We are currently accepting applications for this 18 month training program.  Participants learn a vast array of skills from Digital Editing, audio interviews, news features, personal commentaries, running the board, and more!  Your group will consist of ten people who represent a diverse group of people from all walks of life.  We really work hard together to build community.

Classes are two nights a week, and everyone is required to come into KPFA once a week.  It is a big time commitment, and there is a lot that you get back in return!

Thank you to everyone who attended the memorable celebration in honor of Mama G’s life.

What a beautiful evening!

Photo courtesy of Danielle Nestore, of FunkyLoveSoul Productions

“TO OUR COMRADE, G ” by Renee Geesler

On Thursday Oct 1 we paid tribute to G on Apex Express.  Listen to the show here:

You can also listen here on KPFA’s website

Words can’t express the shock and sadness that I felt after hearing the news that Gina Hotta passed away on Monday night.  Gina was a true movement leader and truth soulja.

She was an award winning documentary producer, and hosted KPFA’s weekly API show, Apex Express, which airs Thursdays at 7pm. www.apexexpress.org.  She was also a graduate of First Voice, Group 3, NOVA.  Now we are at Group 34!

I met Gina after I graduated from First Voice in 2001, she approached me and asked if I would be interested in helping her start another API radio show.  She produced INSIDE/EASTSIDE which was onKPFA in the 90’s.  So we started APEX Express, in 2001.  It was Gina, me, Pratap, Eric and Nishat.

Years later, after many of us moved on to do other political work, she kept that radio show GOING!  And really worked to bring in hip young voices like Kiwi, Maya, Wayie, Ariel, Phatric…  ”G”, her on air name, was cool, dedicated to the struggle and an inspiration to so many people through the years.

Much love to Gina’s family and Gina’s husband, KPFA Operations Director Michael Yoshida.

Feel free to post comments and memories

APEX contact information

Phone:  510-848-6767×464 or  apex@kpfa.org
past program list: www.apexexpress.wordpress.com
articles: www.apexexpress.org

Berkeley Language Center Tribute: http://blc.berkeley.edu/Gina_Hotta.htm

On tonight’s Full Circle, 9/11/09, we brought together Bay Area community & media groups that attended the Allied Media Conference in Detroit.  We wanted to bring on these groups  to continue the great work that took place in Detroit in July.

We invited Eloise S. Lee Program Director from Media Alliance, Malkia Cyril Executive Director at the Center for Media Justice, Eden Jequinto and Elijah Smith from Eastside Arts Alliance, Khan Pham the Associate Director at Making Contact produced by the National Radio Project, Shanina Shumate who is the Program Director at TEMPO, the Technological Media Project of Oakland at the Women of Color Resource Center.

We spoke with all of the participants about the mission of their organizations, and what they like about their work.  We also spoke about why the Allied Media Conference is so unique and what Media Justice is.  

Here are some audio highlights from the evening.

Members of First Voice, Tempo, EastSide, Media Alliance, Making Contact, (not pictured CMJ)

The crew at KPFA after the Full Circle show.

Audio Excerpt here:

Aug. 28, 2009  KPFA 94.1 – Full Circle, Fridays at 7pm

I want to thank Courtney, Xago, Shana, Kenchasa, Lindsay, Mwangi, Sukari, Shaunnah, and Living Lamont for their love and spirit.  And thanks to Group 33 – Angie D, Laura, Karl, Melody, Golda, and Gloria for their example and encouragement.  A special thanks for the support and dedication of our Directors – Ms. M, Renee, and Freewillin Franklin.  (and Joyous Joy – we love you, too.)

DETROIT LOVE- by Renee Yang Geesler

Detroit based Grace Lee Boggs is a Chinese American Activist, writer and freedom fighter.  Her more than 60 years of political involvement encompass many of the major social movements in the US.  We were honored to celebrate Grace’s 94th Birthday celebration in July.

Grace Lee Boggs with Eloise Lee Program Director of Media Alliance, Khanh Pham Associate Director at National Radio Project, Renee Geesler Co-Director of First Voice

Listen to audio from our interview with Grace Lee Boggs here

In July we traveled to Detroit to attend the Allied Media Conference.  For the past 11 years the AMC has brought together media innovators from very diverse backgrounds and walks of life.  This conference really is a great way to network with other grassroots activists and evolve the definition of media and the role it plays in our lives.

Eloise S Lee the Program Director from Media Alliance, a media advocacy organization in Oakland, invited a few of us to Detroit to be on a panel titled White Spaces What?  How to create media policy from the ground up.  Below is the program description.

Presenters: Eloise S. Lee, Media Alliance; Renee Yang-Geesler, First Voice Media Action Program; Shanina Shumate, Women of Color Resource Center; Laura Hadden, Center for Digital Storytelling

In this workshop, we talked about strategies to broaden the ways in which we talk about communication policy, whether it be personal, local, national or global.  We also talked about the processes involved in the creation of culturally relevant learning tools and the importance of community partnerships in organizing around media justice issues. We gave examples of Media Alliance’s Raising Our Voices Media Training Program, First Voice Media Action Project at KPFA-Pacifica, Women of Color Resource Center’s Technology Empowerment & Media Project of Oakland and the Center for Digital Storytelling to illustrate the critical role of grassroots media and first-voice content creation in reshaping communications policy.

8/14 Full Circle Radio Reportback

Angie D, Laura Hadden, and myself, Renee Geesler, produced a Full Circle show on KPFA 94.1 FM.  We highlighted interviews and sound from the conference.   For more information about Allied Media check out www.alliedmediaconference.org

Diana Nucera Allied Media Conference Organizer with Renee Yang Geesler

I also had the opportunity to sit down with one of the AMC organizers and hear how they put this conference together.  Diana Nucera has been a media maker for the last ten years, and has been helping to organize the AMC for the last four years.

]]> http://firstvoicemedia.wordpress.com/2009/08/15/allied-media-conference-full-circle-reportback/feed/ 0 Miss Renee Grace Lee Boggs at her 94th birthday party Diana Nucera, AMC organizer with Renee Geesler http://firstvoicemedia.wordpress.com/2009/06/03/145/ http://firstvoicemedia.wordpress.com/2009/06/03/145/#comments Wed, 03 Jun 2009 04:17:35 +0000 alauraborealis http://firstvoicemedia.wordpress.com/?p=145 ]]>

Members of the Antioch High School Drum Line

On May 29, 2009 the Full Circle Crew brought live radio to Antioch.  Our first live remote broadcast happened at Live Oak High School, which is a continuation school for students in need of help to graduate on time.

Our broadcast featured student hosts interviewing teachers, college counselors and other students.  We also featured commentaries from the students who talked about their struggles in graduating.  This broadcast was executive produced by me, Full Circle Technical Director Freewillin Franklin, who was a graduate of Live Oak, Class of 1989.

I thought is was great to put together this program and go back to my highschool and be able to give back to my community.   It was cool to finally realize that teaching kids about radio is hella fun and was a good experience in putting together a remote production.

Kayla

It was amazing to hear the students commentaries and their struggles as they were so similar to my own.  Here are the three commentaries that were produced for the show.

This is Kayla who graduated from Live Oak High in 2009.