Radio KDNA - La Voz Del Campesino - Community Radio en Espanol
Created by friends, members, volunteers, and major contributors of KDNA and the NW Communities Education Center, this web site is in support of the hope that the staff and farmworker communities of the Yakima Valley will again have access to their radio station. And, that KDNA management and its Board of Directors will treat the staff and community with respect and fairness, and honor KDNA's mission of giving a voice to the disadvantaged Spanish speaking communities of central Washington. |
Este sitio en el internet es producido por amigos (as), miembros, voluntarios y contribuyentes de Radio KDNA y Northwest Communities' Education Center (NCEC), con la esperanza que los empleados y comunidades campesinas e inmigrantes del Valle de Yakima pronto tengan aceso a su radio estacion - Radio Cadena. Y tambien que la administracion y su Mesa Directiva traten a sus empleados y miembros de la comunidad con respeto y dignidad, y deen honor a la mision de NCEC/KDNA en dar voz a las comunidades que hablan espanol que son pobres que radican en la parte Central del estado de Washington. |
Radio Comunidad www.kdna.fm
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KDNA will once again be la voz del campesino - the voice of the farmworker.
The Troubles The Troubles - Background to the Nightmare About KDNA and NCEC Posting archives June 2010 Contact |
A Survey About Radio Cadena - La Voz del CampesinoDo you live in the Yakima Valley? Or elsewhere in Central/Eastern Washington, or Northern Oregon? Please take a couple of minutes to share your views regarding programming on KDNA (Granger, Washington), and whether KDNA and NCEC are fulfilling their Mission. It is as easy as filling out our survey. Thank you. |
Why this Board must step down (PDF) (MS Word DOC)
August 26, 2010 - NCEC/KDNA Board of Directors Elections
In preparation for NCEC/KDNA Board elections, we are asking candidates to submit short statements describing why they desire to serve on the Board of Directors. If you would like to put your name on the ballot, please send your statement to SaveKDNA@kdna.fm
We have also sent the following to members of the current Board of Directors:
Dear NCEC/KDNA Board incumbent: We are delighted to hear that in the spirit of American democracy, and acknowledging that the radio spectrum belongs to the citizenry and that the Board serves at the will of the community, you have decided to proceed with open elections for a new NCEC/KDNA Board of Directors. To assist you with ensuring the maximum participation possible, we are offering the SaveKDNA website to announce the candidates and their platforms. To this end, if you are planning on running for election to the NCEC/KDNA Board, will you please answer these questions? How long, and in what ways, have you supported KDNA or NCEC? Since being appointed to the Board, what have you done to further the mission, improve the financial condition and programming quality of NCEC and KDNA, and insure the organization’s continuing relevancy to the community? Why do you now wish to serve on the Board of Directors? Thank you for responding, |
August 20, 2010 - The last week
(As a result of a strange agreement between the NCEC Board and the Teamsters reached In April 2010, Amelia Ramon, Juan Ozuna, and, eventually, Saida Birrutea returned to work at the station. It has become clear in the last four months that KDNA’s financial and ethical status has reached an all time low. Efforts to return the station to solvency have been stymied by the Board’s refusal to bring back the remaining staff whom have the expertise and skills required to meet the organization’s contractual obligations.)
Showing courage, last week Gabriel Martinez, KDNA station manager, delivered a memo to Patricia Flores (Board member now serving as Executive Director), and an email to CPB announcing that he was exerting his authority and rehiring most of the unjustly terminated staff, effective August 16th. On Monday (the 16th), when the staff arrived at 7 in the morning, they were greeted by Flores blocking the door. Although they had “appointment” letters signed by Gabriel, she refused to let them enter, so they left. They came back again on Tuesday and Wednesday with the same result.
For his efforts, on Wednesday the 18th, Gabriel was rewarded with a “Discipline Notice” in the style of Fernandez, but this time from Patricia Flores.
We are glad that Gabriel has joined the community in its fight to regain control of the radio station that the community built and sustained. It is still sad, though, that it took him so long. His joining with Fernandez during her 18 month reign in the creation of a hostile work place, in the unjust terminations of the staff, in the cruel and vindictive persecution of Saida, and in the censorship of volunteers and programming, have tarnished the history of KDNA. We hope that Gabriel will continue to try and do the right thing. As long as he does, the community will support him. And if there is a Board member ready to step away from the shadows of Jorge Lobos, Leonard Black and Irma Prieto, the community will support them as well.
Here’s the memo Gabriel gave to Patricia Flores:
Memorandum To: Patricia Flores, Interim Director From: Gabriel Martinez, KDNA Station Manager Date: August 11, 2010 Subject: KDNA I am very worried about the future of Radio Cadena. I am finally getting the financial information from Ms Abbey, and the reports are of great concern! We are running out of money very fast. I have been with the station for thirty years and my future and that of many others depends upon KDNA continuing as a strong public, community radio station. In order for this to happen I must, as Station Manager, take steps to address a strategy that can begin to address the problems that have sidelined the progress of KDNA during recent months. As KDNA Station Manager I am responsible for the day to day operations and I need your support. Programming: I am making improvements to the news department. I have received many complaints about the quality of our local news reporting. Edgar Uriostigui; a temporary employee does not have the experience or skills to address the informational needs of our community. There are too many current important issues that are not being covered adequately. I also intend to improve week-end programming. I have also received many complaints about the week-end programming. The quality of the music, the issues of consistency, and a format that does not conform to the station’s mission and standards are concerns that I can no longer ignore. I will be working with program coordinator to address these and other programming concerns. Saida, has returned to work; that is good news. She is the Program Coordinator and I plan to work closely with her and develop a new format for the rest of the programming, Staff development: There is no time to train new volunteers. I need a team of workers now, who have the skills and experience to address current issues in programming and underwriting. I am bringing back Francisco Rios as the News Director, Miguel Balderas as the Week-end Station Supervisor and Volunteer Trainer, Carolina Velazquez as the Receptionist/Secretary and Lupe Sotelo as the Underwriting Specialist. Since these employees who are pending arbitration hearings. I contacted the Teamsters Union and asked if there is any problem doing this. The response was positive; a good resolution to the issue. Both Amelia Ramon and Juan Ozuna are in agreement and have expressed their commitment to making this work. Underwriting development: We have lost too many contracts; the trust level of our community partners has fallen dramatically. I need to convince them that dealing with KDNA is still good business. Amelia and Lupe will help me in redeveloping a marketing plan. As a team, we will also work to revitalize the support of the KDNA Advisory Board. Finally, to summarize my actions: With my responsibility as Station manager, I have signed letters of reinstatement for Francisco Rios, Carolina Montes and Guadalupe Sotelo. Miguel Balderas has been under employment suspension since Maria Fernandez’ departure; she never addressed his status. I have rescinded that suspension action and asked him to resume his duties. They will come back on August 16, 2010. |
Here’s the email that Gabriel sent to auditor Bill Richardson of CPB’s Office of Inspector General:
From: Gabriel Martinez August 12, 2010 Dear Mr. Richardson: This is a brief update on concerns expressed in the Examination of Northwest Communities' Education Center, KDNA FM for Fiscal Year 2009 by the Office of the Inspector General. The examination was initiated in response to complaints alleging the Northwest Communities' Education Center (NCEC), licensee of KDNA-FM (KDNA) station officials did not comply with CPB requirements for its CSG Grant. As Station Manager of KDNA, I have taken seriously the warning that "future entitlements may be jeopardized by continuing noncompliance." And that we run the risk of losing our CPB qualification that we have had since 1980. Therefore, I am pleased to report two recent actions taken by Radio KDNA administration. The first is that policies were passed at the public Board Meeting of June 18, 2010 in order to ensure that the radio station meets Section 396 (K)(4) of the act that prohibits the distribution of federally appropriated funds to the licensee of a public broadcasting station unless it meets compliance of the communications acts requirements. One of the concerns expressed by me as KDNA's chief operator and by former Interim Executive Director Laura Contreras in our audit response was that significant challenges had materialized due to major staffing and leadership changes along with external community issues that caused operational instability for NCEC/Radio KDNA, which ultimately prompted your examination in November 2009. As you noted in your report CPB communications regarding compliance were either disregarded or inadequately handled. We stated in our letter dated March 28, 2010, that in this regard, the NCEC Board and staff are doing our best to quickly move forward and are committed to implementing the appropriate changes that will not only put NCEC/Radio KDNA in compliance with the CPB grant requirements, but will engender long-term confidence so that we may be considered for increased funding in the future. In this regard, I am pleased to report that the experienced radio station staff that was initially terminated has been reinstated effective August 16, 2010, ensuring that KDNA will be able to comply with CPB and FCC requirements. The return of the KDNA staff will also allow station management to fulfill KDNA's obligation on pending contracts and to begin to pursue funding opportunities to ensure we continue to meet CPB's NFFS requirements for future funding and remain a CPB qualified station. Respectfully, Gabriel Martinez |
Here’s Bill Richardson’s response:
From: "Richardson, Bill" Thank you for the update. I've forwarded your email to various CPB officials for their reference as they go forward to resolve the audit findings. Bill Richardson |
Here’s the “Discipline Notice" that Patricia Flores gave to Gabriel:
And, here’s an email from Gabriel, forwarded to SaveKDNA, in response to the July 7th posting. Gabriel confirms that life at KDNA is far from "normal".
Thursday, August 19, 2010 11:00 PM I have returned back to work at KDNA to try to save it. I've been working hard to give back the station to the community, Hector Franco, and others. I was extending my
hand to a fellow Latino back to the station. I understood why he declined and I respected his decision. I didn't twist and turn his story to get people to believe mine. Just recently, I was written up for signing a letter of appointment for returning 4 ex-employees back to work. I'm making all the effort to save KDNA. I'm just sitting around writing half truth stories for a website. You can continue writing your stories on your website if you think this will save KDNA. Not all of us are what you think we are. Some of us truly care. Try posting this. Gabriel Martinez |
July 7, 2010 - The truth: the community wants their radio station back
It has been a while since we posted something new. They (Laura Contreras, Patricia Flores, the Board) in a desperate attempt to avoid the bankruptcy they have almost certainly assured, hired back somel of the staff that the Board and Fernandez fired last year. We have been watching to see if this is an indicator of any sincere change of heart on the part of the Board. Evidently it is not.
How sad it is that the Board, and their representatives, apparently feel nothing when they bend, and twist, the truth to serve their needs. It is as if they assume everyone will accept their stories at face value. They don't seem to get it that the community to whom KDNA belongs watches the Board's and Station Manager Gabriel Martinez's antics, talk amongst themselves, compare notes, and see fiction for what it is.
So, Gabriel and the Board are trying to convince people that things are back to "normal". Well, they are not.
Hector Franco was invited to resume the radio show from which he was banned when he refused to cross the picket line. Here's his response.
July 6, 2010 Mr. Gabriel Martínez Dear Mr. Martinez, It is with great sadness that I write this letter to inform you that I have reconsidered my previous acceptance of conducting a new radio program on KDNA at the present time of the continued controversy that has befallen our beloved radio station. When you called last week to offer me the opportunity for a program, you indicated that the Board of Directors had met with the community and that they were well on their way to resolving the outstanding issues of the firing of the workers, the financial deficits, and of listening to the community regarding the programming. You also indicated that other program volunteers that had been denied access to the radio, as I was, because of our refusal to cross the picket line and our support for the unionization efforts of the workers, would also be asked to return as well yet when I saw the program schedule I saw only my name and none of the other 15 or so other dismissed volunteers. In my due diligence work, I called other community people and asked their opinion of the progress of the resolution and their opinion of my involvement in the programming on the radio. They indicated that only 3 of the original 8 workers that had been fired have returned to work and that the financial condition of the radio is not clearly presented to the community and that the board continues to stonewall on many issues. A clear example is the fact that only four of the board of directors were present at the latest community meeting and that the next community meeting date has been postponed. For all of the reasons listed above, and the reasons that follow, I must decline to participate in the KDNA at the present time. After my inquiries with other community members, it is clear to me that the radio is struggling, but the Board of Directors are adamant to continue as before, rather than working with the community. It would please me to no end to resume my radio program because I truly believe that the community volunteers provide a valuable service to the community by bringing diverse points of view on many diverse subjects but under the present situation, I have concluded that I simply cannot. I do not respect the present Board of Directors because of their mismanagement of the radio and their method of selection of other board members to vacant positions. All of the Board of Directors appointed since last July have been selected solely based on their support of the anti-union efforts of the existing board members. Many, like Julio Romero and Sergio Marquez, are opportunistic people simply trying to advance themselves and others are related to Latinas Unidas and/or Heritage College and doing the bidding of Leonard Black. I would do no better then these people on the Board, who I do not respect, if I allowed myself to be used for their purpose. As I have said many times before, our beloved Radio Cadena does not belong to the Board of Directors, it does not belong to the workers, the radio belongs to the community! The Board of Director’s failure to meet with the community, in good faith, is a clear indication that the process of working towards the resolution of the outstanding issues is going nowhere. The Board of Directors need to recognize this and also that they hold the radio in trust for the community but the community no longer has faith in their ability to manage the radio and they should resign immediately. A viable method of electing a new board of directors should be set in place to insure that never again will the radio be held hostage by a specific interest group because it is clear that this, above anything else, allowed the current Board of Directors to gain control of the radio to the detriment of the viable operation of the radio, which will be a great loss to the community if the radio was taken over by a special interest group or ceased operations. This is the only way that the community will work to support Radio Cadena. Hector Franco Cc Corporation for Public Broadcasting |
See February - June 2010 posts
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