KPFK Mission and History

Pacifica History: Brief Overview

Pacifica Foundation Radio (Pacifica) was born in the late 1940's out of the (now nearly forgotten) peace movement surrounding World War Two. Lewis Hill, a conscientious objector and Washington, D.C. newsman, was fired from his mainstream reporting job when he refused to misrepresent the facts.

This was a time when the idea of a listener-sponsored radio station was a new one which had never been implemented. Many people doubted the viability of a broadcast model which didn't rely on some kind of corporate or government funding. But the idea was too compelling for Hill and others who agreed with him. Pacifica was born and in 1949 KPFA went on the air from Berkeley, California.

KPFK, in Los Angeles, was the second of what would eventually become five Pacifica Stations to go on the air. It was 1959 and Terry Drinkwater was the first General Manager. Blessed with an enormous transmitter in a prime location, KPFK is the most powerful of the Pacifica stations and indeed is the most powerful public radio station in the Western United States. Pacifica Mission Statement

Pledge Now!
KPFK is a progressive media outlet challenging corporate media perspectives and providing a voice to voiceless communities. Help keep KPFK a strong and independent source of music, arts, news and information.

Schedule

  • Rootwork

    7:00am - 8:00am

    Public affairs with Thandisizwe Chimurenga, she who loves her people

  • Democracy Now!

    8:00am - 9:00am

    Democracy Now! goes beyond the rhetoric and party politics offered by the mainstream media. Instead, it highlights grassroots efforts to enhance and ignite democracy in the U.S.

  • Thom Hartmann

    9:00am - 10:00am

    Nation's #1 progressive talk radio host on topics from psychiatry to culture to ecology to politics.

  • Letters & Politics wMitch Jeserich

    10:00am - 11:00am

    We look at the inside workings of Capitol Hill while also covering what happens at the state legislative level and on the streets. Basically the struggle between "austerity measures" and public programs

Events

Today's Weather

  • Los Angeles Area Forecast

    Sunny intervals

    High: 68°F | Low: 52°F

Weather Forecast

  • Thu

    68°F

  • Fri

    64°F

  • Sat

    59°F

  • Sun

    64°F

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