Update on KPFK STANDING STRONG

Image by Benjamin Heine

All - if you have been following the attack on Radio Intifada and KPFK, there are some new developments:

First, the good news is that corporate office of WHOLE FOODS has indicated its support of KPFK; and Peet's Coffee refused to be intimidated from the beginning and indicated its support. We should be thanking both of these food donors:
Peet's Coffee & Tea, P.O. Box 12509, Berkeley, CA 94712-3509
800-999-2132, webmail@peets.com
Whole Foods, Jessie Walker, Customer Communications Specialist, Customer.Questions@wholefoods.com,
CEO - john.mackey@wholefoods.com

Second, Trader Joe's has remained silent. Continue to contact their CEO
Dan Bane, Chairman and CEO, Trader Joe's, 800 S. Shamrock, Monrovia 91017 Ph: 626-599-3817, Fax: 626-599-3907

Third, Gelson's has made no effort to retract their outrageous embrace of the "truthmasters" charges of Radio Intifada and KPFK being anti-Semitic, but they did pull their slanderous statement off their own website. They declined being interviewed this morning on "Uprising," responding "No Comment."
Continue to send emails to the president, and especially the CEO who signed their slanderous statement: bbriskin@gelsons.com 9595 Wilshire #411, BH 90212, 310-858-1574 s - Bob Stiles, President, 16400 Ventura Blvd., Suite 240, Encino, CA 91436-2123, (818) 906-5700

Finally, General Manager Eva Georgia's editorial, which she read at the end of yesterday's Radio Intifada show, has been posted on the KPFK website (see below).

Sherna

KPFK EDITORIAL

April’ 04, 2007

For almost 50 years, KPFK Radio has been serving Southern California communities by providing news, information and analysis not heard in other broadcast mediums in our signal area. From its inception, KPFK and Pacifica Foundation have been attacked by a wide range of detractors who have attempted to stifle free speech and promote intolerance of alternative views and opinions.

KPFK has once again come under this attack. Recently, an organized effort was launched by a fringe group of individuals who are campaigning online to boycott the station and any and all friends and donors who support our Mission. They are vilifying specific KPFK programming on the Middle East and accuse KPFK of being anti-Semitic and anti-Israel. We are pleased that we have received calls and letters of support from our listeners, particularly from the Jewish community, repudiating this boycott and urging KPFK to stand firm against this obvious assault on free speech.

We stand by our Mission and our historic calling as a noncommercial community radio station to broadcast diverse – and yes, at times – controversial perspectives. While we respect the rights of others to disagree with us, we wholeheartedly support our volunteers and producers who donate their time and efforts to bring you the very best in news, information and analysis.

We will not be intimidated by the patently false charges leveled against us and will continue to bring our listeners and supporters the rich and diverse voices of the community to the airwaves.

Sincerely,
Eva Georgia
General Manager, KPFK Radio