Critics charge KPFA radio has left its radical roots by William Brand, staff writer BERKELEY - A listener group says nonprofit radio station KPFA has abandoned its radical grassroots, pursuing an affluent yuppie audience and making corporate decisions in secret. The Committee to Take Back KPFA -- which includes many of the 40 former employees who lost their jobs in a station purge last August and some big names like poet Lawrence Ferlinghetti -- says it's true. In the old days, KPFA, at 94.1 FM, was the source for news of all things radical. Old-time Berkeley residents would hear a boom and tune to KPFA to find out which bank was bombed and who did it. The bombers usually called KPFA. Not any more, the dissidents claim. "Color KPFA adult contemporary," one ex-employee said. "After 7 p.m., there's nothing but music. They have political reporting, but it's not very radical." The management of KPFA and its parent Pacifica Radio call that nonsense. They say more people are listening to KPFA than ever before and the station still has a lot of political content. The dissident group -- which wants to return the one-time, maverick radio to its bare-knuckled, pro-union, down with the bosses stance of years gone by --Thursday filed a complaint with the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, better known as the parent of the Public Broadcasting System. PBS is in no way connected to KPFA or Pacifica. But Jeffrey Blankfort, a member of the dissident group and a former KPFA programmer, said the Corporation for Public Broadcasting administers federal grants to non-profit radio stations around the country. "Pacifica got about $1.5 million from the government last year and under federal rules their meetings have to be open to the public," Blankfort said. During a briefing outside station headquarters on Martin Luther King, Jr. Way, Blankfort said, "Since 1995, Pacifica has held a total of one hour and 45 minutes of meetings open to the public." But a typical annual meeting runs about three days. "They're making all their decisions in private," Blankfort said. "Instead of an independent, local radio station, KPFA is now under central control," he said. "We want the Corporation for Public Broadcasting to make Pacifica follow the rules that other non-profits that receive federal funding have to follow." Non-profit Pacifica also owns KPFK in Los Angeles, KPFT in Houston, WBAI in New York City, and WPFW in Washington, DC. It's no surprise that Pat Scott, one-time KPFA general manager who is now Pacifica Radio executive director, disagrees with everything Blankfort and his fellow dissidents say. "It's just not a solid charge," Scott said. "We have open meetings. We've been in retreats trying to develop a strategic plan. We don't make decisions in retreats. We've checked with our lawyers and with the Corporation of Public Broadcasting. It's legal." Bottom line, Scott adds: "The Committee to Take Back KPFA is a small group of people who have been taken off the air in Northern and Southern California and they are upset about it." "Times change, people change, we have to keep up," she said. Mary Tilson of KPFA station relations (sic) said ratings are up. "In the winter of 1995, we had 128,700 listeners in one week. In the winter of 1996, the latestt Arbitron rating period, we had 161,800 listeners in one week, a 2.4 market share. "That's a small ratings share, but it's the highest rating that KPFA has ever received." Tilson said. "It's not true that we're ignoring poor people or people of color," Scott said. "All you have to do is turn on KPFA at 94.1 and listen." However, the dissidents said they will present their views on the new Berkeley grassroots radio station 104.1 FM, an underground pirate station. Station owner Stephen Dunifer, who is fighting the federal government for the right to braodcase without a license, said he plans to interview the dissidents on a Sunday night broadcast. Critics charge KPFA radio has left its radical roots by William Brand, staff writer BERKELEY - A listener group says nonprofit radio station KPFA has abandoned its radical grassroots, pursuing an affluent yuppie audience and making corporate decisions in secret. The Committee to Take Back KPFA -- which includes many of the 40 former employees who lost their jobs in a station purge last August and some big names like poet Lawrence Ferlinghetti -- says it's true. In the old days, KPFA, at 94.1 FM, was the source for news of all things radical. Old-time Berkeley residents would hear a boom and tune to KPFA to find out which bank was bombed and who did it. The bombers usually called KPFA. Not any more, the dissidents claim. "Color KPFA adult contemporary," one ex-employee said. "After 7 p.m., there's nothing but music. They have political reporting, but it's not very radical." The management of KPFA and its parent Pacifica Radio call that nonsense. They say more people are listening to KPFA than ever before and the station still has a lot of political content. The dissident group -- which wants to return the one-time, maverick radio to its bare-knuckled, pro-union, down with the bosses stance of years gone by --Thursday filed a complaint with the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, better known as the parent of the Public Broadcasting System. PBS is in no way connected to KPFA or Pacifica. But Jeffrey Blankfort, a member of the dissident group and a former KPFA programmer, said the Corporation for Public Broadcasting administers federal grants to non-profit radio stations around the country. "Pacifica got about $1.5 million from the government last year and under federal rules their meetings have to be open to the public," Blankfort said. During a briefing outside station headquarters on Martin Luther King, Jr. Way, Blankfort said, "Since 1995, Pacifica has held a total of one hour and 45 minutes of meetings open to the public." But a typical annual meeting runs about three days. "They're making all their decisions in private," Blankfort said. "Instead of an independent, local radio station, KPFA is now under central control," he said. "We want the Corporation for Public Broadcasting to make Pacifica follow the rules that other non-profits that receive federal funding have to follow." Non-profit Pacifica also owns KPFK in Los Angeles, KPFT in Houston, WBAI in New York City, and WPFW in Washington, DC. It's no surprise that Pat Scott, one-time KPFA general manager who is now Pacifica Radio executive director, disagrees with everything Blankfort and his fellow dissidents say. "It's just not a solid charge," Scott said. "We have open meetings. We've been in retreats trying to develop a strategic plan. We don't make decisions in retreats. We've checked with our lawyers and with the Corporation of Public Broadcasting. It's legal." Bottom line, Scott adds: "The Committee to Take Back KPFA is a small group of people who have been taken off the air in Northern and Southern California and they are upset about it." "Times change, people change, we have to keep up," she said. Mary Tilson of KPFA station relations (sic) said ratings are up. "In the winter of 1995, we had 128,700 listeners in one week. In the winter of 1996, the latestt Arbitron rating period, we had 161,800 listeners in one week, a 2.4 market share. "That's a small ratings share, but it's the highest rating that KPFA has ever received." Tilson said. "It's not true that we're ignoring poor people or people of color," Scott said. "All you have to do is turn on KPFA at 94.1 and listen." However, the dissidents said they will present their views on the new Berkeley grassroots radio station 104.1 FM, an underground pirate station. Station owner Stephen Dunifer, who is fighting the federal government for the right to braodcase without a license, said he plans to interview the dissidents on a Sunday night broadcast.