KPFA 94.1 FM

This review is specifically for the «Sideshow Radio» segment which airs on Saturday mornings from midnight till 2am.
I met Chill Statis at an event in North Oakland back in August. After conversing for a few moments, he quickly invited me to come on the show for an interview to talk about my photography. I took him up on that offer.
This weekend, I made the short trip to Berkeley. Since I arrivedearly, I hung out in the lobby. Shortly thereafter, a few more interviewees came in. Although I didn’t know them, we all conversed and actually had a really good time mingling with eachother.
Soon after that, the interviews began. At roughly 1am, it was my turn. My videographer and I went into the studio and waited for the interview to begin. The interview was conducted by Chill Statis and two other people, Aquelia and forgive me for not remembering the gentleman’s name. Before I knew it, we were on the air!
I’ve been interviewed many times and I must say: this one was very comfortable. It didn’t seem like I was being asked the typical generic questions that sound like they’re just being read to me. Instead, it was very casual and organic. The interview itself lasted a little over 5 minutes.
I brought my videographer along since I’ll be putting together a video of the interview for promotional purposes. Since he was positioned in the room with me, he couldn’t hear the audio from the interviewers (they’re in a separate room). Chill Statis and his crew quickly instructed us on how to retrieve the entire interview’s audio from the internet.
After that was done, we spoke for a few minutes, took some photos and wrapped up the night.
This radio show is run as a non-​profit. Nonetheless, they still give people like myself a chance to speak about our art. That is a blessing. Thank you KPFA.

I can’t listen to the claptrap broadcasted by what people call «progressive» politics without laughing at the limited sources, viewpoints, and guests. It’s stunning that the station truly believes it has impact on the decisions made in Washington DC or Sacramento. Clueless people.

The best radio station out there. You get to hear stories from the very communities that are shut out of mainstream media. KPFA is listener sponsored so they are not molded by advertisers/​corporate funders as to what they can or cannot talk about as most media outlets are. It is OUR radio station. KPFA gives the less heard a chance to be heard. Some of my favorite shows are Bay Native Circle, Democracy Now, Hard Knock Radio, Flashpoints, Full Circle, Voices of the Middle East and of course, Free Speech Radio News.

What to say about this gem?
KPFA is the first listener-​supported radio station in the United States and hence it’s the longest running. It’s got a fantastic lineup of programs bringing you news and viewpoints you won’t ever, ever, find in the mainstream media.
Awesome shows of note: Flash Points, Against the Grain, Bay Native Circle, Free Speech Radio News, Counterspin, Hard Knock Radio, Making Contact, Letters and Politics, and Guns & Butter.
This is quite honestly the most important radio station I can think of. Listen online if you’re not in the area. Donate if you can and become a member. KPFA is a vital beacon of freedom of the press — keep it alive.

KPFA Make us Berkeley people unique!!!

There’s been a major uprising at KPFA… and not just because they broadcast Uprising from Los Angeles. The morning show staff has been summarily dismissed by the leads at Pacifica. The best shows on KPFA are endangered, and they’re doing an emergency fund drive.
The shows from LA are interesting… but they’re not local, from the Bay Area. There are still great shows like Herbal Highway (with its soothing host), Against the Grain, Democracy Now! (the flagship show with Amy Goodman), and the Visionary Activist Show that manages to blend mythology, astrology, and current events with the turquoise-​haired Caroline Casey of Coyote News Network. She is indeed the Weaver of Context.
The current status of KPFA is in doubt. Yikes.

I’ve listened to the station half my life. It is a truly wonderful gift for alternative news and music. My favorite talk shows are the Block Radio Report with the Minister of Information & his female co-​host, Hard Knock Radio with Davey D, Against the Grain with C.S. Soong and Rock en Rebellion. The only show I have issue with is America’s Back 40 with Mary Tilson b/​c of Ms. Tilson’s seemingly classist commentary, which is sad b/​c the music she plays is pretty good; however the roots of old timey, bluegrass, americana and country music that is played on her show rests within the working class and Ms. Tilson lacks in sensitivity to this class.
I know kpfa isn’t perfect, as most stations aren’t. When you understand the scale by which it’s operating abilities run-​with a few hundred people coordinating to create it’s elaborate and tailored programming within a dire budget, the better you are in putting it’s pros and cons into perspective.

I only listen occasionally on Sundays for the bluegrass show. Ain’t nothing better than cooking up a family meal with that high lonesome sound in the background. I like the interviews they do sometimes with the artists, and appreciate that they will, from time to time, trot out actual vintage vinyl for us to hear.

Keeping it real!

I should give 5 stars because they are keeping a «people’s» station afloat in a corporate media world. I should give them 2 stars because of all the strident whining.
But I give 4 stars because there are some super wonderful shows!
Jennifer Stone (stone’s throw) — the most eccentric and elegant and badass woman around, and she’s olde!
Living Room — the host is so cool — I wish she was my aunt. she gets great guests and has interesting twists and a great radio voice and demeanor.
The Morning Show — find out what’s the haps in a non-​canned way (no whining, just weeding through ideas about pressing issues), fun and inquisitive
Against the Grain — intellectual discussion about everything under the sun, historical and contemporary. compelling! critical thinking!
Africa Today — great host and great subjects! thank you for talking about things that get ignored. in the news africa is treated like one big problem-​child with no contrast, plot, individuality. This show is essential to fill in the gaps in daily news (with historical significance).
Hard Knock Radio — great hip hop interviews with all the underground greats and many above/​middle-​grounders as well. and up and comingers and analysis on issues in rap culture.
La Onda Bajita — so coool! you will feel cool listening to this show. you will become cool.
Funk Show — forget what it’s called, but kicks bootylishious butt
Salsa Show — also amaaazing!

I only listen on Sunday between 1 and 4 for the great bluegrass music. Very one-​sided politics so I only listen to the music that I can’t find elsewhere.
The problem is I subscribed in May 2009 and was to receive a two-​CD music set and it has not arrived. No response from 3 voice mails or 3 emails regarding the cds. Finally got someone today to pick up the phone and was told they were on back order. (Never asked me which cd I was waiting for.) Said someone would call me back. I mentioned that I would never subscribe again. I

I gotta shout out to my new friends at KPFA who were instrumental in vidoetaping the interviews for the Eastside Stories Project at Woodland School this morning. Very professional without being snooty or arrogant. Thanks Miki, Karl, Gloria and the Moderator (sorry cant remember her name) Of course KPFA has been the community advocate for years now. keep it up ! alrighty then… holla

i listen to democracy now all the time, plus the other news program when i can. they cover news the mainstream media won’t cover. the jazz programs are cool too when i can find them.

I got into Pacifica (specifically Democracy Now!) around 2000. At the time, I lived in Southern California, so I listened mostly to KPFK, which was the second Pacifica station (after KPFA). I followed the turmoil of that time pretty closely and actually got involved in some of the L.A.-area protests. From what I knew of KPFA, I was impressed. Here were a bunch of activists who cared enough about their station to prevent it from being hijacked.
When I moved to San Francisco in 2003, I expected to spend most of my radio time tuned to KPFA, as I had spent most of my radio time in SoCal tuned to KPFK. I did listen often, but I was really disappointed by a lot of the programming. There are some excellent programs, and the KPFA Evening News is really in depth and interesting, but for the most part, the station lacks substance.
Now, let me qualify that last statement by pointing out that I’m comparing KPFA to an ideal I had in my head, one that KPFK comes close to fitting. KPFA is better than most radio stations in the Bay Area, including KQED, and it’s kind of a tie with KALW in terms of having interesting shows.
If I had to specify my beef with KPFA, it would be that it seems rather amateurish for the flagship station in the Pacifica chain. I’m not talking about engineering; I’m talking about the way the programming is set up (the order of the schedule) and the attitudes of some of the programmers themselves. I love angry, opinionated people, but the ones I love most are the ones who are the most persuasive in their arguments.
The epitome of the unpersuasive KPFA programmer is Dennis Bernstein. I agree with most of what the guy says, but if I had to spend any time with him, I’d probably hate him. He just yells and screams. Yes, I’m angry about injustice too, but that doesn’t mean I want to hear other people lose their voices over the air. I like the idea of Hard Knock Radio, but so much of that program takes very simplistic looks at complex situations. Combine that with an intro that takes up four minutes of valuable show time, and you have a mediocre show that often can’t decide whether it wants to talk about issues or music. (I’m fine with both, but be more judicious in your balancing of the two.)
Although I live in San Francisco, I’m still a supporter of KPFK because, well, it’s a better station. And KPFA has the longest, most annoying fund drives I’ve ever heard, and I listen to a lot of listener-​supported radio stations.

I am a KPFA fan and regular listener and member… It has got some really great programing, like «democracy now», «KPFA evening news», «hard knock» and «Joe Frank». I love that they give away tickets all the time and are listener sponsored, ie. no commercials. Most of the shows are pretty great. A few are a little out there, and you know you are living in the bay area when listener call in about the FBI following them when they feed feral cats. Well I guess there are crazy people everywhere. A few of the shows are too over the top even for me… but in general you can turn it on and listen to something interesting or some good tunes.
And for those who say that KPFA is too liberal, or not balanced enough… I say, Considering most other media sources (FOX, ABC, NBC and in my opinion NPR) are unbalanced and overly conservative it is nice that KPFA can help balance the scales a little bit. Everything has a slant, KPFA just doesn’t try to hide it. Don’t like what you hear — fine, don’t listen, thats cool. Upset there isn’t enough balance– not thinking too hard huh?, the world is unbalanced…

Been a member since the 80’s — Have had my issues with some of the things going on, but its OURS.
Check it out for yourself and decide. Each programmer has lots of free rein, so you get failures as well as successful shows.
I loved the old days with Shoutin Out with Mama OShea, Bill Mandell, the cool paper you used to get in the mail, All the News That’s Fit to Spit every Sunday morning…
Great music programming in the evenings.

Heard this station was birth-​ed as Pacifica Radio station by a bunch of ANARCHISTS that decided to become CORPORATE CAPITALISTs BY 1997 just in time to cash out and buy time in the retirement nursing home in Walnut Creepers.
I REFUSE TO take these guys seriously after laughing about ANARCHISTS checking themselves into a nursing home with their carton of DEPENDS yelling «ANARCHY RULES»…well, that was the story told to me by an urban mythologist. from the MISSION STREET ANARCHISt…

KPFA has revolutionized radio. This station is the means of communication for folks of color, working folks, homeless folks, marginalized folks basically those who are not represented in main stream media.
While mainstream news have focused on «news-​worthy» stories like on Suri Cruise and Brad and Angelina, KPFA continued reporting about the struggles of folks in this country and around the world. They were the only station who reported the overthrow of the President Aristide in Haiti, the genocide in Darfur, report on progress of World Social Forum, and the struggles of folks war torn countries in the Middle East. KPFA is probably one of a few radio stations out there that has not been taken over by the talking heads of the corporate media. This gives me hope in the world.

I couldn’t live without KPFA, but I could sure live without it!
KPFA has great musical programing – diverse, high-​quality, lots of live recordings (oxymoron, isn’t it?). It also has many interesting regular programs. I like the morning show, barely tolerate Amy Goodman’s and can’t stand Kevin Bernstein’s lunatic mewlings. I might be a conspiracy theorist, but I’m not a whiny bot. I’m a leftist but not a lock-​step liberal guilt-​bag. That’s the problem with KPFA — great news, I like their general politics, but the whole guilty whitey thing is rather limiting. They’d be more radical if they were a little more, ahem, diverse in their opinions.
5 Stars for music, 3 for news coverage, 1 for the annoyance factor.

Proudly serving up steaming hot loads of bullshit with a straight face since 1949.