Pacifica Turmoil

We are writing this out of sheer frustration in response to the correction that The Times published on Oct. 30 regarding the earlier article about our dispute with KPFK-FM (“The Day the ‘FolkScene’ Music Died,” Oct. 27). At issue is how you define ownership of our program, “FolkScene.” Whatever you want to call it, the real issue is control.

It’s true that in the agreement KPFK wants us to sign if we are to continue broadcasting there, it states that “KPFK recognizes that ‘FolkScene’ is a name trademarked by the programmers and that aspects of the program are the intellectual property of the programmers.” (According to our attorney, the word “aspects” could mean we own the name “FolkScene” and nothing else. No attorney in his right mind would let anyone sign something as vague as this.)

But elsewhere in the agreement that general manager Mark Schubb wants us to sign, it says this: “Unless there is an explicit written agreement to the contrary, for the purposes of copyright, all work performed for programs and programming at KPFK is a ‘work for hire,’ whether such work or services are paid or unpaid. All rights to content and all copyright interests in any and all material produced under this Policy Agreement are assigned to Pacifica/KPFK.”

The issue here is a moral one. Does Mark Schubb have the right to own a program that was developed 30 years ago and is the “intellectual property” of the unpaid volunteer producers of “FolkScene”?

ROZ and HOWARD LARMAN

West Hills

*

Thank you for the story (“Protests Planned Against Pacifica Network,” Oct. 25) on Pacifica’s apparent plans to fire Amy Goodman, who, in my opinion, is this country’s finest and most fearless political reporter.

Unfortunately, your reporter, Steve Carney, does make a serious mistake in saying that Amy’s co-host, Juan Gonzales, is “not involved in the current controversy.” On the contrary, Gonzales has officially protested Goodman’s treatment. In her letter to the board of Pacifica, Goodman writes: “This punishment [interference with her coverage of the Democratic convention] was such an unprecedented act that it prompted my co-host and award-winning veteran journalist Juan Gonzalez to write an official protest to Steve Yasko, the new program director, the content of which Yasko never responded to.”

CLIVE LEEMAN

Ojai

To Reach Us . . .

For general Calendar inquiries, call (213) 237-7770. Write us at Calendar Letters, Los Angeles Times, 202 W. 1st St., Los Angeles, CA 90012, fax us at (213) 237-7630 or e-mail us at Calendar.letters@latimes.com. Please be brief and include name, address and phone number. All communications are subject to editing.