Michael Novick ~ Listener-Sponsor Delegate-elect

Michael Novick is running with GrassrootsKPFK for the LSB because Pacifica is in crisis. I want us to survive and thrive as a tool for overcoming racism, economic deprivation, political repression and environmental devastation by opening up to creative grassroots voices of community activists for liberation and direct action.

KPFK is a resource for social transformation and cultural expression, but it's threatened by irrelevance to a new generation of communities struggling for a better world. I want to participate in efforts to revitalize KPFK as a beacon of hope and open inquiry. I'll work for open dialogue, investigation and problem solving, with listeners, management, paid and unpaid staff, and Pacifica, to guarantee the survival of this bastion of multi-lingual free speech.

We can grow by reflecting and projecting the efforts of ordinary people to live decent, meaningful lives free from fear, repression and exploitation. True community requires ending oppressive hierarchies, like racism and sexism, and resisting corporate domination. By airing voices, strategies and creative expressions of communities in struggle, KPFK can help ensure communication from, by and for the grassroots.

I've been a listener sponsor of KPFK, WBAI and KPFA. I was in production collectives at KPFA, including Saturday news, served on a KPFK news director search committee, and was an elected listener member and chair of KPFK's interim Program Council (iPC). The LSB should meet in communities throughout our listening area, as we did on the iPC. The station should draw in the talents of students, artists and activists confronting problems facing poor, colonized and working people. Pacifica should wean itself from funding by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting. We should stop endlessly peddling premiums and broaden the base of givers by engaging with diverse communities, ethnic groups, labor, churches, and schools. We need transparency and accountability on where the money goes.

I'm in Anti-Racist Action/People Against Racist Terror. ARA is a non-sectarian direct action anti-fascist network. I taught school (LAUSD) since 1982, just retired. Like my parents, who met on a picket line when my mother was fired for joining a union, I was a rank-and-file shop steward (in United Teachers Los Angeles). I'm a published author, editor and publisher of "Turning the Tide," distributed free around LA and to hundreds of prisoners (without partisan subsidies, corporate cash or foundation grants). I've been in coalitions against racism, repression, war, police abuse and other crimes of the empire, and have worked in solidarity with African, Mexicano, Indigenous, Asian, LGBTQ, disabled and other communities. On KPFK's iPC and Program Oversight Committee, I helped develop evaluation criteria based on the Pacifica mission, community needs and measures of creative, thoughtful radio, and applied them to existing programming. But arbitrary, subjective programming decisions continue to be made. On the LSB, I'd like to help develop and apply criteria that can increase the quality and scope of our programming. I support the GrassrootsKPFK principles and urge you to vote for the others on the slate. Please email me by clicking here

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Q & A

Why do you want to be on the Local Station Board (LSB)?

KPFK and Pacifica are vital resources for positive social transformation and cultural expression, but they are threatened by stagnation and becoming irrelevant to a new generation of communities in struggle for a new and better world. I want to participate in a collective effort to rejuvenate and revitalize KPFK as a beacon of hope and open inquiry.

How do you envision the LSB working with the Pacifica Foundation, staff and listener members?

The LSB must lead an open process of dialogue, investigation and problem solving, with the listeners, the station management, paid and unpaid staff and volunteers, and with the Pacifica Foundation, in order to guarantee the survival and growth of the station and network as a bastion of free speech

How can your station better serve the community? Please define community.

Community represents the joint efforts of ordinary people to live decent, meaningful lives free from fear, repression and exploitation. True community requires decolonization, an end to oppressive hierarchies like racism and sexism, and resistance to corporate domination. KPFK can help ensure communication from, by and for the grassroots through airing the voices and strategies and creative expressions of people, communities and cultures in struggle for survival.

Describe some actions you would take to increase the influence of the station in underrepresented communities and to increase the diversity of the listening audience.

The station board and its committees should conduct meetings and business in the various geographic communities throughout our listening area. The station should draw in the talents of high school and college students, cultural activists and people on the front lines of dealing pro-actively with the pressing problems facing poor, colonized and working people.

What sources of funding, other than listener donations, do you feel your station should solicit? Do you have any ideas with respect to improving the current funding mechanisms?

KPFK and Pacifica should develop a long-term plan to wean ourselves from funding by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting. We should stop peddling premiums on the air during fund-drives and work to substantially broaden the base of givers by engaging with grassroots communities of all the diverse ethnic groups, labor, churches, etc. Greater transparency in where the money goes will help.

Please state briefly the skills, experience, educational background, work history, organizational affiliations, areas of community service, areas of interest and expertise that you would bring to the Pacifica network as a member of the Local Station Board.

I've been a teacher with LAUSD and other districts since 1982, and a rank-and-file activist in United Teachers Los Angeles. I am a published author, as well as editor and publisher of "Turning the Tide: Journal of Anti-Racist Action, Research & Education" distributed free for 24 years around LA and to hundreds of prisoners (without partisan subsidies or government, corporate or foundation grants). I have been a member of innumerable coalitions against racism, repression, war, police abuse and other crimes of the empire, and have worked in solidarity with African, Mexicano/indigenous, Asian, LGBTQ, disabled and other communities. I served as an elected listener rep and chair of the KPFK interim Program Council, evaluating programming.

On which Local Station Board committees are you interested in actively serving? If you are a current Local Station Board member, on which committees do you currently serve?

I would like to serve on the Program Oversight Committee, and possibly the finance committee. I would be interested in serving on the National Programming Committee of the Pacifica National Board, as I believe Pacifica has the capacity to develop hard-hitting audio/video documentaries that could change the national discourse.

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