RIDING THE
WAVES AT PACIFICA RADIO
By Andrew
Leslie Phillips
A native of Australia, Andrew spent seven years in Papua New
Guinea as a government patrol officer, radio journalist and filmmaker before
coming to New York in 1975. He produced award-winning investigative radio documentaries
on a wide range of environmental and political issues for the Australian
Broadcasting Corporation, and WBAI Community Radio in New York City. He taught
journalism, radio and “sound image” as an adjunct professor at New York
University for 10 years. He is permaculture teacher and was interim general manager
at KPFA, Pacifica Radio in Berkeley (2011-20013).
The Pacifica
foundation was founded in 1946 by poet and journalist Lewis Hill and a small
group of pacifists, intellectuals and experienced radio people They did not
have the same political or economic philosophy but shared a vision which
supported a peaceful world, social justice and creativity. At 3pm, April 15,
1949, Lew hill sat behind the microphone and announced: "This is KPFA,
listener sponsored radio in Berkeley, the first such radio station in the
world”.
