• Audio Statement: Download or Stream to Media Player (mp3 format)
• Nomination Statement
• Candidate Questionnaire

I'm Bob English, running for our KPFA Station Board (LSB) to serve and represent listeners in station governance and programming direction, policies and priorities; continue the FreePacifica movement, realize it's vision and objectives:

1. An independent network and stations free from government, political party, corporate influence and control;
2. A democratic, transparent Pacifica/KPFA;
3. Accountable, effective management;
4. Restoration of the Pacifica Mission and diverse community radio programming.

I've been a public service worker for 32 years with administrative, budget and HR experience; a former community volunteer with the UFW and Cesar Chavez Street committees, union chapter representative, labor and media democracy activist, an early member of the Coalition for a democratic Pacifica (CdP). From 1999 part of my life has been devoted to the Pacifica movement, starting with CdP committee work and weekly information picketing at the old Pacifica law firm.

KPFA listeners understand the need to recall and learn from our history. My intention is to bring back the focus, urgency and "spirit of 1999" when listeners and staff united, organized to remove the corporatist "hijackers" who dominated and nearly destroyed Pacifica with a centralized National Board (PNB) and mainstreamed, sanitized programming. Through thousands of listeners' activism, a national campaign that extended to the liberal political establishment, lawsuits and court settlement, we partly succeeded in establishing new management, by-laws, membership/voting rights, democratically elected boards responsible for finances, management selections/evaluation and ensuring programming that fulfills the Pacifica Mission and diverse listener community needs.

As Pacifica activists and long time listeners are aware, however, the heritage, values, programming grid and multiple damages of the old regime continues - preserved and nourished by informal power structures, cliques of managers and senior "entrenched" staff who survived the 1990s' purges by being silent and cooperative - and little has changed at KPFA, where sadly we still have "Pat Scott radio." Listeners were never invited to an open house to celebrate our "victory over the hijackers;" the first liberated PNB meeting in Berkeley was only legally noticed and the interim manager didn't bother to attend to give a station report. With few exceptions "banned and fired" staff were not returned. The Transformation principles for equity and reallocation of programs, airtime slots and resources to new, community and people of color staff/volunteers are practically marginalized and forgotten. Back to business as usual: the pre-movement, Lynn Chadwick "healthy station" style, substance and status quo prevail, but are not unchallenged.

Our elected LSB has established budget and management reviews, recruited General Managers (GM) and moved some program policy resolutions (e. g. "Democracy Now!" at 7AM and 7 PM, which management/staff refused to implement) but is obstructed and made to appear "dysfunctional" by a voting block of staff and allied listener representatives (the latter recruited or co-opted by and loyal to the core clique, interested in station access and favors, some betraying and turning their backs on the groups and listeners who supported and elected them) resisting democratic change and listener representation in KPFA policy and decision making.

Meanwhile, the by-law mandated, selected GMs - without staff support and cooperation, sufficient community radio management skills, experience and grounding in the Pacifica mission - were driven out of the station, which has practically become a management free zone, with only interim managers (from staff ranks) allowed and characterized by secrecy, cronyism and insufficient, inequitable support, structure and resources for volunteer staff and programmers, who are the heart and soul of community radio. The salaried staff count and budget has risen sharply while membership is stagnant or declining, requiring reliance on affluent donors and more frequent, extended and commercialized fundraising (replicating an unhealthy programming and financial pattern at other stations, particularly WBAI in New York), with enticements including a familiar voice paid to pitch, pricey "premiums," special programs and recorded public talks reserved (rather than broadcast live) for air time and sale only during fund drives. Who and what are we supporting in this neo-hijacker status quo?

Sisters and brothers, it's supposed to be "our station," we've spent too much time, energy and heart toward a free, democratic Pacifica and a station driven by the Mission, members, volunteer staff and diverse communities to let it fail or slip away now. By electing committed, progressive, pro-democracy candidates, we can continue and complete the FreePacifica transformation. Be informed of incumbent candidates' voting records. Democracy works with time, information and commitment.

I'm running with candidates in the Alliance for a democratic KPFA www.allianceforademocratickpfa; supported by listener democracy caucus PeoplesRadio www.PeoplesRadio.net. For more information refer to my Candidate Questionnaire.

KPFA has informed and served California communities for 57 years as our progressive voice and light. I'm ready to join many who have returned service to KPFA. As we learn from Cesar Chavez: "Give me the courage to serve others, for in service there is true life" (Prayer for the Farm Workers' Struggle).

Endorsements (partial list):

Renee Saucedo (community/labor/civil rights attorney and activist); Voces Cruzando Fronteras (KBBF); Ralph Schoenman, Mya Schone ("Taking Aim"); Maria Gilardin (TUC Radio, Co-founder KPFA Women's Department, former KPFA Development Director); Jeff Blankfort (community radio activist/programmer);

1. Why do you want to be on the Local Station Board?

As noted in my candidate statement I want to serve on the KPFA LSB in order to: a) represent listeners in station governance and realize the Savepacifica movement vision and objectives; and b) serve listeners and return service to KPFA, which has informed and served North/Central California communities for 57 years.

As Pacifica activists and long time listeners are aware, the heritage, values, programming grid and multiple damages of the old regime continues at Pacifica stations and little has changed at KPFA, where sadly we still have "Pat Scott/Lynn Chadwick radio." Listeners were never invited to an open house to celebrate our "victory over the hijackers;" the first liberated PNB meeting in Berkeley was only legally noticed on air, poorly attended and the interim manager (iGM) didn't bother to attend to give a station report. With few exceptions the banned and fired were not returned. The Transformation principles for equity and reallocation of programs, air time slots and resources to new, community and people of color staff/volunteers are marginalized, mostly ignored and forgotten. Back to business as usual, the pre-movement, "healthy station" status quo prevails.

Our elected LSB has been obstructed and made to appear "dysfunctional" by a voting block of staff and allied listener representatives - recruited or co-opted by and loyal to senior core staff, interested in station access and favors, (some turning their backs on the listeners who elected them) - resisting democratic change and shared decision making. Meanwhile, the by-law mandated, selected GMs may have lacked sufficient community radio and station management skills and experience and grounding in the Pacifica Mission, but not given support or cooperation they were driven out of the station, which has become a management free zone with insufficient support, structure and resources for volunteer staff and programmers who were once the heart and soul of KPFA community radio. Meanwhile the salaried staff FTE count and budget share has risen sharply, requiring more commercialized fundraising with a familiar voice paid to pitch (by budget item), pricey "premiums," special programs and recorded public talks reserved (rather than broadcast live) for air time and sale only during fund drives that have become more frequent and extended, replicating an unhealthy programming and financial pattern at other stations, particularly WBAI in New York.

Pacifica listeners and I have spent too much time, energy and heart toward a free, democratic, Mission and community driven Pacifica to let it fail or slip away now. I want to serve on the LSB to continue and realize the democratic self-governance, programming transformation and other goals of Savepacifica.

2. How do you envision the Local Station Board working with the Pacifica Foundation, KPFA and the community?

These relations and responsibilities are in part prescribed in the Pacifica by-laws, but the newly created, elected boards have struggled with asserting and defining the extent and limits of mandated powers and responsibilities.

The LSB elects four PNB directors, votes on proposed Pacifica by-law amendments and shares the GM selection and termination process with the Executive Director (ED).

Our elected LSB has established KPFA budget and management review, recruited General Managers (GM), moved to terminate one GM and passed resolutions to affirm program policy and air time decisions, which the interim manager (iGM) and core staff refused to implement.

There is no question, assumption or ambition by listener representatives to "micro-manage" station staff, operations and programming; that's just a false issue propagated by a few staff of the semi-permanent iGM administration and their loyal recruited candidate slates. However, the Board is responsible for ensuring overall quality, diverse, relevant community programming; effective, accountable and transparent management practices and structures. For instance, I have urged the LSB to recommend and station management to develop an HR/EEO compliant filing and resolution capacity and process in order to manage and reduce incidents of violence, harassment, intimidation and other discrimination, and eliminate costly law suits. I will also pursue development or improvement of a staff counseling and progressive discipline policy and practice.

The positive vision, objectives and intent of the Savepacifica, listener democracy movement is a message that many KPFA/Pacifica staff understand and respect, while it needs to be heard and respected by others, just as listener activists and representatives need to respect and resolve misconceptions, misunderstandings and feelings of distrust and betrayal with staff and managers.

3. How could the station better serve its listeners?

By being open, accessible to diverse progressive community volunteers and organizers and providing relevant programming to the multi ethnic/cultural, multilingual local communities, classes, workers, seniors, youth and children in the signal area. As Joe Wanzala and Take Back KPFA activists have noted historically and since the corporatist coupe, Pacifica has been more or less accessible to neo-liberal, left establishment and liberal Democrat Party agendas and allies, often eliminating, banning and neglecting radical, progressive, labor and community relevant programs/programmers and coverage of emerging social, grass roots radical movements, new political parties. The old KPFT Houston station for instance was a model of diverse community and multi-language programming but was the first attacked and dumbed down by the old regime, converted to "The Sounds of Texas" music box.

To serve listeners the pre-Pacifica movement, "healthy station" program in all its forms and facets has to be replaced by the restoration and contemporary evolution of community radio, including:

Return of the volunteer produced Folio as a monthly program guide, artistic magazine and listener forum. Regular and special labor programs by and for working people who are after all the majority of the membership and audience; an end to the effective ban on Labor Collective staff and program proposals; Community programming restored and evolved in an eclectic mix and balance of new and current programs, progressive perspective news and public affairs with local area and international coverage; multi-cultural, bilingual, art, literature and music program selections; Implementation of the transformation principles and Democracy Now! time change. Progressive listener call in programs without rude interruptions and censoring by hosts; Ongoing, frequent on air GM and LSB reports to the listeners, discussions of KPFA and Pacifica issues and affairs, an end to the repudiated but informally preserved "gag rule;" End the effective restriction or ban (tax exempt status required) on carts announcing certain public events and political rallies by respected and vital groups, educators and commentators.

4. Describe some actions you would take to increase the influence of the station in underrepresented communities and to increase the diversity of the listening audience?

Wrong question. The question represents the "top down" approach and orientation that I believe is inherited from the corporate coupe and internalized by Pacifica managers, many surviving and senior core staff and some involved listeners. The number of subscribers has been stagnant rather than growing as programs and fundraising target, rely on and reward more exclusive affluent community large donors.

As listener supported community radio, KPFA has in the past and should now be open to, influenced by and reflect diverse community needs with programs vital and relevant to the life realities and emerging issues of our communities. More and a broader range of community activists and organizers should be invited to advise, appear on, develop and produce new programs based in and relevant to their communities. Bottom up community programming and direction will naturally result in programs more people will listen to and value and the listener base will expand naturally.

Candidate Regina Carey further explains this not so radical concept from her own perspective and community experience, please refer to her statement and questionnaire.

5. What sources of funding, other than listener donations, do you feel KPFA should solicit?

As we know KPFA is the first listener supported community radio station and should remain as true to its listener support base, with few if any exceptions. While I somewhat identify with social democracy and public funding for arts and public media, Pacifica should maintain financial independence from CPB funding as long as such funding is conditional. CPB compliance was used as an excuse to advance the corporatist old Pacifica coupe and autocratic, self-selection of PNB directors, therefore many reasonable members believe that Pacifica should refuse such public funding with "strings attached." Under both Democrat and right wing Bush administrations, public media funding is sharply reduced while programming becomes even more externally influenced, restricted and conservative.

We can position Pacifica for financial freedom from CPB and foundation grants partly through progressive board budget scrutiny, amended or alternative budgets and budget control procedures but also by restoring community radio produced primarily by trained volunteers with adequate, not excessive paid technical and program staff.

The proposed restored Folio, which I strongly support, and perhaps other projects can be mostly volunteer produced and funded (as the Folio was always) by local, progressive small business ads.

I will carefully study the stations' current and proposed income sources but be very wary and skeptical of non-listener funding. To understand the consequences of increasing proportional funding outside the listener/viewer subscriber base, just tune into your local area NPR and PBS stations, where regular programming has nearly become a break between continuing on air fund drives with mainstream, pop feature program dished out in pieces.

6. Please state briefly the skills, experience, educational background, work history, organizational affiliations, areas of community service, areas of interest and expertise that you would bring to the Pacifica network as a member of the Local Station Board.

I'm a civil servant, public service worker for 33 years with administrative, budget "human resources" experience, as well as "hands on" public assistance casework experience, and a year student-work internship in East Pakistan in 1967. I am a UC graduate and have an M(I)PA in International Public Administration,

I served SEIU 790 union chapter members and represented workers as twice elected bargaining team member and appointed SF Conference delegate. I'm a labor democracy activist and founding member of Public employees for a democratic Union. As a community activist, I worked for years on the UFW SF support committee and Cesar Chavez Street committee and election.

I've been a practicing Zen Center and IYI yoga institute member

I was an active progressive Potrero Hill Democratic club member and a current Green Party member.

As elaborated in my statement and other question responses, I can bring my Freepacifica movement experience, knowledge, spirit and commitment to the LSB. I was an early, active Coalition for a democratic Pacifica (CdP) member, currently an active Peoples Radio member and long time KPFA member/supporter.

7. Do you anticipate missing any Local Station Board meetings due to family or job related problems or inadequate transportation?

None expected, no more than one missed meeting per year, with vacation and trips scheduled between meetings whenever possible. In fact I hope to help convene and attend extra meetings in different local community locations outside of Berkeley and to catch up on the currently backlogged, often manipulated agenda.

8. On which Local Station Board committees* are you interested in actively serving? If you are a current Local Station Board member, on which committees do you currently serve?

With my public administration and service experience, I would like to contribute to the work of "Personnel," Budget and Governance Committees. As a listener member I briefly served on the Outreach Committee to organize the last town hall meeting in SF.

Endorsed by Renee Saucedo (community/labor/civil rights activist), Voces Cruzando Fronteras (KBBF), current LSB members LaVarn Williams (PNB), Chandra Hauptman (CdP Steering Committee member), Stan Woods (ILWU member), Richard Phelps (LSB Chair) and Joe Wanzala; Peter Camejo, Aimee Allison, Krissy Keefer (Green Party candidates), David Ray Griffin (9/11 author/activist), Michael Parenti (author), Grey Brechin (historian, author), Lawrence Ferlinghetti (poet), Peter Phillips (Project Censored), James Vann (affordable housing activist); Carol Brouillet (9/11 activist); Eric Mar (SF Board of Education member), Jack Wikse (Hutchins School of Liberal Studies, Sonoma State University; Sonoma Peace and Justice Center Board member), Dr. Barbara Hodges (Association of Veterinarians for Animal Rights member/activist), Bill Carpenter (media activist), Sureya Sayadi (Iraqi Kurdish peace/human rights activist KPFA Labor Collective member), Lee Ann Prifti (President Diamond Heights Community Association, Democratic Party 12th Assembly Dist. Caucus member).

Current and former LSB members LaVarn Williams (PNB), Chandra Hauptman, Max Blanchet (CdP Steering Committee members), Stan Woods (ILWU 6 member), Richard Phelps (Chair), Joe Wanzala, Sepideh Khosrowjah, Attila Nagy, Marnie Tattersall, Jane Jackson, Miguel Molina, Carol Spooner, Gerald Sanders (Peace and Freedom Party candidate, Free Mumia/labor activist).

Public Employees for a democratic Union, Brian McWilliams (former President International Longshore and Warehouse Union), Jack Heyman (ILWU 10), CT Weber (former President CSEA/SEIU 1000), Mary Ann Ring (President CUE 6), John Crockford (former President American Federation of Government Employees Fresno), Alfredo Sanchez (former Teamsters Union organizer), Bob Wells (Oakland Education Association site representative), Marsha Feinland (Alameda Educational Association), Rex Spray (former President SEIU 790), Linda Jang (former Trustee SEIU 790), Scott Brown (Public Employees Union 1 Sr. Business Agent), Steve Kessler (former SEIU organizer), Juan-Tomas Rehbock (International Federation Professional and Technical Engineers 21 chapter delegate), Antoinette Candelaria (SEIU 790 steward), Sylvia Alvarez-Lynch (labor democracy/community/political activist; former SEIU 790 steward, MTA chapter Vice President, Labor Council delegate), Rodney Blalock (labor democracy activist, former SEIU 790 MUNI chapter President), Patrick Monette-Shaw (labor democracy/community activist, former SEIU 790 LHH chapter President), Alex Reyes (SEIU 790, labor democracy activist), Esther Visaya Ranada (labor activist).

Candidate Proposals

• Programming policy and direction to restore community radio in an eclectic mix and balance of new and current programs, including progressive perspective/sourced news and public affairs with local area and international coverage; multi-cultural, multi-lingual, science, health, music, art, literature, film/theater review and other selections that fulfill the Pacifica Mission;
• Develop, conduct writing/other community workshops to fulfill the Mission;
• Restore staff/volunteer produced Folio as a monthly program guide, artistic magazine, listener forum; and as a symbolic and living repudiation of the old regime and interim management that have dumped it in favor of a symmetric but sterile strip program grid.
• Sunshine, evaluation, community radio and 1999 Transformation principles to replace secrecy, favoritism and Arbitron, mainstreaming mentality in programming decisions; open Program Council (PC) meetings to the public/listeners;
• End of the repudiated but preserved "gag rule" on discussion of KPFA and Pacifica issues and affairs; broadcast portions or highlights of PNB and LSB meetings; frequent GM and LSB reports, listener call-in programs without host interruptions and censoring;
• Regular and special programs on working class, labor, economic, social and political movements, issues, organizations and parties;
• Management to rescind the PC ban on Labor Collective program proposals; PC to approve "Work Week" labor program;
• Implement the PC and LSB votes to air "Democracy Now!" at 7AM and 7PM.
• More support and prime time for "Guns and Butter;" PC to approve "Taking Aim;" expanded coverage of alternative questions, analysis and research on the "homeland security" state, "war on terror" and 9/11 Truth movement, the stories and realities of our lifetime (ending uninformed suppression and ridicule by KPFA news, senior journalists).
• End the effective ban (tax exempt status required) on cart announcements by respected community members/groups of political demonstrations, lectures and events (e.g. Free Mumia rally, Israel-Lebanon invasion background presentation/ commentary by "Taking Aim" producers);
• Systematic review, development and amendment of the station budget with alternative priorities/items and resources for volunteer produced programs;
• Provide effective, sufficient management, budgetary, structural, technical support, resources and assistance to volunteer and salaried programmers and support staff;
• Restore accountable, competent station and program management with contemporary administrative structures, processes and practices, including EEO compliant process, conflict resolution, counseling and progressive discipline.

(See also PeoplesRadio 10 Points for Democracy at KPFA www.peoplesradio.net and AdKPFA Program www.AllianceforademocraticKPFA.org)