"KPFA: Democracy Deferred?"
Bill Mandel
Bill Mandel, now 88 years young, was a KPFA and
Pacifica broadcaster for 37 years, until he was
removed by station management in one of their many
corporate purges, despite the fact — or perhaps
because of the fact — that he had been one of the
station's most popular and politically-cogent
broadcasters.
For more information about Mandel, see his website,
here. Mandel's autobiography,
Saying No To Power (Introduction by Howard Zinn), is a
history of how the American people fought to defend
and expand its rights since the 1920s, employing the
form of the life of a 30s AND 60s activist, one who
was involved in most serious movements: student,
labor, 45 years of efforts to prevent war with the
USSR, civil rights South and North, women's liberation
(Mandel's late wife appears on 50 pages), 37 years on
Pacifica Radio (where he invented talk radio), and
civil liberties. On Mandel's website, you can also see
and hear his testimony before different
McCarthy-Cold-War-Era witch-hunting committees (used
in six films and a play). Mandel is the author of five
books in his academic field.The presentation Bill Mandel prepared for the Public
Forum ("KPFA/Pacifica — Democracy Deferred?"), held at
La Peña in Berkeley on November 10, 2004, has been
posted on Indybay,
here.
I have also reproduced Mandel's presentation below.
Audio of the La Peña forum is also archived on Maria
Gilardin's TUC Radio website, here.
TUC Radio is also selling a tape of the forum. Please
note that Mandel was not able to finish his
presentation at the forum due to time constraints.
For information about the campaign to put Mandel back
on the air, please email struggle_and_win@yahoo.com.
