A dark cloud will threaten the future of Pacifica until it re-establishes good faith and trust with its listener-supporters, and with the public at large.
Along with the staff of KPFA, KPFK and KPFT, a strong majority—more than 6800 voters—approved a change of by-laws in July, 2021.
That clear majority voted in the well-founded belief that the previous by-laws had failed, and that the structure of Pacifica’s management needed to be reformed if the Network were to survive.
In denying that rightfully approved change of by-laws, and then denying the rightful election of a number of candidates to the KPFK board, Pacifica broke its good faith and trust with its listener-supporters, and with the public.
The results have been painfully obvious.
As Myla Reson has pointed out, Pacifica INITIATED the lawsuit against New Day---and a number of individuals--- in direct opposition to the wishes of the majority of listener-supporters.
Money donated by those listener-supporters was somehow paid to the legal team to deny those very listener-supporters their own clearly stated mandate for new by-laws.
Pacifica has also denied those listener-supporters, and the general public, what should be readily available information on how much those legal fees have been.
Under the circumstances, a belief that those fees may be well in excess of $100,000 might seem reasonable.
What listener-supporters will continue to fund a non-profit knowing that money could go directly to a legal team working to deny their wishes?
What must the public think of a non-profit "news organization" that refuses to disclose its own legal expenditures?
A formal request was made by at least one board member in a KPFK board meeting more than a year ago for those actual numbers; no further requests should be necessary.
Nonetheless, this memo is being forwarded as is to the Pacifica ED, to be taken as a direct request to finally release those numbers.
Pacifica is a public non-profit with an obligation for transparency in how its donor dollars are spent.
The on-going refusal to voluntarily report those numbers can only further shatter trust between Pacifica, its donor-supporters and the public it is meant to serve with vital information.
The Network’s plunging listenership and failing finances should therefore come as no surprise.
If there is a single source for the Network being driven to the brink of financial ruin, this breach of good faith and trust might certainly be it.
The inability of the old by-laws to meet the operational needs the Network is also obvious.
The on-going failure of the old by-laws has been tragically confirmed by the Network’s catastrophic performance since the denial of the listener-supporters' clear mandate that they be reformed.
Going forward, any and all legal activity against the by-laws transition must be immediately dropped. Certainly not one more listener-supporter dollar should be spent on it.
In keeping with the Pacifica mission, and with any realistic hope for successfully moving forward to reform operations, the new by-laws must be immediately put into effect.
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Harvey Wasserman is a member of the KPFK Local Station Board. He is author of SOLARTOPIA! OUR GREEN-POWERED EARTH and THE PEOPLE’S SPIRAL OF US HISTORY.
