Help Out with Programming at KPFT
KPFT is seeking listeners to help out with a new committee that will report its findings to station management about the quality of programming and ways of improving programming.
Contact Ernesto Aguilar [pd@kpft.org] to get involved.
Local Community Radio Act Passes, Help Needed
Our friends at the Prometheus Radio Project report that today the House of Representatives overwhelmingly passed the Local Community Radio Act with a voice vote.
Now all eyes are on the Senate. Prometheus says you can call your Senators this week and ask them to get the Local Community Radio Act (S592) on the Senate agenda.
“Once we pass the bill, we can light up the country with real local media – bringing community news, independent music, and local perspectives to the public airwaves,” Prometheus says.
New Pacifica Foundation Executive Director Chosen
The Pacifica National Board has selected Arlene Engelhardt to be the new Executive Director of Pacifica. She has been involved with WMNF, a community radio station in Tampa, Florida for almost 20 years – as a programmer, a board member and as President of the Board.
Arlene has a background in both non-profit and for-profit management, as Executive Director of United Cerebral Palsy and as Vice President of Product Development at a multimedia publishing company. She has been a lifelong peace activist and believes passionately that Pacifica is one of the most important institutions of our time, a time of exciting challenges.
She says, “In these turbulent economic times, whether you call it a recession or the beginning of a depression, I am concerned about the effect on people. People will be reaching out for personal connections, for human warmth and compassion, and no other medium can meet these needs like radio. Radio at its best is the most personal of all communicative mediums.”
Arlene will be starting on December 1st.
KPFT LSB Election Results
Congratulations! The new members of the LSB are as follows:
Listener
Bill Crosier
Robert L. Mark
Wesley Bethune
DeWayne Lark
Susie Moreno
Nancy Hentschel
Mike Jones
Herbert Steptoe
Nancy Saibaria-Naritomi
Staff
Ronald Reynolds
Rhonda R. Garner
Liana Lisa Lopez
Pacifica Radio Archives, DeShazor Win Bader Award
The Pacifica Radio Archives and Brian DeShazor, its Director, will be honored by the National Federation of Community Broadcasters with the 2010 Bader Award.
The Pacifica Radio Archives assess, preserve and make available to the widest possible public, historic radio programs of the highest social, cultural and artistic value in its collection of approximately 40,500 original audio tapes. These programs, mostly dating from the 1950s through the 1980s, document the essential movements, experiments and musings of the latter half of the 20th century, as broadcast on one or more of the Pacifica Radio Stations: KPFA in Berkeley, California; KPFK in Los Angeles, California; KPFT in Houston, Texas; WBAI in New York City; and WPFW in Washington, DC. The Archives project began was commenced in 1973.
Mr. DeShazor began his work with Pacifica in 1998 when he came to the Archives as a temporary worker. In 1999 the Foundation was in turmoil with a takeover and lockout, and he was one of the few people in the Foundation who saw the intrinsic value in these Archives, materials worthy of being protected and preserved. He immediately began his work with his mentor, Adi Gevins, on preserving the tapes. In 2002 Pacifica Radio embarked on a long-term preservation & access project. They were granted small sums from the National Endowment for the Arts and the Grammy Foundation. With these grants, DeShazor and the staff were able to bring in consultants and shape the Archives into what they are today. The Archives can be accessed at www.Pacificaradioarchives.org.
Much of the success of these Archives is due to Mr. DeShazor’s sheer passion for the project. He described his connection this way: “These recorded histories have never been accessible to the general public. These recordings document civil rights and liberties which are not taught in schools. I am so privileged to have access to this education and I am humbled to be able to share it. Community radio possesses so much that is worthy of preservation and legacy.”
NFCB is honored to present this award to the Pacific Radio Archives and its Director, Brian DeShazor. Debbie Benedict, NFCB Board Chair and General Manager of WTIP in Grand Marais, Minnesota said, “The Pacifica Archives represent an extraordinary asset not only for Community Radio, but for the American people. The NFCB Board places high value on the preservation of our history. We are grateful to Brian and his staff for the loving care they have given to these precious resources.”
The Bader Award is given annually for a single stunning innovation or a lifetime of vital contributions to Community Radio. This award honors individuals or groups whose work has advanced the vision and values of Community Radio, whether in programming, management, infrastructure development, technology or development of the field. The winner is chosen by the Board of Directors of the National Federation of Community Broadcasters.
Mr. DeShazor will be presented with the award at the 2010 Community Radio Conference, June 9-12 in St Paul, Minnesota. Previous Bader Award Recipients include: John Crigler (2009) of Garvey Schubert Barer, Hugo Morales (2008) of Radio Bilingüe, and Ellin O’Leary (2007) of Youth Radio.
The National Federation of Community Broadcasters is an alliance of stations, producers, and others committed to Community Radio. NFCB advocates for national public policy, funding, recognition, and resources on behalf of its membership, while providing services to empower and strengthen community broadcasters through the core values of localism, diversity and public service.
KPFT Ballot Count Seeks Volunteers
From KPFT Election Supervisor Ann Shaw:
We will be counting ballots for the 2009 Local Station Board Elections this week!
WITNESS AND HANDS-ON VOLUNTEERS ARE NEEDED AND GREATLY APPRECIATED.
Counting will take place at the upstairs meeting room at
CENTRAL MARKET at 3815 Westheimer, at the corner of Westheimer and Weslayan.
Noon to 7 p.m. on Friday, November 13th
5:30 to 10 p.m. on Saturday, November 14th
8:00 a.m. until 2 p.m. on Sunday, November 15th (as needed)
The ballot counting process is open to all.
If you would like to volunteer, it would be most helpful if you could let me know ahead of time by email at election@kpft.org or phone – 615-967-6990. However, you are more than welcome to come to Central Market during the designated times and volunteer without signing up in advance.
(Note: Since we can only estimate the time needed to complete the counting process, we cannot guarantee that we will at Central Market for all the time allotted, so please feel free to call me at the above number before you head over.)
Candidates are welcome to witness but may not process (touch) any ballots.
Once the ballots have been counted and the results certified, I will email all KPFT members with the official results and post the information on the KPFT website.
The protocol for the vote counting process is detailed below.
Questions? Please contact me at election@kpft.org, or at 615-967-6990.
Thank you for your support of KPFT.
KPFT Seeks Phone Volunteers
From Volunteer Coordinator Eddie Garcia:
The KPFT Fall Pledge Drive started this weekend and is running everyday until Saturday, Nov. 14.
We’re already having an awesome time talking with our listeners, volunteers, programmers and staff. If you haven’t had the chance to volunteer during a pledge drive, it’s a great time to get to know the KPFT family better.
The pledges are coming in like crazy and we’re still short on Phone Volunteers during weekdays and evenings.
We need your help and we’re asking YOU to sign up. Join us and enjoy the great conversations, many laughs and delicious food!
The schedule for phone volunteering is flexible: including mornings, evenings and weekends. We can use your help especially between 8:30 am – 12 noon or 5:30 pm – 8 pm on weekdays.
We also have volunteer openings anytime between 6:30 am and 11 pm any day of the drive, including weekends. Call or contact us to find out what times are still available.
Sign up now to ensure that every call that comes in with a donation to KPFT will be answered by a friendly voice. Be sure to contact Eddie at volunteer@kpft.org or 713-526-4000, ext 316 so that we can coordinate full coverage throughout the drive.
Get the word out to your friends and contacts that we will have another special Training for new Phone Volunteers this Wednesday, Oct. 28 from 6 pm to 6:45 pm here at the station, 419 Lovett Blvd.
Hot Air Open Deadline Approaching
Whether you’re a serious golfer or a proud duffer, you want to be playing in KPFT’s 2nd Annual Hot Air Open, Sunday November 8 at Southwyck Golf Club, 2901 Clubhouse Dr. Pearland 77584, 713.436.9999. (map).
It’s still not to late to register as a player or to become one of our sponsors!
$100 Entry Fee per person - To Register, download a registration form and mail it in.
All Entries Include: T-Shirt, Dinner, and beer courtesy of St. Arnolds – After party with music and a silent auction.
For any questions, call Sandra at 832-368-6832 or Shelly at 832-368-6604. And of course, all is revealed at the Hot Air Open web site!
Pacifica Radio Archives Preserved Tapes Now Online
The Pacifica Radio Archives is proud to announce the Pacifica recordings preserved thanks to a Preservation and Access grant funded by the GRAMMY Foundation are available online.
The programs that include poetry, music, spoken word, lecture, radio documentary and interviews, represent the best of what Pacifica Radio has contributed to the recorded arts and sciences. Of the 300 recordings preserved, 27 programs of exceptional quality and significance are available to listen to for free.
Please take a moment to browse these titles and maybe take a listen, and maybe make a donation.
Pick Up Great Gifts at Our Sister Station’s Auction
Visiting the Washington, DC area? Or just want to help out KPFT’s sister station? WPFW is doing its annual online auction now. You can pick up a variety of very cool memorabilia, including jazz classics, artwork and historical photographs.
Click here to review items up for auction and to place a bid.
