...K P F T news...K P F T news
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CRITICISM: On February 15th, the City of Houston had the largest turn out for an anti-war demonstration since the Vietnam War era. Over 3,500 peaceniks, socialists, Republicans, Greens, Democrats, people of faith, radical drummers and noise-makers, activists, families, veterans and ordinary citizens from every walk of life came out to voice dissent against George Bush's campaign to wage war against the already ravaged people of Iraq.
Globally, a multi-generational, multi-cultural and multi-ideological group massed by the millions to speak out against the war. The commercial media covered this newsworthy event in force. Since Saturday, news outlets such as CNN, Fox News, MSNBC and others regularly run footage and commentary on the anti-war protests and the movement that has spurned them. Locally, television and radio news outlets covered Saturday's event and gave it live coverage, while the Houston Chronicle ran it on the front page of Sunday's edition. But who is left out of this equation? Sadly, the local Pacifica Radio affiliate KPFT, a community radio station with roots in public affairs, did not broadcast any live coverage of the march or rally. KPFT management instead opted to support the "Sound of Texas" music programming fund drive. While sister [Pacifica] stations KPFA in Berkeley and WBAI in New York City pre-empted regular programming for coverage from the actions and protests around the world, KPFT played the latest and greatest tunes by Lyle Lovett and Robert Earl Keene. While the New York Police Department's mounted cops were trampling protestors on Third avenue, KPFT management avoided any controversy within the music community and attempted to appease public affairs advocates with a barely advertised last minute live "Web cast" on KPFX [can be found at www.kpfx.org]. The previous management favored music programming over politics and public affairs, when the new management took over it seemed that new progressive programming was on the horizon, but KPFT management still cravenly bows to the money raising ability of the Sound of Texas. As an activist and organizer of progressive causes in and around Houston, I am always distressed to see the treatment of progressive causes by the corporate media. They are typically negative, shallow or non-existent. As an activist in the Save Pacifica campaign, I thought that returning the station to its public affairs roots would give progressives and activists in the five signal areas a badly needed media institution. But for the second time in the past year, KPFT management has greatly disappointed me. First, after the April 17th, 2002 "Bob Buzzanco-Jewish Voices" incident when KPFT management refused to act on behalf of one of its programmers against untrue allegations and smears, and now in its decision to highlight music programming over the largest local anti-war rally in recent memory. As a participant for the February 15th Coalition to Stop the War in Iraq, I worked non-stop in the past weeks to organize, do outreach and advertise for the Houston event. I also helped the Houston Indy Media Center cover and web cast the event. Furthermore, many other peace, anti-war and activist groups worked even harder than me. Yet, as one of those seeking to prevent this horrible war, I question why KPFT, the supposed "non-corporate" media outlet, the bastion of uncensored free speech and a haven for media activists did not cover the event. If management panders to the music community for money, neglects its activist base and doesn't use the 100,000-kilowatt station to broadcast the cries for peace than why did we work so hard to save this station? Scott Parkin, KPFT News, Houston.
E-mail Scott Parkin at sparkin2002@yahoo.com .
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