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Alan Minsky, the programming director at Pacifica Radio's KPFK, had been warning the station's community of programmers and listeners that changes were coming. And now they have, or at least they have begun. More changes are expected next week and in October, after the fund drive. One addition is a local news and public affairs magazine on Mondays at 2 p.m. hosted by Sara Harris, who started the Los Angeles Bureau at Youth Radio and has worked with KPCC, NPR, and "Marketplace." Robert F. Kennedy Jr. also is co-hosting a new show called "Ring of Fire Radio," on Thursdays at 3 pm, to focus on "corporate fat cats, polluters and media spinmeisters." Gustavo Arellano drops off the rotation temporarily, but there's plenty of politics still on the schedule, plus L.A. institutions such as Uncle Ruthie and "The Car Show," and Ian Masters. "Deadline L.A.," the media show hosted by Barbara Osborn and Howard Blume, moves for now to Thursday nights at 8:30 p.m. Memo after the jump.
With the objectives of increasing listenership and by extension, listener funding, while maintaining the Pacifica Mission, I have developed some ideas for new programming that I expect to be incisive and entertaining. This new programming will be featured mainly in the afternoon hours of the KPFK programming grid, but changes to the scheduling overall have been made to accommodate the new flow. The detailed grid can be found at http://www.kpfk.org/programs/programschedule.html.
Two programmers are taking hiatuses – and all will be back as hosts on KPFK after the winter fund drive: Gustavo Arellano (3 o’clock report), and Sherry Bealle (Healthy Planet, Healthy Me). Maria Armoudian will be back in a couple of weeks.
There will also be a few more programs added to the schedule after the October Fund Drive – and there will be an adjustment of the schedule following a few more changes next week.
I am excited to announce the introduction of the following radio projects to KPFK Radio:
Hear in the City – Mondays at 2pm - hosted by Sara Harris
A local news and public affairs magazine show. Sara Harris started the Los Angeles Bureau at Youth Radio and founded the AudioPostales cross-border radio project with youth in the U.S. and Mexico. She is a veteran radio producer and reporter who’s work has been featured on KPFK, KPCC, NPR, and Marketplace.
Ring of Fire Radio – Thursdays at 3pm – hosted by Robert Kennedy Jr.
Ring of Fire is a weekly talk radio program hosted by Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Mike Papantonio, and David Bender. The trio focus on "corporate fat cats, polluters and media spinmeisters." Kennedy is an environmental attorney; Papantonio is a plaintiffs' attorney for a large law firm that pursues lawsuits over corporate malfeasance. Bender is a long-time Democratic political activist.
Prison Rights Radio (tentative title) – Saturday at 1:30pm for 30 minutes – hosted by Geri Silva of FACTS.
Geri Silva is executive director of Families to Amend California's Three Strikes. The show will focus on the operational details of the “U S Prison Industrial Complex” as well as propose humane alternatives to the U S and California incarceration system
Home from Home – Saturday at 5pm for 30 minutes – hosted by Christabel Nsiah-Buadi
Christabel Nsiah-Buadi is an award-winning broadcaster and producer. She has worked for Public and Commercial broadcast outlets in the United States (KPFK, Air America, and NPR) and the United Kingdom (BBC), and reported from Africa.
The Michael Beckwith Show (tentative title) – 16 week series, Fridays at 1pm – hosted by Rev Michael Beckwith
Michael Bernard Beckwith is founder of the Agape International Spiritual Center, cofounder of the Association for Global New Thought, and the Season for Nonviolence.
Celebrities Speak Out – 13-week Series, Fridays at 3pm for 30 minutes – hosted by Lila Garrett
Lila Garrett is an Emmy Award winning writer and long-time host of KPFK’s Connect the Dots. Lila will be engage progessive Hollywood and beyond in this 13-week series.
David Feldman Show – Fridays at 3:30pm for 30 minutes – hosted by David Feldman
David Feldman is an Emmy Award winning comedy writer and performer. He has written for Roseanne, Dennis Miller Live, Real Time with Bill Maher, The Daily Show with Jon Stewart, and Talk Show With Spike Feresten on Fox. He also appeared frequently on Late Night with Conan O'Brien as well as other televised comedy shows. David Feldman has been a regular on The Jimmy Dore Show on KPFK Radio.
Expansion:
Reality Check with Harrison will get a third hour. Hosted by Cary Harrison, the third hour will be co-hosted by political blogger Brad Friedman.
Changes (By Day):
Monday
2pm Hear the City (Hosted by Sara Harris)
8pm Flip the Script
8:30pm Indymedia-on-air
11pm special programming (just for this week)
Tuesday
8pm American Indian Airwaves
Wednesday
2pm Arts in review
2:30pm Pacifica Performance Showcase
3pm Harrison (day #3)
8pm Bibliocracy
8:30pm Poetry shows (rotating along w/ Treasures of the West)
Thursday
3pm Ring of Fire Radio
4pm Jimmy Dore
8pm Politics or Pedagogy for a full hour this week – next week: 8pm Labor Review / 8:30pm Deadline L A
Friday
1pm Michael Beckwith Show
2pm Eisha Mason
2:30pm Page to Pantry (though this week it’ll be HP,HM)
3pm Celebrities Speak Out
3:30pm David Feldman
Saturday
11am Explorations
Noon Hutchinson Report
1pm SOUAB
1:30pm Prisoner Rights Radio
4pm Spotlight Africa
5pm Home from Home
5:30pm Freedom Now
Sunday
9am MEIF
1pm Alternative Radio