Talking Paper From David Fenton
sent to Pat Scott, July 7,1995



The following memo, two pages of which we obtained , was sent to Pacifica Executive Director Pat Scott by David Fenton, head of Fenton Communications in Washington, DC, a consultant hired by Pacifica apparently to tell the local stations how to sell their new program changes to their local audiences.

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.