Allegations, based on hearsay, of an ethnic slur are made and posted to
email and reported in person:

At this point none of the independent eye witnesses have been interviewed.

Stan Merriman made the following response to Johnston's post on the
afternoon of April 17th. This message was forwarded to me by Torry Mercer:

> >From: "merriman" <merriman@neosoft.com>
> >Reply-To: kpftilab@yahoogroups.com
> >To: <kpftilab@yahoogroups.com>
> >Subject: Re: [kpftilab] Prof. Berzerko berates guest hosts on air
> >Date: Wed, 17 Apr 2002 17:21:04 -0500
> >
> >To make KPFT even more inhospitable to differing opinion, one panel
>member
> >observed him glowering at them and nodding his head in disapproval from
>the
> >engineers booth, of course having a somewhat unnerving impact of the
> >panelists. The crowning touch was blustering words like " Jew" or " you
> >Jew" as if this label were an insult to them as they exited the studio,
> >then
> >to be met by Emilio of La Resistancia who shouted at the Israeli Consul
>at
> >full lung power in the conference room as they were exisiting. Overall
>an
> >exquite example of non-civility, intolerance and maybe worse from this
> >"progressive" community. Stan Merriman
> >-----Original Message-----
> >From: Edwin Johnston <edi@hal-pc.org>
> >To: freepacifica@recordist.com <freepacifica@recordist.com>
> >Date: Wednesday, April 17, 2002 4:56 PM
> >Subject: [kpftilab] Prof. Berzerko berates guest hosts on air
> >
> >
> > >This morning KPFT featured a special program titled Jewish Voices at
> >11am.
> > >The guests of the show were an invited panel of a handful of notable
> >Jewish
> > >people from Houston. They each made separate statements about the
>current
> > >mid-East conflict, then later answered questions from callers during
>the
> > >live one hour program.
> > >Just after that program, at noon, associate professor Bob Buzzanco took
> >to
> > >the airwaves for a show he was going to do about Venezuela. But Buzz
> >didn't
> > >start off his program about Venezuela, he used the first few minutes of
> >his
> > >program to berate the previous program's guests on the air, while they
> >were
> > >still in the lobby of the radio station listening to the KPFT signal.
> >Then
> > >about a half hour into his show he did it again, claiming those guests
> >have
> > >no place on Pacifica airwaves.
> > >Oy vey! That meshugga Buzzanco, tienes cajones muy grandes, no?
> > >Regardless of the content of the Jewish Voices program itself, it is
> >simply
> > >outrageous that Buzzanco is using Pacifica airwaves to berate invited
> >guests
> > >to the station, when they had just finished their program and while
>they
> > >were still present in the building. What an offense! He has used
>listener
> > >money to directly insult specially invited guests. For these actions he
> > >needs to make an immediate and sincere apology to each of them.
> > >But I don't expect an apology from Buzz for his arrogance and
>insolence.
> >It
> > >was not a flip remark. This is emblematic of Buzzanco's drive for
> > >ideological purity at KPFT. If Buzz don't like ya, then ya have to go.
>If
> > >not you will be bullied into leaving. The only thing fresh here in his
> > >approach is that now he is actively using the airwaves to attack those
>he
> > >doesn't like.
> > >To me this is the lowest that Pacifica has sunk since we have regained
> > >power. Could it sink any lower? Yes, Buzz could run over invited guests
> >to
> > >KPFT radio with his car while they were in the parking lot. Vrrroooom!
> > >Shameless behavior, absolutely shameless. Buzz has just set the bar for
> >the
> > >use of Pacifica airwaves to attack fellow programmers. How many others
>in
> > >the new Pacifica will now follow in his footsteps?
> > >

Greg Gieselman made a statement to Ken Freeland on the evening of April 17
that he either heard Buzzanco make an ethnic slur or that someone else
stated that Buzzanco made an ethnic slur, here is Ken Freeland's response:

> -----Original Message-----
> From: Ken Freeland [mailto:kenfree@ev1.net]
> Sent: Monday, May 13, 2002 11:51 PM
> To: 'Hep Ingham'
> Subject: RE: The day in question
>
>
> Hep,
> I'm sorry to say that I cannot recall with accuracy whether he said he
> heard it or not. I believe that he told me what (supposedly) happened,
> and when I expressed disbelief, he said something like "I was there when
> it happened," or something like that, but I cannot say for sure at this
> point. He may have added something like "I heard it with my own ears."
> I simply do not remember his words, but I do seen to recall him in some
> way saying that he was in some way a witness to all this. That is the
> best of my recollection, and at this point it's a bit hazy. Sorry not
> to be of more help.
> Peace,
> Ken

Finally, Duane Bradley, KPFT GM receives the following from Aaron Howard,
the editor of a weekly paper.
----- Original Message -----
From: "Aaron Howard" <gamy@hal-pc.org>
To: <dbradley@kpft.org>
Sent: Monday, April 22, 2002 6:25 PM
Subject: Demons

> Dear Duane,
> I'm writing to you as a friend and a KPFT supporter about something that
is
> troubling me.
> Donna de la Paz related an incident that occured at the station after she
> had finished the program. She said that Bob Buzanko (spelling) confronted
> Dan Shaham and her and hissed in a nasty voice "you Jews!"
> She said that someone at the station immediately apologized and she was
> later told that the station was "handling" the incident.
> Duane, my purpose in writing you is not to dump on you or KPFT. I know you
> don't have a racist bone in your body. Nor is it to complain about the
> pro-Palestinian coverage on KPFT. I, personally, have strong pro-Israeli
> feelings. But I also believe that free speech is something that needs to
be
> exercised on a daily basis rather than subscribed to in theory. And
> although I would wish for you to be less (what I perceive as) one sided in
> your Middle East coverage, I think that KPFT is trying to promote at least
> some kind of dialogue.
> What bothers me is how easily pro-Palestinian sentiments become
anti-Jewish
> feelings in people like Mr. Buzanko. I don't know him personally. Donna
> says he teaches at UH. Is this man so self-righteous in his anger that he
> demonizes Jewish people? Or has he been hanging out with some of the less
> savory elements of the Palestine "revolution"?
> Duane, it pains me to see people on the left embrace the most reactionary
> elements in the Arab world such as Islamic Jihad and Hamas. These elements
> demonize all Jews in their statements, their strategy and their intent. Do
> you not think that we aren't aware that words have real power and real
> consequences?
> And when we see someone like Mr. Buzanko echo these sentiments, what do
you
> suppose we think?
> A few weeks ago you had a program on KPFT where three or so "Islamic
> sisters" explained how the Islamic religion, a system which values a
> woman's testimony at half the worth of a man's, a legal system which would
> give a sister only half the monetary legacy of her brother, an aesthetic
> which legally gives the husband the right to beat his wife if he disobeys
> her, does not opress women. Duane, if you put the same program on the air
> and had three Orthodox Jewish women who said the same thing, do you think
> your call-in listeners would accept these statements on face value?
> What also troubles me is how some segments of the "anti-war" movement has
> no problem with justifying bombing civilians as a necessary tactic. I
guess
> the means justifies the end, doesn't it?
> I wish you success in the future. As station manager, you have a difficult
> job. But please, beware of those who have a disregard of distinguishing
the
> guilty from the innocent, who have a hatred of everyone in the entire
> "enemy" group, and who make no distinction between a combatant and a
> non-combatant.
> With affection,
> Aaron
>