It appears that a settlement of some sort is imminent in the battle over the future of the Pacifica network, which includes WBAI, host station for "Off The Hook."

Virtually no details are known at this point and optimism is decidedly guarded in the opposition movement. For instance, there is no word on what specifically this will mean concerning the efforts to restore programming that has been removed (including the nationally acclaimed "Democracy Now!"), control over the direction of the network, and whether fired and banned producers will be allowed to return to their respective stations.

The following press release has been issued by members of the opposition:

For immediate release:

November 3, 2001

COMMUNITY RADIO ACTIVISTS REACH AGREEMENT WITH EMBATTLED PACIFICA FOUNDATION

Mediation results in an agreement that could end years of conflict within the Pacifica Radio Network.

Berkeley, CA--Plaintiffs in four lawsuits that have been filed against the Pacifica Foundation announced today that they expected to reach an agreement with Pacifica that could put an end to the struggles at Pacifica, the only independent radio network in the United States. "We thank the listeners, producers, staff, LAB members, affiliate stations, and others throughout the country who have been the backbone of this struggle and whose continued support and involvement will bring us to our common goals to serve the mission of Pacifica and achieve our vision of free speech, community, and corporate-free radio," reads the statement issued by the plaintiffs on Saturday afternoon.

In response to what appeared to be a corporate takeover of the Pacifica Network, founded by pacifists in 1949 and dedicated to airing diverse perspectives that promote peace and social justice, four lawsuits had been filed against the Pacifica Foundation--by listeners, local advisory board members, and national board members. They sought to regain control of the community radio network from a clique of board members and national managers who had eliminated community input at the network and censored and banned journalists who disagreed with them. Freelance journalists refuse to work for Pacifica because of its notorious censorship policies. And a national campaign was launched earlier this year to boycott Pacifica fundraising efforts and unseat the board of directors members who created the imbroglio at the network.

Plaintiffs began mediation with Pacifica Foundation representatives on November 1. Representing the Pacifica Foundation were its newly elected chair, Bob Farrell, former Los Angeles City Council member; and Marion Barry, Pacifica board member and former mayor of Washington, DC.

The statement released by the plaintiffs, including Miguel Maldonado and Leslie Cagan of New York, David Adelson of Los Angeles, and Pete Bramson, Sherry Gendelman, Barbara Lubin, Tomas Moran, Robbie Osman, and Carol Spooner of the San Francisco Bay Area reads as follows:

"The plaintiffs in the four lawsuits are happy to announce that as a result of negotiations with the defendants from the Pacifica Foundation, we are confident that a final agreement will be reached early next week. We hope that everything will be completed within the next few days, and, as soon as that is done, we will release all the details of the agreement. Until the agreement is finalized, we are forbidden by terms of the mediation from discussing or releasing any of the details. We believe that implementation of this agreement will begin the rebuilding of the Pacifica Foundation. While commitments to accountability and democratizing the foundation are part of the agreement, we will all have to remain vigilant during the upcoming transition. We thank the listeners, producers, staff, LAB members, affiliate stations, and others throughout the country who have been the backbone of this struggle and whose continued support and involvement will bring us to our common goals to serve the mission of Pacifica and achieve our vision of free speech, community, and corporate-free radio."

"I'm taking a moment to celebrate," said Sherry Gendelman, chair of the KPFA local advisory board and one of the plaintiffs who sued Pacifica. "The task of rebuilding and democratizing the network will be a great one."

Pacifica has been embroiled in controversy since 1999, when the Network's managers shut down KPFA of Berkeley. That shut down caused the largest protests in Berkeley since the Vietnam War. In December 2000, Pacifica "re-programmed" its New York City station, WBAI, by firing and banning long-time programmers and eviscerating the station's progressive political programming. Most recently, Pacifica suspended Amy Goodman, host of the network's award-winning show Democracy Now, and removed Democracy Now from the airwaves of four of the Pacifica stations.

Pacifica listeners and community supporters are invited to a celebration at KPFA, 1929 MLK Jr. Way in Berkeley, on Sunday, November 4, at noon.

The Pacifica Foundation

Friends of Free Speech Radio

WBAI Listener Network

The Pacifica Campaign