KPFK

KPFK
Broadcast area Los Angeles, California
Branding Pacifica Radio
Slogan "Radio powered by the people"
Frequency 90.7 (MHz)
Repeaters KPFK-FM1 Malibu, California
First air date July 26, 1959
Format Public Radio
ERP 110,000 watts
HAAT 863.0 meters (2,831.4 ft)
Class B
Facility ID 51252
Transmitter coordinates 34°13′45″N 118°4′3″W / 34.22917°N 118.06750°W
Callsign meaning K PaciFiC (K)a
Owner Pacifica Foundation
Webcast Listen Live
Website http://www.kpfk.org/

KPFK (90.7 FM) is a listener-sponsored radio station based in North Hollywood, California, United States, which serves the Greater Los Angeles Area, and also streams 24 hours a day via the Internet. It was the second of five stations in the non-commercial, listener-sponsored Pacifica Radio network.

KPFK began broadcasting in April 1959,[1] twelve years after the Pacifica Foundation was created by pacifist Lewis Hill, and ten years after the network's flagship station, KPFA, was founded in Berkeley. KPFK also broadcasts on KPFK-FM1 along the Malibu coast, K258BS (99.5 MHz FM) in China Lake, California, K254AH (98.7 MHz FM) in Santa Barbara, California.

With its 110,000 watt main transmitter atop Mount Wilson, KPFK is one of the most powerful FM stations in the western United States. The station can be heard from the California/Mexico border to Santa Barbara to Ridgecrest/China Lake. A second 10-watt translator is licensed in Isla Vista, California, a census-designated place outside of Santa Barbara. The transmitter for that station is located atop Gibraltar Peak, allowing its broadcast to be heard over a large portion of coastal Santa Barbara County.

Funding

The station is part of the Pacifica Network which has 4 additional radio stations in Berkeley, California, Houston, Texas, New York, New York, and Washington, D.C.

As part of the Pacifica Network the station receives some funding from charitable organizations such as the Ford Foundation and government funding from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, but operating costs are primarily covered by listener-sponsors, as the station runs no regular advertisements or other commercial programming. Pacifica says they have no "sponsors" of a commercial type and are solely supported by their listeners.

Frequent On-air fund drives to support the station financially occur more than 3 times a year. There are also other occasional drives held for special circumstances. For example, after Hurricane Katrina in 2005, KPFK held a special fund drive to raise money for survivors of the catastrophe.

Contributors to sustain KPFK generally donate a minimum of $25 for a year-long membership. Larger donations are requested and are rewarded with DVDs, CDs, and books or downloads = that are called "premiums". The person donating money to the radio station selects the "premium" they heard on-air or noted from the website listings that has a fixed $ number - the "premium" to be later sent to them.

There are often concerns about the frequency of the "fund drives" and the interruption to regular programming by those who are regular stakeholders [ie. regular donors, sponsors] of KPFK and by who listen frequently and regularly. To the newcomers to the station the pledge drive is less bothersome.It has been said that the major financial support required to run the radio station comes from the listener-sponsors.

Film Club: For people that contribute $150 at other than fund times or $100 when pledging during the pledge drives with another pledge, there is the KPFK Film Club. This benefit allows those who are subscribers and donors, only, to attend for free various film screenings through-out the year.

Films are announced on air and the donor calls to enter their name on a list to be admitted to the film at no cost. The film club screens art films, documentaries, film classics, and even current first-run films. Although the film club promises a minimum of 12 films per year, there can be over 100 free film screenings in a year, as there were in 2012.

Programming

Like most Pacifica stations, KPFK runs an eclectic schedule, including world music, talk radio,politics, interviews and public affairs programming.

While KPFK airs some national Pacifica or other programming, including Democracy Now! and Free Speech Radio News, KPFK program producers are accorded the maximum amount of editorial freedom possible. As most programmers try to keep their own programs on-air for many years, they leave little room for even a few new programs to also enter the station's schedule, even on a trial basis. Programs are aired 24 hours each day all year.

The non-transparency of who has opportunity to be given air space for their programs and who cannot join into the program schedule has been questioned outside the station for years. And the benefits gained by each programmer, with their fixed programming opportunity - has been an unspoken taboo. While it has also been noted by many wanting a newer variety of issues or programs presented, that each for the guests that are allied to that particular programmer. While providing 'new' information and resources, there also is a promotional aspect to the way some programmers present their materials, while denying that any promotions or PR are allowed on this listener-sponsored radio station.

The variety of programs is wide and extensive. The programers may be managed by the Program Manager, but are not responsive to the general KPFK listeners when the public tries to use the station website's listings to contact them. So the concerns of many listeners is about the accountability, accessibility and the closed-loop that each program seems to contain and hold unto themselves. Lack of communication in-to the radio station, to staff or programmers, has been a long contended issue that has not been corrected nor resolved. Many believe that being mainly listener-sponsored, that all those involved should also be receptive and responsive to those [the public who sponsors and pays pledges to financially uphold the station] who support and work freely to maintain KPFK and its stated mission.

It has been stated that the only requirement is that programmers adhere to KPFK's mission statement, which states that all programming must be educational and non-commercial, must "serve the cultural welfare of the community", and must "contribute to a lasting understanding between nations and between the individuals of all nations, races, creeds and colors".[see the Mission station on the website: www.kpfk.org]

The station's political position is generally regarded as being on the left-wing of the USA political spectrum. This includes issues regarding politics, women, the various minority ethnic groups, some of which also make up a sizable population of Southern California, as well as the LGBT community. KPFK's programming is also dedicated to the environment and the human inequality conditions at large and globally. The station has sometimes drawn some award-winning radio personalities as guests.

History

Shows

This is only a partial list of programs. See this page on the KPFK website for a full list.

Translators

In addition to the main station, KPFK is relayed by an additional three translators to widen its broadcast area.

Call sign Frequency
(MHz) 		City of license ERP
W 		Class FCC info
K258BS 99.5 China Lake, Kern County, California 9 D FCC
K254AH 98.7 Isla Vista, California 10 D FCC
K229BO 93.7 Rancho Bernardo, San Diego, California 10 D FCC
KPFK-FM1 90.7 Malibu, California 1500 D FCC

References

  1. ↑ "About Pacifica - A Short History". Pacifica.org. Retrieved 2012-02-22.

External links