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> Greg Guma's Remarks to PNB
Remarks by Greg Guma, Executive Director
Pacifica National Board Meeting
Washington, DC
January 28, 2006
Shortly after I accepted this job, I talked with a dedicated
Pacifica supporter who at one time also considered going after
this position. From what I knew, this person seemed well suited
for the job. So, why didn't you apply? I asked.
The reply was revealing. "Well, I wanted to work again,"
I was told.
The basic point, I think, was that it's tough to work in
such a highly charged environment - whether you are a general
manager, a program director, or sometimes even a board member
- without making enemies and finding yourself under attack
at some point.
So, I can't say that I haven't been warned. In the last
few weeks, starting even before I arrived for my first day
of work in Berkeley, I saw descriptions of myself that I never
would have imagined possible.
Non-credible fringie. Demanding would be overseer. Conspiracy
nutball. Naive. And that was before I even made my first decisions
on the job.
It was certainly a wake up call
So, who have you hired? In my interview back in October
I described myself as an anarcho-Buddhist. What I mean by
that is that I believe in widespread distribution of power
and wealth, cooperation, direct democracy and mutual aid,
and the need for a fundamental transformation of society.
That's the anarcho part. But I also believe in nonviolence,
tolerance, and a receptive, persuasive and non-attached approach
to organizational leadership. Changing politics in this country
and around the world is only part of what is needed. A change
in the way we relate to each other and the natural world will
also be necessary if we're going to address the underlying
problems facing the planet.
But I am also, despite all of that, a practical idealist.
I think it's most effective to start the process of change
carefully. And if you don't acknowledge the obstacles, the
various forces surrounding an organization - and inside it
- and move somewhat methodically, step by step - you'll set
loose a reaction, a resistance, that can make the situation
even worse.
****
‘ It's time
to wake up the airwaves and shake up the world.’
Greg
Guma |
Given all that, let me give you a brief rundown of what I've
been doing so far, in the transition leading up to my arrival
at the National Office, in my first few days on the job, and
some of the work I see ahead.
First of all, There has been a lot of studying and asking
questions - about Pacifica's history, its financial situation,
its personal issues, programming ideas, governance and organizational
structure, and much more.
I've been attending some meetings - of the PNB, Finance
Committee, and Coordinating Committee. I weighed in a bit
on the decision to launch a National Spanish Language program
out of KPFK, and have begun
to talk with people about the future of national programming.
I've met with representatives from Free
Speech Radio News, sharing with them some initial thoughts
about how to reach agreement about its long-term relationship
with Pacifica.
After talking with HR Director Yolanda Thomas, I worked
out a small office reorganization that will provide her with
a private space for the confidential communication she needs
with staff. We have also agreed about a new hire process and
package that she will be introducing at various stations during
the next month. And we have agreed that action by this Board
on a code of conduct is a necessary initial step toward addressing
many of the problems that lead to conflict - and sometimes
litigation. I've also spoken with the shop stewards at KPFA,
and they seem to agree that uniform standards, along with
reasonable enforcement, can help to prevent or at least respond
to inappropriate behavior.
While in Berkeley this week, I also worked with Ambrose
on the management transition underway at KPFA, and met with
some members of the LSB to talk about how we can move forward
from here. I've urged them to move forward quickly with the
search for a new General Manager, and have agreed to cooperate
with them on determining how to keep local station management
effective on an interim basis.
One of my first decisions was to approve national coverage
of the state of the union address. The goal was a show that
would be dynamic, welcome to our five stations, and attractive
to affiliates. Since some stations are in the midst of fund
drives, I've tried to offer a structure that includes both
a remote broadcast distributed nationwide and the option for
one or two stations to break away after the speech for local
reactions and a fundraising pitch. We'll see how that goes
and evaluate it afterward. Hopefully, post-production evaluation
can become a regular part of the process, not just when we
encounter a problem.
I've been talking with Lonnie about how to diversify our
revenue sources by taking advantage of openings for new satellite
and Internet channels as well as podcasting, and have been
briefed about CPB standards and requirements to secure full
future funding. There have also been initial talks about how
to make best use of national fundraising through direct mail,
and the possibilities for major donor fundraising.
Meeting the challenge of increased diversity in our audience
and organization is also on the agenda. This is not only needed
to secure full CPB funding; it is an important component of
Pacifica's mission. It is an issue that bears on our election
process, future staffing decisions, and programming to reach
underserved communities. It also raises questions about the
mission itself. Many people talk about our mission, but after
57 years and dramatic changes in media, I get the impression
that we don't all see it exactly the same way. So, if I can
keep my head above water in addressing day to day needs, I
hope to develop a process for us to revisit the mission, find
our where we agree and where we differ, and reach some consensus
on why we believe Pacifica is a vital part of the 21st century
media landscape. While I don't believe in false unity, I hope
we can agree on the basic intentions that drive our work.
****
What is my vision for Pacifica? On this point, saying too
little is as bad as saying too much. But I do have some preliminary
ideas.
Management: We need to make communication within the network
more regular and systematic. Yesterday, I attended my first
Administrative council meeting, a time when the managers can
talk frankly about what they have been doing and the issues
on the table. I would like to see this turn into a more frequent
occurrence, so that this can be an operations working group.
The idea is to consult, share expertise, and support each
other.
Governance: This was discussed Friday. I'll add only that
I will be looking closely at how to balance local authority
with the need to intervene and procede nationally. To that
end, I'll be looking for ways to improve LSB / Staff / National
Office relations. Pacifica's overall structure is a bold experiment
in democracy, but also poses a difficult challenge in how
to make sure that democratic aspirations and rights do not
lead to division, inefficiency, and exploitation of the structure.
We don't want our openness to become an excuse for demagoguery,
or a war of attrition in which the loudest voices and those
with the most time can simply wear the organization down.
I also want to promote our election process, to make sure
that involvement doesn't drop and that as many people as possible
are actively involved. Listener democracy doesn't just keep
happening. We have to work at it.
Programming: My goal is to continue bringing diverse voices
and excellent local production to new audiences, especially
programming that deconstructs the false reality being force
fed to people. One step will be to support the development
of a sampler of programs from various stations that can be
distributed through new venues such as satellite radio and
the Internet. I'm also encouraged by the progress being made
on mission-driven national programming, but will be sensitive
to local programming needs and working with station management
to make sure local audiences do not feel that Pacifica is
forcing the issue. Compelling communities to act is the last
thing I want to do.
Personnel: A systematic and fair employee evaluation process
isn't a panacea, it can't prevent all lawsuits, but it can
help us to do the right thing, and do it early, consistently,
and do our part to make sure people are treated with respect.
I also want to cultivate a culture of cooperation, financial
transparency, and effective management that respects the contributions
of staff and volunteers AND the interests of listeners. That
means early identification of emerging issues and problems
and effective dissemination of information to all those who
have a stake in the outcome.
Beyond these practical tasks, I want to aggressively promote
Pacifica as a relevant and popular voice for political change
and social transformation -- using its archives, its effective
voices, its creative programmers, and its ability to train
and cultivate new talent to define the network's image for
listeners who yearn for something better than the noise that
passes for news, culture, and public discourse.
In the months ahead, the public may read or hear some strange
things about what is happening at Pacifica - reports that
sound disturbing, even dangerous. That's unavoidable when
you are involved in promoting free speech and open discussion.
But think about it this way: Those who issue harsh, even cruel
judgments will really be telling you more about themselves
than the foundation and its work. They will be appealing to
people's fears, assumptions, and projections about what THEY
might do if they were in our shoes. The truth is: they're
captives in a nightmare.
You may hear that local Boards, the PNB, or I want to make
unilateral changes, summarily fire people, sell out, grab
power. One report, for example, claims that simply because
I wrote a new story about a speaker who thinks we don't have
all the information about 9/11 that Pacifica will become a
haven for conspiracy theorists. Well, you know, there are
some pretty dangerous conspirators out there, but it's just
plain childish and ignorant to think that any manager of this
foundation would have the power to impose any particular programming
on the stations.
My message to anyone living in this dreamworld is simple:
Wake up. It just isn't happening.
But we don't have to listen to these nightmarish projections.
It's time to wake up and start focusing on what really matters.
It's time to renew our purpose - to project responsible advocacy,
real news and informed opinion -- about crony capitalism and
imperial schemes, social justice and human rights - to celebrate
our differences and our areas of unity, to realize the potential
of this precious resources as a people's medium, bringing
sharp critique and a progressive vision to millions of listeners.
It's time to wake up the airwaves and shake up the world.
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