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Recruit and hire an experienced General Manager committed to Pacifica's Mission
The Local Station Board is responsible for assembling the pool of candidates for the most important position at KPFA--the General Manager. The LSB can't just wait for the perfect job applicant to drop out of the sky--it needs to recruit! While we won't move forward with a hire until we've assembled a qualified pool of applicants who have solid radio and management experience, we pledge to make hiring KPFA a new General Manager our top priority.
Hire a talented and visionary Program Director
The LSB is also responsible for assembling the pool of candidates for the position of Program Director--the manager who makes key decisions about what to air, creates new programming, evaluates and works directly with programmers to help them improve their work. That position has been vacant at KPFA for eight years. And in the absence of a Program Director, some LSB members have bogged the board down in attempts to micromanage programming decisions at the station. That's understandable, but it's a recipe for disaster. Priority 2: Work with our newly-hired General Manager to recruit a visionary Program Director in order to reinvigorate programming at KPFA.
Review KPFA management regularly
The LSB is charged with evaluating the performance of the Program Director and General Manager on a regular basis. We pledge to evaluate their work fairly, thoroughly, and regularly in accordance with Pacifica's Mission of social justice, dialogue, and cultural diversity. Following the Pacifica Bylaws, we will work with management make sure that KPFA's programming fulfills the purposes of the Foundation and is responsive to the diverse needs of the listeners (demographic) and communities (geographic) served by the station, and that station policies and procedures for making programming decisions and for program evaluation are working in a fair, collaborative and respectful manner to provide quality programming.
Rejuvenate national programming
KPFA, as the largest and healthiest station in the Pacifica Network, needs to help Pacifica develop new national programming on par with Democracy Now! We promise to use our influence on the Pacifica National Board to push for a sensible prioritization of spending at the Pacifica National Office. Pacifica needs to put programming first--that's the reason listeners give their hard-earned money to KPFA and Pacifica.
Establish community partnerships throughout the Central Valley and Northern California
KPFA only has an on-the-ground presence in a small portion of the area its signal reaches. We'll work to set up partnerships that can bring us locally-produced programming from areas like the South Bay and the Central San Joaquin Valley. Our candidates, with their deep connections in social justice, labor, and cultural causes and struggles, are tremendously well-situated to broaden KPFA's links with organizations and communities throughout the third of California where the station's signal reaches.
Organize town hall meetings
The Pacifica Bylaws charge KPFA's Local Station Board with organizing two public forums on KPFA per year--a feat the LSB has not yet accomplished. This is an essential part of the LSB's role, as a key link between the station and listeners, and we pledge to make certain not one such opportunity goes to waste.
Ensure accountability and transparency in station finances
KPFA is by far the most financially-stable station in the Pacifica Network. We aim to keep it that way. That means making sure listeners' donations are being used wisely and transparently, while standing firm about keeping the station's budget in the black, even during lean years. It means keeping it there without increasing the number of days that the station spends fundraising on the air.
Expand KPFA's signal and reach
One way to shore up the station's finances--as well as increase KPFA's audience--is to expand the reach of its signal. KPFA has just completed work extending its signal north and east of the Bay Area with a booster on Mount Diablo--now it's time to start on a translator in Auburn. Another way of increasing the KPFA's reach is through the internet and via new technologies, which is particularly important for reaching young people. We think spreading KPFA's vital message of peace, social justice, cultural expression and diversity should be a top priority for the station, and we're willing to help fundraise for infrastructure to make it happen.
Fundraise for KPFA's ongoing vitality, while keeping the station independent and not beholden to commercial interests
The Pacifica Bylaws charge KPFA's Local Station Board with helping the station fundraise--but, to date, the LSB has not done so in any organized or intensive fashion. We pledge to put ourselves at the disposal of KPFA's fundraising staff in planning fundraising events and reaching out to new sectors of our vast listening community in Northern California, the Central Valley, and beyond. Many of our candidates have experience raising money for grassroots causes and are committed to keeping KPFA independent and not beholden to any interests but those of its listeners and the community it serves.
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