I think it's important to know what we can and cannot accomplish through the courts. IF we win, the court (or a settlement agreement) will only set minimum requirements, i.e., that listener-sponsors have voting rights and legal membership status.

After judgement (or settlement) a national political process will be required to re-write the Pacifica bylaws. No one will be able to dictate in advance what the bylaws will say (other than the minimal requirements).

I think/hope that process will be more inclusive than anything we can do at this point, because Pacifica will be required to use the air and to give notice in writing, hold public forums, etc., etc., to ALL listeners and subscribers -- and to figure out a way to include listeners and staff, as well as LAB members and directors, on bylaws re-write committees. Right now, without air time and written notices, relatively few know what's going on or are involved.

At least that's my hope. My experience at KPFA was that even though there were on-air announcements about elections and committee meetings, not a lot of people showed up to do the work. But that's OK. Most people just want their stations to be vibrant, interesting, provocative and well-run, without having to do much about it. They have lives and political work elsewhere. That makes the responsibility of those who do show up to do the work heavy -- in order to really come up with something that will work to preserve the stations and the qualities we are all fighting to restore and improve.

The old Pacifica -- and ALL five stations -- was horribly dysfunctional, and had been for years. There is a lot of damage to undo.

--Carol Spooner