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News :: Miscellaneous |
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Save Community Radio: Stop The Corporate Takeover Of Pacifica |
Current rating: 0 |
by Mike Lehman
(No verified email address) |
07 Feb 2001
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***Bylaw Changes Threaten Existence of Pacifica***
The Pacifica National Board may consider at its meeting on March 3rd in Houston changes in the national by-laws
that would allow a small subcommittee to sell stations without consulting with the full board, and would grant the Board members $50,000 per year. Special provisions would allow Board members and other "interested parties" to profit from the sale of the stations. |
Latest Press Release from Juan Gonzalez:
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE FEBRUARY
6, 2001
TEL: 212-871-9322
E-MAIL:
PACIFICACAMPAIGN (at) YAHOO.COM
CAMPAIGN LAUNCHED FOR A
FUNDING BOYCOTT OF PACIFICA
RADIO\'S FIVE-STATION NETWORK
A new organization is calling for
listeners of Pacifica radio stations
around the country to show their
opposition to the current corporate
takeover of the network by refusing
to donate any money to Pacifica
until its current board of directors
resigns and is replaced by a new
board that is democratically
accountable to listeners, staff and the
communities the stations serve.
The Pacifica Campaign, the group
spearheading the boycott, was hastily
founded this weekend following last
week\'s dramatic on-air resignation by
Juan Gonzalez, longtime co-host of
Pacifica\'s national flagship news
show, Democracy Now!.
In his resignation, Gonzalez criticized
a \"clique\" on the board that has
\"hijacked\" the network. That clique,
Gonzalez said, has routinely squashed
free speech on the Pacifica stations,
has violated the civil and labor rights
of listeners and staff, and has illegally
changed the non-profit network\'s by-laws
in preparation for a possible sale of one or more of the stations.
Gonzalez, who joined with some 35 New York city activists to found the
new group this past weekend, is serving as interim coordinator of the
campaign.
As part of the campaign, the group
will seek to pressure individual
board members to resign by utilizing
non- violent, direct action and by
launching an educational campaign
to the public that exposes the roles
of the individual board members in
the current crisis.
Starting today, the Pacifica
Campaign will have five full-time
volunteer organizers and scores of
part-time
volunteers working on the effort.
We have also retained the services
of Ray Roger\'s Corporate
Campaign Inc., a
group that specializes in mounting
nationwide boycotts against
anti-labor and anti-community
organizations.
In the few days since Juan
Gonzalez\'s resignation, the campaign
has been flooded by thousands of
e-mails and phone calls of support
from Pacifica listeners who want to
help.
Organizers will be contacting those
listeners directly during the next few
days. Meanwhile, we urge all
listeners to do the following:
1) DO NOT PLEDGE ANY
MONEY TO ANY PACIFICA
STATION
2) IF YOU HAVE ALREADY PLEDGED MONEY, DO NOT SEND
YOUR CHECK IN
3) CONTRIBUTE MONEY INSTEAD TO THE PACIFICA
CAMPAIGN, OR TO THE THREE LEGAL SUITS CURRENTLY
CHALLENGING THE BOARD\'S LEGITIMACY, OR TO A LOCAL
LISTENER GROUP IN YOUR AREA -- IN SHORT, TO THOSE
FIGHTING TO REFORM PACIFICA.TAX DEDUCTIBLE
CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE PACIFICA CAMPAIGN CAN BE
MADE PAYABLE TO:
THE INSTITUTE FOR MEDIA ANALYSIS/PACIFICA CAMPAIGN.
THE MAILING ADDRESS IS:
THE PACIFICA CAMPAIGN
51 MACDOUGAL STREET, #80
NEW YORK, NY 10012
4) CALL YOUR LOCAL PACIFICA STATION AS OFTEN AS YOU
CAN AND LET THEM KNOW YOU WILL NOT GIVE ANY
MONEY UNTIL THE CURRENT BOARD OF DIRECTORS
RESIGNS
5) DO NOT COOPERATE WITH PACIFICA\'S FUND DRIVE BY
OFFERING AS PREMIUMS ANY BOOKS OR TAPES YOU HAVE
AUTHORED OR PRODUCED.
Also, do not be confused if you hear the host of your favorite show urging
you on-the-air to pledge money. Many producers and hosts are opposed to
the policies of the current board of directors, but they are prevented by gag
rules from voicing their displeasure and they must ask for pledges from
listeners or they can be fired. It is important to keep shows like Democracy
Now! on the air.
For now, we are urging producers who oppose the board to keep soliciting
pledges but to \"work to rule,\" i.e., do the minimal amount of fundraising
work and with as little enthusiasm as possible.
As we reduce the money coming into Pacifica we will reduce the board\'s
ability to continue its anti-listener policies. At the same time, we will be
increasing the
pressure on individual board members, until they have no recourse but to
resign.
We will oust the hijackers and return Pacifica to its original mission.
For more information, go to the campaign website:
http://pacificacampaign.org. Or call 212-871-9322
**********************************************
Mailing Address:
The Pacifica Campaign
51 MacDougal St., #80
NY, NY 10012
www.pacificacampaign.org
pacificacampaign (at) yahoo.com |
See also:
http://www.pacificacampaign.org/
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