CONCERNED FACUL TY at UCLA KCET - PUBLIC TELEVISION October 26, 1990 STEERING 4041 Sunset Boulevard COMMITTEE Los Angeles, CA, 90027 Chairperson Katherine King Attention: President William Kobin (Classics) Vice President Stephen Kulczycki Secretary Victor Wolfenstein Dear KCET, (Po litical Science) Tresurer I am wr i ting this letter on behalf of lS0 members of Donald Kalish the Concerned Faculty at UCLA, an organization which (Philosophy) has given strong support to the educational programming Warren Day for which KCET is widely known. Included are those who (Public Hea lth ) teach in diverse departments of the university, some of which are also specialists re: Southern Africa. Your Edward Doty (A tmospheric recent decision to suspend telecasting of the excellent Scie l1ces) public affairs program, South Africa Now, was discussed in two recent meetings of the Steering Committee of the Helen Poschin (CASO) Concerned Faculty at UCLA. We are appalled at the decision to discontinue showing of South Africa Now. Over the lS-month period that you have shown it (at the unpopular time of 9 a.m.,Sunday mornings), many of us have found it most useful as the best means of keeping up with fast moving events inside South Africa and in the region of Southern Africa. Some of us have also used South Africa Now in our classes.

Earlier this week, we joined with the UCLA African Studies Center in a delegation to discuss this serious matter with you. However, despite several telephone contacts, KCET chose not to meet with us. Specifically Stephen Kulczycki stated that KCET could not schedule any meeting with a top-level UCLA delegation at this time. Perhaps KCET has forgotten its basic mandate as a public television station. Not only are we a part of that public, but we represent top scholarly appraisal of information channels re: Southern Africa.

We urge you to reinstate South Africa Now immediately. We also request again, an opportunity to discuss this matter with you and top decision-making bodies of KCET.

Sincerely, ~~)- . &~ Warren J. Day , - til for Concerned Faculty at UCLA.

Please, send mail to: CONCERNED FACULTY,Post Office Box 171,308 Westwood Plaza Los Angeles, California 90024-1647 Telephone: (213) 825-1476 KCET MaitR~consider Michael Zinzun, the executive :Jy..'o/- ,' director of Friends of the African National Congress and Front Line Dropping !t\J.rica Now' States, who had organized 'the meeting that was canceled, disput- ·· .....; : ~~ ~ :(t::... .. ed Kulczycki's contention that be- .. • Television: Community groups and its own ,cause there was no longer a press ' advisory panel criticize hailt()'public-affairs show. ,; blackout in South Africa, the pro- . :~ .;. ~ - gram was no longer necessary. ------, . "It has just been 24 hours since By SHARON BERNSTEIN ....;., George Bush vetoed the Civil Rights Act," Zinzun said. "We are nder fire from community"f' For now, however, "South Airi­ not in a pOSition where we can let organizations and its owri:: ca Now" remains scheduled to down our guard about racism." U Community Advisory'-. leave KCET after the last install- .1 In its statement Thursday, the · Board, public-television statiori ;' ment of the current 13-week batch advisory. board said that it wanted KCET Channel 28 on Thursday q runs Sunday at 9 a.m. [ to be consulted about future pro­ opened the door slightly to the . . KCET's decision not to renew ! gramming decisions that might af­ possibility that it would reconsid- the program has enraged members . fect the community and requested er the decision to halt broadcasts ' : of the Los Angeles African-Ameri­ that the meeting with community . of the news-magazine "South Ai­ can community and anti-apartheid leaders be rescheduled. groups, who have threatened to The board also said it did not ' ricaNow . " '~ believe that Horowitz had in any At the same time, two local-­ picket the stations. Several brought their complaints way influenced management's de­ cable systems have stepped in to/ :! cision regarding "South Africa try to fill the void. Cencom Cable ,"~~ -to the regularly scheduled meeting xr of KCET's Community Advisory _.Now." , which serves the Pasadena and Board on Wednesday, and the Kobin said Thursday that he San Gabriel Valley areas, board, whose volunteer members ; could not · respond to the board's Century Cable in Los are appointed to provi.de communi~ "' .1i odemands because he had not yet said that they will begin n~._,Ti;"';;;~".; 1 ty feedback to statIon manage: ~-'-c:: .:; , read the statement. "South Africa Now" when ment, took up the cause. !: > , :; ''I'm really gratified that they :, leaves KCET. The advisory board issued a ' :..., believe we acted for the reasons we \I.said we acted," Kobin said. "Obvi- ' , statement Thursday demanding' .!" that "'South Africa Now' be re- ': j ously, I'm disappointed that they . programming chief Stephen turned to the air with a discussion .': C;don't agree with the decision. " The move by the local cable czycki, who last week Ut:l:lUt::U panel or .other vehicle to broaden I the range of issues covered; and/or " ! systems to pick up "South Africa drop the program, said Now" comes at a time when ca­ that he stands by his [that KCET] immediately provide.:~ additional [regular] programmin ...1' ble-through its non-commercial objection that the on South Africa and the community access channelS-IS slanted in favor of .the entire" ~ continent of Africa." ,;?~;pt National . Congress but that Unhappiness with KCET's de~f~'$ taking ~ore of a role in airi!i~::.~ will monitor it in coming weeks sion increased after a conservative" , alternatIve programming. . ·;p i • see if it becomes more balanced. media watchdog organization ' . "We have lots of examples" oc: "We will continue to mOlnn.or claimed credit for having brought ! interesting programs that can'£/ the series on the satellite the show's alleged bias to KCET'g ' survive at the network or public"':": and try to get some sense attention. David Horowitz, Chair- ~ ~elevision level that still tell a story ', whether the concerns we've man of the Committee on Media., ' m a way that only television can " pressed might show up in Integrity, met with station execu.3' . tell it," said Craig Watson, general ., program," Kulczycki said. "If ,tives as many as half a dozen times ' manager of Cencom Cable. . . . .:.:i1 producers) address the n"'~I'<''''''CP 'and conducted a yearlong letter ... , we have talked about, we wnting campaign against "South reconsider the choices we Africa Now" and other programs : made." nr~~!t. broadcast on KCET. ",~ :I>t; "South Airica Now" KCET has vigorously denie(f'~: Danny Schechter said ~orowitz ' s conten~ions, but rel,! ~ pleased 'tlOns WIth commumty members dicfl --door' to reconsideration ~not improve when the station cmi:l will not do anything