In this story there are no heroes or villains, just people who believe they can buy happiness, and advertisers who support this belief. Consumerism is one of religion's modern replacements, and, like religion, it actively encourages, then exploits, dissatisfaction with everyday reality.
Thursday, April 24, 2014
Consumer Angst
Monday, April 7, 2014
KKCR Crisis in demagoguery #7: Liquid Democracy
Liquid Democracy
In addition to having the subscribing KKCR members elect the Board and removing the “Dirty Laundry” censorship policy, I have another modest proposal. Since KKCR now has a self selecting board and the subscribing members have no voting rights (according to the bylaws) perhaps they could ease back into some democratic practices by allowing subscribing members to at least vote for public affairs program hosts. Here is my modest proposal.
During the on-air fundraising season why not allow allow people who want to do public affairs programming (Talk shows) to have 30 minute slots and allow subscribing members to vote for those hosts they think should have a talk show? Subscribing members could vote online as often as they want to and change their votes as often as they want during the fund raising season. A drop dead date for final voting would determines the winners. This is called liquid feedback. Software is free and open source, developed by MIT in Berlin. Current volunteers can volunteer technical assistance to the hopeful talk show hosts (taking callins, running the board etc.) Those elected by the subscribing members are trained in the technical requirements and the shows are rolled out. That way the hosts would be more representative of the community that funds KKCR. Currently their is no democratic process for deciding who gets a program and according to former talk show host Joan Conrow and current host Felicia Cowden talk show hosts become hosts become so through a inheritance process or being asked to do a program.
Officially (according to the KKRC Volunteer Handbook) one becomes a talk show host by contacting the program director. Period. End of story. The process ends there and the program director is the decider using unknown criteria. This is far from democratic and leaves open the question, “do the people selected really represent community diversity and how do we know?”
Liquid feedback approach would also be a boon to fundraising as subscribing members would be more engaged in the process listening to and voting for public affairs programmers they want to hear on-air.
I understand there will be a slew of pettyfogging suggestions and endless discussions on endless details such as how do people vote that do not have a computers, etc will be raised by anti-democratic elements, but most of the answers are available here http://liquidfeedback.org/
Lets put the community back in community radio and end the demagoguery now!
Monday, March 31, 2014
KKCR Crisis in Demagoguery #6: Dirty Laundry
Dirty Laundry
You don't really want to know just how far it's gone
Just leave well enough alone
Eat your dirty laundry - Don Henley
Thanks to Andy Parx and Rob Zelkovsky for this video published on YouTube which provides a historical perspective of KKCR. After watching the video I posted comments including the one below.
Ed Coll: Continued dialogue is the answer but with censorship in place at KKCR we must use uncensored channels to dialogue. Mahalo to Andy and Rob for the historical perspective because it reminds everyone that past history is today "living history" As Chomsky says "All authority must be challenged for legitimacy and if found illegitimate be removed." There is a hole in KKCRs dirty laundry policy as it does not prevent talk show hosts from objecting to this censorship in other media. Unfortunately they are silent on this issue.
Here is how KKCR Talk show host Jimmy Trujillo replied:
 |
The ill-informed misinforming
the uninformed
|
James Trujillo: bullshit Ed you were invited on the air by Felicia Alongi Cowden and you never took her up on it. you're welcome to join me on air as well to share your perspective but your nonsense blog posts about demongods [sic] is all hooey.'jonathan 'jay might not welcome you but anytime you want to open up the dialog on air 826 7771 will get you (or jim kelly) on line to grumble with the best of'em. andy joins the conversation when it suits his schedule but he can attest that he's been invited a number of times and i always welcome his commentary as well.
What a lovely invitation. Who wouldn't love to go on the air with such a friendly, unbiased moderator? I wouldn't. Not with a moderator with his finger on the mute button and a board directive to use it. Rest assured that Trujillo would cut me off the air in a Rush Limbaugh minute. I have proof. Here is the relevant part of KKCR’s dirty laundry policy:
A DJ or guest may never air “dirty laundry.” DJs may not use their shows to ask listeners to rally against station policies or procedures. Do not broadcast complaints about the radio station, other volunteers, staff, board members, underwriters, PSAs, program content, specific community members, or other radio stations. Please discuss all grievances with staff. Violation of this policy can result in suspension of DJ or termination of program.
This is the KKCR censorship I was talking about. This dirty laundry policy is not a FCC (Federal Communications Commission) regulation. This policy was created by the KKCR board of directors (post bloodless coup) to immunize itself from criticism or analysis. Censorship plain and simple. If a talk show host “broadcasts complaints” about KKCR, the talk show host can be suspended and the program can be terminated. It protects KKCR itself from any criticism, while allowing talk show hosts (and their guests) to attack other entities, corporations, and non-profit corporations without any negative consequences. Trujillo is well aware of this policy and again I have proof.
In 2008 KKCR’s “Dirty Laundry” policy was challenged by several self-described "activists" programmers. Here is what happened next:
The situation escalated when two fellow deejays, Jimmy Trujillo and Katy Rose, discussed Edens-Huff's suspension and allegations of institutional racism at KKCR on their "Out of the Box" radio show in late December. They, too, were suspended. http://goo.gl/3OHrlX
Yep. Trujillo was suspended for violating the KKCR dirty laundry policy. When Rose and Trujillo still tried to do their talk show after airing KKCR's dirty laundry this happened:
When push came to shove Trujillo caved and decided his voice was more important to the community than removing the KKCR dirty laundry censorship policy that he intentionally violated. Trujillo's ego overrode his principles and he resumed his talk show despite the fact that no changes were made to KKCR’s dirty laundry policy.
For the record Jonathan Jay, Felicia Cowden and now Jimmy Trujillo have all invited me to be a guest on their talk shows knowing they have already agreed to not broadcast me (i.e. cut my mic) if I "complain" about KKCR's dirty laundry policy. If they broadcast my complaint they can face "suspension" and the program can be "terminated".
The only explanation I can offer for such insincerity is self-promotion. Of course they want call-ins to "their" radio programs and they are not above calling each others' shows for a good 'ole back-patting sessions. Increasingly there are many calls from fewer people, but few calls from many people. Their talk show "community" is a shrinking echo chamber where the ill-informed misinform the uninformed.
Like KKCR's dirty laundry policy itself, KKCR's talk shows have become foul tasting self-licking ice cream cones existing primarily to justify and perpetuate their own existence. These three talk show hosts have not accepted my invitation to dialogue about KKCR on my YouTube Live Internet Channel.
Wednesday, February 5, 2014
KKCR Crisis in Demagoguery #5: Talk show host tries to use spouse to censor blog
KKCR Crisis in Demagoguery #5: Talk show host tries to use spouse to censor blog
KKCR Radio talk show host Jonathan Jay (jj) has evidently been lurking on my blog Spinning Wheels Turning and doesn’t like what I have to say. Rather than engage me directly in public dialogue on the blog jj sent the following email to my spouse which she forwarded to me.
---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: jonathan jay
Date: Thu, Jan 30, 2014 at 11:16 PM
Subject: please rein Ed in
To: Carol Bain
Aloha Carol,
Generally I try to deal with folks i am in conflict with as directly as possible, but in my opinion your husband Ed has gone beyond the pale.
Of course everyone is allowed to have an opinion, but when he calls me a parasite, and suggests i am somehow related to african genocide, i think that goes a bit too far. I have tried speaking with him in the past, but evidently that just gets him more worked up. Do you think for the sake of civility you might have a few words with him? I sure would appreciate it.
feel free to contact me after you have spoken with him. thanks
--- end email ---
“Please rein Ed in”? A rein is a leather strap attached to each end of the bit of a bridle and used to control a horse. For jj to define my relationship with my spouse (which he knows nothing about) in such terms insults two people at once.
I never called jj a “parasite” I wrote, “Demagogues have been parasites on democracy from the beginning.” Evidently jj self-identifies with demagogues. I think jj is a failed demagogue wannabe, but I never expected he would agree with me.
I never suggested that jj had anything to do with the Rwandan genocide. I provided a link on my blog to a site that explained how radio (not jj) played a major role in that genocide. Does jj's ego now encompass the entire media of radio?
If jj wants to debate that demagogues are not parasites on democracy, or that RTLM radio did not play a significant role during the Rwandan Genocide then I urge him to engage me directly.
jj may be too timid to engage in dialogue outside any forum he does not control, but such timidity does not give him the right to attempt to use my spouse as a third party interventionist.
Such behavior is not only “beyond the pale” it reeks of narcissism.
I never called jj a “parasite” I wrote, “Demagogues have been parasites on democracy from the beginning.” Evidently jj self-identifies with demagogues. I think jj is a failed demagogue wannabe, but I never expected he would agree with me.
I never suggested that jj had anything to do with the Rwandan genocide. I provided a link on my blog to a site that explained how radio (not jj) played a major role in that genocide. Does jj's ego now encompass the entire media of radio?
If jj wants to debate that demagogues are not parasites on democracy, or that RTLM radio did not play a significant role during the Rwandan Genocide then I urge him to engage me directly.
jj may be too timid to engage in dialogue outside any forum he does not control, but such timidity does not give him the right to attempt to use my spouse as a third party interventionist.
Such behavior is not only “beyond the pale” it reeks of narcissism.
Monday, January 27, 2014
KKCR Crisis in Demagoguery #4: Radio demagogue Cures KIUC's Crisis in Democracy!
‘I listened to RTLMC’, said a survivor, ‘because if you were mentioned over the airways, you were sure to be carted off a short time later by the interahamwe. You knew you had to change your address at once.” http://goo.gl/BGoY4
Demagogues have been parasites on democracy from the beginning. “They exploit a fundamental weakness in democracy: because ultimate power is held by the people, nothing stops the people from giving that power to someone who appeals to the lowest common denominator of a large segment of the population. http://goo.gl/gXdi0 ”
jj “I’m glad we had that conversation”
A radio demagogue wields immense power. Kauai KKCR talk show host Jonathan Jay (jj) wields the power to fear-monger among the ill and semi-literate segments of the population. jj never defines what he means by democracy but is all for it. Although jj was not himself elected to be a talk show host, has no special qualifications to be a talk show host and is not paid to be a talk show -- through an obscure undemocratic process jj is a talk show host and now he is voluntary “giving back to the community”. Unfazed by the non-democratic process that handed him a megaphone to the communal ears of the island jj has no problem using this megaphone to advance his own self interest. The introduction of the printing press allowed the demagogue to propagandize the literate on a mass scale, but the demagogue was still unable to propagandize the ill and semi-literate except by word-of-mouth. Radio allowed the demagogue to propagandize this at-risk populations on a massive scale. Lets take a look at Kauai’s very own demagogue Jonathan Jay and his sycophantic pettifogging dance of the red herring.
74 percent vote yes in KIUC election
Posted: Sunday, January 26, 2014 1:45 am
Tom Hasslinger - The Garden Island
Jonathan Jay, one of three drafters of a petition which ultimately sent the issue to a vote, said he was more excited about the high voter turnout than disappointed about the result.
He called the mass participation a positive sign and a step in the right direction.
“It’s awesome that so many people took part in the election,” said Jay, who is running for a board seat, after learning the outcome. “I think that’s good for the co-op and good for democracy and I think that’s the most important thing for a co-op. And I’m glad we’ve had that conversation.”
Actually jj was running for the KIUC board before, not after “learning the outcome”. jj has run for the KIUC board before and upon losing diagnosed a “Crisis in Democracy” and now jj is taking credit for the cure! “It’s awesome that so many people took part in the election,” Indeed jj played a big part in this $63,000 election as one of the three petitioners to calling for a special election to reverse a KIUC board decision. Unfortunately it was an expensive exercise in futility as 74% of the 30.000 KIUC members who chose to exercise their franchise agreed with the board decision. This is the second time jj has called for a special election to reverse a board decision and the second time the KIUC membership has overwhelmingly agreed with the board decision.
As a KKCR talk show host jj talks ad-nauseum about KIUC’s lack of democracy and cooperation. Now at least the literate know jj could care less about “smart meters” for as jj said “he was more excited about the high voter turnout than disappointed about the result”. Smart meters were just a hook baited by jj to fearmonger an at-risk population to increase voter participation in KIUC elections.
A big mahalo to the unelected jj for wasting everyones time and money reaffirming a democratically elected board decision.
Monday, January 20, 2014
KKCR Crisis in Demagoguery #3: Analysis & Reflections on Comments
“Demagogues, are not interested in sharing and contrasting their thoughts and feelings with people; they merely want to club them into line with their own.”
Blogs are an interesting media. Blogs are asynchronous. You post an article and at a time of their choosing those that wish to engage do so. A number of KKCR affiliated commenters posted a number of comments. I will use quotes in my analysis of comments but will not attribute these quotes as the curious reader can simply dig out the authors by reading the quotes in context for themselves.
The topic of my post was voter enfranchisement as a best practice of democratic governance; The questions I posed were two 1) Which of the two non-profits (KKCR or KIUC) is the most democratic? and 2) Who decides whom and based upon what criteria do some peoples who offer to volunteer to become a radio talk show host actually get on the air? No commenter directly answered either question and instead provided a few examples of frequently deployed propaganda techniques.
Off Topic Flak
Some commenters immediately tried to change the subject to smart meters although my post never mentioned smart meters. Here’s a sample:
“Well, you are missing a few really important elements in this report. As one of the community affairs programmers I have an insight on this issue. I am one of those who is opposed to the "Smart" meters. It is researching caller opinions that cause me to eventually have an opinion. Smart meters, GMO's, the PLDC, the illegal takings of Hawaiian lands and many other complaints that are raised to my attention were not on my radar screen until I begin to vet the stories raised to my attention through community voices.”
This quote goes on ad nauseum and has nothing to do with the topic. You would think a talk show host would have the courtesy to stick to the subject instead of trying to hijack it to discuss their issue. This is a typical blind spot for radio talk show hosts. Since as talk show hosts they are so used to setting the agenda or topic they don’t know how to act when someone else is in this role. They are trying to flip the power relationship and try to switch the issue to their own. Moreover they try to ignore the fact that this power relationship exists, which is summed up nicely with the talk show host mantra “you are always welcome to call in”.
Ad Hominem Attack
Another talk show host (posting on my facebook page brought up smart meters as well as launching an ad hominem attack without answering either question.
“ i'm just questioning Ed's timing and there seems to be some beef from our local bloggers against KKCR's programing that is critical of KIUC's handling of the smart meter program and the ballot question slanted to one side over the other. that's all!
Instead of answering the questions the ad hominem attacker questions character and credibility of person asking the question to avoid answering the question itself. Though this attack against the person is typically done through innuendo of the “are you still beating your wife” variety. Here is a sample from a KKCR talk show host posted on my FB page.
- why did Ed start this blog now?
- could some “local bloggers” beef over smart meters be the reason?
- what is Ed’s relationship to the KIUC board?
So we are left with the KKCR talk radio hosts answering neither of the question posed, but going off topic and attacking the questioners character through innuendo. Sounds fair and balanced to me.
KKCR is different, small, and supporters don’t want democracy
Some commenters focused on the differences between the two non-profits, however none of these differences prevents any of the democratic practices, such as allowing supporting members to elect the Board of Directors, or instituting a fair and democratic process to select talk show hosts. As anthropologist Gregory Bateson once commented “a difference that makes no difference is no difference”.
Next time I will discuss why radio demagogues are a threat to democracy, the types of democracy and suggest a democratic process whereby a KKCR talk show host can be selected so they really are voices of our community.
Sunday, January 12, 2014
KKCR Crisis in Demagoguery #2: KKCR Bans Subscribing Members from Electing the Board of Directors
“The secret of the demagogue is to make himself as stupid as his audience so that they believe they are as clever as he” -Karl Kraus
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| Early radio demagogue Father Charles Coughlin |
KKCR Bylaws excerpt:
(my emphasis in bold red)Section 2.1 Classes of Members. The Members of the Corporation shall consist of Voting Members, Subscribing Members, and Ex-Officio Members, all as described in this Article II.
Section 2.2. Admission of Members. The power to admit and expel Members shall be vested solely in the Board of Directors, according to the provisions, qualifications, and requirements for membership stated in these bylaws. Section 2.3 Voting Members. Voting Members shall consist only of the members of the Board of Directors, elected or appointed as these bylaws provide. Upon ceasing to be members of the Board of Directors, such persons shall cease to be Voting Members of the Corporation.
Section 2.4 Subscribing Members. There shall be a class of members to be known as Subscribing Members. Subscribing members shall have no voting rights but shall be entitled to be noticed as to all corporate activities, promotional benefits, promotional gifts and discounts and other special benefits and obligations determined from time to time by the Board of Directors at the annual meeting or any other special meeting called to determine same. Subscribing Members' primary function will be to support the Corporations' activities and fundraising projects. Subscribing Members' names and addresses will be recorded in the records of the Corporation and updated or revised each year. Subscribing Members shall be required to pay dues for each membership year in order to remain a Subscribing Member on the records of the corporation.
Section 2.5 Ex-Officio Members. There shall be class of members known as Ex-Officio Members that shall consist of paid staff members (including but not necessarily limited to the station manager, the program director, and any other senior staff member as may be defined from time to time by the Board of Directors) or such other persons as the Board of Directors shall deem appropriate to be Ex-Officio Members. An ex-officio member shall be entitled to attend all meetings of the Board of Directors for purposes of discussions, making of proposals, devising corporate or program strategy or any other function determined by the Board. An ex-officio member shall have no voting rights and shall not be required to pay dues but shall serve in an advisory capacity to the Board of Directors.
KIUC Bylaws excerpt:
(my emphasis in bold red)Section 1 – Eligibility.
Any individual, partnership, joint venture, corporation, limited liability company, political entity or other person or legal entity that has agreed to purchase or purchases electric energy from Kauai Island Utility Cooperative (the “Association”) shall be eligible for membership in the Association.
Section 4 - Voting.
(A) Each member shall be entitled to one vote upon each matter submitted to a vote at a meeting of the members. Voting by proxy and cumulative voting shall not be permitted.One would think the unelected talk show hosts that offer on-air criticisms of KIUC's "crisis in democracy" would first take KKCR to task before calling out a more democratic non-profit, which at a least allows all members to elect the board.
How did these talk show hosts miss, and why don't they see this undemocratic zit angrily swelling on the tips of their own noses?
Tuesday, January 7, 2014
KKCR Talk Radio: Crisis in Demagoguery #1
The demagogue is one who preaches doctrines he knows to be untrue to men he knows to be idiots. - H. L. Mencken
In the article “KIUC ballots on the way” posted Friday, January 3, 2014 on thegardenisland.com Chris D’Angelo reported the following interaction between Jim Kelley, KIUC spokesman and Jonathan Jay, KKCR radio personality;
“One of the reasons we’re spending money is that we don’t have unfettered access to ‘community radio,’” Kelly wrote. “Do a couple of 30-second radio spots have the same impact as two, sometimes four hours of KIUC bashing every single week?”
Jay said Kelly’s comparison is ludicrous — apples to oranges.
Unlike KIUC, KKCR is a volunteer-run, listener-supported entity, according to Jay.
“And they are welcome to call in,” he said of KIUC representatives. (my emphasis)
Jay said Kelly’s comparison is ludicrous — apples to oranges.
Actually Jay’s comparing “apples to oranges” is what is “ludicrous” since KIUC and KKCR are not fruits, but non-profit corporations. A more useful comparison would be to ask which of the two non-profits (KKCR or KIUC) is the most democratic? Comparing the bylaws of both non profits one soon finds KKCR is much less democratic than KIUC. Lets look at a single foundational principle of democracy -- voter enfranchisement.
At KKCR the voting franchise is extended to “members” which KKCR defines as “board members” which is only between 7 and 15 voters. KUIC defines voting members on a per meter basis, around 30,000 potential voters. Jay who presents himself as a promoter and defender of democracy even went so far as to claim KIUC had a “Crisis in Democracy” after his failed bid to become a KIUC board member. The basis of Jay’s claim was low voter turnout. Only about one quarter, around 7,500 KIUC members exercised their voting franchise. Even if in a KKCR board elections all the 9 to 15 board members voted making the turnout 100% I doubt anyone would be convinced that 15 KKCR board members voting themselves or their friends onto the KKCR board is more democratic than 7,500 members out of a potential 30,000 voting for the KIUC board.
Unlike KIUC, KKCR is a volunteer-run, listener-supported entity, according to Jay.
Actually a salaried Station Manager runs KKCR. Other staff are also paid salaries. Jay fails to mention that to KKCR “listener supported” means everyone has the right to give us money or their time volunteering, but are prohibited from voting for the board.
There are uncounted scores of people who would be more than happy to volunteer to become a radio talk show host to promote themselves or their agenda, but airtime is a limited resource of 24 hours per day. Who decides whom and based upon what criteria do some peoples who offer to volunteer to become a radio talk show host actually get on the air? The process is both unarticulated, obscure and opaque the opposite of acceptable democratic practices. Having on-air tryouts of individuals volunteering to host talk shows and allowing KKCR supporters to vote for these “volunteers” would be democratic and lend some credence to the these talk show hosts who imagine themselves to be the “voice of our community”.
“And they are welcome to call in,” he said of KIUC representatives.
Once the talk show host is undemocratically selected they becomes the moderator of the talk show. As a moderator Jay can chose what to talk about, which caller can go on at length and which caller needs to wrap it up. It seems the height of hubris for Jay to tell elected KIUC board Directors that they “are welcome to call in” and subject themselves to a format controlled by some unelected radio personality. Clearly KKCR talk radio has a crisis in demagoguery which has allowed unelected radio personalities to use it’s community airwaves to advance themselves and their special interests. As Joan Conrow wrote “Four of the most outspoken smart meter opponents have talk shows on KKCR that give them 18 hours of prime air time monthly. That's the kind of advertising no money can buy. And who polled KKCR members to see if they were OK with turning over the talk shows to the no-fee contingent?
KIUC does not have a crisis in democracy. KKCR has a crisis in demagoguery!
KIUC does not have a crisis in democracy. KKCR has a crisis in demagoguery!
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