Motions passed at the 6/23/10 PNB Programming Committee teleconference<br />
<br />
1. The programming committee voted 8-1 to recommend the following motion to the PNB:<br />
<br />
The PNB supports the ED putting into plac the means of moving quickly to broadcast simultaneously on all five stations<br />
and as many affiliates as are willing to carry them, events of national interest consistent with our mission, Additional<br />
resources as needed should be put into stations that require them to make this possible. If an important event falls<br />
outside the signal areas of the five Pacifica stations,  whenever possible, Pacifica will ask of its affiliates for<br />
assistance.<br />
<br />
Committee members had the following concerns about this issue, which we agreed to convey to the PNB:<br />
<br />
A. Who would choose the programming? Who makes these decisions?<br />
B. Must-carry problem/ autonomy of stations<br />
C. Funding issue. Where will these funds come from and where will they go to? And who decides?<br />
D. This does not appear to be a good way to develop a national news department.<br />
E. The broadcast team - does it vary broadcast to broadcast? Who decides who does the broadcast?<br />
<br />
2. The programming Committee recommended the following policy to for PNB approval, and also that producers should sign<br />
off on this policy and receive a copy:<br />
<br />
Policy regarding the public airing of grievances:<br />
<br />
Pacifica Policy Statement on Criticizing the Foundation and/or Members of<br />
Its Management or Staff on Our Own Airwaves<br />
Pacifica recognizes that there will always be differences of opinion as to<br />
how our foundation should be run, as well as clashes between individual<br />
staff members or between members of staff and management. We firmly believe<br />
that such differences of opinion and/or staff clashes should not be ignored<br />
or censored, and that Pacifica management should commit itself to hearing<br />
and evaluating all such criticism, no matter how unfavorable.<br />
<br />
However, as a practical matter, such criticism, if delivered publicly, on<br />
our own airwaves, by a member of Pacifica's own staff, can only serve to<br />
damage Pacifica's public image and the reputation of its staff. Therefore,<br />
it is the express position of management that criticism of the foundation<br />
and/or its personnel should not be broadcast over our airwaves as a first<br />
step, but only as a last resort. If a staff member has a personal grievance,<br />
or is aware of a danger to a station or to Pacifica itself that he or she<br />
feels is not being addressed properly, that staff member is encouraged to<br />
discuss the matter with management first through the normal channels<br />
provided for addressing such matters. Management has an open-door policy in<br />
this respect.<br />
<br />
On the other hand, if after exhausting the normal grievance channels, a<br />
staff member still feels that he or she is not receiving justice, or that a<br />
perceived problem at the foundation is still not being properly addressed,<br />
then that staff member may, regrettably, have no other choice but to "go<br />
public" with the issue on Pacifica's own airwaves. In such an eventuality,<br />
that staff member will have been transformed from a "critic" into a<br />
"whistleblower," and will be entitled to all the respect (and protection)<br />
such a designation requires.<br />
<br />
However, we believe that the privilege of whistle blowing carries with it<br />
the responsibility of fairness. Therefore, if a staff member has finally<br />
reached the point at which he or she feels there is no other option than to<br />
use his or her program as a platform from which to criticize Pacifica, or<br />
its management, or its personnel, or to air internal Pacifica matters in a<br />
way that might negatively impact the reputation or public image of the<br />
foundation or its personnel, IT IS SUGGESTED THAT both the station manager and the foundation's Executive Director  be<br />
notified of that planned broadcast<br />
at least 24 hours in advance. This is A SUGGESTION not for the purpose of censorship BUT TO PROTECT THE STAFF MEMBER<br />
FROM MISTAKENLY AIRING THE FOLLOWING:<br />
<br />
 (1) Potentially libelous statements, which could put the foundation at risk.<br />
<br />
(2)  Confidential employee information, which Pacifica is forbidden by law to broadcast.<br />
(3)  Privileged or proprietary information -- including but not<br />
limited to details about vendor contracts, financial matters, legal issues,<br />
pending or ongoing lawsuits, or future programs and/or events whose<br />
premature disclosure might put the foundation at a competitive disadvantage.<br />
<br />
(4) SPEECH THAT VIOLATES FCC REGULATIONS.<br />
<br />
ANY BROADCAST OF MATERIAL INCLUDED IN THE ABOVE 4 CLAUSES WILL SUBJECT THE STAFF INVOLVED TO DISCIPLINARY ACTION.<br />
<br />
IN THE INTEREST OF FAIRNESS AND TRANSPARANCY THE MANAGEMENT RESERVES THE RIGHT FOR EQUAL TIME  TO RESPOND.<br />
<br />
IN CLOSING: THE PACIFICA FOUNDATION’S PUPOSE IS TO PROVIDE RELEVANT, WELL PRODUCED PROGRAMMING THAT IS IN ACCORDANCE<br />
WITH THE PACIFICA MISSION STATEMENT. FREE SPEECH AND ARTISTIC LICENSE MUST BE PROTECTED BY THE GOVERNING BOARDS OF THE<br />
FOUNDATION IN ORDER TO FULLFILL THAT MISSON.<br />
<br />
THAT BEING SAID, THE MAJORITY OF OUR LISTENERS HAVE NO KNOWLEDGE AND LESS INTEREST IN THE INTERNAL AFFAIRS OF THE<br />
FOUNDATION.  IT IS IN THE INTEREST OF OUR LISTENERS THAT WE, INCLUDING MANAGEMENT, STAFF AND BOARD MEMBERS MAKE EVERY<br />
EFFORT TO RESOLVE ISSUES OFF AIR AND PRESERVE THAT PRECIOUS AIR TIME FOR PROVIDING EXCELLENT RADIO THAT SERVES OUR<br />
COMMUNITTEES.