[Kzyxtalk] op-ed

[sako4 at comcast.net]

To the Editor: 




It's absurd for KZYX management to say that the recent FCC decision to renew the station's licenses was somehow a "slam dunk victory" for the station. 




First, the FCC's investigation took almost two years. In other words, the station's license was held up for almost two years. That's a very long time in the regulatory world. A two-year investigation is a rebuke in and of itself. 




Second, it's almost unprecedented that the FCC completely revoke the broadcasting licenses of a presumably public radio station. A station would have to be commandeered by a terrorist group...something like that. 




Third and quoting from the FCC decision, "...the Informal Objections filed by John Sakowicz, Sheila Dawn Tracy, M. Kathryn Massey, Yasmin Solomon, and Sandra Peterson ARE GRANTED IN PART." 




The FCC decision continues, "IT IS FURTHER ORDERED that KZYX IS ADMONISHED for failure to maintain both a full-time employee and one full-time management level employee at Station KZYX(FM)'s main studio during the license term." 




The emphasis above in capital letters is the FCC's own emphasis. 




The objections were substantiated in part, and KZYX was admonished -- terrible. 




A slam dunk victory? I think not. Couple the FCC's two-year investigation and qualified decision with the decision by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting to slash KZYX's funding -- the station was cited for not reaching enough of the minority community -- and we get a more accurate picture of the very serious problems at KZYX. 




There's more. 




In October, KZYX's business records will be inspected as a result of a demand letter that was filed earlier this summer. Within a day of the station being served, former KZYX Executive Director and General Manager, John Coate, announced his sudden resignation. 




Was Coate's resignation a coincidence? I think not. 




The demand letter was signed by two former KZYX Board directors, Doug McKenty and King Collins. It was also signed by myself, a current board director, along with a former and highly respected member of the Mendocino County Board of Supervisors, Norman De Vall, and Ukiah attorney, Dennis O'Brien. 




Attorney, Peter Kafin, will accompany us on the records inspection in October. 




There's more trouble ahead for the bullies who call themselves KZYX management. The truth shall set us free. Let's be clear, KZYX is not a truly public radio station. KZYX is a closed clubhouse. 




What is KZYX? 




KZYX is a closed clubhouse that is not advised by a strong and independent Community Advisory Board and Program Advisory Committee. Both are weak and ineffective, and characterized by conflicts of interest. 




KZYX is a closed clubhouse that keeps its 2,100 members in the dark and fights every effort to organize them. The result is that membership has declined from 2,300 members in only the last few years. 




KZYX is a closed clubhouse that keeps its 80-90 volunteer broadcasters unpaid and fights every effort to unionize, or otherwise organize them. 




KZYX is a closed clubhouse that is a jobs program for the full-time staff at the station who will not disclose their salaries, will not provide job descriptions or work logs, and will not be subject to job performance evaluations by the Board of Directors. 




KZYX is a closed clubhouse whose program decisions are made by one person, the Program Director, who does little actual work, comes and goes as she pleases, and who also routines censors programmers and otherwise purges her critics. The result is that she has remained unchallenged at KZYX for 25 years. 




Let's work together to make KZYX truly public again. 




John Sakowicz 
KZYX Board of Directors, 2013-2016, Board Treasurer, 2014 



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