Over the years, UPAZ had been a stable operation, Latham relates. The campus "had only five administrators over the past 16 years." Throughout this pre-Strong era, RFPI broadcast what Latham proudly characterized as "Pacifica-style programming" -- i.e., a range of pacifist and politically challenging progressive views inclined to rock the status quo.
"Peace, justice and the environment were our concerns," Latham said. He remains unapologetic for airing programs that were critical of US militarism. "Over the past three years, we broadcast a lot of programs on the issue of the globalization of the planet," Latham adds. One of RFPI's most popular broadcasts was Amy Goodman's US-produced talk show, "Democracy Now."
After Strong arrived on the scene, Latham alleges, "there was a distinct lack of communication. Control was a problem." Several UPAZ staffers cautioned the RFPI staff that some powerful people had been disturbed by the "anti-US flavor of your broadcasts."
"The first action they took was to cut our high-speed Internet access. That immediately cut out Pacifica and Amy Goodman," Latham recounts, "but we were able to reestablish a connection using microwave hookups."
The-Edge asked Latham if he sensed any link between the "mainstreaming" of UPAZ and the installation of the unelected Bush administration in Washington. At first, Latham dismissed the suggestion but, on reflection, he did recall how he came to feel "a fear running around the whole faculty. It seemed that anyone who spoke out got terminated." And, for some members of the UPAZ faculty, Latham confided, there was a "palpable fear" of incurring the wrath of the Bush administration.
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