PNB Meeting - Jan 2007 - WBAI Report

This report will be less about what some might think are less than tangible results and more about procedural results.

My first two months here have basically been tied up in just trying to open up the ‘log jam.” Apparently, over the past couple of years there has been a total collapse in communication and accountability. Departments and department heads, producers and volunteers were all operating independent of each other. I can say with a cautious degree of certainty we have been somewhat successful in creating an atmosphere whereby all directors and support staff feel more comfortable communicating with each other without an air of apprehension and trepidation. This has been accomplished with mandatory weekly director’s meetings, bi–weekly operations staff meetings as well as smaller meetings of selected staff, e.g. programming and public affairs, news and programming. Without getting too philosophical we are working hard to elevate the air of toxicity that existed at the station prior to my arrival. And from what my staff, producers and outside observers tell me we are indeed making progress, albeit slowly.

One of other reasons we are making progress is everyone now knows I am carefully observing work habits, tendencies, evaluating the operation and taking notes, in order to assure that everyone working at WBAI understands they are expected to perform as their various job descriptions dictate they do and when they don’t they will have to account for their actions. We set written deadlines and enforce them with more written directives and more deadlines. While I am not so naïve to think just because I arrive with certain expectations they will automatically be met, I do recognize we are all adults, and this station, for all it’s problems did exist while enjoying some level of success. That means its components (i.e. the staff, paid and unpaid) do know the right way to do things. My job has been to encourage, and upgrade.

Objectives (FISCAL)

To reduce the number of fund raising days by 10-15 days. The goal is to sponsor and participate in fund raising efforts outside the station. This does two things:

1. It relieves the station from relying on only one means of raising funds.
2. It allows WBAI to become more visible in the various communities.

MAJOR PLANS AND EVENTS

Examples of some of these events follow. When successful, they will raise money thus helping us achieve the aforementioned goal.

a. One of our producers Tiokasin Ghosthorse has arranged for Ward Churchill to do a benefit for us on March 30th.

b. Earl Caldwell is also interested in doing a benefit program including a portion of our Friday afternoon lineup, Mr. Caldwell, Chief Announcer Michael G, and Howard Jordan.

c. The 2nd annual Cultural Fusion concert.
(These events as well as others are made possible as a result of our ongoing relationship with the New York Society for Ethical Culture a group that allows us to have events, free of charge at their headquarters).

d. The Coolwater Festival
Special note, this year the generous folks of Long Island, who sponsor this event also want to do a separate fund raiser for us so that we may purchase designated mobile broadcast equipment.

Brooklyn continues to emerge as a viable artistic and cultural borough. We are cultivating relationship with various promoters who want to partner with us for summer music events.

e.WBAI had two major Donor Cultivation Parties in 2006, as a result we had a 15% increase in major gift giving.

f. Lapsed donor mail drops. The objective is to reach out not only to lapsed donors, but also to include mass mailings to like-minded progressive groups like Mother Jones, various unions, indicating to them that WBAI covered the last election and was quite instrumental in influencing the results.

g. Building Fund- Spearheaded by our own Dr. Ali, the objective is to raise enough money to purchase our own facility.

h. The Civil Rights Concert Series and Courage Awards

OPERATIONS/PRODUCTION/ENGINEERING

1. We have a grant to upgrade our phone system.
2. Programming and Operations have devised a system to effectively promote internally (e.g. fund drives, major gift giving, regular programming etc.)
3. We are in the process of applying for a grant to upgrade our aging transmitter.
4. Re-institute a weekly broadcast and audio training program including a through look at all the components needed to produce a quality broadcast to include learning all studio equipment, using telephones, patch bay connections, advanced digital editing, how to incorporate music and other elements into a successful program.

PROGRAMMING

We are in the process of reviewing our programming, trying to achieve some sort of balance between national, local programming and entertainment.

MISCELLANEOUS

WBAI needs an image make over. Our PSA’s, internal promotions and on air talent all promote the call letters, dial placement, and web information: WBAI is the first and last thing you hear to ensure the audience knows who and where we are.

Also we are in the process of devising a competition on the web page for a new logo, tee-shirt design and overall image revamp. The competition will run for two months, and will offer first second and third prizes in the form of something great from Pacifica.

In an effort to encourage youth participation we are reaching out to various organizations to provide us with interns. For example The Learning to Work program is sponsored by Episcopal Social Services as well as the Truman YABC program in the Bronx. This is an engagement strategy designed to strengthen student participation in educational activities as well as provide students with an opportunity to build workplace skills and enhance career exploration through work-based learning. Two of our students will work 10 hours a week and will learn basic radio production.

In an effort to make pledge drives run a bit smoother without the usual headaches we have stripped out premium offerings down from over 200 to about 100. Our goal is to get them down even further for the next drive. We have devised a premium registering system whereby Paul Ashby and his department assess which premiums have been the most successful, Bernard White and Kathy Davis of programming and public affairs respectively match the offerings to the program schedule thus eliminating the previous habit of producers deciding what they would offer, not getting it registered in time thus slowing up the fulfillment process.

Finally I am committed to audience building. In the near future we will conduct independent surveys to determine who listens to us, who doesn’t, why they don’t and what we need to do to entice as well as maintain them.

- Robert Scott Adams
Interim General Manager