Hello KPFA listeners, I’m Christine Pépin.
I’ve been listening to KPFA since 1998 when I first arrived in California from Paris, France. I was immediately drawn to the unapologetically left-leaning, anti-war and diverse programming and the absence of commercial underwriting and advertising. What a change from corporate-dominated and mainstream “liberal” stations! At KPFA, one can hear news and programs that are not heard anywhere else on the radio waves.
I am running as a listener delegate to make sure KPFA remains a listener-sponsored and thought-provoking community-powered radio, true to its original grassroots mission. To that end, I believe we need to reinstate a Program Council where decisions to air, end, or change a program are made transparently and democratically. We have to reach out more to underserved and minority communities to provide programming that reflect these groups and their issues, and not be afraid to challenge the status quo.
As a California Green Party member and former chair of the Climate Action Team of the South Bay Progressive Alliance, I am quite aware of the connections between war, poverty, climate disruption, racial and economic injustice, and the influence of big money in politics. I believe it is one of KPFA’s goals to underline these intertwined problems, both locally and worldwide, and bring them to the fore so that listeners get the full picture and are truly and honestly informed.
I live in Sunnyvale and by running I also stand up for the Peninsula and South Bay listeners who are seldom represented on the Local Station Board. The station belongs to all its members and every member has a voice in how the station should operate. As your local station representative, I will listen and respond to your voices.
I look forward to working with the other board members, the station management, and our powerful communities. Please vote for me, and for the whole Rescue Pacifica team. For more information, visit www.rescuepacifica.net.
Sincerely,
Christine Pépin