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Adnan Lakhani (Listener Candidate)

Candidate Questionnaire
Radio Spot
Video

Candidate Statement

My name is Adnan Lakhani and I would like to be part of the Local Station Board at KPFT because I strongly believe that KPFT is one the rare sources through which our communities can find what is really going on locally, nationally, and internationally. One of my main reasons for being on the LSB is to think of ways (and implement them) to make more people in Houston aware of KPFT and become active listener-members.
I have been listening to KPFT since I was in high school and the way I was introduced to it was through family and friends who were also concerned about social justice and community issues. Many people, especially young people in universities, even though they are concerned about the direction of their communities and social justice, are not aware of KPFT and the kind of amazing informative programming it offers (i.e. Democracy Now, etc).
KPFT, I believe, only has about 10,000 members out of a city that is close to 4 million in population and I am confident that there are many more people that want to hear news and analysis which is not only accurate, but is rooted in improving the conditions of our communities and other disenfranchised people. Aside from the critical role in public information dissemination, KPFT is one of the few sources of progressive voices and ideas and that is another very important reason for me to be part of LSB and make sure that more people have the opportunity to engage in these ideas and issues.

Currently, I am a 20 year old senior at the University of Houston with the intention of obtaining a B.S. in Mathematics and minors in English and History.
I also work as a research assistant at the UT-Houston Medical School in neuroscience. A question that any listener-member might have is that I might be too young and inexperienced to be part of the LSB, however I strongly believe that my experience and enthusiasm would argue against that thinking. In the past, aside from volunteering in so many community activities, I have been an active leader in the United Way Youth Advisory Committee, where I along with other young students raising hundreds and thousands of dollars and distributed those funds to community organizations and centers (i.e. SHAPE and Covenant House) as well as building a park annually in minority communities.
Today, one of the organizations that I am very involved in is Unheard-Voices, which is a student organization at the University of Houston where students bring to forefront neglected issues about disenfranchised people in a creative manner (www.unheard-voices.org).
I have been always passionate about community service and awareness and being part of LSB at KPFT is really another way for me to continue to make a positive impact. If any listener-member has any questions about where I stand on specific issues, please do not hesitate to contact me at anlakhani@gmail.com

Candidate Questionnaire

1. Why do you want to be on the Local Station Board ?
   As a young college student I have always displayed my passion for community outreach through my participation in various different grass-roots as well as international community events. My desire to be part of LSB is a continuation of my passion for community service. In particular my goal is to contribute in a more active manner to not only the improvement of public information dissemination, but also to make sure that KPFT plays a larger and more substantive role in the development of our communities.
   
2. How do you envision the Local Station Board working with the Pacifica Foundation,KPFT and the community?

   While I personally do not distinguish between these different entities since all of us are really striving for the same goal of community enhancement, I strongly feel that LSB will serve as a more organized “arm” of the various community voices and ideas for this community radio station. LSB is a very appropriate democratic channel by which listeners can have an influence and more actively engage in the decision-making process in “their” community radio station.
   

3. How could the station better serve its' listeners?
   Pacifica radio already serves its listeners, but I of the attitude that there is always room for improvement. The goal should be to assess our various communities' needs and goals and try to integrate that and reflect those ideas from our listeners in our programming. Pacifica needs to be willing to change and experiment with new creative community-driven ideas in order to hopefully better serve the listeners and our communities.
   
4. Describe some actions you would take to increase the influence of the station in underrepresented communities and to increase the diversity of the listening audience?
   First of all, there are many people in Houston that just do not know about KPFT and in particular even if they have heard of 90.1, they are not aware of the kind of specific regular programming that might interest them. KPFT needs to better advertise and make its presence felt in the Greater Houston area. If KPFT has a larger and evermore diverse audience, it will be able to better help communities. I believe Pacifica has the potential to be “bigger” than it is as far as number of members and its influence locally and nationally.
   
5. What sources of funding, other than listener donations, do you feel KPFT should solicit?
   KPFT's main source of funding should always be listener donations because this ensures that the needs and issues of the listeners are always of primary importance to KPFT and its programming. However, I do feel that we should explore funding from other nonprofit foundations and organizations as they are also really just an extension of the communities which they serve.
   
6. Please state briefly the skills, experience, educational background, work history, organizational affiliations, areas of community service, areas of interest and expertise that you would bring to the Pacifica network as a member of the Local Station Board?
   Currently, I am a junior trying to obtain a B.S. in Mathematics with a minor in English and History. Over the years, my work experience involves primarily working as a research assistant as well as working for small business. As of today, I am working at UT-Houston Medical School involved in neuroscience research. I mention this because I approach every issue analytically at first trying to understand it and then working towards a solution in a systematic and practical manner that is coherent with my goals; I believe that this type of attitude is critical for KPFT's success. My long list of community service and activities include participation with United Way Advisory Committee, raising funds for various international charitable activities, and especially with creating awareness on campus (www.unheard-voices.org). Being active in the community for my entire life has really instilled in me the importance of social issues and the consequences if they are neglected. Hence, this provides the foundation for my passion for KPFT, its endeavors, and to be part of LSB.
   
7. Do you anticipate missing any Local Station Board meetings due to family or job related problems or inadequate transportation?
   While I do work and attend college, I do not anticipate missing any meetings. I am running because I feel that I can keep up with the duties that come with being part of the LSB.
   
8. On which Local Station Board committees are you interested in actively serving? If you are a current Local Station Board member, on which committees do you currently serve?
   Some committees that I feel I might be interested in are Program Council Committee, Program Policy Committee, and Program Evaluation. Hopefully, I will have a better idea after meeting with current LSB members.