Repost - Pacifica Campaign
Protest Suspension of 'Seditious Beats' Host Fidel Rodriguez
Fri Dec 21 07:55:52 2001

Despite a Recent Settlement of the Lawsuits Against Pacifica Radio, Arbitrary and Retaliatory Actions Continue at KPFK by Management: 'Seditious Beats' Hosted By Community Organizer Fidel Rodriguez Suspended Indefinitely

LOS ANGELES, CA (December 21, 2001)-- Despite a recent settlement of the lawsuits against Pacifica Radio Network, arbitrary and retaliatory actions continue at Los Angeles' KPFK 90.7 FM by management. "Seditious Beats" hosted by community organizer Fidel Rodriguez was 'suspended indefinitely' by KPFK interim Program Director Josh Berman.

"Given the track record" of KPFK's management, the timing of his suspension is highly suspect," said Karen Pomer organizer for the Pacifica Campaign LA, Three weeks ago Fidel Rodriguez was the co-emcee of a fundraising event attended by over 1, 000 people for Pacifica/KPFK flagship program 'Democracy Now! hosted by award-winning journalist Amy Goodman."

WHAT: Picket-line of listeners, donors and former staff of KPFK

WHEN: Friday, December 28, 2001 9 AM- 11 AM

WHERE: Outside KPFK's studios 3729 Cahuenga Blvd. West North Hollywood, Ca 91604 (near Lankersheim)

CALL AND E-MAIL: General Mark Schubb 818 985-2711 Ext: 503e-mail: GM@kpfk.org to demand the return of 'Seditious Beats'. Josh Berman, Program Director's e-mail is jberman@kpfk.org

During the six-year tenure of Mark Schubb, KPFK General Manger over 150 staff and volunteers have been banned or fired from the station the station. Including, eliminating people of color from "drive time" public affairs programs and drastically cutting back Spanish-language programming. One reporter for Pacifica National News was suspended and fired for writing a story for an outside publication on the 10, 000 person demonstration outside Pacifica's Berkley station KPFA.

Just last week Bob Fass a 40-year veteran of WBAI/Pacifica New York was suspended by Robert Daughtry, GM at WBAI .Daughtry said Fass broke the WBAI gag-rule by reporting a news story on the law-suit settlement on air.

Seditious Beats is an award-winning and number one rated 3 hour live Hip-Hop show highlighting the positive and uplifting aspects of Hip-Hop culture which reaches a wide and diverse audience whose musical tastes often transcend the "boundaries" of the genre. The show focuses on "de-colonizing the minds of its listeners through a peoples history of the world," said Rodriguez. "It was created and developed as a way to expose youth and adults to the power of education and music and their ability to create messages of hope for a new society based on justice, truth and love."

Former state senator Tom Hayden honored Seditious Beats for their "enormous and continuous efforts to touch and transform lives through conscious radio". Seditious Beats airs Friday (evening)/Saturday morning), Midnight - 3 AM on KPFK 90.7 FM.

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Pacifica Campaign LA
10573 W. Pico Blvd. #166
Los Angeles, CA 90064
Tel: 323 878-5680
http://www.pacificacampaign.org