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Don Mack (Listener Candidate)

Candidate Questionnaire
Radio Spot
Video
Candidate Forum

Candidate Statement

I feel that my skills and experiences lend themselves to the needs of growing and maintaining KPFT programming and its physical facilities.
I listen to between 2 and 7 hours of KPFT a day, with my favorite shows being Democracy Now, Connect the Dots, Flashpoints, and Technology Bites.
I am an absolute believer in KPFT’s mission and current programming as they stand now, I believe that the views presented on KPFT are vastly underrepresented on the airwaves today, and that this situation is neither fair, nor good for the development of an educated and civil democratic society. I am generally politically and fiscally conservative, but range from conservative to very progressive on social issues.
Since some of my beliefs differ somewhat from the majority of KPFT listeners and board members, I feel that my input can be valuable to the station in trying to broaden the exposure of progressive viewpoints to audiences that might not otherwise find progressive beliefs argued and explained in a manner that might win their support.

I strongly support the programming AS CURRENTLY STRUCTURED.

Candidate Questionnaire

1. Why do you want to be on the Local Station Board ?
   I think I have skills and ideas to contribute to the station that can increase/broaden listenership and contributions.
   
2. How do you envision the Local Station Board working with the Pacifica Foundation,KPFT and the community?

   Not having been on the board, I am unsure of the exact interaction of the LSB with the national board. But I believe that ideas developed at the local level can often be applied on a national level.
   

3. How could the station better serve its' listeners?
   By trying to broaden it's base of listeners into a more diverse group.
   
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?
   The underrepresented communities I am familiar with seem well represented on KPFT. This shows my unfamiliarity with other communities. However, my vision is that for a civil democratic society, all sides need to listen to each other in order to reach a workable consensus compromise. I feel that KPFT needs to achieve a higher number of conservative listeners and fiscal contributors without changing it broadcast format or programming, so that opposing viewpoints can understand and digest/evaluate viewpoints presented on KPFT.
   
5. What sources of funding, other than listener donations, do you feel KPFT should solicit?
   If, as a policy, KPFT does not feel that corporate donations are achievable without influence, then KPFT needs to re-acquire those conservative donations that were lost with the changes to the music presentations (again, without going back to the past structures), and to try to acquire non-profit trust donations.
   
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?
   I have served on town home, condominium, and homeowner boards for 18 years, developing budgets, reaching compromises, and executing projects. I have also served on technical boards with professional associations to develop technical specifications. In addition, I have purchased, rehabilited, and utilized real estate in the Houston area. I am well familiar with construction techniques and costs involved in repairing and maintaining facilities.
   
7. Do you anticipate missing any Local Station Board meetings due to family or job related problems or inadequate transportation?
   I do not have all possible future business travel scheduled yet, so it is possible a conflict may arise. Transportation is not a problem, and my travel is 95% Friday or Saturday through Sunday so generally no.
   
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?
   Facilities Management, Development, Outreach, and Technology, these are my interests, but I will serve where my fellow board members feel my skills best fit.