The Pacifica Foundation

The Pacifica Foundation is the nonprofit parent organization of KPFA in Berkeley and four other independent radio stations throughout the United States. In July, the Pacifica leadership closed down KPFA, the oldest listener sponsored radio station in the country, arrested KPFA journalists and close to 100 free speech protesters, and provoked some o... f the largest demonstrations seen in Berkeley since the Vietnam War. Pacifica has also censored and fired journalists at several of its stations for reporting on the crisis within the progressive radio network. Two lawsuits have been filed against Pacifica. One lawsuit, filed on behalf of local advisory board members, seeks to reverse governance changes that concentrated all decision-making power for the organization in the hands of the Pacifica Foundation's national board and stripped local station boards of their authority. The other lawsuit was filed by Pacifica listener-sponsors to remove the Pacifica board for extraordinary acts, culminating in the armed occupation and shut down of KPFA last summer. Pacifica is also under investigation by the California Legislature's Joint Legislative Audit Committee.Read More