBLE VOTING IRREGULARITIES, FRAUD and/or MANIPULATION AT WBAI
STOP PACIFICA MANAGEMENT’S MISTREATMENT OF ITS WORK FORCE
FIRE THE PACIFICA LEGAL TEAM
INSTALL COMPETENT MANAGEMENT & LET THEM MANAGE
Either we are a democracy or we are not. Please respect the vote and do what is right.
I voted for New Day Pacifica and am deeply disappointed that my vote is being dismissed. I am also a long time member.
Time to respect the will of the majority!
Please refrain from calling me and asking for further donations.
At some point, I might consider cancelling my monthly pledge of $20 to KPFK. I tune in much less frequently than before and generally find myself listening to yet another fund drive. I have been a supporter of KPFK for the 35 years or so, but lately I have been wondering what exactly I am supporting.
I am outraged at the undemocratic actions of Pacifica leadership. I am a lifetime contributor to kpfa, and believe the future of Pacifica is in great danger.
Thank you
keep it up, New Day!
Stop this bullshit and save KPFA by believing in Democracy. We won the vote give up your position of power and go away. If you believe in founders then go , you have no right to stay.
James McNeil
Been voted OUT. Time to move alone NOW!
It takes courage to admit you are wrong. A new outlook on where this country is headed means acknowledging that the old “hippy” tropes are inadequate for dealing with the serious financial, cultural and political attacks that progressive news agencies are dealing with. Please allow New Day Pacifica to shine a light on the issues and take us into a new day.
I have listened to KPFA for over 30 years and love a variety of shows. Through Flash Points to Gospel and on and on I am informed and lifted by a radio station that I can trust to dig into the truth. I don’t hear the manipulation of the stories that I hear and see everywhere else. I don’t want corrupt politics to take this precious station and “WHITE WASH” it.
You go! We got our first wake-up call when we heard about the sale in Texas. Thank you for uniting us!
I live in a very progressive area and I have seen how that can also be dysfunctional be to make simple business decisions. You have to pay the bills regardless. Don’t sell off the assets that can never be replaced.
As the begging for money now on KPFK doesn’t stop, even between the fund drives, they continue to boast of progressive voices and news….but the programming is increasingly less news or educated commentary, and embarassingly unprofessional.
As a medical physician, I am most disgusted by info-mercials by “altenative medicine” hackers, especially the pseudo-science anti-vaccine presentations during the night. My contribution is minimized (consistent with the minimizing of listenable programing) until the management of Pacifica is handed over.
Respect the vote and accept the change to NDP management NOW!
Honor the vote!!
I won’t pledge any money until the current leadership is REPLACED by competent and honest folks that know what they are doing. Respect the election results!
I have been a listener member for over 25 years. The anti-democratic actions of the current management are outrageous, not to mention incompetent, putting at risk all of Pacifica assets.
This 30 year listener and contributor has tried again and again to find out “what is going on” at KPFK. Only to encounter no response to my questions and no way to find out who I should contact to voice my concerns.
Then New Day Pacifica came along and some questions have been answered.
I support the efforts of New Day Pacifica.
We support New Day Pacifica’s efforts to produce more transparency as to what goes on at Pacifica.
Please save the KPFA building which many of us in the community helped pay for and support by our donations!
Adhere to the democratically elected New Day Pacifica elected members and stop the manipulation of the vote count.
Same on you. Signed, a 25 year donor to both Pacifica and KPFA.
Listened to this station for 50 years and I stand by its original concepts. This station has allowed me to save lives and educate people on issues that are not explained or taught in our schools. Democracy has a voice and that voice emanates from the Pacifica Group with its broadcasts. I’m a Vietnam-era Vet and I fought for America and the freedom of speech and the press. Don’t tarnish what I believe in or confuse the matter. I stand by Roy Tuckman and his associates to the last man/woman until death takes me. I want my children and others to hear freedom and know that it’s not free. We have to fight! Hands off this group of radio stations and the carnage that has ensued. Give the listener/voter his vote and let the membership be counted. Amen!
Not enough oversight was enacted from the very beginning so this is the outcome. Have to stay vigilant and involved all the time. Being aware of who is in charge and holding them accountable.
I do not agree with the current station policies, and spending on legal matters. Selling legacy properties is not a long term solution.
I love KPFA, voice of truth and reason – that’s why it is so important to save it from commercial and corporate interests. I proudly add my name to support New Day Pacifica to return the stations to their listeners!
I’m the volunteer electrician at KPFA and have donated thousands of dollars of labor. I put in enough hours on the electricity for the new boards, I was able to run as staff for the LSB, but didn’t get elected. I was endorsed by the Protect KPFA people, who, IMHO, have the best plan to save the station, as opposed to the opposition. THERE IS NO PLAN TO REPAY THE LOAN AGAINST KPFA’s ASSETS! NONE! Stations losing money, year over year, should NOT have control of the Pacifica Board!
Is it true, as bylaws reform opponents have contended, that our proposed bylaws provided the same “super” weight given to staff votes as the old bylaws did?
A KPFK listener since August 1959.
It’s very hard to contribute when you tell us all the money is going down the drain.
Also, I didn’t used to mind Roy of Hollywood’s woo-woo crazy stuff because he seemed like such a nice guy, and I enjoyed a lot of his shows. But now he spends 5 hours every Tuesday presenting truly poisonous misinformation. It really hardened me against contributing to KPFK.
I fully support New Day Pacifica. We need some rational, hard-nosed leadership to save the station. This is a time when it is better to be pragmatic than idealistic.
Keep independent radio alive. You should know that mainstream media and big business aren’t watching our backs. Do the right thing!
The ongoing abuse of power by Pacific’s (mis)managers has to stop now!
Yes. I support New Day Pacifica.
It is outrageous and wrong that votes of a small number of purported WBAI staffers are being used to stop the proposed bylaws from being implemented.
Thank you for your attention
This hijacking of the Pacifica Network must end before it completely destroys it. Selling off assets to pay bank loans is a recipe for disaster. As a KPFA member, I’m very upset that our well-run and supported station is in danger because of mismanagement at other stations (WBAI I’m looking at you!) and at the National Board level.
I am on the very edge of stopping my sustainer membership =(
Respect the wishes of the voters Respect the votes of the listeners Respect the listeners who donate to the station
Maybe Trump and Sinima are on the current Pacifica Board. Same tactics to ruin something great.
Respect the votes of the voters a respect the wishes and demands of the listeners
Respect the listeners who donate to the network to support their local station
It is important that the Pacifica radio have effective management and seek to re-invigorate their programming. We need management with ideas about how to keep the station vigorous, and uncompromising in telling truth to power
We need a competently run free speech station that honors the voter’s choice.
Let the true winners of the election be placed into the management positions they were chosen for.
KPFK is the only source I trust to be true, accurate and free from corporate
“spin”. Protect free speech and keep her and other affiliates independent.
Minority rule is no more valid at KPFA than it is nationally.
Our majority vote for a return to integrity at Pacifica must be acknowledged, before any more damage is done by a very destructive minority.
Pacifica is a grand mess. Real members and Pacifica loyalists like me have known these truths for over 25 years. They lie, they steal monies and cover it up. I was the only Native American broadcaster on the east coast for over 23 years and raised over 7 million dollars and let me go only because WPFW’s program director lied on me in Lydia Brazon’s ear and called me a bully during the ‘ME TOO’ ERA. Rather than file suit against Pacifica and fight her arrogance and lies, I HAVE MOVED ON to Radio 1 where I am valued and respected and HAPPY. Also I am the originator and host of the weekly television production of Jay Winter Nightwolf -LIVE. I’ve seen so much mess and coverups by the staff at WPFW that I refuse to be a part of that corrupt environment. Any further questions you can reach me at my email – JayWinterNightwolf@gmail.com.
Pacifica’s supporters voted in good faith for a return to competent leadership. Respect the will of the majority!
I don’t know who is right, but current leadership has been a disaster! We need to keep free Speech radio alive!
A majority has spoken. The majority position should prevail. Sadly the minority is acting like today’s Republicans.
Thank you for guarding the station for which I have been listening for 30 years.
Pacifica used to be my go-to station for all information, but now there are only a few remaining programs worth listening to, and I fear that Pacifica will collapse and no longer provide an on-air platform for even those few. Pacifica needs leadership that will preserve and build on the original misision.
Time to stop imitating Republican strategies of minority rule.
We voted, we are the majority, we won!! Stop your big lie and get out of town!!!
We want to save our station(s)!
I was an avid listener as far back as the ’60s. Now not so much. A Pacifica deathwatch is in progress. Too bad for us.
I am outraged by the actions of Pacifica against the New Day candidates I voted for, and the legal shenanigans Pacifica is using against a duly elected new Board.
Please help grow KPFA.
All of this behavior is unbelievable and unacceptable. Strong legal consequences can and must ensue.
It’s a shame that this civil war is discouraging your listener base.
Thank you for your effort to keep these radio stations alive. It really is shameful what the current Pacifica leadership is doing to hold onto their dysfunctional power right now. Sigue la lucha!
I am co-signer to this letter.
I am really upset that KPFK has degenerated into a ‘death spiral money pit’. While I never gave KPFK a fortune, I have been doing some donating for over fifty years. I am very disappointed in Pacifica in general. I guess I just wanted them to do right and I had no way of knowing what path they were taking. If by some miracle it can be turned around, I will revisit how I currently feel.
The current leadership is destroying the network and is eliminating progressive voices from radio.
Our station KPFA started this Free Speech Radio to be just that — programs adhere to truth and quality; Our Administration uses donations for the sake of the listeners, peace, freedom, social justice for all, preserve our precious Environment, Nature. It must be corporate free .
We want to change the by laws to allow professional decision making with truth and transparency. What is happening with opposing groups, misstatements and using our hard earned money for wrong lawsuits just for power and destroying others. Let’s work to stop this destruction of truth and losing free speech radio, which is our only salvation to preserve our environment, peace and justice.
I am a listener and fear what the opposition in Pacifica is doing that can ruin democracy, the health and welfare of all. This sounds intense, but let’s face reality, This needless legal fight is selfishly going after power in any false manipulating way! KPFA has been doing this truthful education and honoring
the fine arts, music for over 70 years. It must keep these successful programs and staff. Thank you for letting me stand up for Wisdom, Action, Free Speech Radio as it was started and continues to be. Don’t destroy this Wisdom and let
democracy and our Environment die!
-Hollister, California
open and free elections mean, majority rules! one person, one vote, no electoral college at this station.
Respect the vote of the majority!
I am in agreement with New Day Pacifica and this letter.
Janet Jean Motika
The majority should rule. Why is it not being honored?
Keep Radio Pacifica alive. no corporate takeover.
No gutting out for resources, real estate and so on.
A tragedy to lose Ian Masters…. thankfully he is on his own now.
Stop with the Trump-like tactics. The people voted; the votes were counted. Why do you still have the key to the door. Go home.
We need a Johnny Cochran lawyer to get us on track. Lets use our celebrity contacts to help us locate a good legal team to keep us from being dragged around. We should sue them for damages and misuse of our funds!!
Long live Pacifica.
Peace,
Tim
KPFA is an indispensable source of news.
We voted for new leadership, not the continuation of an impotent governing board. This board has had years to fix the problems, but only created more. Step aside or I will stop my monthly donation. As much as I like KPFK and think the station is important to the future of our country, it needs to change. New Day Pacifica is the best way to do that.
Peter
Do NOT take the proceeds of the KPFT bldg sale to solve the incompetency of the Pacifica management board. KPFT belongs to Houston and its listeners. It is a horrific thought that they would steal the proceeds of that sale to pad their pockets, payoff loser lawyers and settle debts that KPFT has nothing to do with.
go new day pacifica!
Respect the majority immediately. Get rid of the lawyers. In its own way, this is as retrograde as Republican voter suppression. Your listeners spoke clearly in the last election. Honor them and the process before you kill the station, my eye on history and what’s happening now.
onwards and upwards
I’m a Pacifica supporter who lacks time and inclination to follow all positions and complications of managing and representing these important radio stations.
But I sign this petition enthusiastically because of a couple things that don’t sit right with me:
(1) I can’t see keeping in place a leadership group that failed to gain a majority of listener votes AND – these past several years show – has failed to end or (it seems) meliorate the terrible financial problem at WBAI; and
(2) I hated the diametrically opposed accounts of the KPFA state tax or fee (or whatever it was) problem – and after reading the opposing accounts and hearing a statement from KPFA’s treasurer, I decided that the liars did NOT come from KPFA but rather from the national board (who denied KPFA’s claim of having been forced by national’s failings to rescue the station).
As U DE-THRONE THE CURRENT PACIFICA BOARD — take out the INEPT AND INCOMPETENT DANGEROUS CURRENT MANAGER OUT OF KPFT ! ! Before HE DESTROYS OUR BASELINE SUPPORTERZ ! ! THANKZ FOR Ur EFFORTZ ! !
Please to start accepting responsez W/OUT E-MAIL ADDRESS
AS MANY PEOPLE THAT CARE CANT AFFORD A SMARTPHONE
Stop the madness and do as the voters want
I’m very concerned about the survival of Pacifica network and the odd manipulations and omissions in our latest voting. There should be openness and accountability about the voting and tabulation process, and the decisions to ignore or not list certain candidates. It’s all fishy. Please rectify this situation so all the Pacifica stations can survive and thrive.
In the interest of truth and transparency, please release the requested information, honor the majority vote, and begin the transition to new leadership.
Enough power games. The majority has spoken. The Board’s actions are distinctly un-progressive. Shameful.
I have been a listener to and a member of KPFA for decades, and I am outraged and appalled at the tactics and very style of MISmanagement the current Pacifica Board and management are using, running the network into the ground. It is my fervent hope that this alternative news and arts source can be saved before it is too late.
I find this very disturbing.
Stop the steal! New Day Pacifica won the vote to run the Pacifica Network. I ask that the current management not use my money for legal fees to overturn that. Otherwise, I will cease donating.
Please let the winners manage Pacifica!
This station has been the center of progressive, honest, and vital importance to the Los Angeles community for years. Please do everything you can to maintain its integrity.
The people have spoken in a fair election. NDP must assume it’s rightful authority and clean house of deceit and criminality!
Install capable officers now to save the Pacifica management and fire the incompetent legal team.
Very concerned,
Susan
It’s outrageous what the Pacifica Board is doing. Outrageous and depressing.
I’ve been watching this nonsense go on since before 2000! It must end now or the network is lost.
I feel my financial support is being squandered at this point.
I voted for the NDP candidates on the KPFK LSB election and I am very concerned that they were taken off the ballot without even notifying me or communicating with me why they were taken off. I feel like I cannot trust the current KPFK board.
I also voted for the change in by-laws and feel my vote was discounted or ignored even when it was clearly in the majority. This goes against all of the values that Pacifica and KPFK supposedly uphold.
Keep up the good work.
I need KPFK to keep me informed and engaged.
Thank you for working for a fair election to keep kpfa alternative
We need change now — Soon there will otherwise be no financial solvency.
In this divisive time I believe it is important to keep community radio alive and flourishing. It appears that the currently acting Board (who are not the Board elected by the majority of members) have other intentions which could lead to the demise of not only KPFT, but also the other member stations.
Stop the Steal!
We need to move forward and get past this legal quagmire. There is a clear majority voting for the new plan.
Yours in struggle
As A long time supporter of KPFA , and by extension, the Pacifica Network, I fully support New Day Pacifica in it’s opposition of Current Pacifica management practices.
Very disappointed our vote was not worth anything.
I’ve subscribed to KPFA or KPFK since 1958.
With all the wealth in this country one would think a $3 million angel is out there. What a great tax right off and feather in their cap.
I want Pacifica to go back stop the so called “health” and “spirituality” quackery and go back to fact based journalism and music! Bring back Ian Masters!!
We simply cannot risk losing the last voice for progressive ideas in this divided world. The majority have spoken, and they must be listened to. I’ve been a contributing and loyal Pacifica member for 50 years.
Enough’s enough. Honor the vote, for all that you stand for. Accept the change and allow Pacifica to move on.
Pacifica deserves competent management — we can’t lose this resource in times like these.
We all want these radio stations to survive. It is essential for our democracy.
Please manage the breakdown issues of mismanagement of finances and other issues issues pertinent to keeping Pacifica, specifically KPFA Radio, running successfully. a long-time supporter and listener from the early sixties.
I have supported the programs on KPFK because they speak of fair elections which are decided by a majority of votes. It was not disclosed that staff votes are weighted. This is not democracy.
As a long time subscriber I voted for new leadership to rescue kpfk from financial ruin and will not contribute again until the results of the recent election are honored!
Let democracy rule!!!
Does anyone know what the Pacifica group intends for Pacifica stations? What do they expect to gain from destroying everything? I don’t get it.
WE NEED THIS GROUP OF RADIO STATIONS TO FIRE UP THE PEOPLE. Young people tend to lean progressive, lets make sure that we get the 18, 19 and 20 year olds to vote! These voting rights issues are the most serious current issue. Democrats are desperate for a working strategy. We have the majority but seem to lack bonding among most progressives.
Reminiscent of the rejected coup from the late 1990s . . . : – ((
I don’t want to lose Pacifica
do not call or text this number
I fully support New Day Pacifica, and want to thank them for their efforts.
Do we know the outcome of the Dec. 29 court hearing?
It’s way past time to make changes. The future of Pacifica is at stake.
Good Luck !!!
I was first introduced to Pacifica as a teenager in the 60’s and have been a member ever since. I am saddened to think that I may choose to leave this community if democracy no longer prevails. It is hard enough to watch the demise of democracy in our nation. In the past I would have counted on Pacifica to be fully in that fight. Now I fear they are on the wrong side of history. Still, it is not too late to do the right thing. Wake up!
Pacifica Broadcast Affiliate Columbus, Ohio WGRN 94.1
This has got to stop! I want my vote to be counted! We/Pacifica need to make real plans for the indebtedness that threatens the entire Pacifica network. Stop the unnecessary law suits and put real and honest time and energy into solving the financial crises.
What would Alan Watts do?
We voted for the changes we want to see, and are sickened about the legal logjams being created by the old board . Please leave us to salvage what you are cynically destroying by your delays .
Respect the majority.
Please respect the results of the Election and allow NEW DAY PACIFICA to
manage the Pacifica Network. Let Democracy Rule!
I support Ian Masters style and rational open mindedness.
This network is important for America’s future, I feel.
It should not be allowed to eat itself.
Respect the majority vote of the Pacific membership.
Stop the steal. Support the 1st amendment and a free press from the corrupt oligarchic anocracy.
KPFK’s strong signal needs to be preserved as a beacon of progressive thought. Our beloved radio station must change to survive. Please respect the majority vote.
I’ve been a member since the early 60’s when some days I felt my education was better served listening to important programming than attending the graduate studies I was attending. I understand those on the right begrudge the licenses that pacifica has and wish to take over the million dollar frequencies. Pacifica has always been THE source of information for the people, to attain that, it requires that it’s programming is democratically determined. Allow that to happen!
The survival of KPFK and the network is crucial at this time in history. May truth and fairness prevail. If the staff at KFPK cannot follow democratic principles, the station is a travesty and the management situation a charade. KPFK deserves to survive and be well managed. The listeners in Los Angeles deserve an intelligent well managed station. I am personally tired and horrified at the stupidity that has prevailed up to now. I will not renew my membership in 2022 if things do not change for the better. Thank you.
A New Day, A OK !
Keep up the good fight
I am appalled and deeply saddened by what has become of Pacifica Radio. The hypocrisy of purporting to be so righteous and call out the corruption and rot in America’s politics and the loss of democracy and then secretly doing the same, stealing the election away from the paying listeners, lying to the listeners. I am very angry at being so deceived in an organization I so deeply believed in and supported for over 40 years. It is a massive tragedy . Pacifica was the last voice of truth and information that would empower hope and the possibility of change in America. That seems to now be dead and as corrupt as anything else
Let’s win this for free speech radio.
If one cannot abide the founding principles of this network, then step aside allowing the mission to continue the message.
In these perilous times, the need for radio free of corporate sponsorship is greater than ever. I depend on KPFA for news and public affairs analysis, and the listeners at other locations in the Pacifica network should be able to as well without the sense that they are supporting a losing cause because of mismanagement.
I’m appalled by the current Pacifica management keeping voting results from the public, ignoring the election results, mirroring actions of the obstructionists at the National level of our US government.
This is very concerning to me. I have been a long time supporter of KPFK. I also have been an actor and produced two popular gay TV shows in the early ’90s – Tricks, a gay dating TV show that was queer positive, and More Than a Mouthful, which was a queer culture TV show. Both were very popular and ground-breaking in 1992 and 1995 when they came out .

What I do know is that to survive in radio or TV you need to have a wider base of support – radio is not a niche medium. But yet some stations most notably WBAI ignore the wider base and platform niche programming when you should be arriving for the widest audience. Trust me you can be relevant AND popular at the same time.

So now I find myself in the same situation as I was when I went through a foreclosure – paying for both sides of a legal fight. Ain that case I was paying the bank’s lawyer to take my home – which the bank hypocritically complained about to the judge “He’s wasting money paying me to fight him” and paying my own lawyer to fight the bank lawyer.

The same goes with KPFK – I have to support KPFK so I can listen to it, and KPFK uses part of my money to fight New Day, and I pay to support New Day.

This is ridiculous. Pacifica management needs to stop feathering the beats of themselcea and their cronies and let the vote of the majority prevail. At some point I will have to stop supporting KPFK if they continue to thwart the will of the majority over some stupid pretense that a majority of workers at one station have more rights than the membership that makes their employment possible at all.

Here’s a test: If I and my fellow members remove our financial support from Pacifica, will there be a Pacifica? No? Then we are the owners of the station, and the workers work for us.

It’s that way in unions too. Majority rules. Stop standing in the way of progress or we will stop supporting Pacifica.

David
Sounds pretty un-democratic; 6640 to 5216. What, are the Republicans trying to take over Pacifica too?
Without IAN MASTERS, KPFK has lost much of its authority and reliable up to date information. How stupid!
I have maintained a membership even while homeless. If this BS continues I will file suit for a refund for services not rendered
We need competent management, not manipulation!
Jerk the jerks after assertaining their real operating principia
Damn, you lost Ian Masters, a glaring wakeup call. He’s truly one of the best & brightest, a tremendous asset of integrity & knowledge now gone. Get real, in all associations, & get him back.
Start with firing the legal team, immediately.
Come together, one and all. Let’s do this
“This network was established 75 years ago by pacifists who forged it into a progressive force built on competent management and fierce beliefs in democracy and fairness. The dysfunctional governing structure and current leadership have not only failed to live up to these standards and ideals, but have put the very survival of our stations at risk. “
This says it all…
Democracy means one elector, one vote, counted one and the majority wins.
It is outrageous that the results of the election are not being respected and enabled. The situation must be immediately corrected and the elected board allowed to take control.
I want the current Pacifica board to stop its self-dealing ways and get let Pacific get back to solvency and the ideals of KPFA’s origins.
The majority rules. We need the vote enforced to reflect the correct outcome.
I’m a former WPFW board member and longtime financial supporter. I’ve currently supported Ian Masters’ Background Briefing financially — for the past 1-1/2 to 2 years but never recvd any acknowledgement from his non-profit. Nonetheless, Pacific is our progressive voice that desperately must be strengthened. The focus should be your “asks” and ‘To Do’ list.. 1. bylaws must be strengthened to prevent future hijackings..2. immediate asks to achieve financial transparency …3. strategic plan for fund development …4. solidifying staff labor rights. Thank you again New Day!
It’s in the air isn’t it? This corruption of everything positive and good? I have a very good friend, classmate and roomate from Columbia U who’s brother bought her a condo in an historic building on Central Park South. It’s now surrounded by tall thin buildings that no one inhabits. She says the buildings cast a shadow over Central Park like a picket fence.
Is the current Station Board deliberately trying to run KPFK into bankruptcy and destroy it ? I have a suspicion that the current board is largely Republican sabotuers.
New Day’s position is the only hope Pacifica has for long term survival. Its failure will be the end of our last gasp chance for saving KPFK and Pacifica’s independence.
I just donated a few days ago through PayPal and KPFK. Org. Good luck with the fight.
Pacifica has been circling the drain for sometime now. I have been listening to Pacifica since 1986, first KPFA when I lived in Fresno to KPFK since I moved to Southern California. I use to be avid supporter of Pacifica donating each and every fund drive but the last few years I seldom donate and only donate the minimum required, although I made a significantly increased donation this last fund drive. If Pacifica can’t fix its problems then I will discontinue donations all together. It is sad that Pacifica has succumbed to the incompetent level it currently is experiencing
The way this case is being handled by the court is reckless as this case is time sensitive because operations for employees of the radio station is being sabotaged by a reckless minority of people who are desperate to hold on to power and control.
I need you to honor my vote and show respect for all of us who voted in the majority! Our dollars fund the station, so we deserve competent managers who recognize how valuable our listener voices are. We want our legitimately elected board to be installed immediately and let them get started on working hard to uphold Pacifica’s educational mission.
We need to reinstall Democrcy and Fairness to Pacifica. The current leadership has strayed and is denying the basic princiipals that Pacifica was created to stand for. The people have voted. Let there be Justice
I fully support the actions taken by New Day Pacifica.
I sincerely wish for the Pacifica Board to rise to the occasion in which all its voters expressed by resolution that accepts change to improve its management as New Day Pacifica (NDP) enters a new phase. NDP votes cast were in the majority and certainly deserves. When the executive board’s legal team has refused to accept the majority vote count, they need to be abandoned and replaced with fairness and a Democratic team using donations for what they’re supposed to be used for. 75 years of broadcasting now televised with archives of video taped shows deserve the historic prominence Radio Pacifica and all its sister stations have earned.
Please respect the voice / votes of the Pacifica / KPFK members. Change is needed at this time. As a ‘sustainer’ to KPFK, it is important that the quality programs, programmers and volunteer staff continue to receive our support.
The legal expenses are off the hook and a real deal breaker, most especially for union busting firms and unethical legal practices.
Let’s save the best independent non-profit media enterprise ever invented.
sms-save my sanity!
please honor the voting tally, including the disappeared candidates.
Show the true vote count.
Stop spending money on legal defense. Honor the commitment to the staff of Pacificia.
Get new management in place at the station.
Thank you
Don
No matter the outcome of all of this, please do not remove any or all of Roy of Hollywood’s program. As a KPFK sustainer, I feel VERY strongly about this! Thank you.
Pacifica must change in order to survive. Growth is essential. We need all 5 stations to do the work of Pacifica!

Letter from past KPFK Treasurer on “Dire” Financial Situation

The following is a letter from Fred Blair, KPFK LSB member and 2021 Treasurer, stating how serious the financial situation has become. Readers should know that most of the station’s biggest fundraisers have left or been driven away in the last few months, although he does not state that. He sent this letter in January 2022.

View this letter as an image.

Dear KPFK LSB Members and KPFK Finance Committee Members,-

Attached: are the December 2021 Fund Drive files for KPFK’s just ended Christmas Fund Drive.

Summary of Basic Statistics for Drive via KPFK Allegiance website

The KPFK Fund Drive started officially on December 7th , ran 25 days, and ended on December 31st .

Current Statistics:
Total $ Pledges: $118,519.15 Dollars
Number of Pledges: 829
Drive $ Daily Average: $4,741. Dollars/day
Average $’s per Pledge: $143. Dollars/Pledge

Pledge $’s Paid so far: $95,151.22 (Fulfillment of 80% first month)

Station Operating Deficit for December 2021: ~$150,000 Dollars

My Analysis:

I could jump up-and-down and scream at you that the sky is falling, but that would just be embarrassing for Me and everybody involved, and wouldn’t change anything either.
The financial situation at KPFK is bad and not getting better. It’s actually Dire, We can’t bring in enough Income to Pay our Bills – And haven’t done so for 6 months now.

What Can I Say
Words fail me here.

It is our job as a Governance Board to have a duty of care for our organization, and to make sure that it survives and thrives.
That’s Not Happening.
So what is to be done. We have a continuing financial crisis that is not getting better, it’s getting worse.

I have done my job and provided you with the basic information needed to understand our situation.
Dealing with this situation is what Board meetings are for.
See you all at the January 19th KPFK LSB meeting and Delegates Assembly.

In Peace and Best Wishes to All,
-Fred Blair
KPFK LSB Listener Delegate/Member

We the Pacifica Majority Seek Democracy and the Survival of Our Network

We are EXTREMELY CONCERNED about the attacks and actions promulgated by Pacifica’s current leadership and attorneys, and we think you will be, too, once you know more about them.

Click here to join the over 500 concerned Pacifica supporters of New Day Pacifica in reading and signing this letter.

Read some of the many comments that signers of the letter have provided.

We write as part of the majority of the Pacifica Foundation members who voted 6640 to 5216 (55% to 45%) to install new leadership and a workable set of new by-laws, but are being prevented from implementing those much needed changes by legal actions taken by current Pacifica leadership, based on their very dubious interpretations of applicable California law.

Since the close of voting on the New Day Pacifica bylaws, the current entrenched management has continued to show that it cannot competently manage the network, and that it is willing to cynically mis-use Pacifica’s resources to pursue its legal actions against Pacifica members who want reform. They clearly have no plans to reverse our dwindling listenership, membership, and finances, and are unable or unwilling to save our stations’ buildings from being foreclosed on and sold off to pay the $3+ million mortgage whose due date rapidly approaches.

Click to read more details about restoring democracy and fairness to Pacifica.

UPDATE:

Hear the legendary Ian Masters, host of Background Briefing, and also hear an attorney for New Day Pacifica and others reveal the current status of the law suit to declare the winner of the Bylaws/Officers referendum wherein there was a solid 55% Yes vote (Hint: it’s far from over). and how the sweep in the LSB elections shows continuing New Day strength.

Watch the Pacifica Majority Zoom presentation about seeking democracy and Pacifica’s survival, to hear the need for transparent democracy and popular support at America’s most critical progressive radio network. Amidst a devastating fiscal crisis, we seek answers for a truly responsive governance. Moderated by Pacifica’s Harvey Wasserman and Evelia Jones. Tentative plans are for there to be additional Zoom presentations going into related topics every two weeks, so check back at newdaypacifica.org for more information.

The Pacifica Majority presentations will discuss the need for transparent democracy and popular support at America’s most critical progressive radio network.  Amidst a devastating fiscal crisis, we seek answers for a truly responsive governance.

About the moderators:

Harvey Wasserman is a journalist, author, election protection and democracy anti-nuclear activist, and co-host of Solartopia. He is an advocate for renewable energy, and has been a strategist and organizer in the anti-nuclear movement in the United States for over 30 years, as well as being an investigative reporter and senior editor.

Evelia Jones is a retired public school itinerant visual arts instructor who gave that service to LAUSD for 25 years in Los Angeles. She has also been an accounts rep for two companies, and was the Drive Time Announcer and Traffic Coordinator for WJDX-WZZQ radio for four years in Jackson, MS. She is a descendant of Sally Hemings and was active in the Mississippi Civil Rights Movement-1970s and a production coordinator for The Mississippi State Film Commission during that time.

This network was established 75 years ago by pacifists who forged it into a progressive force built on competent management and fierce beliefs in democracy and fairness. The dysfunctional governing structure and current leadership have not only failed to live up to these standards and ideals, but have put the very survival of our stations at risk.

To remedy this dire situation, we the Pacifica Majority urge the following in the strongest way possible – Click on any of these for more details:

1. RESPECT THE MAJORITY VOTE of the PACIFICA MEMBERSHIP
2. IMMEDIATELY DISCLOSE THE TRUE VOTE COUNT IN THE KPFK BOARD ELECTION and INSTALL THE TRUE WINNERS
3. INVESTIGATE POSSIBLE VOTING IRREGULARITIES, FRAUD and/or MANIPULATION AT WBAI
4. STOP PACIFICA MANAGEMENT’S MISTREATMENT OF ITS WORK FORCE
5. FIRE THE PACIFICA LEGAL TEAM
6. INSTALL COMPETENT MANAGEMENT & LET THEM MANAGE

Please click here to add your name as a co-signer of this letter.

Please click here to donate to support the legal effort to have the New Day Referendum enacted.

1. RESPECT THE MAJORITY VOTE of the PACIFICA MEMBERSHIP

In the New Day referendum election the majority voted (6640 to 5216 – 55% to 45%) to change the leadership and bylaws to a more workable, democratic form of governance. Pacifica management and its legal team have refused to abide by the majority vote –recognized by both California Law and Pacifica’s own bylaws as defining who won the election, except in very special cases, which New Day strongly asserts are not applicable here. Pacifica’s refusal to respect the majority must end now.

Pacifica’s attorneys claim that the NDP Bylaws would somehow infringe on the rights of staff members as compared to listener members and so the staff must separately approve the new Bylaws. The NDP Bylaws would reduce the numbers of both staff and listener members on the Pacifica National Board (PNB). However, listener representatives’ numbers would actually be reduced slightly more than staff representatives, so it’s false to claim that staff members’ rights are negatively affected compared to those of listeners. More significant, for the first time, the NDP Bylaws would give both paid and volunteer/unpaid staff something new and very important – the democratic right to elect Directors of their own choosing to the PNB. This is a right they do not have now and would clearly be a very significant enhancement with the NDP Bylaws.

We the majority further believe and urge that all legal actions currently being pursued by current Pacifica management against New Day be halted and that the new bylaws be implemented and the new officers be recognized.

For more details on how the legal team has undermined the results of the NDP Bylaws election, see this analysis of how they are claiming a dubious victory.

2. IMMEDIATELY DISCLOSE THE TRUE VOTE COUNT IN THE KPFK BOARD ELECTION and INSTALL THE TRUE WINNERS

In recent elections for the KPFK Delegates/Local Station Board, four New Day-endorsed candidates were illegitimately disappeared by the National Election Supervisor (NES). When the vote tally was published, those candidates’ names (and their votes) were disappeared off of the tally sheet, as if they never ran. Only upon questioning did the NES say that they had been disqualified, after all the votes were in and the votes were being tabulated. But Pacifica’s Bylaws make clear that the NES only has power to disqualify candidates who have violated the fair campaign provisions and these folks weren’t even accused of that! In addition, the candidates weren’t “disqualified” until ”after the tabulating of the votes had begun” but in those minutes “before the tabulation was finished”, according to the National Election Supervisor and Pacifica’s General Counsel Schwartz. At any rate the disqualification occurred after voting had finished, with no prior notice to the electorate. It is clear from the round by round Single Transferable Vote tabulations that if votes for those “disqualified” candidates were counted, at least three of them would in fact be elected as KPFK Delegates and LSB members. This would have major implications for the balance of power, both on the KPFK LSB and on the Pacifica National Board (PNB).

Those of us who voted for or support those candidates urge that our votes be counted, with full disclosure of the entire vote count (with certification by the vote tabulation vendor), and that the true winners be installed in the offices to which they were elected.

Please donate to support NDP’s legal efforts for your rights

3. INVESTIGATE POSSIBLE VOTING IRREGULARITIES, FRAUD and/or MANIPULATION AT WBAI

There were myriad violations of Pacifica’s Fair Campaign Provisions (FCP) by bylaws reform opponents during the bylaws campaign period, with repeated false and overwhelmingly one-sided dis-information and mis-information about the New Day Bylaws and Officers to sway the vote of WBAI staff and listener members, to thwart the Pacifica majority and to stop reform of the Bylaws.

Among other things, the rapid growth in the number of WBAI’s “qualified staff” prior to the election is very unusual to say the least. Even more questionable and suspicious is the alleged 99% NO vote among these staff. These increased but dubious numbers of staff during a pandemic and their highly disproportionate NO votes caused the overall staff vote among all stations to be against the new bylaws, even though the majority of total staff voting at other stations voted YES. Any open election involving a 99+% outcome is subject to dismissal and derision amidst the Election Protection community.

Widespread allegations of intimidation, fraud, coercion, and violations of FCP provisions must be investigated.

4. STOP PACIFICA MANAGEMENT’S MISTREATMENT OF ITS WORK FORCE

Pacifica Management is using membership money to pay a notorious anti-union law firm to resist what New Day Pacifica believes are reasonable demands from Pacifica staff. NDP also has serious concerns about what current management wants to do with the pension funds of loyal, long-standing Pacifica workers. This contradicts everything Pacifica was founded to pursue in terms of democracy and social justice.

Management has been paying its legal team undisclosed sums of money (but at least tens of thousands of dollars) from listeners whose majority interests they have gone to court to destroy. The team’s anti-democratic strategies, along with false rhetoric are antithetical to everything Pacifica was founded to stand for.

We demand a full financial accounting of the legal team’s fees, and its immediate dismissal in favor of a legal team without conflicts of interest, that will support and defend the democratic and competent interests of the Pacifica majority, and which will honestly inform the Pacifica board and members about legal issues.

Shockingly, Pacifica’s attorneys have become proficient at weaponizing anti-free-speech legal actions (like SLAPP lawsuits) against its own membership, beyond any boundaries of decency for a network of Pacifica’s origins. This should alone be grounds for dismissal of the Pacifica legal team and its band of bullies.

Pacifica filed legal actions against the proposed Four New Day Pacifica Transition Officers and all eight KPFK LSB Candidates endorsed by NDP in its Anti-New Day fervor. New Day Pacifica had to pay thousands of dollars in legal fees to get the suit dropped against the four proposed Officers, while the 3 remaining “disappeared” candidates are not only not installed as LSB members but also continue to be defendants in the law suit filed by Pacifica against them and New Day — “civilian casualties”, so to speak.

We demand that the legal team and the rest of Pacifica management cease filing anti-democracy and anti-free speech and association lawsuits aimed at intimidating individuals and organizations from speaking out against network management’s own anti-democratic activities.

6. INSTALL COMPETENT MANAGEMENT & LET THEM MANAGE

By assaulting democracy and common decency, and by denying the majority of Pacifica membership the bylaws change and LSB elections that are the basis of its democracy, Pacifica’s deeply unpopular management, which was put in place by the Pacifica National Board (PNB) majority trying to hold onto power, is driving the network toward insolvency and oblivion.

Along with driving out most of the popular KPFK program hosts who raised so much of the station’s revenue, and replacing them with programs that attract few listeners or donors, an illegal firing resulted in KPFK going dark, threatening its invaluable, irreplaceable license due to an instance of personal vindictiveness from Pacifica management.

We have been told that the PNB has just hired a new Executive Director and we certainly hope that this person will be fair and competent. But we also demand that the PNB majority not just allow, but require, that the new ED drop all legal action against New Day Pacifica and that its victorious by-laws be accepted. The Pacifica legal team must be fired and replaced with a legal team that respects the clearly stated wishes of the majority of the Pacifica membership as well as the basic principles of law, democracy, and common decency on which the Network was founded. Further, the new ED must work to help, rather than destroy, Pacifica stations like KPFK, and the PNB must stop interfering in management issues where they have no expertise.

Urgent Action Needed to Save Pacifica

It is urgent that these actions be taken if we are to preserve any chance of the Pacifica Network surviving as the competent, democratic, solvent progressive force it was meant to be when founded 75 years ago, and that is now so crucial to the survival of a nation’s democratic processes currently under serious, ongoing, and fascist assault.

Please click here to add your name as a co-signer of the above letter.

Please donate to support the legal effort to have the New Day Referendum enacted.

Visit the New Day home page for more information and updates.

How Pacifica Claimed a Dubious Victory

In 2021, the members of Pacifica Radio voted on a member initiated Bylaws referendum, for the New Day Pacifica Bylaws and election of four officer Directors.

The members voted 6820 to 5471 to approve the new Bylaws and to elect the four officers.

Listeners members voted 6640 Yes and 5216 No. 

Staff members voted 180 Yes and 255 No. 

Pacifica Counsel ruled the referendum lost claiming that it required separate approval of staff and listeners.

Pacifica Counsel gave two arguments.

(1) A prior agreement stipulated separate approval of staff and listeners.

(2) The Bylaws requires separate approval of staff and listeners.

Neither argument is valid.

(1) A Prior Agreement Stipulated Separate Approval of Staff and Listeners.

Pacifica Counsel, Arthur Schwartz said:

Under [the December 4, 2020] agreement, the New Day Referendum would proceed by two parallel votes, one by listener members and one by staff, with approval being contingent on majority approval from each group. (Schwartz Decl. ¶ 12 (emphasis added).

The December 4 agreement said:

“10. The voting process, and the Fair Election Rules, will be identical to the process and the rules used in February 2020, as described in the NES Final Election Report of March 2020, …”

The 2020 Final Report said:

“The Pacifica Bylaws Referendum consisted of two parallel –  votes, one amongst eligible listener members and one amongst eligible staff (paid and unpaid) members at all five stations.

—-

The clause “approval being contingent on majority approval from each group” was not  in the signed agreement.

Pacifica Counsel’s argument that a prior agreement stipulated separate approval of staff and listeners is not valid.

The Bylaws and California law govern how the staff and listener votes are counted.

(2) The Bylaws Requires Separate Approval of Staff and Listeners.

The Bylaws say: “such adoption, amendment or repeal also requires approval by the members of a class if such action would materially and adversely affect the rights of that class as to voting or transfer in a manner different than such action affects another class.” (First Am. Compl. ¶ 14, Ex. A, Article XVII Section 1(B)(3).)

Bylaws recognize separate voting groups; however, having separate voting groups does not mean approval is contingent on the approval of each voting group.

In the 2020 referendum, the Bylaws did required separate approvals of staff and listeners members because the proposal eliminated staff representation. The staff was materially and adversely affected as to voting in a manner different from the listeners. 

In the 2021 referendum, the Bylaws did not require separate approvals of staff and listener members because the new Bylaws proposal did not materially and adversely affected one class as to voting in a manner different from another class. 

Pacifica Counsel argues that the 2021 referendum would materially and adversely affect the staff in a manner different from the listeners because:

(1) it would have split the “Staff Class” into “Paid Staff “ and “Unpaid Staff” and

(2) reduced the number of guaranteed seats that staff members would have the exclusive right to hold and to elect from 5 to two. Staff would have their guaranteed Board role reduced from 22.72 % to 13.3%.  (First Am. Compl. ¶ 18.)

Following are the effect of the proposed Bylaws on the staff.

(1) If the staff voted as one class, the Board can end up with all paid staff Directors or all unpaid staff Directors. To ensure that the staff have fair and democratic representation, there are one paid staff Director directly elected by the paid staff, and one unpaid staff Director directly elected by the unpaid staff. Splitting the staff into paid staff and unpaid staff is “material” and “different” from how listeners would be affected, but allowing paid and unpaid staff to elect their own representative actually enhances their voting rights and representation and thus does not affect them “adversely”.

(2) One of the goals of the New Bylaws was to reduce the size of the National Board. The number of guaranteed staff and listeners seats were both reduced by two-thirds, so listener seats was reduced from 15 to 5, and staff seats were reduced from 5 to 2. Reducing the number of guaranteed seats that staff members would have is both “adverse” and “material”, but it is not “different” from how listeners would be affected.

Pacifica Counsel’s argument, that the Bylaws require separate approval of both staff and listeners, is not valid.

Summary:

In the 2021 referendum, Pacifica members voted for the New Bylaws by a solid and democratic majority of 6820 to 5471 (55% to 45%). 

Pacifica Counsel overruled the democratic vote of the members based on two arguments that are not valid.

It is also concerning that the Pacifica Counsel was strongly opposed to the proposal. (See Note.)

Pacifica needs to recognize the combined vote of the listeners and staff, who clearly want Pacifica’s broken governance fixed. 

Note:

Arthur Schwartz falsely stated at the PNB Meeting Part 2 April 15, 2021 [46:55-47:40]

“What bothers me most about these bylaws is that, for—whether it’s 1-1/2 months or 3 month I’m not sure—there would be four people running Pacifica, no Board. They could do whatever they want, whatever they want.

And it somehow hits me in the gut that WBAI would be back off the air, if these four people just got to run it, without a Board, without representation from anybody else in the United States from any of the stations.

And that’s the biggest part of this. That there is a period of total dictatorship by a 4-person committee that could totally change Pacifica.”

NDP Update, Thanks, Critical Legal Hearing Dec 29

It’s been a wild ride this past two years trying to bring Pacifica back to democracy. To be the creative network of stations envisioned by Lou Hill. A network for progressive voices throughout the United States and the world. With the 2022 elections coming, we need Pacifica more than ever. For that reason, we need your continued support more than ever and we’ll return to that later, but first, here’s an update on what’s been happening.

For a year and a half, we struggled against the entrenched management and National Board. They exploited every technicality and trick to stop us.

They changed the number of signatures for the Bylaws referendum. From 400 to 2,000. We got 3,000 of you to sign, and more kept signing afterwards.

Then they mounted a campaign of disinformation, distortion, and half-truths against the New Day Bylaws. They hampered our email send-outs to members. They ran on-air programs featuring all the mentioned forms of disinformation without affording our representatives the required equal time on air to respond. All this continues to this day!

Despite all this, current management failed, and enough members were able to discern the facts, namely that Pacifica would disappear if we did not change. Thousands of members voted in the largest turnout ever for a Pacifica election. New Day won the overall vote with a 55% to 45% margin.

We thank you for your support – for the thousands of you who voted YES for bylaws and governance reform to save Pacifica, for the many who emailed and called your fellow members, and for the hundreds of you who donated to help pay expenses for New Day Pacifica (NDP). If you haven’t donated lately, this is a great time to do so.

Donate to New Day Pacifica

But the struggle goes on. The entrenched interests continue to have Pacifica in their grip, even though they’ve shown they have no solutions to Pacifica’s problems, that threaten our stations’ very survival.

Why NDP Needs Your Continued Support

Current management has interpreted the applicable California law to mean that a tiny number of staff, mostly at one station (WBAI) where the disinformation about New Day had been most prevalent, could override the vote of the majority of Listener-Members, because — according to them — staff members’ rights would be more negatively affected by the new bylaws than would Listener-Members’ rights. Since the much smaller staff group — if considered separately — voted no, current mamnagement declared that New Day lost the referendum. Suffice it say, we strongly disagree with their interpretation of the law.

Finally, Pacifica filed the present lawsuit against New Day. And against the NDP Transition Officers that you voted to put in place along with the NDP Bylaws. We had to hire lawyers to represent three of those officers to get Pacifica to drop the lawsuit against them.

Then, Pacifica filed a lawsuit against all of the candidates for the KPFK-LSB that New Nay endorsed.

An ongoing pattern of behavior indicates that this is what Pacifica’s current management does. They threaten, they file lawsuits, they use intimidation tactics to try to get their critics to quit, in apparent hopes that no one has the funds to go to court to challenge Pacifica in court.

However with your help, we’re doing just that.

There’s a chance that the end may be in sight.

Next Wednesday, Dec. 29, a judge will hear arguments on whose interpretation of the California law will prevail. We are hoping that the court makes a decisive ruling in New Day’s favor, but we’ll just have to wait and see.

Pacifica recently filed yet more legal accusations against New Day. We must respond. The lawyers must be paid. And more costs will come.

We have come really far, but we’re not quite across the finish line yet. It would be a shame to come up short. Our legal team can’t wait and needs to be paid as they work. If you think our cause is worthy, please donate whatever you can, from $10 to $10,000. It all goes to the attorneys arguing our case, and working to protect YOUR rights as Pacifica members.

May 2022 be the year that peace settles in every corner of the earth that needs it the most — including Pacifica!

Donate to New Day Pacifica

For updates, see NewDayPacifica.org

Thank you again and we hope that you, Pacifica, and all of our stations have a great 2022!

PACIFICA OVERRULES THE DEMOCRATIC VOTE OF ITS MEMBERS

Both with the New Bylaws referendum and the KPFK Delegates election, Pacifica overruled the democratic vote of its members.

In 2021, Pacifica held two elections: A referendum on a New Bylaws, and a Delegates Election for the Local Station Boards.

In both elections, Pacifica overruled the vote of its members. 

Pacifica needs to recognize the democratic vote of its members.

PACIFICA RULES NEW BYLAWS LOST DESPITE THE 6820 TO 5471 VOTE

In 2021, the members of Pacifica Radio voted on a member initiated Bylaws referendum and election of officers.

Par agreement, the 2021 referendum used the voting process used in the prior 2020 referendum, which consisted of two parallel votes, one amongst listener members and one amongst staff members.

Listeners members voted 6640 Yes and 5216 No.

Staff members voted 180 Yes and 255 No.

The Bylaws govern how the listeners and staff votes are counted.

In the 2020 referendum, the Bylaws required separate approvals of staff and listeners members because the proposal eliminated staff representation. The staff was materially and adversely affected as to voting in a manner different from the listeners.

In the 2021 referendum, the Bylaws did not require separate approvals of staff and listener members because the new Bylaws proposal did not materially and adversely affected one class as to voting in a manner different from another class.

In the 2021 referendum, Pacifica members voted for the New Bylaws by a solid and democratic majority of 6820 to 5471 (55% to 45%).

Pacifica needs to recognize the vote of the members, who clearly want Pacifica’s broken governance fixed.

PACIFICA DISQUALIFIES 4 CANDIDATES ENDORSED BY NEW DAY PACIFICA

Soon after the Bylaws referendum election, Pacifica held the Delegates election for the Local Station Boards.

After the end of voting, Pacifica disqualified 4 listener Delegates candidates at KPFK. The 4 candidates were endorsed on a postcard that was sent out by New Day Pacifica. 

The ostensible reason for the disqualification was that the card also solicited funds to hire lawyers to represent the voters who voted Yes on the New Bylaws.

New Day Pacifica was soliciting funds to ensure that the vote for the New Bylaws proposal was counted in accordance with the Bylaws, after Pacifica filed a lawsuit to invalidate the members vote for the New Bylaws, using member donated funds.

In any case, the 4 disqualified candidates were not soliciting funds. They were merely endorsed by New Day Pacifica. They did not violate any law or Fair Campaign Provisions. (See quote from Nancy Pearlman)

“I was endorsed by probably dozens of organizations over the 20 years that I ran for the College Board. If I asked an organization to endorse me, or an organization asked me if I wanted to be endorsed, and I said “yes”, it would never occur to me that I had some kind of an obligation to review whatever else the endorsing organization sent out in the same mailer. Pacifica’s trashing of the votes of people who voted for me, because New Day asked for donations on the same postcard is truly bizarre. Especially since No one from Pacifica ever contacted me directly to discuss the matter, before simply blackballing me.”

–Nancy Pearlman, Director Emeritus of the Los Angeles Community College Board, and one of the KPFK candidates

Pacifica , however, did violate California Corporations Code 5513(d), because disqualifying the candidates after the end of voting effectively revoked members written ballots after they were cast. 

Pacifica needs to reinstate the 4 disqualified candidates and re-tabulate the  KPFK Delegates election results. 

Summary:

Both with the New Bylaws referendum and the KPFK Delegates election, Pacifica overruled the democratic vote of its members.

Updates -Legal, Misinformation from Pacifica Legal Counsel, strange LSB elections development, KPFT Building, Loans

See below for (and click on any of these to jump directly there):

The following are just a few examples of misleading and/or false statements made by General Counsel Arthur Schwartz:


Arthur Schwartz claims:  In the Oct. 26 email, General Counsel Arthur Schwartz says “The bylaw proposal was defeated because the staff voted no.”
New Day’s response:
Whether the proposal won or lost depends on how one interprets the California law governing non-profits like the Pacifica Foundation. New Day is simply asking the appropriate court to make that determination. Thus, any claims by Schwartz et al that “they won” or “New Day lost” are at best misleading and premature.   (Note:  The Listener-Members voted YES by a margin of 56% to 44%. The much smaller group of station staff collectively voted no, with the opposition heavily concentrated in the 2 eastern stations, which overcame the YES vote from western station staff at KPFA, KPFK and KPFT. Overall, if the votes of the two classes are taken together, the YES vote won by a margin of 55% to 45%. So the question before the court is whether California law will hold that the overall majority YES vote will prevail or not.)

Arthur Schwartz claims:
New Day solicited funds to “sue Pacifica.”
New Day’s response: New Day is soliciting funds to seek a legal ruling by the court on how the applicable California law should be interpreted and therefore who won the June Bylaws Referendum. Note that New Day has not suing anyone; the current Pacifica Management is suing New Day…and using Listener-Member donations to do it. These lawsuits seem to us to be designed to bully, intimidate and discourage New Day’s legal efforts. With your help, they will not succeed.

Arthur Schwartz claims: “New Day Pacifica has only one or two members … and no bylaws.”
New Day’s response: 6800 People voted for the New Day Bylaws, and New Day Pacifica (NDP) has at least a dozen people active on its leadership team and thousands of supporters!  NDP is essentially a group of devoted Pacifica Foundation supporters working to reform the Foundation’s dysfunctional governing structure in order to preserve and sustain the Foundation in its crucial role as a progressive independent media voice speaking truth to power. The fact that current Pacifica management is using Listener-Member donations to sue New Day (as well as the 4 individuals named in the new Bylaws as “transition officers” and eight individuals who ran for LSB positions in the recent elections) has made many others associated with New Day reluctant to list their names publicly. That doesn’t mean they don’t exist. It just means that to the extent bullying and intimidation are current management’s goals, they have at least in part achieved that end.
As to bylaws, NDP has been focused on drafting, passing and implementing the Pacifica Bylaws Reforms, not on establishing itself as an independent organization. 

Arthur Schwartz claims: NDP is “using the … names it got from Pacifica to raise money….” And has not yet filed to declare the election results improper.
New Day’s response: Yes. Raising money from and communicating with the Pacifica Listener-Member list is within our rights under both the old Pacifica Bylaws and California corporate code. Otherwise we could not continue our fight on behalf of the majority who voted YES for reform. That money is now being used to get the bylaws that the majority of Pacifica voting members support.  In order to do that we have had to defend against Pacifica’s allegations, and to try to make sure that we were in the appropriate court.  In the meanwhile,  our cross-complaint dealing with the key remaining election question of “who won” has not yet been filed, but will be soon.

Arthur Schwartz claims: “Money [NDP] has attempted to collect … is being paid to Jan Goodman’s lawyer husband.
New Day’s response: New Day is extremely fortunate that one of its leaders, Jan Goodman, is an attorney who’s been working pro bono on behalf of New Day. Gaining court validation of our hard won victory last June is arduous and time-consuming. Jan is doing it because she loves Pacifica and wants to preserve and revive the network. She cannot do it alone. NDP has been trying to find more lawyers willing to work for free or at a reduced rate, but that’s not easy to pull off. It’s no surprise that most attorneys want and need to be paid for their efforts. So it’s doubly fortunate that Jan is herself married to a man who’s also an attorney, Jerry Manpearl, and one who’s willing to work unpaid unless or until current Pacifica management is ordered by the court to pay damages to NDP. Most lawyers in cases like ours insist on being paid up front; it’s rare to find one who’ll work on a contingency basis. If that money comes in, the New Day leadership team is in agreement that it would be only fair for him to be compensated. If not, he will have worked pro bono. Jerry has taken the case because he too cares deeply about and wants to reform and rescue Pacifica from the dire straits it’s in. That said, even the two of them together cannot handle this case by themselves due to commitments they have to many other clients. That’s the reason we turn to our supporters for financial assistance to fill-out our legal team.

Another Strange Development – Disappearing Candidates

Four candidates in the Delegates/LSB election that just ended, who were endorsed by NDP, mysteriously disappeared from the election results posted online on elections.pacifica.org. It’s as if they were never candidates at all, which of course is not correct. They are Robert Payne, Nancy Pearlman, Will Ryan, and Adam Wolman, all from KPFK. We hope this removal of four NDP-endorsed candidates is a simple mistake that will be corrected promptly. Despite demands, so far Pacifica has failed to correct this disappearance, which is forcing New Day to ask the court to do so. Except for this peculiar but significant exclusion, candidates endorsed by NDP did very well in the elections. Thanks for voting for them!

KPFT update:

Although the PNB majority voted many weeks ago to approve sale of KPFT’s building, the sale has still not been finalized. No details have been made public.

Loan Update:

We have also learned that Pacifica’s request for a $2 million EIDL loan from the Small Business Adminstration was turned down, but Pacifica will be getting (or perhaps already received) a $500K EIDL loan from SBA. We remain concerned that Pacifica still has not provided any repayment plan for either that or the $3+ million FJC loan that uses Pacifica’s buildings as collateral

Many thanks!

Vote Yes landslide at KPFA, KPFK and KPFT — among both listeners and staff

Recently released referendum numbers show that both listeners and staff at KPFA, KPFK and KPFT overwhelmingly support the Vote Yes – New Day changes needed to reform Pacifica’s governance/leadership structure and save Pacifica. Vote Yes-NDP overall won 55% of the vote. (See below for vote numbers, analysis).

Pacifica files lawsuit against New Day

Pacifica management and board majority is using a staff veto strategy to declare that the bylaws referendum lost, in spite of the fact that Pacifica’s listener-members and membership as a whole on July 9 voted decisively in favor of the New Day Pacifica changes to save Pacifica.

On July 22, Pacifica filed a lawsuit against New Day Pacifica, and against the four people who ran to become Transition Officers of the Pacifica National Board in the Bylaws Referendum & Election of Officers (although Pacifica claimed that they were Officers of New Day Pacifica). Originally the complaint was mostly to have the court decide which side won the election. However, later Pacifica piled on a lot more claims to try to intimidate New Day and its supporters from standing up, speaking out in court, in public and in the courtroom. For instance, Pacifica is now claiming that the money that New Day collected to get the bylaws passed and to hire counsel to represent the YES position in court belongs to Pacifica, and New Day and the defendants should be ordered to reimburse Pacifica for these funds. See more about this below.

Pacifica is going to court to try to both bankrupt New Day Pacifica but also to squash all criticisms of Pacifica’s current financial and organizational crisis. It is expected this lawsuit will cost Pacifica at least $100,000–all on the membership’s dime.

New Day will fight to get the Vote Yes bylaws implemented so we can save Pacifica

With your support we will fight to get the court to certify an NDP victory so we can get the necessary governance changes implemented to address and turn around Pacifica’s financial and organization crises. We are currently assembling our forces and planning strategy, and will use all available political and legal means to get the Vote Yes-NDP bylaws ratification recognized.

Please donate today – more essential than ever!

Please donate $5 to $500 (or more!) for NDP expenses and legal costs to ensure the membership’s Vote Yes decision to save Pacifica is respected. We have $10,000 remaining in donations, but estimate we need to raise another $40,000 to win in court. Thanks to the more than 800 members who have donated already to support New Day Pacifica’s efforts to save Pacifica.

DONATE to New Day Pacifica

What’s happened at Pacifica since the vote?

Pacifica gave interim Executive Director huge raise despite further cost-cutting plans. Pacifica started paying Pacifica’s current executive director a salary with a six-month contract, despite the fact that she has no significant media management experience. To incur this expense at a time when Pacifica plans to lay off valuable staff at KPFK and other stations makes little sense. Pacifica needs a media-experienced ED to oversee the day-today running of the five stations, archives and affiliate network and provide strategic guidance to the Foundation and board.

Pacifica wastes $60,000 on Houston real estate agent. Pacifica hired a real estate agent to sell the KPFT building who Pacifica must pay out of the sale price, rather than hiring an experienced real estate agent who was willing to donate their services to Pacifica. This wrong-headed decision will cost Pacifica at least $60,000.

Please sign petition opposing cuts in KPFK employee severance pay. Pacifica management recently stated they plan to impose a new union contract on the KPFK staff which includes massive cuts to KPFK employee severance pay, making it easier and cheaper for Pacifica to lay off long-term staff at KPFK. Please sign this petition to support Roy Tuckman and other KPFK staff.

Vote Yes Landslide at KPFA, KPFK and KPFT—among both listeners and staff

NDP Election - Listener Vote Analysis Table

*Pacifica’s National Election Supervisor released station percentage data only, so vote totals calculated are approximate.

*Pacifica’s National Election Supervisor released station percentage data only, so vote totals calculated are approximate.

NDP Election - Overall Vote Analysis, showing 55% Yes, 45% No

Please check our website for updates: NewDayPacifica.org

To help us ensure that Pacifica honors the results of the membership vote:

Please DONATE to help with our expenses.

Thanks!
— the New Day Pacifica team

So Pacifica can survive for future generations