KPFA FOLIO FOR NOVEMBER, 1994 INSIDE REPORT Diversity & Commitment by Marci Lockwood/General Manager KPFA is a proud recipient of the Tom Donahue Award from the Coalition for Eclectic Radio for "Best Radio Station" in the Bay Area. In addition, Bonnie Simmons won the "Best Disk Jockey" award, and Ray Edlund and Tom Diamant, hosts of Pig in a Pen/Panhandle Country won for "Best Program on a Public Station." Bonnie can be heard on Saturday mornings at 11:00 AM and Tom and Ray alternate with each other on Friday afternoons at 1:00 PM. The Coalition for Eclectic Radio is a nonprofit organization made up of radio listeners who seek to encourage creativity and diversity on the air. Thanks to the coalition and its members for recognizing the contributions of KPFA to the Bay Area audience and the individuals who contribute to KPFA's diverse, eclectic format. On October 2, Operations Director Jim Bennett and I joined Bill Sokol to talk with and listen to our listeners. One of the questions I found most interesting, and which has generated considerable mail since then, is whether KPFA views itself as a leader in the progressive political movement or a follower. KPFA is, of course, a radio station. We are a large group of people who come from a huge variety of communities, experiences and perspectives. And none of us here has any more wisdom or political savvy than anyone else. It is unreasonable to think that because we are a radio station we have access to The Answers, or that we can play the kind of role in mobilizing progressive people that no one else in the world seems to be able to do at this time. However, I do think there are ways that KPFA does play a leadership role, and that we are striving to improve. We provide a forum for the thinkers, the activists, the analysts. We bring you the voices and ideas of visionaries like Noam Chomsky, Thich Nhat Hanh, Lani Guinier, Angela Davis, Saul Landau, Manning Marable, Katha Pollit, Ralph Nader-to name a very few. We provide a forum for the local activists to help them organize around the issues that touch us immediately. We provide communities an opportunity to address issues that concern them. We provide much more in- depth coverage of issues than the mainstream media. We try to alert listeners to issues and questions of concern to all of us before they become crises; and we try to continue covering issues long after they have receded from the front pages and headlines. It is also clear that there are things we could improve: We need to be more challenging in our questioning of guests; we need to provide more debatesnot necessarily left-right debates (although those as well)-but debates among progressives that help sharpen the thinking of spokespeople and listeners; and we need to push guests to offer solutions to problems. We also need to expand our rolodexes and increase the number and variety of "experts": activists, thinkers, and analysts, that we put on our air. I would like us to be as good at suggesting possible ways to organize, mobilize, and create change as we are at describing what's wrong, at exposing injustice and corruption. In another area, we are proud of our special projects that reflect the diversity of the communities that we serve. KPFA is especially proud of its critical support for Youth Radio. We helped to start this program and we keep it going by offering low rent in our next door annex (a storefront that was converted into production studios), and ongoing technical support. In just two years, Youth Radio has trained 127 teenagers from all around the Bay Area. The students produce Youth In Control every Friday night on KPFB from 7:00-9:00 PM. We are pleased to announce a new Youth Radio show on KPFB slated for Saturday afternoons, featuring music and news by graduates of the training program. Many of the students who participate in the training program stay on as paid peer teachers and program producers. Youth Radio is developing a network of internships in broadcasting, film and multi-media opportunities. This is part of the national "School to Work" movement by educators and businesses interested in training our young people more directly for employment. Youth Radio is developing a model School to Work transition program with Berkeley High School and others around the Bay. KPFA & B will play a critical role in the further development of Youth Radio, as its primary outlet for youth-to-youth programming, and as mentors, in this most difficult time for the next generation. In a similar way, our Apprenticeship Program offers women and people of color a wide range of broadcast and communication skills. Many graduates have moved on to produce programs on their own, and some have actually pursued careers in broadcasting as a result of their training at KPFA. Participation and empowerment is the key to community radio's effectiveness, and our station supports many opportunities for people to get involved. November 8th is election day. As always, KPFA's News Department will be airing special election night coverage beginning at 8:00 PM. We will also be airing a special election preview on Nov. 7th from 7:00-9:00 PM, hosted by Mark Mericle and Chuy Varela. Mark and Chuy will be looking at the statewide candidates and ballot initiatives, as well as some of the local races. The morning after election day, Nov. 9th, the Morning Show will be devoted to election results and analysis. Also on Nov. 9th, we will be airing a 2-hour special from Pacifica National Programming looking at the national picture. Tune in to KPFA for election analysis and results, and remember to vote on Tuesday, Nov. 8th. Other special programming in November will take place around Thanksgiving (Un-Thanksgiving from the Native American perspective). Thursday, Nov. 24th will showcase an extended edition of Living on Indian Time, from 4-10:00 PM. For those of you who pledged during last month's fundraising drive, thank you. And if you haven't yet paid that pledge, please do it today. KPFA is counting on you. .