Buildings Bursting With Angry Employees Is a Dangerous Thing

by Ed Murray

Dateline Los Angeles:

It’s a perfectly natural behavior pattern.  As the entire Pacifica network surges toward complete disintegration, everyone is angry.  There’s so much tension at the KPFK building that sometimes it seems that the whole place is just going to start spinning around and take off into outer space.  Most of this is caused by the new ruling clique and their actions.  Getting rid of a bunch of people and cutting the staff salaries has everyone on edge, especially those who might like to pay their rent next month and maybe have enough left over for a taco at Poquito Mas. Last week it was reported that not only were the staff union members put on half salary, but the union dues that were deducted from their wages had not been remitted to the union in months.  Nice.  Now the question is will the union continue to represent members who haven’t paid their dues, through no fault of their own?  Tensions run high.

There is, however, a solution to all this.  As KPFK slips and morphs its way into the business model of Revolution Radio, these kinds of problems will melt away.  As reported on previously, no one is paid at Revolution Radio, except maybe the owner, The NnightHawkk.  Or “Mr. Nnight Hawkk”, as he is sometimes called.   If nobody is paid, and the entire staff and all the hosts are working for free, then nobody gets mad when the pay is cut in half, or cut completely.  Problem solved.

There is also the Pet Factor as it is called. The Nnight Hawkk knows that pets have a calming effect on humans.  At Revolution Radio, you will see a big old hound dog lounging around, and a lot of cats.  This technique should be immediately applied at KPFK, and in fact throughout the entire Pacifica organization.  Pets should be mandatory at all stations.

How nice it would be if everybody could bring their real best friend to work with them.  Imagine a menagerie of doggies and kitties at KPFK, and maybe a nice canary singing in his window cage at the front entrance. This would have a calming effect on the employees who are now bursting with anger.  It’s hard to get upset at anything when there’s a purring kitten nestled in your lap.  And if some barking dog sounds float out over the air during a show, it wouldn’t be the end of the world.  It would remind the subscribers that they are listening to a radio station made up of real people.  And lets face it, dogs have important things to say too.

How To Throw A Big Bash And Raise Funds. The Story of Hawk Fest

Anyone who’s been listening to KPFK the last few years has heard the sound:  a near constant, shrill, whinning sound.  No, nothing is wrong with your radio or the KPFK Transmitter.  It’s the ever-present begging-for-money sound that drones on day after day.  Down south in Louiville, at Revolution Radio, they know things.  And one of them is how to bring in a few bucks and have some fun.

Once a year, The NnightHawkk gears up for a big bash, which of course, is appropriately called Hawk Fest.  It’s a shindig that KPFK should pay close attention to. Mr. Mike Ringley, The NnightHawkk, clears the decks for action a few weeks before the Labor Day holiday and organizes the event, which took place this year on part of his farm, which is called Hawk’s Nest.  Being thrifty, like most southern folk, Mr. NnightHawkk has a do-it-yourself attitude.  He even built his own stage this year for the night-time music show. It looks cool at night with the color lights on it, and the performers and bands appear to be floating in the trees.  A few sips of some Kentucky white lightning will help to bring that image home.

The Hawk Fest is a fabulous event.  It only costs $25 bucks for a ticket, which comes with a camping spot.  Or you could bring your own RV.  In that case the fee is only $20 bucks, which is really a bargain on many levels. The food plates cost extra, but are very reasonable, like about 25% of what you would pay in L.A.  From the youtube videos, it’s obvious that the food is fantastic.  The pre-fest video walk around showed the NnightHawkk’s gardens, he and his wife grow their own food.  A lot of the listeners at KPFK are always talking about going to an expensive market to buy “organic” food, which costs a lot more than just regular food.  At the Hawk’s Nest farm, they GROW their own food.  How many KPFK  folks actually grow their own food?  Some are even a little snobby about eating only organic (the wealthy folks).  But down at the Hawk Fest, real, home-grown food is served, and lots of it.  KPFK should take note of this – there’s plenty of room on the roof of their building to start a big garden.  This is a very sheikh thing to do, nowadays in urban areas, and a roof-top food garden could supply all the future non-paid volunteers with some good, healthy grub, since eating at fancy-pants restaurants will be a thing of the past for them.

And no big bash is complete without some entertainment.  The NnightHawkk is no stranger to music.  His bio says he studied music at UC Berkeley.  He had his own band and is killer at rock-and-roll. There is a problem, sometimes, living in a rural area, in getting some musicians together.  A recent Facebook post by Mr. NnightHawkk brings his frustration to the surface: ” i may be a musician but i fucking hate musicians UN trustworthy distracted lot nu reliable put off people that have no clue that this a business behind all this this is why i quit music.” (sic)  Also on hand at this year’s Hawk Fest was stand up comedienne Tere Joyce, and the master of ceremonies was the beloved Sean David Morton.  Click here to see Tere Joyces’ impromptu interview with Sean David, and get a glimpse of the famous white lightning.

KPFK could certainly learn a lesson here and put on its own bash.  Get some of the “work in kind” contractors to build a simple stage at the end of the parking lot.  Get out the folding chairs and tables and have the local restaurants cater the food, like they used to do for the phone volunteers in the old days of fund raising.  Tickets for the event could include a meal.  Get a few bands, or if nobody will pitch in, how about forming your own group?  A monthly night -time Progressive Radio Bash should bring in enough money to buy seeds for the roof garden.

One warning should be stated, and this is from the Hawk Fest official rules of engagement:  Leave your firearms stowed in your vehicle trunk or safe.  Anyone giving adult beverages to anyone under 21 will be violently ejected from the event.  This event is family friendly will be many kids around.  Anyone that imbibes to the point where they become a nuisance will need to go to their tent or be ejected form the event. (sic)  Suggest KPFK also post these rules in large print, especially since there are so many angry employees and staff members.