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OPEN LETTER FROM HARD KNOCK RADIO STAFF 6/26/05<br><br>
Family, Friends, Allies, Supporters, All Concerned and Involved:<br>
It is with profound urgency that we write this letter to the people with
<br>
whom we have built this great community institution we call Hard Knock
<br>
Radio (HKR). Without your genuine love and support, we never would have
<br>
made it this far.<br><br>
HKR was birthed from the struggle to save KPFA in 1999. We represent
<br>
part of the promise KPFA made to listeners then to transform and <br>
diversify its airwaves. Since those early days, we have become one of
<br>
the most cutting-edge, unique and innovative hour-long programs in all
<br>
of Public Radio. HKR is setting the standard by which HipHop on Public
<br>
Radio will be measured. HKR represents a savvy generational shift in
<br>
progressive programming -- mixing culture and politics in a new way that
<br>
makes the social justice movement attractive to the HipHop
Generation.<br><br>
As many of you know, funding for Public Radio is constantly threatened
<br>
by government forces who do not value free speech and community-minded
<br>
media. The people who stand to lose the most are the next generation of
<br>
listeners: people of color and youth, poor folks, and immigrants.
These <br>
audiences -- grossly under-served by Public Radio, but readily courted
<br>
by Commercial Radio -- are being reached and politicized by HKR, because
<br>
we understand how to speak to their concerns, engage in sincere outreach
<br>
to their communities, and provide them with programming that is
neither <br>
patronizing nor alienating. Without HKR as<br>
a lightning rod, these audiences may abandon Pacifica and KPFA
entirely.<br><br>
Contrary to almost all of Pacifica/KPFA’s public affairs programming,
<br>
HKR is not designed to be an alternative to NPR; HKR is the alternative
<br>
to Commercial Radio, and we are rooted in the principles of Media <br>
Justice. Part of our mission is to remedy the failure of progressive
<br>
radio and the progressive movement to bring the most marginalized <br>
communities to the table.<br><br>
Unfortunately, even at a community radio station such as KPFA, our <br>
efforts to press for inclusion and Media Justice are being thwarted by
<br>
the new General Manager, Roy Campanella II. Campanella has expressed a
<br>
desire to take ownership of the name ‘Hard Knock Radio’ from us; he has
<br>
revoked promised staffing resources; he has helped foster a hostile <br>
workplace for women and HKR Staff in particular; and he has made <br>
attempts to divide HKR Staff. There is increasing evidence indicating
<br>
Campanella has spread harmful lies about HKR Staff,<br>
apparently in an effort to build a case to take certain HKR Staff off
<br>
the air. On May 5, Campanella assaulted HKR Executive Producer Weyland
<br>
Southon with a threat of physical violence.<br><br>
Campanella has made it clear -- through bullying and gossiping -- that
<br>
his intention is to crush HKR. We refuse to abandon all that we have
<br>
done in the last five years to build a NEW audience for KPFA, Pacifica,
<br>
and Public Radio. We will not allow such progressives to continue to
<br>
marginalize and ghettoize programming for young people and communities
<br>
of color. We regret that it has come to this. But HKR must continue it’s
<br>
mission and it’s message.<br><br>
For many of our listeners who appreciate our work and accomplishments,
<br>
the fact that HKR has become a target of abuse at KPFA, probably comes
<br>
as a complete shock. For us, there is little mystery. Our very existence
<br>
has challenged mediocrity. Since graduating from KPFA’s Apprenticeship
<br>
Program in 1995, HKR Executive Producer Weyland Southon has been a very
<br>
outspoken critic of KPFA’s status quo. HKR has been targeted because we
<br>
have emerged as a direct threat to KPFA’s entrenched powers that
be.<br><br>
As employees of a progressive institution, we are alarmed by the lack of
<br>
due process afforded us in this crisis. We have received no indication
<br>
from Pacifica or KPFA leadership that our concerns about workplace <br>
safety are being given any validity. The unapologetic conspiracy of <br>
silence and overall inaction of Pacifica management and the Local <br>
Station Board is suspect.<br><br>
This crisis has seriously disrupted our production, and is imposing <br>
incredible hardships on the HKR Staff who still work at KPFA daily. The
<br>
unwillingness of Pacifica and KPFA’s Local Station Board to resolve <br>
these issues effectively is literally jeopardizing the future existence
<br>
of Hard Knock Radio on the Pacifica Network. We have exhausted all <br>
internal processes regarding this matter. Our<br>
last resort is to fully inform our listener-supporters and ask that you
<br>
have our backs.<br><br>
<br>
Our demands and needs are simple and fair:<br><br>
<br>
1) Roy Campanella II should resign for creating and fostering a hostile
<br>
workplace for KPFA workers especially women and HKR Staff. His <br>
monumental mismanagement of KPFA puts our FCC license renewal at risk.
<br>
We need and deserve professional, responsible, and visionary leadership
<br>
that is willing to build a team that will KPFA into the future. We <br>
demand a safe and equitable workplace.<br><br>
2) HKR has been victimized by neglect and gross mismanagement at <br>
Pacifica and KPFA since our inception. We demand honest, efficient, and
<br>
transparent management practices. We demand fair and supportive <br>
supervision. We demand an end to management favoritism and
cronyism.<br><br>
3) We want an equitable distribution of resources, and demand that HKR
<br>
be given the highest possible budget priority. We want Pacifica and KPFA
<br>
to support and implement our innovative off-air fundraising strategies
<br>
so we can be more self-sufficient. We demand the necessary institutional
<br>
support to reach our goals so that HKR can realize its fullest potential
<br>
as a tool for social change. We demand the right of
self-determination.<br><br>
4) All persons responsible for this attack on HKR should be held <br>
accountable for their words and actions. Write letters in support of HKR
<br>
directly to KPFA’s Local Station Board. Letters typed on letterhead <br>
carry more weight than emails, so we are encouraging people to fax <br>
letters to 510.532.8461 and/or send mail C/O Tumi’s, 3028 International
<br>
Blvd, Oakland, CA, 94601. For emails, go to<br>
<a href="http://www.kpfa.org/lsb" eudora="autourl">www.kpfa.org/lsb</a>
and fill out the prompt. Email the Pacifica Foundation <br>
National Board direct at board@pacifica.org. Be sure to cc all emails to
<br>
HKR at hardknock@kpfa.org so that we can make your support
public.<br><br>
Yours in Struggle,<br><br>
HKR Staff<br>
Weyland Southon, Executive Producer<br>
Anita Johnson, Senior Producer<br>
David ‘Davey D’ Cook, Host<br>
Favianna Rodriguez, Correspondent<br>
Thenmozhi Soundarajan, Correspondent<br>
Nishat Kurwa, Correspondent<br>
Michael ‘Mike Biggz’ McKenna, Board Operator<br>
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