Question Fifteen: How can our station better serve the many linguistic communities of the signal area?

KPFA Listener-Sponsor candidates

Carl Bryant -

Steven Conley - Doing more multi-cultural programming as inclusive programming rather then the traditional ethnic programming approach.

Bob English - Get involved with those communities and find out what their needs are and how KPFA can work to integrate them into our programming grid.

Dianne Enriquez - Again, a very positive idea would be to include these linguistic communities into our programming. KPFA could only benefit from the incorporation of a culturally and linguistically diverse programming that allows groups throughout the area the opportunity to interact and express themselves.

Sherry Gendelman - By identifying key people, i.e leaders, in the different “linguistic” communities and asking those people for input.

Mathew Hallinan –

Chandra Hauptman – I think we should start with Spanish language programming: broadcasting the news show out of KPFK, “Informativo”, for example. But we need to do publicity to the Spanish speaking audience so they will know to listen to the show.

• We could test out providing written translations of some programming online, using volunteer translators.

David Heller – Some non-English programming could be broadcast on KPFB and as in my answer to question 14, because of the internet’s ability to deliver information when people want it. The downside is that people unable to afford a computer or solid internet connection would not have access outside of the public libraries.

Warren Mar – This is a tough question for a station like KPFA because as someone who has organized in the immigrant community (Chinatown), I know that most monolingual immigrants do not cross over language radio stations. This is why some corporate stations have bought Chinese or Spanish stations, so they will have access to that commercial advertising market. If KPFA were to buy another station, buying an ethnic language station might give us access to this new audience, but we would need to have the linguistic, artistic, cultural sensitivity and political expertise to do the right programming to really benefit from developing dedicated listeners who are mono-lingual in another language.

Susan McDonough - KPFA’s presence is only a fraction of its signal strength. As a board, we could set up partnerships that can bring us locally-produced programming from the San Joaquin valley. Town Hall meetings could be held in these areas as well, another way to reach various communities –in fact, Pacifica Bylaws charges our LSB with organizing two public forums on KPFA a year – something we’ve not yet done.

Antonio Medrano - Draft reporters who speak these languages, speak to those activists.

Attila Nagy - By providing programs to the various communities and promoting the programs in the specific language in publications that serve the communities – i.e. Spanish language programs can be promoted in Spanish language publications, etc.

Richard Phelps – This is a very complicated question that requires study, surveys and consultation with people from those communities to develop a proper perspective on how to move toward more inclusion with outreach and programming working together.

Mara Rivera - I don’t know. I support the Spanish language broadcasting we are doing, as bringing a progressive voice to the Spanish speaking community.

Paul Robins - Bi-lingual programming.

CC Campbell Rock – Create a block of programming hours and ask organizations that serve various communities to host on-air 30 minute shows. Demographic research should dictate which groups are invited on the air. Or have one multicultural show with rotating guest hosts, and promote the specific "specials" within the targeted communities.

Tracy Rosenberg – In time, non-English streams may be useful. Programming that focuses on bi-cultural and bi-linguistic issues is helpful, interesting and compelling for many people who grow up and/or live in multiple language/culture situations.

Gerald Sanders - This is a very complicated question that requires study, surveys and consultation with people from those communities to develop a proper perspective on how to move toward more inclusion with outreach and programming working together. Nevertheless, Flashpoint is pointing the way forward.

Sureya Sayadi - We have people in Northern California from throughout the world and many of these talented people can be invited to do programming at KPFA and Pacifica. We need to set up working committees with these communities and develop programming and training so they can contribute and get their voices out on a regular basis.

John Van Eyck - A recent SF Chronicle survey showed that in the Bay Area close to 45% of households do not speak English in their homes. If we are to be taken into their homes we must speak the language of that family. We must be taken into their homes with both technology (simulcasting, podcasting, streaming) and by Community events and face to face forums for feedback. There are also ways to make even our music programs more community based.

Joe Wanzala – I think this is an extension of question No.. 14 - the success of such an effort will be a function of how well the station conducts outreach. Given the multiplicity of languages in the bay area and the finite number of broadcasting hours the station may consider something like occasional or periodical, e.g. bi-weekly or bi-monthly programs produced by members of different linguistic groups. This is an important issue that deserves deeper consideration given its wide ranging impact, and the station could certainly do more in this regard.

Jim Weber - This is a problem to be solved by discovering what the station can do fro them, from them, by meeting with members of the community to discover how we can satisfy their needs.

Stan Woods - By finding spots in our schedule for bi Lingual programming. Besides the obvious need for Spanish language broadcasts there are many other communities, more specifically those on the left of those immigrant groups who would welcome the chance to broadcast in their native languages. One of many examples I could mention are the Vietnamese – American community. There are several Vietnamese radio programs in Northern California but all only air the reactionary views of the aging clique of right wing exile leaders. But many in that community are increasingly open to progressive ideas despite threats, intimidation and out right violence .. Who better than KPFA to provide them a forum for critical thought and discussion?

Steve Zeltzer - We have people in Northern California from throughout the world and many of these talented people can be invited to do programming at KFPA and Pacifica. We need to set up working committees with these communities and develop programming and training so they can contribute and get their voices out on a regular basis.

KPFA Staff candidates

Shahram Aghmir - This is related to questions 7 and 14. Considerations can be given to having more bi-lingual programming if that is what these communities need.

Mary Berg - As the technology develops, we can make full use of it to have programming in various languages (e.g., Hmong, Farsi , etc) available digitally, on-line, as podcasts and whatever other forms will emerge. Content  to include translations of our own programming, plus that from other sources -   on-line, via lpfm and in other ways.

Chris Brown - Why don't we have an Arabic or Farsi program? Why so little programming in Spanish? How come we won't air an Al Jazeera broadcast on the station? What are you all so afraid of?

Brian Edwards-Tiekert - Tough one. We already do a limited amount of Spanish-monolingual and -bilingual programming, but we have to be careful about how we expand that kind of work. Switching languages in the middle of the day can drive away most of the listeners you've been carrying from the program that precedes you. One possibility is to create foreign-language webstreams. Another is to use digital multicasting, though that technology's not really up to snuff yet.

Jeannine Etter - There have to be several bi-lingual shows, and much more research done on which of those communities are growing within the Bay Area. If there are not producers within KPFA that can represent those communities, how can we best train those community members in radio? The producers also must be very active in getting the message out to the communities that they represent.

Mary Tilson – More outreach – focused programming