Save Grassroots Radio

No. It would violate KRFC's charter, which Save Grassroots Radio supports. Music is essential to a well-rounded grassroots station.

Perspectives which are marginalized or under-represented in the main corporate media should be aired on KRFC. Progressive perspectives fit this definition and should be aired, but there are other marginalized perspectives in our community which should also be aired. During the founding of the station, conservative shows were sought out and none were found at affordable prices. Conservatives at KRFC were solicited for on-air soapboxes by at least two Save Grassroots Radio members. KRFC is fortunate to have the show Words of Freedom which is not from a leftist perspective.

Just like many of the great sustainable AND successful business around Fort Collins, Save Grassroots Radio believes you do not have to sacrifice values for profitability. You can have both.

We support a living form of democracy that would be determined by the board, volunteers and members, after open discussions. The board has fought this kind of discussion and removed of the word "democracy" from the mission statement. We feel it is important to not let total power be locked into the hands of just a few. Accountability and checks and balances protect everyone from the few who may decide that only they know what is best for the volunteers, listeners, and members.

We are a group of people who oppose what we believe to be unfair and detrimental actions at the local radio station that we love. Political generalizations and assertions of nefarious motives are distractions from the issues. Save Grassroots Radio has stated goals relating to fairness and accountability.

More than audio outlets, volunteer-based community radio stations are cultural institutions in their communities, reflecting the unique concerns and passions of the people who live there. With a system based on openness and collaboration, and diverse programming produced by volunteers and funded by listeners, these stations are cornerstones of participatory democracy, offering ordinary citizens the chance to exercise First Amendment rights in a mass medium and audiences the opportunity to directly support the programming that is of interest to them. Our mission statement goes to the heart of what we are about. A global coalition of community broadcasters, producers, volunteers, activists, and community members, we are unified in our commitment to the "community" in community radio, encouraging openness and accountability in governance, as well as programming.

Grassroots Radio is an offshoot of public radio, characterized by community access and volunteer involvement in every aspect of station operations. (more in-depth explanation in the paper THE GRASSROOTS RADIO MOVEMENT IN THE U.S.)

• A commitment from the board to never again use the "fast track" removal of volunteers by revoking their membership. Without an assurance of a fair hearing the disciplinary policy becomes moot, and any volunteer may be removed at the whim of the board or station manager.
• A fair hearing per the board-approved grievance policy for the volunteers who were dismissed for "working against the best interests of the station."
• A reconciliation relative to the petition that was signed by 89 members of

Until an unbiased hearing is held, the vague charges of "acting against the best interests of the station" are unfounded. The ousted volunteers, who don't believe they did anything wrong, should be presumed innocent until proven guilty and their memberships restored. The board did not use their own discipline policy which has procedures for hearings, and there is no guarantee that other people with diverse opinions different from the manager or board won't be treated the same way.

"Community radio is where civil society speaks its mind about issues both local and global. Public, civic discourse is the essence of democratic behavior, and has been stifled by the current KRFC management. We are lesser, more impoverished for this change;"
- Sally Miles

"KRFC was founded as a democratically run station. This was very clear. What was unclear is what exactly that meant. Everybody had an opinion, volunteers, members and board. Instead of discussing this in an open manner, the board instead hired a manager who ended the discussion for them and sealed the station into what could be called a shotgun consensus model."
- Eddie Arthur, 2007, in the library > important letters

"Dialogue is a conversation between adults the outcome of which is unknown."
-Martin Buber

"The workings of KRFC have truly become a nightmare for anyone interested in a community radio station run in a democratic manner, or to be precise, "a community radio station that is listener supported and democratically managed." That's from the KRFC Mission Statement. [The] recent e-mails from the Station Manager and the President of the Board of Directors reveal, in my opinion, obvious violations of the KRFC Mission Statement."
- Jeff Rowan, 2005, in the library > important letters