Middle East in Focus

Wednesdays, 8:00-9:00pm Pacific Time

HOST: Don Bustany

DESCRIPTION: News and views on the Middle East and relevant U.S. foreign policy.

Middle East In Focus has been airing regularly on KPFK since 1980. It was launched by the News Department shortly after Iranian students began holding 63 Americans hostage in the US Embassy in Tehran. After the hostages were released a year later, MEIF continued broadcasting news and opinion about the so-called "Middle East." The area is actually southwestern Asia; but we may be stuck with that Eurocentric name.

There have been four 'sets' of producers: Michel Bogopolsky and Diane James until 1985; Judith Gabriel until 1990, Moneim Fadali, MD, and Tamadhur Alaqeel until October, 1996; and from then to the present Don Bustany.

The program's mission is to fill the many gaps left by the mainstream media in their coverage of the M.E. and to correct many of the distorted images presented by the mass media--both news and entertainment--and by our politicians. Remember -- they aren't the boss of us, we're the boss of them. The democratic habit of calling our Senators and Representatives at 866-340-9281 (toll free) and letting them know how we think they ought to vote on legislation we have opinions about seems to make them smarter.