Houston Committee for People's Radio Response to Recent KPFT/Pacifica
Events
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE (Houston, Texas) March 28, 2001
Houston Committee for People's
Radio Response to Recent KPFT/Pacifica Events
The Houston Committee for People's
Radio (H-CPR), a local group formed in 1999 to help educate the Houston community
and to assist in bringing Pacifica Radio station KPFT-FM 90 in Houston back into
alignment with it's chartered role to be the progressive voice of the community,
expresses its outrage and disappointment with the actions KPFT management and
Pacifica Foundation executives have taken recently.
Events at the KPFT studios
in Montrose last Friday, March 23, have been used by the custodians of the Pacifica
Foundation and Houston station KPFT to slander and verbally abuse those in the
community and across the nation who have been actively pursuing their right as
citizens and listeners to bring about necessary change to a system long out of
contact with the local communities they purport to represent. Their assertions,
we believe, are not only false and groundless, but serve as no more than the latest
attempt to discredit and demonize those who peacefully seek to oppose the corporate
takeover of the nation's last independent radio network. These desperate distortions
and outright lies must not remain unchallenged.
We believe that these current
actions by Pacifica's Executive Director Bessie Wash, National Board Chair David
Acosta, KPFT Manager Garland Ganter and others are antithetical to the mission,
purpose and spirit of Pacifica. Their allegations of physical and emotional violence
as well as racial and sex-baiting intimidation tactics have no place in this struggle
for truth. Thus, we will continue to non-violently and diligently work to ensure
that the reality behind such accusations and smear campaigns reaches the light
of day.
CONTACT INFORMATION:
Lee Loe, 713-524-2682
BACKGROUND INFO:
www.savepacifica.net
www.pacificacampaign.org
www.radio4all.org/freepacifica
Email Edwin Johnston - edi@hal-pc.org
Houston Statement on KPFT/Pacifica Violence 3/28/01
Joint Houston statement on WBAI violence 6/10/01
Joint Houston Statement on KPFT's Censorship of Democracy Now! 8/20/01
KPFT Loses in Court! DoJ Charges Filed Against Pacifica 9/6/01
Arrest of KPFT Local Advisory Board Member at KPFT 10/6/01
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