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 Donald Goldmacher is a community psychiatrist and a documentary filmmaker. A political activist since the 1960s, he's been involved in the civil rights and antiwar movements. He continues to be politically active and creates social issue documentary films exposing the pharmaceutical industry as well as a recent award-winning film about the LGBT community in this country entitled, "Ruthie and Connie:Every Room in the House.". His new film is about the political origins of the decline of the American economy, the underlying class warfare and wealth transfer that led to the meltdown.
Candidacy Statement:
My name is Donald Goldmacher. I have been listening to KPFA since 1971, and it has been a part of my daily life, informing me about the state of our country and the world. I am a longtime social issue documentary filmmaker, and I am very familiar with the use of media as a crucial tool in educating and mobilizing people to take action to improve the country and the world. In recent years, we have seen a rapid change in the forms of media that people are migrating to, especially the web, and away from print and television. I'm hopeful that the station will be able to use the Internet effectively to reach out to to new audiences, as well as use webcasting as a way to enhance the richness of our content. Furthermore, it is crucial that our program content begin to change in a way that reaches out to younger audiences as well as communities of color. At the present time, both our country and the world are in grave danger from multiple crises, including economic and ecological threats. I believe that the station and the network must continue to focus on the underlying causes of these twin crises, and continue to educate its listenership, as well as providing substantive solutions.
But Pacifica and KPFA are also in crisis, and that is part of the reason that I'm running for the local station board. Both the network and station have been subjected to sectarian battling for far too long. It is time that this come to an end. My background as a community psychiatrist, as well as having been a senior manager in the public-sector provides me with skills that will hopefully help put an end to the constant set of attacks that seem to flourish. My management skills may be of use to the station management, as well as to the local station board. The role of the local board is to provide policy direction for management, not to micro manage the managers, and not to insist that certain programming take place.
As global warming has deeper and deeper effects on our environment, we are going to have to learn how to both politically alter the political landscape, as well as preserving the planet. These same concepts should apply to both our local station board and the Pacifica network.
Candidate Questionnaire:
1. My desire to be on the local station board comes from having been a member and a listener for the past 35 years. I believe that my experiences as both a political activist, a social issue documentary filmmaker, a community psychiatrist and a senior manager in the healthcare system gives me the experience and skills to assist KPFA in carrying out its mission to serve the greater Bay Area, northern and central California.
2. The local station board first and foremost has a responsibility to meet the needs of the KPFA listener community. It can do this best by ensuring fiscal responsibility of the station, as well as of the Pacifica network. In addition, it must insist on the highest level of managerial quality and professionalism both at a local station level as well as at the Pacifica foundation. Finally, the local station board has to learn to work together as a functioning board, and agree to disagree when it is necessary, but to continue to move the station forward as well as the network.
3. The station must take into account all of the diversity that exists among its listeners. It must therefore provide programming that will help all of its listeners grow as both individuals and as part of their communities. One of the ways to do this is to use the Internet to enhance the media platform that already exists with our station. We must begin to explore the use of both radio and video on the Internet, as well as creating multilingual formats and platforms on the Internet, especially targeting young audiences.
4. As indicated above, I believe it is crucial to enhance the use of the Internet to bring in new audiences, as well as to provide additional content in different languages for different communities.
5. I believe that the primary sources of funding for the station should continue to come from listeners, but can be enhanced by approaching progressive foundations who are prepared to provide long-term grants without restrictions. Local businesses who support KPFA's ideals can also be encouraged to provide ongoing financial support.
6. I bring a variety of skills and experience to serving the KPFA community. Specifically, I did a radio show in San Francisco in the early 1970s on FM radio station. Since 1974, I have been a social issue documentary filmmaker and am therefore familiar with multiple media formats to bring relevant content to the American people. In addition, I am a community psychiatrist, which gave me the opportunity to have substantial experience working with various ethnic communities, as well as managing large numbers of employees, and overseeing a substantial budget as a county mental health director. For the past 40 some years I've been a political activist in the areas of healthcare, the environment, resisting racism and militarism, and fighting for working people.
7. I would be interested in serving on the finance committee, as well as the Finance Committee, the GM Hire Committee, the Programming Committee and the new technology committee.
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