FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Pacifica Radio KPFK 90.7 FM Los Angeles

www.KPFK.org

Pacifica Radio KPFK 90.7 fm to Broadcast

News from Al Jazeera English

February 2, 2011 – North Hollywood, CA. In light of the continuing uprising unfolding in Cairo, Egypt, Pacifica Radio KPFK 90.7 fm will carry a 30-minute news broadcast from Al Jazeera English this week from 6 to 6:30 p.m. (PST). KPFK was originally scheduled to launch Al Jazeera English starting in mid March 2011, but given the dramatic events in the Middle East, station management decided to run content from the news channel immediately to provide an additional voice and perspective from the region to the communities of Southern California. Al Jazeera English is generally not available in the United States except on Pacifica Radio.

Last December Pacifica Radio announced that it would carry news coverage from Al Jazeera English, the award-winning 24-hour international news and current affairs channel. The decision, which brings Al Jazeera English for the first time to radio audiences in North America, reinforces Pacifica’s commitment to airing fresh and diverse perspectives and to presenting accurate, objective, comprehensive news on the vital issues that the world faces today. Al Jazeera English broadcasts from the four strategic locations of Doha, Qatar; Washington, DC; London, England; and Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.  Al Jazeera English has 65 bureaus around the world.

The listener-supported community radio network broadcasts one hour of news from Al Jazeera English in three markets: KPFA in Berkeley; WBAI in New York; and KPFT in Houston. Al Jazeera English will be carried by KPFK in Los Angeles starting mid March 2011, and it will subsequently be made available to Pacifica affiliates.

“Al Jazeera English’s news and programming is an exciting addition to our current line-up of thought-provoking programming,” said Arlene Engelhardt, executive director of the Pacifica Foundation. “It is part of our mission at Pacifica to act as a bridge between cultures and to present stories that are too often overlooked by other media in the United States. Al Jazeera English is a truly global channel, and we are pleased to provide this important news service to our dedicated listeners throughout the country.”

Since it was launched in 2006, Al Jazeera English has become a world leader in the coverage of Africa, Asia, the Middle East, Europe and the Americas.  With a staff of more than 1,000 from 50 different countries, the channel's aim is to provide independent and impartial news for an international audience. It is widely seen as the channel of reference for coverage of the Middle East and global south.  Its broadcasts reach more than 220 million households in more than 100 countries around the world.

“Broadcasting on Pacifica Radio allows us to bring Al Jazeera English’s acclaimed news content to an even wider audience in the United States,” said Al Anstey, Managing Director of Al Jazeera English. “For nearly four years, Al Jazeera English has been setting new standards in international reporting by providing a platform for stories from the under-represented corners of the world. The demand for our ground-breaking news and current affairs programming continues to grow in the United States, and we look forward to providing Pacifica’s listeners with a global perspective on today’s most important news events.”

The new content rounds out Pacifica’s roster of news programs, which include “Democracy Now!” with Amy Goodman, Free Speech Radio News, local news programs, and in Houston, news from the BBC World Service. The first listener-supported network in the United States, Pacifica provides a variety of programming including local, national and international news and music featuring live music from local musicians; and in-depth interviews and public affairs analysis unavailable elsewhere (see stations’ web sites for details on their program schedules).

For Information Contact:

Alan Minsky
KPFK Interim Program Director
(818) 749-9497
aminsky@kpfk.org
www.KPFK.org
 

Arlene Engelhardt, Executive Director                            
Pacifica Foundation                                                               
1925 Martin Luther King Jr. Way                                                      
Berkeley, CA 94704-1037                                                                 
510-849-2590, ext. 208                                                                  
510-402-9880 (cell)

510-849-2617 (fax)

arlene@pacifica.org

About Al Jazeera English

Al Jazeera English is the first English language world news channel to be headquartered in the Middle East. Launched in November 2006, Al Jazeera English seeks to present every side and every angle to its stories and act as a bridge between cultures. With unique access, making it the channel of reference for Middle East events, and 65 bureaus strategically placed around the world, Al Jazeera English provides independent and impartial news for a global audience, giving voice to different perspectives from under-reported regions around the world.

Al Jazeera English is available in more than 100 countries to more than 220 million households worldwide.  The channel was awarded “Best 24 Hour News Programme” at the 48th and 50th Annual Monte Carlo Television Festival and has received awards from the Royal Television Society, Amnesty International and YouTube. The channel has also received a total of six International Emmy nominations in the News, Documentary and Current Affairs categories. 

Al Jazeera began in 1996 as the first independent Arabic news channel in the world dedicated to providing comprehensive television news and live debate for the Arab world. Al Jazeera was formally named the Al Jazeera Network in March 2006, transforming its operation into an international media corporation – the Al Jazeera Network now consists of the flagship Al Jazeera Arabic channel, Al Jazeera English, Al Jazeera Documentary, Al Jazeera Sport, Al Jazeera.net (the English and Arabic web sites), the Al Jazeera Media Training and Development Center, the Al Jazeera Center for Studies, Al Jazeera Mubasher (Live), and Al Jazeera Mobile.

Visit www.aljazeera.net/english for more details.

For information on Al Jazeera contact:

Molly Conroy: +1 202 496 4530

Molly.Conroy@aljazeera.net

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Pacifica Radio KPFK 90.7 FM Los Angeles

www.KPFK.org

Pacifica Announces New Series:

Building a Powerful Left in the United States

January 31, 2011 – North Hollywood, CA. This week at 4pm (PST) KPFK 90.7 fm will feature a special series focusing on the questions: How can a powerful left-wing political movement take shape in the United States? What policies and programs would such a “left” promote? How would it articulate and spread its message, so that it gains a critical mass of support across the U.S. population? ) The series airs Monday through Friday, January 31 - February 4, 2011 at 4pm Pacific Time.

Informing this series is the sense that three years into the gravest economic crisis since the Great Depression, the vast majority of Americans have no significant political movement that truly represents their interests.

The idea of the “left,” going back to the inception of the term during the French Revolution, is that of a movement, or political force, that operates in the interest of the general population, as opposed to the “right,” which supports the cause of society’s elites. In the contemporary United States, this would mean standing up for middle class, working class and poor households (which represent 95% of all people) vs. interests that represent the wealthy plus powerful private institutions (primarily corporations). It certainly sounds like a winning formula in a democracy, and yet a meaningful left in the U.S. – one that truly exerts a positive, impactful political force – is virtually non-existent.

The people of the United States – and the world, due to the central geopolitical and economic role of the USA and the global nature of the economic crisis – desperately need such a movement to advocate on their behalf.

So, how do we build one? This question will be addressed all this week at 4pm (PST) on KPFK 90.7 fm Los Angeles in a series of programs bringing together intellectuals, authors, and activists from across the left. Among those invited to participate in the series include: Noam Chomsky, Michael Moore, Cornel West, Dolores Huerta, Naomi Klein, Francis Fox Piven, Ralph Nader, Howard Dean, bell hooks, Robert Kennedy Jr., and many more.

The series will be featured on the KPFK website www.kpfk.org where there will also be a link to a page designated just for this series. Interviews and roundtable discussions that make up the series will be featured, along with comments from listeners.

In addition to the daily hour-long special at 4pm (PST), there will be many segments during the week on KPFK’s other political talk shows that will be a part of the series – these interviews will also be available on the series website.

The entire series will be available for syndication across the entire Pacifica Radio network. Each 4pm (PST) show will be transmitted live via the Pacifica Satellite (channel right); and will be posted to Audioport by 5:45pm (PST) everyday.

The series will be “evergreen” for at least a few months – i.e. it will not be a series relating to the specific news of the day, though it will reflect on the political and economic situation in America in the first half of 2011.

KPFK 90.7 fm is a member station of the Pacifica Radio network, established in 1949 by peace activist Lew Hill in Berkeley, California, at sister station KPFA. The Pacifica network consists of five radio stations: KPFA - Berkeley, Ca; KPFK - Los Angeles, Ca; WBAI - New York, NY; WPFW – Washington D.C; and KPFT – Houston, Texas. In addition to the active radio stations, there are over 100 affiliate stations around the country and abroad and the Pacifica Radio Archives, preserving the voices of artists, activists and progressive journalists since 1949. www.KPFK.org. www.Pacifica.org.

CONTACT INFORMATION

Alan Minsky

KPFK Program Director

(818) 749-9497

aminsky@kpfk.org

www.KPFK.org

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Pacifica Radio KPFK 90.7 FM Los Angeles

www.KPFK.org

Civil Rights Pioneer


Reverend James Lawson


on KPFK 90.7 fm

 

Legendary civil rights activist Reverend James Lawson launches radio

series on KPFK

January 28, 2011 – North Hollywood, Ca. Known as the man who taught Martin Luther King Jr. about civil disobedience, the Reverend James Lawson is one of the most important activists in world history. A student of Gandhian non-violence, Rev. Lawson taught these ideas to the young Martin Luther King Jr. in the early 1950s.

Rev. Lawson will broadcast a weekly radio series on KPFK every Friday at 2pm. The series began last Friday with a show about Rev. Lawson's personal experiences with Dr. King and the non-violent social justice movements from the 1950s and 60s. That inaugural show, and all subsequent broadcasts, may be heard at the KPFK Audio Archives. http://archive.kpfk.org/parchive/index.php?shokey=special

In the show, Rev. Lawson makes the point that America is still in need of the movement that Dr. King led – a movement that seeks to achieve social justice through non-violent engagement.

This Friday, the 28th at 2pm, Rev. Lawson discussed his understanding of Gandhi and non-violent resistance on KPFK Radio 90.7fm Los Angeles. Listen to the show:  http://archive.kpfk.org/parchive/m3u.php?mp3fil=31977

KPFK 90.7 fm is a member station of the Pacifica Radio network, established in 1949 by peace activist Lew Hill in Berkeley, California, at sister station KPFA. The Pacifica network consists of five radio stations: KPFA - Berkeley, Ca; KPFK - Los Angeles, Ca; WBAI - New York, NY; WPFW – Washington D.C; and KPFT – Houston, Texas. In addition to the active radio stations, there are over 100 affiliate stations around the country and abroad and the Pacifica Radio Archives, preserving the voices of artists, activists and progressive journalists since 1949. www.KPFK.org. www.Pacifica.org.

CONTACT INFORMATION:

Alan Minsky

KPFK Program Director

(818) 749-9497

aminsky@kpfk.org

www.KPFK.org

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Pacifica Radio KPFK 90.7 FM Los Angeles

www.KPFK.org

KPFK 90.7 Announces Construction of an

Onsite Solar Canopy

Pacifica Radio KPFK Los Angeles Walks the Progressive Talk, Embarking on a Clean and Independent Energy Project

November 22, 2010 – North Hollywood, CA. Pacifica Radio KPFK 90.7 FM in Los Angeles will sign an agreement with SunGreen Systems today, initiating the first solar energy project for a radio station in Los Angeles. Once funds are raised, a parking-lot based solar photovoltaic canopy system will be installed at the KPFK studios in North Hollywood. The system will reduce KPFK’s energy costs by an estimated 31%, supplying the building with an off-grid energy source. With a relatively short production time, the project is scheduled for completion in March of 2011.

SunGreen Systems (http://www.sungreensystems.com) provides solar energy solutions to residential and commercial customers. Based in Irwindale, California, the SunGreen Systems team consists of architects, real-estate developers and solar-energy experts.

Says SunGreen Chairman Y.Y. Lin, “We’re honored to help make KPFK the first public radio station in Southern California to power its facilities with sunlight. It’s a natural fit, since both SunGreen and KPFK actively promote community interests and clean energy.”

Actor and environmental advocate Ed Begley Jr. has agreed to lend his assistance in getting the word out as KPFK begins the necessary fundraising for this building improvement. On KPFK going solar, Ed says, “I know that solar works, because it's been powering my house and charging my car since 1990. Thank you, KPFK, for leading the way yet again by going solar.”

Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., Mike Papantonio and David Bender of the recently incorporated radio program Ring of Fire Radio stated, “Clean solar power is a critical component of a decarbonized American energy future - one that creates new jobs, unleashes technical innovations, and ensures America's energy security. We at Ring of Fire Radio are proud to be part of the KPFK and Pacifica family. And we congratulate you for becoming the first public radio station to go solar in Southern California – where, we are reliably informed, it never rains."

The solar canopy system will reduce carbon dioxide emissions equal to planting 18.4 acres of trees. The annual carbon reduction estimates include:

·         165 pounds of nitrous oxide from western coal

·         56,941 pounds of carbon dioxide from western coal

·         36,442 pounds of carbon dioxide from natural gas

The SunGreen-designed system will be manufactured domestically and qualify as a domestic end product under the Buy America Act (BAA) and as a domestic manufactured product under the America Recovery & Reinvestment Act (ARRA).

“We hope to set an example to our community and listeners,” said KPFK Operations Director Zuberi Fields. “Not only do we create an off-grid energy source, but we show our neighbors the value of committing to the environment through renewable energy.”

The project should be completed in March 2011. The signing ceremony takes place Monday, November 22. More information about the project can be found at www.KPFK.org. To cover the costs of the system, KPFK is soliciting tax-deductible donations through the website: http://bit.ly/cb4vS3

KPFK is part of the Pacifica Radio Network, which began 60 years ago in Berkeley, California, founded by journalist and Pacifist Lew Hill. KPFK Radio is heard throughout Southern California at 90.7 FM Los Angeles, 98.7 FM Santa Barbara, 93.7 FM Northern San Diego County and worldwide at KPFK.org.

CONTACT INFORMATION

Zuberi Fields

KPFK Operations Director

Off. (818) 985-2711 ext 224

Mobile (818) 577-0285
operations@kpfk.org

www.KPFK.org

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Pacifica Radio KPFK 90.7 FM Los Angeles

www.KPFK.org

Smiley & West debuts on KPFK 90.7

Tavis Smiley and Cornel West’s radio show begins airing on KPFK Radio 90.7 today at 5pm with Hip-Hop Superstar Jay-Z

November 19, 2010 – North Hollywood, CA. KPFK Radio is proud to announce that it will be airing Public Radio International’s Smiley & West Radio Show, hosted by Tavis Smiley and Cornel West. The inaugural show will be today, Friday Nov. 19, 2010, at 5pm; and the show will be regularly broadcast Saturdays at 11am on KPFK beginning November 27, 2010.

Tavis Smiley is one of the nation’s leading public media hosts and commentators as well as a best selling author and philanthropist. Cornel West is a Professor at Princeton University where he teaches in the Center for African American Studies and the Department of Religion; and is also a best-selling author.

In the original Press Release announcing the Smiley & West show, Tavis Smiley said about the radio show and working with Cornel West: “Dr. West is a long-time friend and I am honored that he has agreed to go on this journey with me. This new venture, Smiley & West, will not only set the pace for tomorrow’s news but will be a conduit for the insightful conversation that America is thirsting for. I’m excited that alongside one of America’s greatest thinkers, we will encourage, enlighten and empower the listeners together.”

Cornel West added “Many of America’s most important discussions aren’t necessarily happening in the boardroom or between the pundits on cable television. Rather they’re happening at BBQs, cocktail parties, barbershops, and salons between real people. With this new endeavor, Smiley & West, Tavis and I hope to really tap into the concerns of everyday people.”

KPFK Program Director Alan Minsky says, “We are absolutely thrilled to be bringing Smiley & West to our station. Cornel West embodies the passionate, prophetic tradition of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.; and, as such, his contributions to the national dialogue have always been in total harmony with the mission of Pacifica Radio.”

CONTACT INFORMATION

Alan Minsky

KPFK Program Director

(818) 749-9497

aminsky@kpfk.org

www.KPFK.org                                            ####

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Pacifica Radio KPFK 90.7 FM Los Angeles

www.KPFK.org

Smiley & West debuts on KPFK 90.7

Tavis Smiley and Cornel West’s radio show begins airing on KPFK Radio 90.7

November 19, 2010 – North Hollywood, CA. KPFK Radio is proud to announce that it will be airing Public Radio International’s Smiley & West Radio Show, hosted by Tavis Smiley and Cornel West. The show will be regularly broadcast Saturdays at 11am on KPFK beginning November 27, 2010.

Tavis Smiley is one of the nation’s leading public media hosts and commentators as well as a best selling author and philanthropist. Cornel West is a Professor at Princeton University where he teaches in the Center for African American Studies and the Department of Religion; and is also a best-selling author.

In the original Press Release announcing the Smiley & West show, Tavis Smiley said about the radio show and working with Cornel West: “Dr. West is a long-time friend and I am honored that he has agreed to go on this journey with me. This new venture, Smiley & West, will not only set the pace for tomorrow’s news but will be a conduit for the insightful conversation that America is thirsting for. I’m excited that alongside one of America’s greatest thinkers, we will encourage, enlighten and empower the listeners together.”

Cornel West added “Many of America’s most important discussions aren’t necessarily happening in the boardroom or between the pundits on cable television. Rather they’re happening at BBQs, cocktail parties, barbershops, and salons between real people. With this new endeavor, Smiley & West, Tavis and I hope to really tap into the concerns of everyday people.”

KPFK Program Director Alan Minsky says, “We are absolutely thrilled to be bringing Smiley & West to our station. Cornel West embodies the passionate, prophetic tradition of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.; and, as such, his contributions to the national dialogue have always been in total harmony with the mission of Pacifica Radio.”

CONTACT INFORMATION

Alan Minsky

KPFK Program Director

(818) 749-9497

aminsky@kpfk.org

www.KPFK.org ####