The closed-loop direct feedback loop from the community through the news and public affairs programming back to the community allowed issues and actions to be augmented with an absolute minimum of editorial interference. KPFA was not just our outlet for information, but an attractant. We knew that the people there would be sympathetic and informed about our issues, and that we could get an announcement on the air without too much trouble. I headed for Berkeley as soon as I could. That free speech, though a little messy and not always showing its best face, worked better than any system of control.
Community is implemented through communication.
Any political entity must control its own lines of communication. The threat of a neutered KPFA is the threat of a neutered community. We are elders now, and we might as well get used to our responsibilities. We have our role to play, just as we had then.