Middle East in Focus

Sundays, 9:00am Pacific Time

HOST: Don Bustany

EMAIL: DonBustany@roadrunner.com

DESCRIPTION: News and views on the Middle East and relevant U.S. foreign policy.

Middle East in Focus has been airing regularly on KPFK since 1980. It was launched by the News Department shortly after Iranian students began holding 63 Americans hostage in the US Embassy in Tehran. After the hostages were released a year later, MEIF continued broadcasting news and opinion about the so-called "Middle East." The area is actually southwestern Asia; but we may be stuck with that Eurocentric name.

There have been five 'sets' of producer-hosts: Michel Bogopolsky and Sarah Mardell of the KPFK newsroom staff founded MEIF in 1980. After Sarah's death in 1984, Diane James came in as co-producer with Michel. Then KPFK news director Judith Gabriel produced from late 1987 to 1990, at which time Moneim Fadali, MD, and playwright/actress Tamadur Alaqeel began their tenure. In 1994, Don Bustany joined them as a commentator until they left in October, 1996. Don has produced from that date to the present.

The program's mission is to fill the many gaps left by the mainstream media in their coverage of the M.E. and to correct many of the distorted images presented by the mass media--both news and entertainment--and by our politicians. Remember, our politicians aren't the boss of us, we're the boss of them. The democratic habit of calling or writing our Senators and Representatives and letting them know how we think they ought to vote on legislation seems to make them smarter.