From Kevin Topek

My entire family just returned home to Houston, TX after a 5-year exile in North Carolina (My wife received her doctorate at the University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill). The local music there was about all there was to keep us sane, and there was precious little of both. I returned home this summer to hear Texas music, its musicians and songwriters. I had to have Carolyn Wonderland and the Imperial Monkeys eat at my house in NC just to get a bit of Texas while gone. Please retain the Texas music shows on KPFT. I also appreciate the sounds of Louisiana. PT's Cajun Bandstand has gotten me up at 6:00 AM on many a Saturday and the blues are why I get out of bed on Sunday. We may have the only Palestinian blues aficionado on the air in the world, and he is a damn good one! I want to retain the great reality that is our "local" music, the people who bring it to me and the wonderful feeling I get when I realize that Houston, Texas is the most diverse, liberal and wonderful place in the world. I say this with some experience of other locales, Only here can you say what you think and be heard by others, regardless of what they think. Please retain the musical format of KPFT that my family and I waited so long to hear again. It is one of the best parts of Houston!

I am a KPFT listener, subscriber and occasional volunteer. It is sad to see how this current conflict between people desiring control of our station may destroy it. A radio station cannot be everything to everybody. I know folks who will not listen to KPFT because of its "liberal" political programming bias. Others don't appreciate diversity and would like a more strictly programmed format. I can imagine hundreds of viewpoints, which would imply hundreds of suggested programming options.

Fact is KPFT has a strong and supportive listenership. In my opinion though, that support is very fragile. I know many current listeners and supporters. Some listen to specific shows; others enjoy the diverse programming; some only like the music. There is diversity within the listenership because there is diversity in the music and news programming. It may not represent everyone's perception of diversity, but it exists. In my opinion, any significant change to KPFT's current programming would be disastrous- affecting the station's ability to retain listeners, and, as a result, supporters.

There is something that each and every one of us envisions as the "perfect" KPFT, but we also realize the reality. Although I personally enjoy some of the news programs, I am drawn to the music. I'd like to see the station become more acutely focused on exposing listenership to local, regional and independent artists. There are some quality DJs in place who would love to be given that directive and become free of playlists. Although I am not a Blues fan per se, I appreciate the diversity of Blues music played. Just as some see all news programs as "just talk", others may see all acoustic-based music as "just folk". None of us should claim to be an expert on all the nuances that contribute to a public station's programming.

Regarding the LAB board elections (ed. note: the 11/15/01 election of the interim KPFT local advisory board): Why were all subscribers (listeners) not invited to attend? That would seem to be the voting pool most appropriate for the purpose.

*Mark Zeus is a local Houston musician who has appeared live on KPFT several occasions.