Excerpt from KPFA Evening News, Thursday, April 29, 1999:

Announcer: More than twenty-four progressive activists from groups like Global Exchange and Angela Davis are expressing a deep concern about the current crisis at KPFA Pacifica Radio. They have formed a progressive activist coalition for democratic media and sent a letter to Pacifica Foundation Executive
Director Lynn Chadwick and Pacifica's National Board members. The letter calls for the reinstatement of KPFA General Manager Nicole Sawaya, whose contract Lynn Chadwick declined to renew a month ago.  The letter also calls for the reinstatement of veteran journalist Larry Bensky, who Chadwick also fired. [garbled sound] mediation that takes into the account the issues underlying the ongoing crisis within Pacifica.  The coalition letter says:

"Activists as a constituency with a significant interest in
media access, and who serve as information resources to
programmers and producers, should be acknowledged as a
legitimate stakeholder in the current controversy within
Pacifica.  We find it ironic that listener-sponsored free
speech radio would have censorship in the form of a gag rule
designed to keep listeners in the dark.  Bensky was fired,
and six staffers have been disciplined for breaking this
so-called gag rule."

Medea Benjamin, who is Director of Corporate Accountability at Global Exchange, was among the groups that signed the letter.

MB: We find the division that exists now between management and staff is so unhealthy, and on the other hand I think the fact that staff has come together around him being the key issue is...like bringing back Nicole Sawaya and Larry Bensky, the calls for no gag rule, the call for more openness and accountability...is key to free speech radio, and that's what KPFA is all about.

Announcer:  And while Benjamin says she strongly supports KPFA staff members in their demands, she says she can't support the station financially at this time.

MB: I could not in good conscience give my own money to KPFA at this point.  I do know that one of the situations to change...you know, many of us would double and triple our contributions and really make the station healthy, both financially and from a sound, democratic management standpoint, so I think that management has just been off the wall, really, in this...it's a time to open up and see what's going and smell the coffee...recognize that they've got to turn around and give in to these staff demands and community demands and rebuild this station.

Announcer: Other groups that joined the progressive activist coalition for democratic media include the Bay
Area Coalition for Headwaters, the National Committee for Independent Political Action, the California Peace
and Freedom Party, the East Bay [sound garbled] Collection, the Progressive Alliance of Alameda County, and The Peninsula Peace and Justice Center.  Pacifica's Communications Director did not return our telephone call for comment on this story.

You're listening to the KPFA Evening News on 94.1 FM....