2/1/01 Today Amy Goodman, during Democracy Now! fundraising on KPFA, and after stating that a gag rule is in place at WBAI, read a newspaper story with Juan Gonzalez' resignation speech, as well as his letter of resignation..
She recommended that the by-laws should be discussed by everyone, in public forums, all over the country -- this is so important and we need to fight to preserve it. It's not real estate, it is about having a voice. "We must maintain our network."
1/31/01
From Juan Gonzalez' moving and chilling resignation speech:
"Starting today, I will be joining other Pacifica listeners in a national corporate campaign that will not rest until every board member who has orchestrated this hijacking resigns and a new board is in place -- one that is democratically accountable to the network's listeners, community and staff. "
Sign up with the "Pacifica Campaign" that he recommends on this page: http://www.pacificacampaign.org/
"The corporate campaign must pursue two main tactics: 1) An intensive effort at WBAI and all other Pacifica stations (perhaps with the exception of KPFA) to cut off listener and foundation donations. 2) A non-violent direct action campaign to picket the offices, homes and any public events of selected board members - thus to hold them personally responsible for their actions and to make their lives miserable until they resign."
>From: "Lyn Gerry" <redlyn@loop.com>
>Date: Wed, 31 Jan 2001 11:57:35 -0500
>
>PLEASE FORWARD WIDELY TO ANY CONCERNED ABOUT
>SAVING Pacifica Radio for the people!
>
>Juan Gonzalez' announcement of his resignation from Democracy
>Now! and the initiation of a massive corporate campaign to remove
>the Pacifica Board and take back Pacifica Radio is now on line, if
>you missed the announcement this morning
>http://www.radio4all.net/proginfo.php?id=2574
>
>For those without audio capabilities, a summary:
>
>Juan cited the gag rule, the persecution of Amy Goodman and the
>policis and actions of Pacifica's corporatized Board of Directors
>clique to steal and destroy Pacifica Radio as the reason that he felt
>compelled to resign as co-host of Democracy Now! and devote his
>energies to a massive corporate campaign which will include a
>nationwide boycott of donations to Pacifica UNTIL THE BOARD
>RESIGNS OR IS REMOVED, and a diversion of those funds to the
>legal and activist efforts throughout the nation to fight the takeover.
>
>Hooray, Juan! It's about time! They must not use our funds against
>us to destroy our radio.
>
>You don't have to wait to contibute to the lawsuits against the
>criminal Pacifica Board
>
>Contributions of any amount gleefully and gratefully accepted to the
>joint legal fund for the three lawsuit can be sent to
>
>Free Pacifica Legal Action/Vanguard Foundation,
>c/o The Vanguard Public Foundation
>383 Rhode Island Street, Suite 301
>San Francisco, CA 94103
-----------
Published on January 31, 2001 by Common Dreams
Democracy Now! Co-Host Resigns On Air After Delivering Scathing Attack on Pacifica Board
The crisis at Pacifica radio took a dramatic turn this morning during the live national broadcast of Democracy Now!
Juan Gonzalez, longtime co-host of the networks most successful program, opened today's show by delivering a scathing attack on the Pacifica Radio Network's board of directors and management. Breaking the network's 'Gag Rule', Gonzalez urged listeners to take back Pacifica Radio from "a small clique that has more in common with corporate vultures than with working-class Americans". He complained of 'unprecedented attacks' on co-host Amy Goodman and resigned 'effective immediately.'
Gonzalez pledged to devote his energies to a massive campaign which will include a nationwide boycott of donations to Pacifica until the board resigns or is removed, and a diversion of those funds to the legal and activist efforts throughout the nation to fight the takeover. Listeners wishing to join the campaign should call 212-871-9322, or e-mail: pacificacampaign@yahoo.com.
Co-host Amy Goodman emotionally thanked Gonzalez before switching to a taped program.
Democracy Now! was censored today over the Pacifica station in Washington DC - WPFW - about a minute into Juan's resignation. The rest of the show was kept off the air.
To hear audio of the Gonzalez resignation: http://www.radio4all.net/proginfo.php?id=2574
Transcript of Today's Democracy Now!
0905am, 31 Jan 01
AMY GOODMAN: ... chimes of freedom. And you're listening to Pacifica Radio's Democracy Now. I'm Amy Goodman, here with Juan Gonzalez.
JUAN GONZALEZ: Good day, Amy and to our listeners around the country. And Amy, do you realize the anniversary that we're approaching, in the next few days? It will be five years since Democracy Now came on the air, since you and I started working in February of 1996 to produce the first of these shows. And, I have an important announcement for folks, and I'd like to urge all of our loyal listeners to Democracy Now and to Pacifica across the country to get a pencil and paper because I've got some important information that has to deal with both the anniversary of Democracy Now as well as the upcoming fund drive of Pacifica.
I want to give you some numbers. First, there's a phone number that you need to write down. It's (212) 871-9322. That's (212) 871- 9322. And then there's an email address that I want you all to take down. That is pacificacampaign@yahoo.com. Again, that's pacificacampaign@yahoo.com.
Now, Amy, you know we've been working together for five years now, and I have to tell you, since the show's inception, I've been very proud of the ground-breaking work that we've done on Democracy Now, and also, more importantly, as a long-time listener for more than 30 years to Pacifica Radio programs, I understand the critical role the network has played in reporting important stories the corporate media ignored, thus helping to shape a lot of the progressive thoughts and popular movements in the country.
But, unfortunately, I am resigning today, effective immediately, from Democracy Now, because I've decided that the current management situation at Pacifica has become intolerable and despite my hope that the majority of the Pacifica Foundation's Board of Directors would come to its senses, the situation has only gotten worse, the last straw being the Christmas Coup at this station, WBAI, last month.
Quite simply, I've come to the conclusion that the Pacifica Board has been hijacked by a small clique that has more in common with modern-day corporate vultures than with working-class America. That clique has illegally changed the foundation's bylaws and, during the past two years it has methodically sought to squash dissent throughout the network, first at KPFA, then at PNN News, then at Democracy Now, and now at WBAI.
This group does not respect free speech. It does not respect labor or civil rights. It doesn't even practice due process for its own managers. And it's now seeking to radically alter Pacifica's bylaws to pave the way for the selling of one or more stations. Finally, Amy, I've got to tell you that the consistent attacks on you, the most important public face at Pacifica, have so poisoned the atmosphere at the network that it's becoming increasingly difficult for many people of conscience to continue working here.
And, Amy, you're a wonderful and committed journalist, you've been subjected to slanderous personal accusations and constant undermining of your efforts. And the board of Pacifica has tolerated, and I think even encouraged this, and it's hypocritical of the board to claim in its taped statements that it fully supports Amy Goodman when key managers routinely make your life miserable
This clique on the board insults Pacifica's loyal and sophisticated listeners by asking them to finance its shenanigans with their donations.
Therefore, starting today, I will be joining other Pacifica listeners in a national corporate campaign that will not rest until every board member who has orchestrated this hijacking resigns and a new board is in place, a board that is democratically accountable to the network's listeners, to the communities of the stations of Pacifica, and to its staff. Our campaign is calling for listeners across the country to withhold donations to Pacifica in a mass referendum against the board's policies.
Instead, we will be urging the listeners to contribute their money to a variety of groups across the country that are battling the Pacifica board, including the legal fund for court suits which are currently challenging the board's legitimacy.
Mr. Murdock, Mr. Accosta, Mr. Palmer, and the other clique on the board will soon find out that Pacifica is listener-sponsored community radio and I am sorry to have to take this kind of action, but, and I fully support you in continuing to keep Democracy Now alive as long as possible under these trying circumstances, Amy, but I am sure and I am hopeful that a few months from now, once this clique has been removed, that we may be able to resume Democracy Now and come back as a cohost, but, if not, I guarantee you that the network will not stay in the hands of these people.
And I know you can't say anything, Amy, because of the gag rule at this station as there are at many Pacifica stations right now and that's why I felt it important to resign as I make this statement, but my best luck, my best wishes to you and to all the other people of good will who are still working at Pacifica. Don't worry, the network will be rescued soon.
AG: Well, Juan, I don't know what to say except to say that it's been an incredible honor working with you over the last five years.
JG: And it's been an honor only working with you but all the other great producers that we've had over those five years, like Julie Drisen, and Dan Coughlin, and Jeremy Scahill, Maria Canino, David Love, Jesu Ko, Karen Palmer, and now, of course, Terry Allen and Chris Abrams, they've all been wonderful, and without them, we couldn't have done the work.
AG: Well, I'm going to miss you very, very much. Your contribution to Democracy Now has been, well, something beyond words that I have right now. We're going to move now into the rest of the program. We're going to play you a documentary. It's produced by Stacy Abramson and David Isay. David Isay, in fact, got his start at Pacifica Station WBAI in New York.
JG: Oh, Amy, one last word before I leave. Those phone numbers and those email addresses that I gave at the beginning of my statement. That's the phone number and the email address for listeners who want to support this campaign against the Pacifica Board. That's (212) 871-9322, and the email address is pacificacampaign@yahoo.com. Please communicate with me and others today, or tomorrow and in the coming days, and you can join the campaign to oust this board.
AG: Juan, it's been, again, an honor working with you. The documentary by David Isay and Stacy Abramson is called "Witness to an Execution."
Memo To Pacifica from Juan Gonzalez
To: Steve Yasko, Pacifica Director of National Programing
CC: Pacifica Board of Directors
From: Juan Gonzalez
Date: 1/31/01
Re: Resignation
This is to notify you that I am resigning as co-host of Democracy Now! effective immediately.
I take this action with much regret since, as you know, I have worked alongside host Amy Goodman from the show's inception nearly five years ago and am proud of the groundbreaking work we have done to establish a national radical news magazine. Even more important, I have listened to Pacifica programs for more than 30 years and understand the critical role the network has played in reporting important stories the corporate media ignored, thus helping to shape progressive thought and popular movements throughout the country.
But the current management situation at Pacifica has become intolerable, and despite my hope that the majority of the Pacifica Foundation board of directors would come to its senses, the situation has only gotten worse. The last straw was the Christmas coup at WBAI last month.
Quite simply, the Pacifica board has been hijacked by a small clique that has more in common with corporate vultures than with working-class Americans. That clique has illegally changed the Foundation's by-laws, and during the past two years it has methodically sought to squash dissent throughout the network -- first at KPFA, then at PNN news, then at Democracy Now!, and now at WBAI. This group does not respect free speech. It does not respect labor or civil rights. It does not even practice due process for its own managers. And it is now seeking to radically alter Pacifica's by-laws to pave the way for the selling of one or more stations.
Furthermore, this clique insults Pacifica's loyal and sophisticated listeners by asking them to finance its shenanigans with their donations.
Starting today, I will be joining other Pacifica listeners in a national corporate campaign that will not rest until every board member who has orchestrated this hijacking resigns and a new board is in place -- one that is democratically accountable to the network's listeners, community and staff.
Our campaign will call for listeners across the country to withhold donations to Pacifica in a mass referendum against your policies. Instead, we will urge them to contribute their money to a variety of groups around the country that are battling the Pacifica board -- including the legal fund for court suits which are currently challenging the board's legitimacy.
Mr. Murdock, Mr. Acosta, Mr. Palmer, you will soon find out that Pacifica is listener-sponsored radio.
More to come...