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Richard Uzzell (Listener Candidate-Incumbent)

Candidate Questionnaire
Radio Spot
Video
Video 2
Candidate Forum
Candidate Forum 2

Candidate Statement

Our Houston KPFT is a unique and vital part of our Pacifica Family. We best serve ourselves and our larger family by building-on and strengthening our local Houston, Texas uniqueness; and by providing leadership both locally and through-out the Pacifica Network.

It's time to keep… Pumping Up The Volume.

Please Vote to Re-Elect, Richard Uzzell

Board Members for which YOU cast your Valuable Vote,

• Must Have Clear Goals and
  
• Must show-up and Do the Necessary Hard Work.

Please Vote to Re-Elect RICHARD UZZELL...

• In addition to elected Board Secretary, I'm working with others on Management Review, Programming Policy, and Governance;
• Also I'm helping to develop our revolutionary new Program Council, which will expand democratic involvement into actual “day to day” programming decisions.
• I helped found and Chair our new Facilities Management & Planning Team which has strengthened the handicap accessibility goals of our station, while beginning to develop a planned approach to growing our studio space.

Please Vote to Re-Elect RICHARD UZZELL

Pump Up The Volume.

THANK YOU, Richard

Candidate Questionnaire

1. Why do you want to be on the Local Station Board ?
   Last year I said, ”I've seen KPFT grow from an idea to a reality. I had the honor of cutting boards and driving nails to help build the first two studios. Seeing us come so close to losing our station was quite a shock. I have been supportive of recent changes, and I so admire you folks who fought on the front line and got our station back. Now it's time for me and all of us to step-up and assure that not only don't we lose our station, but that we strengthen and improve KPFT so that we may achieve the full potential of our Mission Statement. I've been in the trenches of social and political fights and I've also done the non-glamorous work of Board member. I feel good about the experience and knowledge I have and I want to be there for our station. I also know that nothing in a larger sense will change for the better if we allow our hearts to grow bitter. Please excuse the sports terminology , but I feel strongly that we must (while honoring our differences) come together as a supportive Team. TEAM KPFT.”
   Today, I am asking that you re-elect me, so that I may have a full term to continue what I think has been a very successful first year. It was been my pleasure to serve in the first democratically elected KPFT Local Station Board in several important roles. These roles include the elected Board Secretary; member of the committee that is building our new, truly revolutionary KPFT Program Council (that will bring listeners and programmers into the actual day to day programming decisions and I helped found and Chair the Facilities Management and Planning Committee that has helped further our handicap accessibility goals and has begun a planned approach to growing our studio space. Also I am active in Management Review, Program Policy and Governance. While some nay sayers scoff saying “little has been done”, I know for a fact that we have accomplished a great deal and have built a strong foundation upon which KPFT can truly start to build for a stronger future. In fact, of Pacifica's five Local Station Board's our Houston KPFT LSB is far ahead; and the other stations are asking us to share our accomplishments with them. The TEAM KPFT leadership for which I was hopeful is coming true and I would love to continue the work I have begun.
   
2. How do you envision the Local Station Board working with the Pacifica Foundation,KPFT and the community?
   Last year I said, “We are Pacifica and we are our community and we are uniquely Houston KPFT. While being supportive of our larger Pacifica family, we can best serve them and our local community by being true to our uniqueness and providing leadership and example.
   We must assure that we have a quality physical plant and state of the art equipment. Then putting our facilities to there fullest use, we must have the courage and imagination to product high quality locally produced programs that we can market to the Pacifica Network and to other national and international outlets. We must work to strengthen existing local programming with on-going workshops that provides positive feedback and new ideas. KPFT is in a unique position to build community awareness and positive activism; and to have some fun at the same time. This could take the form of festivals, forums, community events, and seminars to entertain, educate, train and build community activism.”
   As I said in question #1, our KPFT TEAM has been working through our formative first year, showing leadership and guidance to the Pacifica Foundation as a whole. A great deal of what has been accomplished is hard to see, foundation building. In addition to this difficult and important work, we have begun to reach out to the many diverse communities of our area. We have established a multi-ethnic, multi-racial Community Advisory Board that will, among other activities, develop our mandated Community Needs Assessment. We have staged several community activities and are currently planning for this fall, our first two mandated :Town Hall Meeting.” Our Development Committee has already completed several fund raising/ community events and is currently working to develop many new, creative ideas. In the Building (Facilities) and Technology areas, we have begun to make important accomplishments. Our building is now wheelchair assessable and our handicap bathroom is in the works. Technical needs like equipment up-dates and software registration are beginning to happen. Our revolutionary, new Program Council will open-up our programming to more community involvement and we have begun to build more local programming that may be marketed to spread our influence and raise some funds at the same time.
   
3. How could the station better serve its' listeners?
   Last year I said, “My response to question #2 addresses this, but let me add one thing. I strongly support the requirement of the Pacifica Foundation By-laws of having public “Town Hall-style meetings at least twice a year” to gather community and listeners' “views, needs and concerns.” I would even proposes that we go a couple of steps further. These meetings should be moved around and be held in neighborhoods, and ongoing surveys and polls should be part of our web site.”
   As I stated earlier, our programs to reach out to the many diverse communities of our broadcast area have begun. We are limited only by our imagination and our energy, and I know our elected LSB is rich with resources to bring much into being.
   
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?
   Last year I said, “It begins with honestly listening to the input provided by the station listeners, then by following up with responsive actions. I think that it is a mistake to think that the only thing that means action is air time. By developing training, program production, marketing of local productions and the development of community events, KPFT can greatly multiple and expand our services to all parts of our community. Air time is limited to the clock. Community activism is limited only by our imagination. KPFT can and should be a catalysis and a workshop.”
   We are building an infrastructure to better and more completely open our community resource (KPFT) and we are also laying the ground work to providing “real, hands-on” opportunities to respond when more from the various communities come forward to embrace KPFT.
   
5. What sources of funding, other than listener donations, do you feel KPFT should solicit?
   Last year I said, “I think Pacifica must be very careful about receiving donations. Our listener sponsors and our community (lead my our mission statement) must always direct KPFT's actions. Although arguments exist for cooperative models over corporate, responding with total negativity might not be our best response. Many corporations are non-profit and would not have business entanglements. And, although many corporation like Coke-Cola and McDonald's have questionable environmental, humanitarian, labor and business practices, some folks like Ben and Jerry's Ice Cream have a good “track record.” The real test would be a look at the corporation's mission statement and at their record of environmental, humanitarian, labor and business practices, then compare them to Pacifica's mission statement.”
   And I still feel that we must lead with our Mission Statement.
   
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?
   Last year I said, “I'm a pretty good listener and I “work and play well with others.” I have a college education, but I've worked most of my life with my hands and I have a great deal of “blue collar” empathy. I totally support Pacifica's Mission Statement, and I see it and KPFT as strong vehicles to help our culture to be more just, fair, open, responsive, environmentally sensitive, inclusive and fun.
   Being a builder, I understand the importance of a strong foundation: with KPFT our foundation is our people and our mission. While we must facilitate and nurture our various “different” communities and insights; we must also come together and build a TEAM KPFT, substituting love for rivalries. And we must be open, creative and imaginative enough to expand the scope of your products, to and from all aspects of our community.
   I don't say this to brag: I say it to show I've been there. As Jimmy Hendricks says “I am experienced.” I've been tear gassed and hit by cops and I've gone to jail,, I've shouted and I've sung songs, I've cried and I've cheered, I've driven kids to breakfast programs and I've driven nails, I've defended clinics and I've stocked pantry shelves, I've registered people to vote and I've driven them to the poll, I've helped stop construction of a medical waste incinerator and I've recycled for over thirty years, I've helped organize groups and I've served on Boards, I've written and amended by-laws, I've won some and I've lost some. And now, I'd love to get the opportunity to serve our old friend, KPFT. Thank You.”
   You folks elected me to a partial term and we've put in a lot of time and started to build a stronger, more response KPFT. Now, I am asking you to please elect me to a full term. It's time to Keep Pumping Up The Volume. Thanks.

   Submitted by RICHARD UZZELL,
   Richard_Uzzell_3@hotmail.com