OUTREACH

1) Affiliates Coordinator Ursula Ruedenberg has recruited a new affiliate: In Selma, Alabama, it's WBFZ, primarily a Hip Hop / African American-focused station.

 

2) Radio for People Campaign – the new focus is to get Pacifica stations involved.

Ursula recently visited Iowa City, which gave the local group there momentum and information. A group from Wisconsin also attended; they have prepared an application and have an Internet station. Ten frequencies have been located in Iowa, including some in urban areas. Five groups are readying applications.

Ursula also met with former FCC commissioner Nicholas Johnson, who may narrate a radio show we are developing on the issue. A meeting is being arranged in Wisconsin. She is currently coordinating Midwest outreach for the campaign, working in Wisconson, Illinois, Missouri and Nebraska, and Minnesota; a volunteer from Chicago is helping, She may also do some organizing in the south.

Our coalition has asked FCC to delay the application window, maybe until Fall.

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ARCHIVES

1) PRA fundraiser: In November, 2006 PRA met Allee Willis, songwriter and multi-media artist through Marty Durlin, KGNU station manager. After being introduced to the archives wealth of programs Willis offered to host a major donor fundraising event at her home. She donated close to $20,000 and some vendors also donated their services to the event. With strong effort by PRA staff and volunteers, the event was a success, raising $37,000 gross, and netting $26,000 for PRA tape restoration and operations.

 

2) Sales revenue: Brian DeShazor reports that the first quarter of FY2007 saw a decline in tape/cd sales to the public. PRA is tracking sales income from the past four years to analyze reasons for the gradual decline.

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DISABILITIES ACCESS

Consultant Francie Moeller has finished visits and discussions at four of the five Pacifica stations. We will meet in early March to define short-term action plans for each station. We have been keeping Foundation counsel informed. WPFW will be visited in March and all reports will be submitted prior to the April PNB meeting, at which Moeller will give a detailed report and discuss how to implement her recommendations.

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PNB MEETING PLANNING

As requested, microphones are being purchased to provide amplifications at future meetings. The Berkeley staff met recently to discuss issues and process. Donna is working with PNB members, interested LSB members, and staff.

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ELECTION PLANNING

The Board is considering a motion that would accelerate the election process by hiring an Interim National Election Supervisor to develop proposed guidelines for local station elections, prepare an overview of the databases for use in the elections, and oversee the maintenance and upgrade of the elections software as needed.

This is a reasonable idea, but if this job is only a two-month temp position and yet must be posted it will not be possible to act promptly. We may also have trouble finding a qualified person willing to come in for such a short period. The Election Supervisor is traditionally not an employee but rather a contractor, and only a few people have the requisite familiarity and skills.

Clarifying and adding to those priorities already mentioned, the hire should be for several additional concrete tasks. Specifically:

1. Preparation of a manual for preparation of the mailing lists for those who manage MEMSYS. This would include directions in excluding duplicates, ensuring that couples or groups that contributed more than $50 got more than 1 ballot, exclusion of names which were returned as undeliverable, as well as suggestions for security measures for the database.
2. Preparation of a manual for dealing with the paid and unpaid staff names.
3. Preparation of a manual for the uniform display of web pages for the different stages of the election.
4. Preparation of a manual for the use of the software that Pacifica has purchased.
5. Collection of all the Unfair Campaign rulings that have been made in the last 3 elections. If the PNB does pass a motion to begin the process early – especially if the hire is only guaranteed for two months -- I request discretion to fill the position without a burdensome process. At this point, I would first ask Les Radke, who is available, to take the assignment, essentially finishing the process that he initiated last year.

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PROGRAMMING

1) Informed Dissent: Voluntary Self-Evaluation Forms have been sent out. We are awaiting responses.

 

2) A new PD begins work at WPFW in the first week of April. Robert (Bobby) Hill has been associated with the station for about 20 years.

 

3) Network Programming

A) Stations Visits: Following the PNB meeting in Houston, Pacifica's new Network Programming Coordinator Nathan Moore spent time at KPFT as part of his tour of the sister stations. He spent the last week in DC, visiting WPFW and the DC Bureau, and finding a place to live, then moved on the New York, finishing his initial station visits with WBAI.

In DC, as in other cities, he met with many people from the station or some with other affiliations with Pacifica, encountered many different ideas about national programming and what we should make priorities. Nevertheless, there were some major themes and priorities:
- smart, well-produced content that informs, educates, and mobilizes
- original investigative reporting
- asking tough questions of powerful people who need to be held accountable
- more programming that creates or encourages dialogue and understanding, not just dissent and polemic.

B) Nathan has also taken the initiative to get a national production off the ground around International Women's Day. The process included getting stations to agree to air two hours of national content, getting their suggestions for people to fill the coordinating producer role, and finding a capable producer who is also available. He chose Renee Feltz from Houston for the position; she is currently accepting pitches for segments. Renee and Nathan meet regularly by phone. The window for pitches closes on Feb 28, and the broadcast will be ready by 11pm PST on March 7.

C) He is also beginning to develop a national programming calendar with input from others around the network. Events like International Women's Day can be identified and planned well in advance.

Two other projects are coming up:

D) Implementing the "National Programming" clause of the Race & Nationality Policy, which calls for the formation of a collective of producers to create segments that address issues of race and its intersection with class and gender, particularly focusing on empowerment struggles. Nathan has been talking up this idea among station management, and hopes to begin recruiting producers for this collective in the coming weeks and months.

E) A Programming Summit, coinciding with the April PNB meeting. With some exceptions, there's not a lot of communication between staffs at local stations, much less a venue for the open discussion of programming priorities for the near- and longer-term future. We think such a summit could be valuable for moving forward with our programming, as well as for developing network synergy.

F) I will meet in person with Nathan, based on his visits to all station areas, on March 1. The next step is to develop a long term work plan and a network wide resource list. A major priority is to form a producers' group to implement the National Programming part of the Race and Nationality policy:

National programming on external issues. Given the particular urgency of racism and xenophobia in this country today, the national office will facilitate the creation of a racially/nationally diverse collective of producers from various community radio stations to develop ongoing nationally broadcast programs aimed at promoting education and dialogue on: 1) issues of race and nationality and their intersection with class and gender, both nationally and internationally; and 2) empowerment efforts/campaigns by communities fighting these and related forms of oppression. This may include national airing of extraordinary local radio programs.' (11/04)

 

4) Online and Digital Distribution Project

At PNB member Dave Adelson's urging, a proposal is being developed for consideration by the National Finance Committee and the Board. The goals are to develop a plan for digital distribution in conjunction with Creative Commons licenses; inaugurate additional Pacifica Network Internet content streams; and fulfill the PNB resolution requiring a plan detailing online and digital strategies. Since Rob Robinson has taken the lead in previous licensing and distribution discussions, is helping Pacifica to reach agreement with unpaid producers, and has worked with foundation and CC counsel in this area, I have begun discussing with him the possibility of becoming of consultant to handle this project. Some have raised questions about whether other approaches might be considered, as well as potential conflict of interest concerns. Those should certainly be discussed by the Board before proceeding. At this point, however, we have a pressing task, a basic plan, and a qualified person. The amount of work will increase from this point, and existing staff doesn't have time to handle it.

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FINANCES

1) As of Feb. 10, 2006, the results of the two current national direct mail efforts (Fall 06 and a holiday mailing) are:

	Gross Receipts	Net Income	Net Surplus %
A) Summer/Fall 06	$264,837.49	$18,818.33	7%
B) 2006 Holiday Appeal	$64,541.27	$56,078.91	87%
Totals	$329,378.76	$74,897.24

 

2) Winter On Air Fund Drive Update

Three stations have completed their Winter on air drives and we are right on target:

WBAI- reached 941,000; goal was 950,000
KPFT- reached 300,999; goal was 300,000
KPFA- reached 959,000; goal was $950,000

Sub total: $2,200,999 to date (goal was 2.2 million for the above 3 stations)

Two stations remain. KPFK's drive is basically on track, and WPFW begins
Sunday, Feb. 25.

KPFK - 2/13 -2/27 (15 days) – goal: 980,000 -- 607, 833 as of 2/23
WPFW - 2/25 – 3/10 (15 days) – goal is 506,000

Sub total: (goal is 1,486,000 for above 2 stations)

Total: (goal is $3,684,000)
To date: 2,808, 832 (76.2%)
To reach goal: 875,168

The Fall on-air drives ended with a shortfall, so we are still playing catch up. Nevertheless, the current drives do appear to represent a measurable turn around, especially in New York. The PRA on air drive in late November (2 days) was also successful, bringing in $266,000 in pledges according to Brian's January update.

This doesn't remove the pressure to create and nurture new revenue sources, especially with anticipated increases in expenses such as health benefits, infrastructure retooling and legal, plus some new initiatives being proposed. We also continue to face the ongoing trend of a declining and aging listener base giving more money, at least when considered in the context of the available Arbitron numbers. Initial Arbitron analysis suggests a continuation of the trend that began in 2004, and which has affected most of public radio.

It is extraordinary that Pacifica listeners are so enthusiastic and supportive, but the apparent drop in average weekly listeners from 829,000 to 769,000 between 2005 and 2006 should not be ignored. As we know, the most significant drop came at WBAI, but all stations have been affected to some extent. Analysis of the reasons vary, but the current trend is fairly clear.

In response, some stations are already developing a significant new listener base on the Internet, but we still need to translate that into a stable and significant revenue stream. Some stations are also developing their off air fund raising capacity.

In any case, congratulations are in order for the hard-working paid and unpaid staff, volunteers and management at KPFA, WBAI, and KPFT for their heroic efforts and successful drives. Now the spotlight is on KPFK and WPFW, which are more than able to meet the challenge.

 

-Greg Guma