KPFA on the Air - About KPFA

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		Nuclear spokesperson: We have absolutely no question about the safety of nuclear plants as a result of this mishap.... We do not refer to it as a nuclear accident because it was not that... KPFA reporter Aileen Alfandary: How can you say it's not an accident, when radiation is being detected as far away as 16 miles?... Nuclear engineer: It sounds like a very serious accident. Certainly they have a leak in the primary system. What we were saying was 100 percent opposite what the nuclear industry was saying and what was being reported in the media. It really was a moment that showed the power of what this medium could be. - Alan Snitow, former news director, KPFA

If a sound is worth passing through the magnificent apparatus of a microphone, a transmitter and your receiving set, it ought to convey some meaningful intelligence. - Lewis Hill, KPFA founder

When Lew Hill pioneered listener-supported radio he wrote, "KPFA happens to be the pilot experiment.... We are hoping to succeed for several reasons, not the least among which is the realization that our success may inspire others to experiment for the eventual betterment of the broadcast product."

By Hill's measurement the pilot experiment did, in fact, succeed. KPFA became the first FM station to receive the prestigious Peabody Award for its "courageous venture into the lightly trafficked field of thoughtful broadcasting."

Everybody wants a piece of it [KPFA]. And because people don't have access to anything else, they want to make sure that they keep this. This is theirs. This is their special treasure. - Pat Scot

The Pacifica Radio network now consists of KPFA Berkeley (94.1), KPFK Los Angeles (90.7), WBAI New York (99.5), KPFT Houston (90.1), WPFW Washington, D.C. (89.3) and nearly 60 affiliates in 27 states. National Public Radio (NPR) Worldwide is heard on over 140 radio stations internationally. With the advent of satellite, cable, shortwave and the Internet, independent noncommercial radio stations are alive and well, broadcasting all over the world.


	"I renounced my class privilege... and I would never choose to live the rest of my life surrounded by pigs like the Hearsts. Patria o muerte, venceremos. Death to the fascist insect that preys upon the life of the people." Patricia Hearst on KPFA (Tapes delivered to station by Symbionese Liberation Army)

KPFA TODAY
Much of KPFA's programming is local, original and eclectic, with a mix of news and in-depth public affairs, ongoing drama, literature and performance series, interviews and reviews. Music ranges from folk to hip hop, classic to world beat. KPFA goes on the road to broadcast live music, demonstrations and cultural events. True to the nature of community today, the majority of the staff are unpaid volunteers.