Sue Cohen Candidate Statement

When the sub-carrier frequencies were de-regulated they were leased to profit-making companies for big bucks, tens of thousands F.A. or more, flowing directly to National Office. They put on workers including lawyers and P.R. Firms to clean up after themselves. We must keep Pacifica from being top-heavy.

Affirmative Action hires at KPFK were laid off for a year (in ’94?) so that they could then hire folks more in line with their ideas. 59% of staff were gotten rid of by terminations, etc., including the canceling of the program guide. Hiring committees once chosen must be independent. We have to continue the struggle for good hires and not crony promotions.

National began sending direct mails to the local subscriber lists, taking their money before we at the stations could solicit and fund drive to them. We must not let them take our money and our power. Let the stations get the money from the programs they produce. Let us not let Pacifica get too top-heavy.

Hired programmers can be micro-managed by the station manager. Managers and Program Directors should only put people on the air and take them off, not tell them what to say on the air. Programming guidelines need to be clear and even-handedly enforced and progressive. We should keep the organization as democratic as possible (not easy).

I was terminated for standing up to the Manager about centralization of power and corporatization of Pacifica. They will tell you that I used the word ‘shit’ within the station building, (not on the air) is the reason why.

Now that I am free to think about KPFK again I’m sure lots more will come to me. I now have a car and can come to the station and be involved.

All our union work fell. There was a good show on the air today about how women and other groups are discriminated against within their own non-profit organizations.

The needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few or the one. The people know what’s good for themselves.