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In the aftermath of the departure of Pirate Cat Radio founder Daniel “Monkey Man” Roberts from the scene, the Pescadero low-power community radio station he was managing is carrying on, trying to clear the haze of confusion he left behind. The San Mateo County Times followed up with KPDO, including its founder Maggie Celeste Worden, reporting some new facts challenging some of Roberts’ earlier claims.
Recall that earlier Roberts had claimed he consolidated Pirate Cat Radio’s streaming radio operation into the foundation that owns and operates KPDO. In a press release he posted as a comment to one of Jennifer Waits’ stories on the situation Roberts claims,
Earlier, in August 2010, I transferred Pirate Cat Radio, the web streaming operation, to the Pescadero Public Radio Service (PPRS) not-for-profit foundation, which is the owner of KPDO, the radio station in Pescadero.
However, Worden tells the County Times that it ain’t so. Monkey’s lawyer, Michael Couzens, backs up Worden’s counter-claim, telling the paper that an attempted transfer failed, and therefore, “that transfer was null and void.”
Roberts, who apparently had been serving as president of the foundation operating KPDO, has let go of the reins there somewhat more easily than at Pirate Cat. He has agreed to step down and become vice-president while Worden takes over as president.
Interestingly, Worden herself posted a stinging comment to the story, taking to task the author’s characterization of Roberts as “station director and chief visionary.” Worden writes,
Daniel Roberts as ‘chief visionary’ is almost laughable! The vision for KPDO is and always was a community supported, community operated, community oriented station, and NEVER was to be a mouthpiece for PCR. My founding vision, back in 1994, was a cross between KFAT, Pacifica and Northern Exposure, only in the beautiful surroundings of the South Coast: and so it shall be!
Personally, I’m glad to see KPDO moving forward from this unfortunate circumstance. I hope that KPDO remains a true community station, an asset of both the volunteers who make it work, and the listeners who rely upon it.
