Open letter to Mr. Starr by Marc Rubinn
Sunday January 27, 2002 10:11 AM

Dear Mr. Starr,
Congratulations on your new post as General Manager of KPFK.
I can't even imagine what must be going on there now. But beyond imagining I would like to share my unsolicited advice as a long time (before the "bad times") listener and former sponsor, and present boycotter.

The last message on the web site http://www.disc.server.com that I read informed me that you had just replaced the KPFK report and I do imagine that over the next week or two more programs that represent the direction the "old board" was headed in will also be replaced.

That's fine with me but what I would like to see is the following: Don't go overboard. Replace enough shows to put in place the 3-5 hours of prime time programming a week devoted to discussing what listeners need to hear in order to make intelligent decisions in the upcoming elections and leave it at that. I.e. lift the gag rule and let the debate begin. I believe that the sudden total reversal of programming that for the last couple of years has obviously been well-established at KPFK will sow more dissension than necessary. I would. in fact, like to see about an even split between the two factions at KPFK staff wise or at least programming wise. I am assuming that there is still a majority of staff there that is very dissappointed and even angry with the new turn of events since the settlement of the lawsuits. I think it will be one of your primary and most difficult jobs to steer clear of a wholeaale purge of the station and to mediate between the factions while over time the story comes out (also in a highly moderated fashion) over the air. Then let the listeners decide and have faith that the free flow of such informative discussion will turn the tide all by itself.

I also have a suggestion about how to deal with the conflict that will no doubt be on-going between those two major factions until the community has had a chance to determine the course of programming. I would suggest you make time (even though you don't have it) to read a book about how to resolve large group conflict called "Sitting in the Fire" by Arnold Mindell. The information in the book will hopefully suggest a possible way of getting the "sides" to some kind of interim working relationship. I'd like to hear your reactions to this email and the book if time permits.

Sincerely, Marc Rubinn, Los Angeles, CA; a listener searching for what will work in the long term.