As most of you by now have figured out, I am no longer "The Only Chicano On Afternoon Drive-time Talk Radio in Los Angeles." As a result of a decision by the on-again, off-again, PD Kathy Lo, yet another boring White guy, who is a "FOC", has replaced me. In KPFK language, FOC means friend of Cooper (as in Marc). Yes Marc Cooper, the 4 PM review of news, politics & culture!

Actually, I have no beef with Cooper, he was always friendly and seems to be able to raise alot of public dollars during fund drives. The reason I mention FOC as an issue, is that, because of the odd internal politics at KPFK, GM Marc Schubb, who's odd behaviors I've seen described in the therapist's DSM IV manual, will only hire or pay as consultants (enter Joe Dominick), Anglo guys from academia, who also happen to be FOC's. Cooper's friends may be good professors, but questionable on-air talkshow hosts.

For a public radio station that presents itself on the air as a progressive, non-commercial, non-mainstream media outlet, you would think that cronyism and race would not be determining factors as to who gets the paid, prime time on-air positions, and who gets relegated to off hours and weekends (enter Latino's / African-American / Asian).

Anyway, I do not plan to launch a campaign against KPFK with Latino protests in front of the station. The unfair labor practices, the hostile work environment, the violation of employee union rights, the "investigations" by the GM & lapdog PD, I'm sure will continue. As long as the public never finds out that GM (General) Schubb is only interested in making money, and not what the listeners to KPFK think, all will be well at 90.7FM. Cooper will offer Spanish c.d.'s & talk about the Pinochet days, again, and people will send money!

The public will send thousands of dollars, the Pacifica Board in Washington D.C., will be happy, and Los Angeles will think it has a freethinking public radio station. What a great scam! Meanwhile the Sara Harris', the John Martinez' and others, will continue to be harassed, mistreated and used, and the Marc Coopers and Up For Air's will continue the charade, for fear of losing what they have. And that fighter of democracy, that voice of the working American, that refuter of media awards, Amy Goodman & Democracy Now!, will not even know about the real workers rights problems at Pacifica & KPFK.

And poor old Frank Stoltze, the KPFK news director; He continues to produce a nightly news broadcast with no staff, no producers and no reporters. Because Kathy Lo did not like any of the applicants for the newsroom jobs (see chronology below), Frank is a one man show, who by the way, was ordered not to cover the uprising at KPFA in Berkley, nor the disgruntled Gil Contreras, Sara Harris, et al.

So much for "radio brought to you, by you." That's a favorite fund drive saying, but I'll bet if any listener sponsor ever wanted to produce a show on "his/her" radio station, that unless they were an Anglo guy from academia or an FOC, the chances of such a show, would be pretty slim.

Check out the chronology of event below, and e-mail me with your thoughts. If I sound bitter, I am. I can handle being taken off the air because of incompetence, no calls, poor on-air presence, and yadayada. But to be removed just because Lo does not like me?! Please!!!!! A PD with with no on-air experience, no journalism awards, and no other radio experince?

1996 (April) - Proposed show called "Cop Talk" to community board at KPFK. Board votes to give show a chance. Program Director, Kathy Lo gives "Cop Talk" Friday night 7:30 PM time slot. Show is live call-in. Focus of show is police culture, misconduct and community issues.

1996 – After only 4 shows, Lo cancels "Cop Talk," stating "she did not like" my co-host Kent Keyfauver. Kent was a police officer who was still on the job at the time. I opted not to do the show without Kent, and began working in the KPFK newsroom covering the L.A. City cop beat for the KPFK Evening News.

1997 – Produce a special report on the North Hollywood shoot-out with the LAPD, which receives local television news coverage and widespread recognition from KPFK listeners.

1998 (Jan) – Lo asks me to fill-in on Beneath The Surface, when regular hosts could not be in-studio.

1998 (May) – Lo asks if I can host Beneath The Surface on Monday & Tuesday afternoon, as host Cathy Still, has notified KPFK of her desire to vacate the time slot. I tell Lo I cannot make that kind of commitment without monetary compensation. When told I cannot be paid, I agree to fill the Monday afternoon slot only, without pay.

1998 (April or May) – Still needing to fill two afternoon shifts, Lo recruits L.A. Weekly writer, Joe Dominick, who also covers the cop beat, to host Thursday and Friday afternoons on Beneath The Surface. Dominick is brought in on paid status, and the paid producer of the Marc Cooper show is assigned to produce for Dominick.

1998 (April) – News Director Stoltze recruits me to anchor morning news, and begins training.

1998 (July/Aug) – Fund drive goes well, Lo posts newsroom job openings, to be filled by September 1998. Myself and other non-paid reporters apply for the jobs. Lo later tells News Director Stoltze that she does not "like" any of the applicants and wants to expand recruitment. Newsroom hiring goes on hold. (positions still not filled)

1998 – Rest of year goes well, we cover issues such as the Sherrice Iverson murder, police high-speed pursuits, proposition 227, and the race for L.A. County Sheriff.

I find my own producer and call screener, who work with me without compensation.

1998 (Dec) I’m told by Lo that I cover too many cop issues, and that I should cover other stories.

1998 (Dec) – I’m notified by News Director that I have won a 1998 Golden Mike Award for my coverage of the sheriff’s race over the summer.

1999 (Jan) - Program Director Kathy Lo resigns from KPFK.

1999 (Feb) – Agree to pitch for money during Winter fund drive. I pitch with News Director Frank Stoltze.

1999 (April) – Asked by Congressman Xavier Becerra to participate in Los Angeles interview with Vice President Al Gore.

1999 (April) – News Director Stoltze asks if can cover morning news for two weeks, on paid status, while he is on vacation. I say yes, and Anne Marie Ruff, is recruited to fill-in for Stoltze on the evening news, also on paid status. Anne and I shared morning anchor duties at the time, and we both had applied for the posted newsroom positions.

During the second week of Stoltze’s vacation, Ruff tells G.M. Schubb how difficult the evening news show is with no regular production help or regular field reporters. Without reviewing applications, without holding interviews, without talking to the news director, Schubb offers Anne Marie Ruff one of the newsroom jobs posted last summer. Ruff declines, as she was recently hired by KCET as a news assistant for Life & Times. No one else is offered a job or told jobs are still available.

1999 (April) – I’m notified by News Director Stoltze that the G.M. has told him to advise me not to pronounce Spanish words, cities and countries with Spanish pronunciation during my morning news broadcasts. Reluctantly, I comply.

1999 (May) - Like a Post Traumatic Stress Syndrome nightmare Kathy Lo is back at KPFK to help with fund drive.

1999 (May) - Kathy Lo advises me that I will not be on the air during fund drive, that Marc Cooper will use my air time to raise funds. I agree, as I have for every fund drive since I began hosting Beneath The Surface.

1999 (May 10) - Spring fund drive begins at KPFK.

1999 (May 10) – Receive voice mail from Kathy Lo wanting to talk to me. Recognizing the doom & gloom in her vpoice, I call back knowing it won't be good news. As I leave her a return message, I pray that before we reach each other, she finds Jesus.

1999 (May 11) – I reach Kathy Lo by phone, unfortunately, she's still a heathen. No Jesus. She informs me that when the Spring fund drive ends, I will not return as the Monday afternoon host of Beneath The Surface. I’m told someone named John Weener (correct spelling unk), will be taking my show, to gain on-air experience. I’m also told Marc Cooper may expand to two hours and that Weener would fill-in for him, therefore necessitating the further development of Weener. Lo closes her call to me by saying we can talk about future shows for me sometime in the future.

1999 (May 13) – After my morning news broadcast at 8 AM, I leave a memo with Stacey Fancher, the G.M.’s assistant, requesting an urgent meeting in regards to my show. I leave the station before Fancher or G.M. arrive. I call Fancher at approximately 3:30 PM, and leave a message again requesting a meeting with the G.M. I receive no call back. Later in the evening I receive a phone call from News Director Stoltze saying there would be no morning news broadcast on Friday, May 14, meaning I do not have to go into the station on that date.

1999 (May 14) – After having my memo and phone call requesting a meeting with the G.M. ignored, I decide I should resign from KPFK as a programmer and morning news anchor. I write letter of resignation and News Director Stoltze hand delivers the letter to G.M. Schubb at approximately 3:30 PM.

At approximately 4:30 PM, I receive a voice mail from Fancher saying she just found my memo, and would like to schedule a meeting for me with the G.M. I call back and advise that I am only available to meet on Monday, May 17.

At approximately 8:30 PM I receive another message from Fancher saying Schubb cannot meet on Friday, and she asks if we can meet `next week after the fund drive.

1999 (May 15) – I leave Fancher a message saying I will only be available on Monday, May 19, to meet with Schubb. I tell her further that if we cannot meet on Monday, the meeting will no longer be necessary. I leave my pager number saying I would make myself available over the weekend if Schubb would like to speak to me directly. He eventually does speak to me on the phone, but by then we are both angry and we hang up without resolving anything.

I go 10-8 - that's coptalk for "I'm Outta Here."