[grc] Another Community Radio Success Story

[Adrienne Lauby]

I'm sure this happens all the time, but I thought it was worth reposting.  So often we wonder what 
effect we are having.  Here's a story with a 24 hour turn around and some statistics.....  Adrienne

from: Carol Wolfley,  Member of KPFA Community Advisory Board and Outreach Committee

Here's what happened:  I got an email that the downtown Berkeley Post Office was in contract to be 
sold in the commercial sector.  I talked with others and we wanted to respond rapidly to mobilize 
against the closing of a sale.  I sent an email to a KPFA unpaid staff member I knew, Adrienne 
Lauby, and she forwarded it to several other programmers asking for radio-media support.  I got an 
email back from Kris Welch asking for an on-air interview the next morning as part of her Saturday 
Morning Talkies newscast, “to tell folks about this”.

We set it up for JP Massar from Berkeley Post Office Defense media to be interviewed and he talked 
on the show about what was happening.  He invited listeners to an impromptu meeting that morning at 
11 am on the steps of the Post Office.  Kris’ coverage really helped get the word out.  Over 20 
people came to our organizing meeting and many talked about hearing about it on Kris’s program. They 
in turn began a collaborative effort among individuals and organizations for a rally, and a direct 
action music presence for the coming week.  Since then, other KPFA programmers and hosts have 
continued to follow the story as it develops and announce the mobilizing events.

This was a great connection between KPFA and our local “signal range” community.  Not only was JP 
from Berkeley Post Office Defense interviewed, we also got to hear from local activist Starhawk 
about her recent environmental and social justice involvement and more.  I so much appreciate this 
kind of interconnection—for me at this challenging time in our culture, it’s the life blood of free 
speech, it's community radio.