Saturday, January 05, 2008
KKCR update
First, a very polished and professionally produced video posted two days ago to YouTube:
And for those of us who don't get the Kauai newspapers, there's an article from today's Garden Island, on the web, KKCR station refutes racism claims. Instead of quoting snippets here, I'd rather that readers click and read the full story.
I noticed that the paper is happy to include a link to http://bebo.com/hmawae2004, even though it is off their site. This helps build a "web" of discussion that can help readers understand a complex issue. Our two big dailies might take note.
By the way, KKCR is no longer just a "Kauai" station, because it has an Oahu repeater. While reception is spotty, it can be picked up sometimes in the car while driving around, even if you can't snag the signal at home. It's at 104.7 FM. Not that you'll learn that from their website, I couldn't find it.
Also, no mention on their website of the current controversy. That's something I hope they'll remedy. If they truly are a community radio station, how can they omit talking about an issue that affects the station and the community? A blackout on their part will also leave the discussion to others. That should freak out any responsible management.
They might learn how to make YouTube videos themselves. If they don't engage the issues and the protestors, they'll just take a pounding from those who are coming from a place of passion, and possibly who are actually much better at media than they are.
Retreating behind locked gates and hiding somewhere while music plays won't make the problems go away.
Update: please check out comments to this and previous posts here about KKCR. The Blogger format doesn't highlight them very well, and they're very worth reading. Same for the other blogs writing about this.
A while back I did a post about the governance of KKCR and it yielded some interesting comments.
The latest Garden Island News story points out that there is presently no Native Hawaiian presence on the board, but the KKCR bylaws provide no method for dissidents to assume seats on the board except, according to the article, for applicants to win approval from the sitting board members. How likely is that? Well, we won't know until a dissident applies and is (or is not) seated, and remember, even if dissidents were to apply and be seated, it would take several years for the dissidents to become a majority on the board.
Not that this cumbersome, minimally-democratic process is an entirely unusual type of corporate board governance, by the way...
KKCR's statement that:
"KKCR is searching for a responsible Hawaiian DJ to host the ‘The Song of Sovereignty’ program, Lewis said."
totally cracked me up. So what? This group of nonHawaiians is going to pass judgement on who is a "responsible Hawaiian"?
Kinda like the old "Uncle Tom" responsible blacks.
That Ka'iulani would be hesitant about repercussions for saying on air, that this is not the United States but Ka La Nui Hawai'i just goes to show the extreme censorship that the KKCR board is practicing.
I am thankful that when Everett Dowling tried to gag the Maui Community TV, Akaku, they were able to continue as a free and open station -- and I mean open to everyone. You can just walk in off the street and they'll help you record a 3 minute statement on whatever is on your mind. They make a big deal of not censoring any topic or opinion.
I hope that the Board of KKCR will wake up, take a look at the Akaku standards and policies and open up their process in order to be a real voice of the whole community...not just the sanitized, white-bread, privileged, newcomer community.
: January 6, 2008 at 1:30:00 PM HST karen rox! this is the nail on the head kine stuff. mahalo karen for hitting this one out of the park!
peace
: January 7, 2008 at 8:41:00 PM HST << Home
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