[Kzyxtalk] [MCN-Discussion]- Fwd: Jan. 21, 2014: 3:25 PM

[sako4 at comcast.net]

Program Director, Mary Aigner, can been the one constant problem at KZYX since its founding 25-years ago. 

Aigner keeps her job by selectively enforcing FCC profanity regulations to purge the station of her critics, or even those who dare to raise questions about station operations. 

Doug McKenty (former board director and programmer), Norman De Vall (former member of the Mendocino County Board of Supervisors and programmer), Johanna Schultz ( programmer), K.C. Meadows (editor of the Ukiah Daily Journal and programmer), Els Cooperrider (anti-GMO activist and programmer), Beth Bosk (editor of the New Settler Interviews , environmentalist, and programmer), myself (current board member and programmer), and many, many others over the last 25-years can all sign affidavits attesting to this abuse under the color of authority. 

Meanwhile, Aigner, herself, has aired shows -- including recent shows -- wherein prerecorded material contained profanities. Aigner committed these violations without consequence. 

This double standard will be the basis for my next complaint. 

Censorship will be another element of my complaint. 

Aigner's job description as program director is also a mystery. What exactly do she do for $40,000 or $50,000 a year? Why is her salary not disclosed? And why has she been the one constant at the station since its founding 25-years ago? Hundreds of people have come and gone at KZYX over the last 25-years -- many of them purged by Aigner -- but Mary Aigner has survived them all. Why? How? By what deceptions, manipulations, and abuses of power? 

Another issue: Where is Aigner's job description, her work logs, and her job performance evaluations? 

They're all non-existent. I know. As a board director, I have asked for all of the above. The station has refused. I doubt these documents even exist. In any other organization -- private sector or public sector -- this sort of deference towards one employee would be seen as favoritism. 

This will also be the subject of a future complaint. 

Incidentally, complaints may be filed at the following: the Federal Communications Commission (FCC); the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB); the California Secretary of State; the California Department of Labor, Division of Labor Standards Enforcement; the U.S. Department of Labor, Civil Rights Center; and the U.S. Department of Justice, Civil Rights Division. Each of these agencies oversee a particular area of the law. If you need guidance, or want to know how to file a complaint or report a violation, please write to me off list. 

Also, if you are a current programmer or member, there are whistleblower statues that protect you. 

See: http://www.whistleblowers.gov/wb_filing_time_limits.html 

Mary Aigner is the major stumbling block for real reform at KZYX. First and foremost, she would never allow either programmers or members to organize to challenge her power. 

Being allowed to organize -- it's the key to change at KZYX. 

Programmers, like members, are not allowed to organize at KZYX. Programmers are regarded simply as a source of free volunteer labor. Members are regarded simply as a source of funds. 

And this is a fourth area where KZYX can expect complaints. Programmers and members at a public radio station must both be allowed to organize under station auspices, but we are not. 

If KZYX's board wants to preempt complaints in the four areas I have described above -- double standards, censorship, favoritism, and "union busting" of organizations supportive of programmers and members -- the board should show Aigner the door now. 

Otherwise, the station can expect more complaints from more people, and more expenses in legal fees in defending itself against bad business practices at the regulatory agencies charged with overseeing KZYX. 


----- Original Message -----

From: "David Gurney" <jugglestone at gmail.com> 
To: discussion at lists.mcn.org, "kzyxtalk" <kzyxtalk at lists.mcn.org> 
Sent: Monday, June 15, 2015 9:32:04 PM 
Subject: Re: [Kzyxtalk] [MCN-Discussion]- Fwd: Jan. 21, 2014: 3:25 PM 

I guess this means George Carlin, Lenny Bruce, etc. etc. are forever banned from KZYX? 

Since when did all the listeners around here become uptight Puritans, and whatever became of freedom of speech? 



On Mon, Jun 15, 2015 at 4:56 PM, Andrea Luna < aluna at mcn.org > wrote: 


Thanks for refreshing my memory ; Johanna was a great asset, and a grew loss to have her canned. 
Sent from my iPhone 

> On Jun 15, 2015, at 1:00 PM, Doug McKenty < dougmck at gmail.com > wrote: 
> 
> Yes, but that was during safe harbor time and was not even an FCC infraction. Mary explained to me that she had told Johanna to tone down the bad language in her show, then canned her when she played a song with a cuss word though it was after 10pm. 
> 
> As it was the only program targeting the young, African American audience, I thought the loss of the show was unfortunate. There was a lot of flack about the decision on Open Lines for weeks afterwards and I believe it was the cause of some of the downturn in membership the station has experienced over the last eight years. 
> 
> Sent from my iPhone 
> 
>> On Jun 15, 2015, at 11:02 AM, M Kathryn Massey < mkathrynmassey at gmail.com > wrote: 
>> 
>> Not sure, but why some and not all? 
>> 
>> 
>> 
>>> On Jun 15, 2015, at 10:41 AM, Andrea Luna < aluna at mcn.org > wrote: 
>>> 
>>> Wasn't Johanna Shultz also terminated for playing a hip-hop song with a swear word? 
>>> 
>>> Sent from my iPhone 
>>> 
>>>> On Jun 15, 2015, at 10:27 AM, M Kathryn Massey < mkathrynmassey at gmail.com > wrote: 
>>>> 
>>>> Hi, Beth, 
>>>> 
>>>> It's a real question and let me be clear that I am not addressing censorship. Ideas, content and opinion matter. 
>>>> 
>>>> You'll note that Stuart, as President, didn't respond to the kind of profanity, but chose to say the PD isn't responsible for content she airs. I differ. 
>>>> 
>>>> One of the key responsibilities the PD has is exactly what DOES make the air, not what is intended. 
>>>> 
>>>> On April 30 of this year, someone put up a pre-recorded program of W Dan's because he was needed elsewhere. This show airs at 8 p. It contained the F word. 
>>>> 
>>>> Nothing was done about it and I don't know who was the engineer. 
>>>> 
>>>> Included here is an email from a former Programmer who was also a board member. This exchange was included in my filing to the FCC. 
>>>> 
>>>> Beth, there has to be some threshold as a guide. In these three instances, the P D is responsible. All of these happened before the Safe Harbor time frame. 
>>>> 
>>>> The bigger issue here is the P D being selective on who was removed and who wasn't. 
>>>> 
>>>> I also feel that volunteer programmers are not supported as they should be with regular training, regular evaluations on the production of programs and no thought to developing themes, and new content. 
>>>> 
>>>> I hope this helps to clarify a bit. It's larger than three instances of profanity. mkm 
>>>> 
>>>> p s I'm sending this note from my cell phone. if the Jan 21 email does not follow, it was in another posting. Thank you 
>>>> 
>>>> 
>>>> 
>>>> __________________________________________________________ 
>>>> __________________________________________________________ 








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