It should be noted that Fenton is a native New Yorker who has never lived in California, let alone the Bay Area, and has no direct knowledge of KPFA's programming.
In other words he is acting just like any other paid corporate flack trying to find a way to sell us a shabby product. It is noteworthy to compare this excerpt from the original three-page memo with Marci Lockwood's Letter to the Listener in the August Folio. It might just give you a feeling of deja vu. JEFFREY BLANKFORT
Draft July 7 Talking Paper for Pat Scott and Pacifica from David Fenton On August 1st, the program schedule at KPFA in Berkeley wiil change. It is the FIRST significant change in format in over 25 years. As you know, there's no other radio station that has remained the same for nearly that long. Any change inevitably affects people. There's no way everyone can be pleased. At other radio stations, change means laying people off from paid jobs. At KPFA, it will mostly mean that a number of volunteers, whose contribution we greatly appreciate, may no longer be on the air on a regular basis. But it is imperative that KPFA change. Esple listen to KPFA relative to other radio stations. And surveys show the majority of our listeners spend most of their time listening to other stations. Our audience has not grown in many, many years - although the population of the Bay Area certainly has. We cannot fulfill our political responsibility by talking mostly to those who already agree with us, and relatively few even of them. KPFA has remained unchanged and stuck in a rut for far too long. We cannot combat racism, or sexism, or campaign for social and economic justice, or resist the very real efforts of the new Republican majortty in Congress to take away our broadcast licenses and stifle our voice - if we don't bring our ideas to a wider audience. And we can't do that if people aren't listening. This is what the change is about. KPFA will now do a better job of serving its audience. It w\ll no longer be impossible to remember when your favorite programs are on the air - they won't keep changing to irregular time slots. You won't have to remember to "tune in the 4th Wednesday of next month." Our schedule will no longer confuse you. SEOND PAGE IS MISSING ... for this to change. We cannot strengthen our profound voice of dissent against the dominant politics of today unless we change these programs that RESEARCH PROVES PEOPLE DO NOT LISTEN TO (italics in original). It is not political responsibility (sic) to talk to yourself. Now certainly some of the on-air volunteers who will be screaming the loudest have a point - their programming may no longer be heard. And that will be a loss to some people, but very few people compared to the audience it is our duty to reach. We wish we had the funds to create a low power public access radio station for these programs. But we have a precious natural resource in KPFA -- and it can't go to waste. It's important to stress that Pacifica and KPFA are NOT (italics in orginal) changing our goals. We will still be the only public radio stations that accept no corporate underwriting whatsoever. We will still program incisive news and public affairs programming that for many are the only source of alternative information in their lives. But we will do it more creatively and dynamically, so that it REACHES MORE PEOPLE (italics in original). This is our political imperative. KPFA will change on August 1st, and it's about time. You'll know dependably when your favorite programs are on. The programs will be better. The best is being kept. And don't let anyone fool you with accusations that this means Pacifica is becoming some kind of faceless corporation devoid of values. The truth is exactly the opposite. We are making these changes because of our beliefs, and to fulfill the mission we began in the 1940s [he's not sure of the date] to speak truth to power. As the rest of radio is moving to the right. KPFA is moving forward.