[Kzyxtalk] The Public Trial of John Sakowicz

Fri Mar 10 15:43:54 PST 2017

Thank you, Dr. Miller, for this ""history lesson". I had no idea how you had to grovel. 

It is never enough for a host/producer to do superior programming at KZYX, with great guests, on important topics. No. Never enough. One must "kiss the ring", so to speak...or in the case of Aigner and Coate, kiss their ass. 

I couldn't do it. Now I have a show at KMEC on a powerful digital platform with an audience now approaching 50,000 Youtube subscribers and distribution through several media channels. 

No one at KZYX could ever put together that technology I now havve. Not Aigner nor Coate norr Culbertson. "Lazy" and "stupid" come to mind, and as Dean Vernon Wormer told John Belushi in the movie, Animal House, "lazy and stupid is no way to go through life." 

-- John 
----- Original Message -----

From: "Dr Richard Louis Miller" <drrichardlmiller at gmail.com> 
To: "kzyxtalk" <kzyxtalk at lists.mcn.org>, "KZYX Board" <bod1989 at pacific.net>, "MCN Announce Lists" <announce at lists.mcn.org>, discussion at lists.mcn.org 
Sent: Friday, March 10, 2017 11:30:02 AM 
Subject: Re: [Kzyxtalk] The Public Trial of John Sakowicz 

Dear KZYX Friends and Neighbors: 

Some of you have been asking me for an explanation of my effusive expression of gratitude to KZYX Board President Meg Courtney during the recent Board meeting at the Senior Center, on March 6, 2017. 

Some year ago I was one of the 15 people* terminated from KZYX. This number of persons terminated, at KZYX, is greater than the total number of people I have witnessed terminated during my entire 66 year working career. 

To put this in perspective: I have scrapped dishes, washed toilets, cleaned rat cages, cleaned sewers, waited on tables, taught at the University of Michigan and Stanford University, made testimony to the California State Assembly and the President's Commission on Mental Health, served as Senior Vice President, and President of my division, of a chemical dependance treatment program employing 2000 people, and much more. Again, the total number of people terminated, in my entire 66 career, for all reasons, was not close to the 15 terminated at KZYX. 

KZYX General Manager, John Coate, and KZYX Program Director, Mary Aigner, refused to meet with me to discuss any of their actions. Instead, Coate sent me a letter saying that I would not be allowed to return to my job until I sent a letter to all 100 KZYX programmers admitting "my mistake". My lawyer said Coate's demand of a public mea culpa was illegal. When I called Coate he refused to take my calls. This was the most egregious example, amongst many, during a 10 year work period, which were, by far, the the most painful in my entire work history. 

During their tenure, I was regularly met, by GM Coate and PD Aigner, with derision, contempt, sarcasm and a level of disrespect which was palpable. It was painful to call the station for any reason, whatsoever, for at bare minimum I was met with a sarcastic "why are you calling and bothering us?" 

Coate/Aigner made me grovel for 2 solid years in order to provide me with a key to the Mendo studio. Finally after they terminated Norm du Vall, he gave me his key. 
Another time they refused to give me an answer, for 6 months, to my request that I be allowed, at my own expense, to buy a head set with mic built in. 

My dedicated studio engineer, Mike Dell'Ara, was witness to both of these incidents as well as to the tones with which I was chronically treated for many years. 

In addition, during my entire 10 years, there was no building of spirit du corp or ever a real working Program Advisory Committee (which, to this day, despite the promises of Board member, Stuart Campbell, 8 months ago, still does not exist.) Thus, in a community radio station there is no channel for community input to programming. 

It was only because of my love of our community and my program, and my belief that my program adds to our community, which I cherish, that I continued to work under such unusually painful adverse circumstances. Instead of quitting I chose to out wait them. Staying the course, and staying alive, are winning tactics. 

>From the moment Coate and Aigner departed, the atmosphere at KZYX changed and my work life improved markedly...in fact, it became normal. Now I both enjoy my job and the people I work with. 

Acting PD Angela de Witt was a pleasure to work with and so is PD Alice Woefle-Erskine. We work cooperatively, as a team, for the station and for the community. We treat one another with respect and good cheer. 

So why did I express so much gratitude to Meg Courtney? Because 8 months after my "suspension" she persuaded John Coate to meet with me at her home for dinner. 
If was only because of Meg's intervention that Coate actually deigned to speak with me. It's almost impossible to dine with someone without talking to them. 
Subsequent to the dinner Coate invited me to resume my program which I did after a full year off the air. Because Meg did caused Coate to do his job I am eternally grateful. 

Presently the list of those KZYX programmers terminated is at least 14*. Perhaps some of these programmers deserved to be terminated. Perhaps some of these programmers deserve to be reinstated. Perhaps apologies to some are proper. For certain, until there is a review of these 14 terminations they will fester in our community. We heard expressions of the festering at the Board meeting on March 6. 

With our new, and very experienced, GM, Jeff Parker, it is a new day at KZYX and I hopefully KZYX will finally take its place as a model station. Unfortunately Jeff has inherited some old baggage which needs attending to. Such is life. Most of us have old baggage that benefits from healing. 

Lets get with Jeff and support his leading us to the greater community contribution hundreds of us have been working for, voluntarily, without pay, these past many years. If the Trump government takes away our federal funding (about $140,000/year) let us raise it here in our community. We can do it! 

If ever there was a time for us all to put our disagreements aside and pull together, in the same direction, this is it! 

Wishing you all excellent health, 

Richard 
Host, Mind Body Health & Politics. 

Richard Louis Miller, M.A., Ph.D. 
Clinical Psychology 
Wikipedia: Dr Richard Louis Miller 
Wikipedia: Wilbur Hot Springs 
MindBodyHealthPolitics.org 
MendocinoTV.com 
Psychepedia.org 

*KZYX Programmers Terminated (not in chronological order of termination) 

1-Phaedra Savage 

2-Toni Orans 

3-Beth Bosk 

4-Sister Yasmin 

5-Mary Walsh 

6-Johanna Schultz 

7-Els Cooperider 

8-Christina Arnestad 

9-Doug McKenty 

10-John Sakowicz 

11-Norm du Vall 

12-Mitch Clogg 

13-Marco McClean 

14-KC Meadows 

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