The federal government did something good when it revised the rules for non-commercial stations receiving federal funds through the Corporation for Public Broadcasting. It mandated community input through creation of a Community Advisory Board for each radio station. Within the Pacifica network, this group is called the local advisory board (LAB) and at KPFT it is currently composed of 4 men and 2 women.

So what has KPFT’s LAB done to fulfill its federally mandated charge of review of KPFT’s programming and community mission?

Nothing.

As detailed elsewhere in this issue, in its public sessions over the last year (3/2101, 4/18/01, 5/23/01, 6/20/01, 8/22/01), the KPFT LAB has not reviewed the programming goals, services or decision-making at KPFT, nor made any recommendations, nor offered advice to KPFT management.

Since the "official" LAB appears incapable, unwilling or unconscious to its required task, we decided to do it ourselves.

On a beautiful late September evening, a group of twenty (reasonably) ethnically and economically diverse Houstonians gathered to review the programming on KPFT currently and discuss how each might be fulfilling or detracting from the stated mission of Pacifica, as defined above.

We restricted discussion to those shows on in the 5A-12A hours since most weren’t awake enough in the overnight hours to offer informed comments. Each participant was asked to speak about how much and what shows they were listening to on KPFT.

Some were 20 to 30-year KPFT listeners whereas others were newer to the station. Aside from KPFT, listening tastes were quite diverse with KUHF and KTRU public radio supporters admixed with a disturbingly large number of fans of the dude-speak sports talker Jim Rome. Most commented that the time they spent listening to KPFT had declined steadily over the last few years as the station’s programming became more scripted. Some had almost completely turned off from KPFT.

Most of the reviewers report starting their day with BBC News…and a bunch turn the dial from KPFT immediately after it is over. Most appreciated the international perspective of the BBC but also hungered for similar strong US-produced news.
In the wake of the absurd (and politically-motivated) banning of Democracy Now!, the lack of national news is stunning. Almost nobody reported listening to the understaffed and uninformative Pacifica Network News or its recent retread, the Pacifica Report.

Several people commented that there was no local news at all on KPFT. And that KPFT schedule was most notable for what was missing. KPFT has no coverage of labor, of the environment, of local politics, of community meetings, of education.

Among the few local community shows left on KPFT, the Prison Show and Gay and Lesbian Voices, received the most praise (this Editor concurs despite Jack and Jone’s endless shilling for the Democratic Party). The Progressive Forum received support as the only local show on KPFT’s air even trying to cover international and national issues, local activism and media criticism. Several participants mentioned Bob Buzzanco’s recent interviews in the wake of the 9/11 tragedy as especially noteworthy.

In general, the consensus was that the daytime music programming on KPFT was abysmal and not worth a listen at all. "Scripted", "wretched" and "drivel" were the words mentioned specifically in relation to Mary in the Morning and Roark Smith’s afternoon show. One listener even considered Mary in the Morning to be one of the most powerful and reliable emetics available. Only this Editor, who considers it his painful journalistic duty to keep tabs on KPFT, even admitted to being a regular listener during the daytime. The one exception was David Dye’s World Music Café, syndicated from Philly, which had a few midday admirers.

The evening Crossroads music program did not receive a single positive notice. In contrast, many folks mentioned great fondness for the weekend music programs.

The surprise popularity winner was PeTe’s Cajun Bandstand. The crowd seemed evenly split between those who felt it was shameless 3-hour infomercial for PeTe’s restaurant and those who were pining for PeTe's BBQ but most seemed to be listening. Larry Winters was roundly praised for his Spare Change show with its mix of music and gently caustic commentary reminiscent of the old days at KPFT. The weekend shows recommended for outdoor lawn and garden work were Milestones and Rick Mitchell’s Music Without Borders (This Editor must insist that Mr. Mitchell’s conception of ‘world music’ seems limited to North America. So, Rick Supports NAFTA!! might be a better show title).

Although the show had few listeners, those who have heard Lone Star Jukebox agreed vociferously that host Rick Heysquierdo was the most bloviating, egomaniacal and insincere radio personality in the entire Houston radio wasteland. Because of this, listening to LSJ was recommended only for round-the-town errands where you needed to be forced screaming from the car into the grocery store and drycleaners. Heysquierdo is also the consummate management lackey who has repeatedly bought the favors of the local music press by flattering their egos and offering them slots on his show. Rick Mitchell, formerly of the Chron, and John Nova Lomax of the Houston Press are two such scribes who have made that devil’s bargain to get on the air. Heysquierdo is also the man responsible for recruiting the thuggish former Chair David Acosta to the Pacifica National Board. No where is the stagnant cronyism of KPFT better demonstrated than the on-air persistence of the talentless Heysquierdo. And nobody, besides Garland Ganter himself, has done as much to destroy the community spirit at KPFT.

This programming review has established that KPFT is not fulfilling its stated Mission.

As described above, KPFT is charted to:

KPFT is targeting 95% of its programming at upper-class white fans of AAA music. (The AAA format was specifically designed by radio marketers to appeal to affluent white males aged 35-50. Last time I looked, this group was a distinct minority in Houston).

There is a (virtual) absence of programming appealing to minority community and a sole 15 minutes/week devoted to women’s issues.

There is a total absence of programming designed to appeal to listeners under age 25.

Only the Progressive Forum, L&G Voices and possibly Music Without Borders could be said to address this goal in any way whatsoever. The failure of KPFT to effectively respond to the crisis of September 11^th is the most recent example of its failure to promote dialogue across the different communities of Houston.

3. Promote freedom of the press and serve as a forum for various viewpoints.

It is this mission point that is completely ignored and mocked by current KPFT management. By his very actions, KPFT GM Garland Ganter has shown contempt for various viewpoints and freedoms. In the last two years, he has personally shut down and censored a radio station in California (KPFA), attempted to prosecute KPFT reformers (both cases were thrown out of court), pressed the arrest of one of the elected advisory board members of the station, removed volunteers who have voiced any criticism and failed to introduce new programming of any sort(with the exception of Nuestra Palabra) in his 7 years at KPFT’s helm.

Several reviewers also mentioned KPFT’s failure to utilize its website, which has no forum for people to express their views, an inactive guestbook and an absence of sound files or archives for its online audience. The only directory is for appearances by folk and country bands at a handful of local nightclubs. Even the online stream of the station's broadcast is poor with a tiny server capacity.

KPFT is broadcasting the World (from PRI) which accepts corporate sponsorship and airs underwriting credits. This is a violation of the Pacifica Charter.The continual on-air promotion for a handful of record stores (Cactus Music) and nightclubs (the Mucky Duck) could also be said to constitute advertising since these outlets give KPFT boatloads of free tickets in return.

Our review of programming identified many shortcomings at KPFT currently and suggestions for improvement. The overall sense of the group was one of sadness, especially among those participants who had listened to the station in years past when it was an important and relevant force.

One described having his radio constantly tuned to KPFT in the 1980s as the sound drifted through the various programs of its diverse schedule. "I didn’t understand what they were saying on some of the programs but it was great to hear all the different music and perspectives".

Another participant recalled what a great privilege it was to be involved in the station in the old days. Back when there was a continuous movement of people from the Houston community in and out of the station. Back when there was a training program to move people from being volunteers to being on the air.

Another recounted growing up in isolated Orange, TX when the distant signal of KPFT was a lone voice from the wider world. He remembered sneaking down to the Little League ballfield with his friends to smoke and tweak their super-charged car stereos to hear the music and (curse-filled) talk of the ‘Old Weird’ KPFT. Just try to imagine some kid in the boondocks struggling mightily to tune in Mary in the Morning or anything else on today’s KPFT.

Of course, there are still quality programmers on KPFT but this Editor would like to gently suggest that they are…(how can I say this delicately)….um… geriatric. Some of KPFT’s best shows have been on for so long they have become ossified with hosts that sound like self-parodies (Nuri Nuri), bored (25-year vet Scott Sommers) or just plain exhausted (Mathew Momoh & Ray Hill).

The sense of excitement and discovery of the old KPFT is now completely missing at the current station. If you actually sit down and review today’s programming, one is forced to admit that KPFT has lost its groove, its relevance, its youth and maybe its very reason for being.

Return to Houston Radio Report homepage

Visit the dissenters' kpftradio webpages

Email Houston Radio Report