* In July, a stern edict came down from Pacifica to the local station advisory boards telling them to shape up.

*Bay Area dissidents continue to meet

*The story spread beyond the world of progressive media when the San Francisco Examiner ran an article on August 1.

* Also on August first, program changes went into effect.

Pacifica's edict

On July 12, the Executive Committee of Pacifica the Pacifica National Board sent a memo to it's wholly owned stations:

"We feel it necesary to remind you that the local Station Board is responsible to the National Board and, in fact, serves at the will and direction of the National Board. The local station Board of Directors' main responsibility is to carry out the directives of the National Board and abide by its decisions."

You could call this an example of "democratic centralism" except for the fact that the National Board is elected by no one but itself.

The memo goes on to say tha station managers and program directors have the authority to make mandated program changes without the approval of local boards. In fact, the local boards are told their duty is to "assist and support" station staff "when asked and as needed." Local board members who disagree "are advised to resign."

The memo then issues a set of general "guidelines that supersede the local station by-laws." The guidelines call for committees to carry out Pacifica's plan and to "evaluate the membership of local boards" and "make recommendations about firther recruitment of members." Membership in local boards is frozen as of May 15 [1995].

Dissidents Respond

Why the membership freeze? According to Herman Padilla of Los Angeles, who was fired from KPFK, it means that local boards "are not the rubber stamp they (Pacifica) want."

William Mandel, the long-time radical activist and scholar on Easyern Europe, was dropped from his KPFA radio program after 38 years. Mandel's firing brought sharp protests from Bay Area listeners, including poet Lawrence Ferlinghetti, SF Mime Troop Founder Ronnie Davis and author Michael Parenti.

According to Mandel, local listeners have little to say with the National Board. The memo is a "downhill thing only." Jeff Blakfort of San Francisco calls it a "smoking gun."

KPFA's dissidents continue to meet. Two hundred people attended their first meeting. The next meeting dew 150, but, says Mandel, they came to do real work. The dissidents have set up an escrow account into which pacifica members can deposit pledge money. The money would be turned over to the network when the dispute is resolved to everyone's satisfaction.

The Examiner's Story

Until August 1, the disppute was mainly reported in left-wing and alterative media. Then it got wider coverage when the San Francisco Examiner ran a lengthy story. Interviewed were Mandel and KPFA's program director , Ginny Berson, who had fired him.

"No one has been permanently removed from the air," said Berson. "They may not believe that, but that's the truth."

A station memo advised programmers to tell listeners they were only "taking a break." Talk show host Mama O'Shea would have none of that. She told a caller," My show's been cancelled. I am not on hiatus."

That violated KPFA's dirty laundry rule: There can be no mention of station business on the air, even though it effects the KPFA community. "I understand that argument, I really do," says Berson. "But it's off limits on the air, and that's the correct approach."

As reported in the last issue of PFP, in a case involving Seatte station KCMU, a federal judge has called that rule unconstitutional.

Mandel says KPFA is failing it's mission. "I believe the station committed suicide in terms of the old KPFA" when it did not broadcast the important UC Board of Regents meeting that ended affirmative action. Even commercial stations pre-empted regular programs to cover the meeting.

Says Mandel, " They (KPFA) were so narrowly focused that they did not even have the brains of commercial stations. I was, quite frankly, shocked."

Program Changes

This reporter has made severlal phone calls to KPFA, and sent the last issue of PFP to station management. So far, their only reply has been to send two copies of KPFA's folio magazine, one for July and the other for August-September, showing the od and new program schedules.

As "Inside Report" by General Manager Marci Lockwood says, the changes were made to create more consistent programming instead of a "hodge-podge." This is similar to the "strip programming" on KBOO radio in Portland, Oregon, in which the same shows (such as Radiozines and call-ins) air at the same time everyday. But this does not explain Mandel's firing. He was part of the "Morning Show" which continues in its regular tie slot.

A comparison of KPFA's schedules shows what's in and what's out. Gone are three women's programs, unless they continue I another format. Gone is a music program hosted by long-time jazz critic Phil Elwood. Gone is a repeat of the evening news. Gone are various short programs (including a gay magazine) that took a small portion of the daily schedule. Gone too (according to Michael Parenti) is Kevin Danaher of Global Exchange, who has written extensively on global trade and debt.

The major new program is a talk show hosted b former Governor and presidential candidate Jerry Brown.

Included in the latest folio are profiles of 17 smling programmers and staffers. As far as this reporter can tell, they are people whose shows are still on the air.