[grc] FW: NEWS RELEASE: KKFI, Kansas City In Violation of By-Laws

Mon Dec 17 06:35:00 PST 2018

The more things change...

Until recently, GRC conferences hosted well-attended sessions about
radio-station takeovers, board illegalities, etc; drawing the
battle-scared, weary, and currently embattled. Without researching the past
in detail, the shape of the (current) KKFI struggle fits into a pattern,
one in which Pacifica (arguably) also participated. Certainly it is
familiar to me, having been through one of these at KRFC, and I know others
reading this list have been through similar station difficulties.

Those GRC sessions were as essential as any support group...

KKFI is also a station which is said to have survived one of these
disagreements. I don't have the details, but here's a bit of info on KKFI
from the early 2000's

https://www.thepitchkc.com/news/article/20614668/fly-in-the-soup
https://groups.google.com/forum/#!topic/misc.activism.progressive/PnuNnLZRt1U

Paul (pablito) Bame
Prometheus Radio Project <http://prometheusradio.org/>, Engineering Director
215.727.9620 x505
N0KCL/3

On Sat, Dec 15, 2018 at 1:24 PM taproot--- via grc <grc at maillist.peak.org>
wrote:

> I apologize for my extreme cynicism as displayed in that late-night post.
> I am glad that some folks are hanging in there to continue to fight the
> good fight to keep Pacifica together and defend the reforms of democratic
> community participation that some of us gave many years and heartache for.
> The endless byzantine tactics of some so-called 'progressives' and the
> current apparent turncoat betrayals of some friends and comrades I worked
> along side for so long took it's toll on me. I had to remove myself from
> the struggle for my own emotional health. Thank you for continuing to
> defend the reforms I and others gave so much to create. All the best, Curt
> Gray
>
> https://sites.google.com/site/therealsavekpfa/home
>
>
>
>
>
>
> > There are still a few of us within Pacifica attempting to pull head out
> of
> > sand and facilitate the still growing 250 stations infrastructure to slow
> > down fast approaching full fascism.  https://rescuepacifica.net/
> >
> > Also way to much top down control at KKFI for a community radio station.
> >
> > Tom.
> >
> >> From: taproot at lmi.net
> >>
> >> From whatever I have observed at Pacifica the procedure seems to be:
> >>
> >> 1) find sandbox.
> >>
> >> 2) stick your head deep enough into the sand until you can't hear or see
> >> whatever problems made you want to stick your head there in the first
> >> place.
> >>
> >> 3) get comfortable in that position. don't even try to imagine an
> >> alternative. Don't worry, everyone knows that if you ignore anything
> >> long
> >> enough it eventually just goes away.
> >>
> >>> Does NFCB have any procedures for conflict resolution at member
> >> stations?
> >>>
> >>> Frieda Werden, Series Producer
> >>> WINGS: Women's International News Gathering Service www.wings.org
> >>>
> >>>
> >>> On Tue, Dec 11, 2018 at 11:36 AM Sharon Lockhart via grc <
> >>> grc at maillist.peak.org> wrote:
> >>>
> >>>> ---------- Forwarded message ---------
> >>>> From: KKFIFour <kkfifour at gmail.com <mailto:kkfifour at gmail.com> >
> >>>> Date: Thu, Nov 22, 2018 at 8:07 PM
> >>>> Subject: NEWS RELEASE: KKFI Refuses to Follow By Laws
> >>>> To: <jbhargava at shawneedispatch.com
> >>>> <mailto:jbhargava at shawneedispatch.com>
> >>>>>
> >>>>
> >>>>
> >>>>
> >>>> FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
> >>>>
> >>>> Kansas City, MO
> >>>>
> >>>> November 20, 2018
> >>>>
> >>>>
> >>>>
> >>>> CONTACT:
> >>>> Amy Bell
> >>>>
> >>>>
> >>>>
> >>>> PHONE: 913 908 7914
> >>>>
> >>>>
> >>>>
> >>>> EMAIL:
> >>>> <mailto:KKFIFour at gmail.com>
> >>>> KKFIFour at gmail.com
> >>>>
> >>>>
> >>>>
> >>>> KKFI Refuses To Follow By-Laws
> >>>>
> >>>>
> >>>>
> >>>> Since January 23, 2018, Sharon Lockhart and three others have been
> >>>> trying
> >>>> to get KKFI to follow its due process rules. Rather than follow its
> >> own
> >>>> rules, KKFI (Mid-Coast Radio Project, Inc.) has resorted to
> >> allegations
> >>>> that Sharon Lockhart and the others were Ã¢discriminating against
> >> white
> >>>> men,Ã¢ a call seemingly borrowed from the alt right. KKFI then
> >>>> scrambled to
> >>>> revise its By-laws and again failed to follow proper procedure in that
> >>>> endeavor.
> >>>>
> >>>>
> >>>>
> >>>> The KKFI grievance committee refused to hear the grievance of the
> >> group
> >>>> of
> >>>> four people regarding station process and policy. As an alternative,
> >>>> Ms.
> >>>> Lockhart and the three other volunteer members offered to submit to an
> >>>> objective process with an outside mediator. Instead of agreeing to a
> >>>> reasonable process or engaging in civil discourse, KKFI accused Ms.
> >>>> Lockhart and the other three of Ã¢discriminating against white men.Ã¢
> >>>> This
> >>>> tactic, which also included a campaign of personal destruction against
> >>>> Ms.
> >>>> Lockhart, is a strong-arm course of conduct that should not be
> >> tolerated
> >>>> in
> >>>> a so- called community radio station.
> >>>>
> >>>>
> >>>>
> >>>> Ms. Lockhart is a producer and host of the Every Woman show. She has a
> >>>> KKFI volunteer track record of 23 years. With no violation of any
> >>>> standard or rule, she was suspended from her show and all volunteer
> >>>> committee work. Ms. Lockhart is no ordinary volunteer, she has single
> >>>> handedly saved KKFI thousands of dollars over the years while serving
> >> on
> >>>> the board and various committees.
> >>>>
> >>>>
> >>>>
> >>>> Ms. LockhartÃ¢s ouster occurred without any due process and with no
> >> one
> >>>> hearing her side of a disagreement that occurred or the course of
> >>>> events.
> >>>> KKFI will not provide due process or even acknowledge that the other
> >> two
> >>>> women that worked on the show also have a grievance because of certain
> >>>> actors at KKFI.
> >>>>
> >>>>
> >>>>
> >>>> Also joined in the grievance is a black man who was suspended because
> >>>> KKFI
> >>>> management allegedly found him Ã¢scary and dangerous.Ã¢ Indeed, KKFI
> >>>> management threatened to call police if the man of color entered the
> >>>> station again and he has been expelled from the station completely.
> >>>> His
> >>>> expulsion, without due process, was based upon an overheard
> >>>> conversation.
> >>>> Not one ounce of investigation has been put into the expulsion and the
> >>>> two
> >>>> parties to the conversation have been in each other company many times
> >>>> since the racist overreaction of KKFI.
> >>>>
> >>>>
> >>>>
> >>>> In the past, it has been a usual practice for the Grievance Committee,
> >>>> the
> >>>> KKFI Board, and management to refuse to hear grievances filed by
> >>>> members.
> >>>> This is apparently the first time they have been challenged. Most
> >>>> members
> >>>> recognize the cost of standing up and speaking out is to lose their
> >> spot
> >>>> on
> >>>> the air. In this way many past board and committee members have had to
> >>>> keep their heads down to keep their show. The four grievants are now
> >>>> paying the price and the community should rally behind them to prevent
> >>>> this
> >>>> injustice.
> >>>>
> >>>>
> >>>>
> >>>> KKFI decided that rather than follow the process outlined in its
> >>>> By-laws,
> >>>> it first stonewalled for weeks. Then it denied the grievance outright,
> >>>> and
> >>>> then determined that it got to pick and choose what grievance it would
> >>>> hear
> >>>> rather than the one that was put forward. A campaign of personal
> >>>> attacks
> >>>> were also lodged against Ms. Lockhart. She has been insulted publicly
> >>>> in a
> >>>> number of different ways that are commonly used to keep older women in
> >>>> their place, including, being called Ã¢abusiveÃ¢ and Ã¢vile.Ã¢ KKFI
> >>>> made
> >>>> spurious allegations that Ms. Lockhart wanted to Ã¢take the station
> >>>> downÃ¢
> >>>> and that she was a Ã¢bully.Ã¢
> >>>>
> >>>>
> >>>>
> >>>> After an appeal to the board, KKFI has given Ms. Lockhart an ultimatum
> >>>> that it will only hear her grievance but not the grievance of the
> >> other
> >>>> three people in the group as a whole grievance. KKFI has no reasoning
> >>>> for
> >>>> separating the group and failing to provide due process to the other
> >>>> three
> >>>> individuals. It has said that it will allow the other three to
> >>>> participate as Ã¢witnessesÃ¢ but they can only address the committee
> >>>> for 5
> >>>> minutes and cannot be in the room for the whole presentation.
> >>>>
> >>>>
> >>>>
> >>>> Prior to this latest twist, KKFI had agreed to go to an outside
> >>>> mediation
> >>>> but backed out of that promise because KKFI would not agree to the
> >>>> outside
> >>>> mediators the Grievants proposed (including two white men and a white
> >>>> woman). KKFI insisted on a single mediator it proposed. However, he
> >>>> lacked
> >>>> corporate experience and KKFI would not propose another mediator. KKFI
> >>>> then made horrible allegation that the grievants were Ã¢discriminating
> >>>> against white menÃ¢ because it rejected the proposed mediator. The
> >>>> GrievantsÃ¢ lawyer demanded a retraction of such a statement and,
> >>>> recognizing that it had crossed a line, KKFI withdrew the statement.
> >>>>
> >>>>
> >>>>
> >>>> KKFI claims to be a community radio station dedicated to giving a
> >>>> platform
> >>>> to diverse voices across the Kansas City area. It appears that this
> >>>> does
> >>>> not include the voices and opinions of strong women and black men.
> >>>> KKFI
> >>>> pretends that it operates fairly but apparently not when it is intent
> >>>> upon
> >>>> ridding itself of those who ask questions, and those who insist on
> >> fair
> >>>> play, ethical actions, and accountability. The public and other
> >> members
> >>>> should expect more of a publicly funded and donor supported non-profit
> >>>> radio station and tax- free institution.
> >>>>
> >>>>
> >>>>
> >>>> To request that KKFI hear the Grievance of the KKFI Four, as written,
> >>>> in
> >>>> a fair, transparent, and open setting, Call KKFI at 816 931-3122.
> >>>> Non-Profits owe accountability to public donors.
> >>>>
> >>>>
> >>>>
> >>>> ###
> >>>>
> >>>>
> >>>>
> >>>> If you would like more information about this topic, please call Amy
> >>>> Bell
> >>>> 913 908 7914
> >>>>
> >>>> or Email: KKFIFour at gmail.com <mailto:KKFIFour at gmail.com> .
> >>>>
> >>>> _______________________________________________
> >>>> grc mailing list
> >>>> grc at maillist.peak.org
> >>>> http://maillist.peak.org/mailman/listinfo/grc
> >>>>
> >>> _______________________________________________
> >>> grc mailing list
> >>> grc at maillist.peak.org
> >>> http://maillist.peak.org/mailman/listinfo/grc
> >>>
> >>
> >> _______________________________________________
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