Pat Scott's Hysterical Press Release

                      PACIFICA RADIO UNDER ATTACK
  KPFA RESPONDS TO LOCAL EFFORT TO DE-STABILIZE PROGRESSIVE RADIO
                                NETWORK



FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Tuesday, October 03, 1995



Contact:       Pat Scott
               Pacifica Radio
               510-843-0130 - ext. 202


Berkeley - Physical and verbal attacks on managers of Pacifica Radio
stations have caused the Pacifica Board and management to call upon
listeners and supporters to reject these attacks and ensure the
strength of KPFA by pledging support to the station during its current
on-air fund drive.

Members of a group claiming to "take back Pacifica" confronted National
Board members in Houston last weekend (September 30 - Oct. 1). After being
provided open-ended time for public comment at two points during the
meeting, they refused to leave an executive session so that the Board
could discuss personnel and financial matters relating to specific
employees. The group harassed Board members until hotel security was
called to evict them from the premises.

The attacks seem to be in response to recent program changes at the five
Pacifica stations. More than a year ago Pacifica began work on a program
development plan designed to serve a more multicultural audience and
increase the social impact of Pacifica programming. In an era in which
right-wing talk radio show hosts have become the hot button in radio -
with notable audiences here in the Bay Area -- Pacifica believes that the
community broadcasting model has a bigger role to play. KPFA announced a
new program schedule August 1 in an effort to compete effectively for
audiences with strong, distinctive programming.

Marci Lockwood, manager of KPFA in Berkeley, reported receiving death
threats in telephone calls. Unexplained recordings of repeated gunshots
have been left on Pacifica Executive Director Pat Scott's answering
machine. Garland Ganter, manager of KPFT in Houston, was assaulted last
weekend during Pacifica Board meetings by a woman who threw an
unidentified liquid in his face and damaged his car. Proprietary and
confidential documents have been stolen from Pacifica offices in Berkeley,
and employees have reported their cars vandalized. Unidentified callers
have left messages on the voicemail of several managers threatening to
take Pacifica stations off the air.

There is a right-wing crusade to cripple Pacifica, the only independent,
non-commercial radio network in the country, and it has now been joined by
a small band of local dissidents, calling upon subscribers to withdraw
financial support from Northern California's alternative, multi-ethnic
radio station. They are waging a deliberate dis-information campaign and
are attempting to destroy our funding -- eighty percent of which comes
directly from listeners. The financial demise that the right-wing has thus
far failed to impose on Pacifica is now being pursued by a shrill group of
critics who spout mutually contradictory demands, and seem to have in
common only a desire to financially harm KPFA, the oldest and most
respected listener-supported community radio station in America. We
question the motives of these few claiming to 'take back Pacifica'.

Initially formed to press the cause of several longtime volunteers whose
programs were discontinued in the recent KPFA schedule changes, the group
includes many whose names have never been numbered among the paid
subscribers to the station.

Pacifica, which has in the past had its transmitters bombed and its
employees threatened by right wing groups, suspects the current attacks
to be the work of a small network of extremists who are hoping to see
the Foundation put out of business. Listeners around the country have
received letters asking them not to support Pacifica if it attempts to
expand is reach.

Pat Scott said, "People who have attended meetings of these dissidents
report spokespersons have attacked the stations as being run by "Jewish
lesbians and fascists". We are familiar with these tactics and this
sort of hate-mongering will not deter us from our mission to expand our
audience and make our stations more accessible to larger segments of
the community."

At one meeting in Berkeley, Amina Hassan, KPFA's Development Director
and an African-American woman, complained about racial overtones during
the meeting and was shouted down by an angry crowd.

Cecelia McCall, Vice Chair of the Pacifica Board, said Pacifica will
continue to meet the challenges of programming to an ever-changing
urban community and will not yield to bullies who hide behind their
concern for Pacifica while using undemocratic and reactionary tactics
associated with the agent provocateurs of the 60's.


                       PACIFICA RADIO UNDER ATTACK
       KPFA RESPONDS TO LOCAL EFFORT TO DE-STABILIZE PROGRESSIVE
                                   RADIO
                                  NETWORK

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE *
Wednesday, October 4, 1995


Contact:       Pat Scott
               Pacifica Radio
               510-843-0130 - ext. 202


CORRECTION TO PRESS RELEASE DATED OCTOBER 3, 1995

BERKELEY: PLEASE NOTE THAT THE QUOTE ATTRIBUTED TO CECELIA MCCALL, VICE
CHAIR OF THE PACIFICA BOARD IN YESTERDAY'S PRESS RELEASE WAS INCORRECT.
THE QUOTE SHOULD BE ATTRIBUTED TO PAT SCOTT, PACIFICA EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR.
THE MISTAKE WAS A CLERICAL ERROR. WE APOLOGIZE FOR ANY INCONVENIENCE THIS
MAY HAVE CAUSED.

THE PRESS RELEASE SHOULD READ: "PAT SCOTT, PACIFICA EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR,
SAID PACIFICA WILL CONTINUE TO MEET THE CHALLENGES OF PROGRAMMING TO AN
EVER-CHANGING URBAN COMMUNITY AND WILL NOT YIELD TO BULLIES WHO HIDE
BEHIND THEIR CONCERN FOR PACIFICA WHILE USING UNDEMOCRATIC AND REACTIONARY
TACTICS ASSOCIATED WITH THE AGENT PROVOCATEURS OF THE 60'S."

* Pacifica Vice-Chair Cecila McCall demanded this
 correction be issued after she learned Pat Scott
had attributed words to her she had never said.