2007-06-08 Approved Minutes for PNB Public Teleconference Meeting

Approved Minutes

Submitted by Mary Berg, secretary

PNB Teleconference Meeting

Thursday, May 3, 2007

8:00 pm Eastern Time

Public Session convened at 8:27 pm ET.

Note: the meeting included a public and an executive session. The executive session FOLLOWED the public session.

Present for all or part of public session: Mary Berg (MB), Evelyn Bethune (EB), Acie Byrd (AB), Lydia Brazon (Lydia), Lisa Davis (LD), Chandra Hauptman (CH), Ray LaForest (RLF), Ambrose Lane (AL), Bob Lederer (BL), Margaret Prescod (MP), Sarv Randhawa (Sarv), Sandra Rawline (SR), Rip Robbins (Rip), Rob Robinson (RR), Thomas Ruffin (TR), Don White (DW), Lavarn Williams (LW), Michael Woodson (MW). Greg Guma, ED (GG); Lonnie Hicks, CFO (LH). Dan Siegel, Corporate Counsel.

Absent: Dave Adelson (DA), Berthold Reimers (BR), Wendy Schroell (WS), Lori Taguma.

Approval of Agenda: AL moved to adopt the agenda. RR 2^nd. Approved without objection.

MP Motion from 5/23/07 regarding Mumia Abu Jamal ( full text is in Appendix II below) Passed without objection.

REPORTS:

9:03 pm. ED Report – GG: including 3D progress report, and ideas regarding July in-person

PNB meeting in Los Angeles (personnel and sensitive legal issues included in

executive session)

9:15 pm. CFO Report – LH:

9:34 pm. Programming Committee recommendations on FCC indecency policy issues – RR:

9:43 pm. Elections Committee report – LB:

10:26pm. Motion for Early Hire of L.E.S. Presented by LB:

That this committee requests that the PNB authorize the National Election Supervisor to hire Local Election supervisors beginning in June.

9:52 pm. Motion passed without objection.

9:57 pm. BL moved that PN hold a special meeting before July 3 to consider amendments to bylaws concerning length of delegates' terms; and to authorized Chair to conduct a poll of the PNB members regarding meeting dates.

10:01 pm. Personnel Committee report re CFO Evaluation.

LW proposed amendment that upon the conclusion of the evaluation process, an HE person should deliver to , and negotiate with, the CFO regarding the results of the evaluation by the PNB.

10:43 pm. Vote on amendment failed 4-7, 4 A.

Y: Rip, SR, CH, LW.

N: AB, AL, RR, TR, RLF, BL, MW, LB.

A: WS, MB, MP, LT.

10:45 pm. Vote on main motion passed, with LW and WS abstaining but otherwise without objection.

10:46 PM. Search Committee report – LB: [Note: the report, including the full text of the job posting, is provided in Appendix II below.]

10:54 pm. LB moved that the PNB approve the following recommendations from the ED Search Committee:

● That the ad shall be posted as soon as possible  on all Pacifica websites and targeted media buys not to exceed $2,000  and of course free of charge placements as well.

● The proposed budget cap on search firm expenses; $20,000 including  travel for candidates. ● Proposed moving expenses, if necessary, for new E.D.: $5,000
● Once a search firm is selected, an additional $3,000 is recommended  for ads.
● There was discussion that $80,000 is still low for this position, but may be included in the listing.

BL moved to amend the job posting language to add at the end, following the “equal opportunity” paragraph, the sentence, “Women, people of color and members of other under-represented groups are strongly encouraged to apply.” Passed without objection.

11:00 pm. Motion as amended passed without objection.

11:04 pm. Meeting adjourned.

APPENDIX I: Proposed Meeting Agenda, including Proposed Times:

The meeting will begin with a public session followed by an Executive

session to address confidential personnel and legal issues, including ED

status issues and other legal matters:

The purposes of the public portion of the meeting (1 hr 30 min) are:

- Roll Call and approval minutes (if available) -- 5 min

Reports:

- Motion regarding Mumia Abu Jamal ( see text below) -- (10 min)

- ED Report including 3D progress report, and ideas regarding July in-person PNB meeting in Los Angeles (personnel and sensitive legal issues included in executive session) -- (10 min)

-CFO Report (10 min)

- Programming Committee recommendations on FCC indecency policy issues (10 min)

- Elections Committee report (10 min)

- Personnel Committee report (10 min)

- Search Committee report (10 min)

APPENDIX II: FULL TEXT OF MOTIONS AND REPORTS PRESENTED:

RESOLUTION IN SUPPORT OF A NEW TRIAL FOR MUMIA ABU-JAMAL

Submitted by: Margaret Prescod, Director, KPFK

May 23, 2007

Whereas Mumia Abu-Jamal, an award-winning journalist and former president of the National Association of Black Journalists, has been on death row since 1982 for the murder of a white police officer. Mumia was known at the time for his journalism on police abuse and corruption;

Whereas On May 17 2007 the US Court of Appeals Third Circuit in Philadelphia heard arguments requesting a new trial for Mumia on such constitutionally important issues as due process, equal protection under the law and racism in jury selection. According to Mumia's lead attorney Robert Bryan, "Racism and politics are threads which have run through this case since his 1981 arrest. The issues before the court concern the right to a fair trial, the

death penalty, and the political repression of an outspoken journalist.";

Whereas if the court rules in Mumia's favor it could lead to a new trial which for the first time would afford Mumia the opportunity to put his account of events before a jury;

Whereas the case for a new trial includes:

- Racism in jury selection - in a city that at the time was 43% Black and 60% people of color, only two jurors were Black. One study found that "in 317 capital trials in Philadelphia between 1981 and 1997, prosecutors struck

51% of black jurors and 26% of non-black jurors." (Cited in NAACP amicus brief)

-The late Judge Albert Sabo, presiding at Mumia's original trial and post-conviction, had been responsible for putting more people on death row than any other judge in the US.

Whereas during Mumia's first trial Judge Sabo was overheard, by a court stenographer, saying he would help the prosecution "fry the nigger";

Whereas it has been established that Mumia who was driving a taxi at the time and therefore legally allowed to carry a gun, never had his gun tested to see if it was fired, nor had his hands tested for residue. Bullets in

Mumia's gun did not match the bullets found in the officer's body. Mumia who took over his own legal defense was ejected from the courtroom and never had a chance to put this and other aspects of his case before the jury. Recently discovered photos of the crime scene show the officer's hat in two locations, no bullet marks on the sidewalk, police mishandling the guns, and no sign of a taxi that was supposedly parked behind the officer's car – all contradicting the prosecutor's case and those of their "eyewitnesses";

Whereas a federal investigation in the 1980s resulted in the conviction of thirty-one Philadelphia police officers, and the Philadelphia Inquirer referred to the city as a "petri dish for corruption";

Whereas The NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund (LDEF) joined Mumia's lead attorney in arguing Mumia's case at the May 17th hearing. The National Lawyers Guild along with the NAACP/ LDEF each filed an amicus curiae (friend of the court) brief;

Whereas, over 150 leading lawyers in the UK wrote the US court asking for redress for the gross racism that permeated the original trial and subsequent hearings;

Whereas, the Local Station Board of Pacifica Radio's KPFK passed a resolution in support of a new trial for Mumia;

Therefore be it Resolved that the National Board of Pacifica Radio supports a new trial for Mumia Abu-Jamal. We encourage all Pacifica stations and affiliates to cover this new phase in the case of Mumia Abu-Jamal and

movements in support.

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PNB EC MOTION FOR EARLY HIRE OF L.E.S. That this committee requests that the PNB authorize the National Election Supervisor to hire Local Election supervisors beginning in June.

Motion to recommend early hire of local election supervisors

Adopted at a regular (teleconference) meeting of the PNB ELECTIONS COMMITTEE May 22, 2007.

Motion from Lydia Brazon:

That this committee requests that the PNB authorize the National Election Supervisor to hire Local Election supervisors beginning in June.

MOTION APPROVED without objection.

Committee Secretary is instructed to send copy of approved motion to National Finance Chair for NFC input.

Secretary's NOTE: This motion was introduced after hearing an oral report from Casey Peters; and
follow-up discussion concerning the need to utilize the Local Election Supervisors in spearheading list
clean-up work.

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PERSONNEL COMMITTEE REPORT FROM LYDIA BRAZON:

The Personnel Committee has approved the evaluation survey form and  cover letter and will be sent by Berthold to the board.

Chandra will assist in the first phase of sending the evaluation form  out to all eligible recipients.

There will be a Pacifica P.O. box for the forms to be returned to.

The process after the forms are returned, will be similar to the  process for the E.D. evaluation.
In executive session of the the PNB July 29 meeting, everyone will  receive hard copies of the data from the survey forms and an  evaluation form will be completed by PNB members. The CFO will also  have an initial period of conversation with us with a second  executive session with the results of our evaluation and subsequent  discussion with the CFO.

Once the PNB approves the form, the evaluation survey will be sent  out and 3-4 weeks will be allowed for return, depending on how soon  we can clean up the email lists of all intended recipients.

Thanks.

Lydia
213-999-1037

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ED SEARCH COMMITTEE REPORT:

The search committee agreed to the language for the website posting  and it may be used, edited down when necessary, for ad placements. The  committee recommends that the ad shall be posted as soon as possible  on all Pacifica websites and targeted media buys not to exceed $2,000  and of course free of charge placements as well.

The proposed budget cap on search firm expenses; $20,000 including  travel for candidates.

Proposed moving expenses, if necessary, for new E.D.: $5,000

Once a search firm is selected, an additional $3,000 is recommended  to ads.

There was discussion that $80,000 is still low for this position, but may be included in the listing.

Search Committee members were each asked to contact the search firms  we have identified to date and they will report their findings by  Tuesday, June 12.

JOB OPPORTUNITY (website posting)

The Search Committee is recommending the copy below to be used for website postings and may serve as the boiler plate for modified, abbreviated variations of this for targeted media placements. The committee recommends that once approved, this shall be posted on the Pacifica website as well as the websites of all five stations. Additional ads will be placed as decided by search committee.

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

Pacifica Foundation – Berkeley, California

The Pacifica Foundation (Pacifica), the oldest network of non- commercial, community-based radio stations in the United States, is seeking to hire a new Executive Director. Founded in 1946, Pacifica provides alternative, community-based, free speech, listener- sponsored radio without any corporate underwriting. Pacifica owns and operates five FM radio stations including WBAI in New York City, WPFW in Washington, DC, KPFT in Houston, Texas, KPFK in Southern California and KPFA in Northern California. Pacifica distributes news, public affairs, music and other programs to non-commercial radio stations, schools, colleges, universities, and individuals throughout the United States and abroad. Pacifica also has over125 community radio station affiliates.

With an annual budget of over 18 million dollars, 173 paid staff, and over 1,000 unpaid staff and volunteers, Pacifica encourages and provides outlets for the creative skills and energies of its staff and the communities it serves while seeking to enhance the cultural welfare of the areas in which it operates. The Foundation is governed by an elected Board of Directors comprised of individuals who support Pacifica’s mission of peace, social justice and progressive social change.

The Executive Director is responsible for all day-to-day management activities of the Foundation including the hiring, firing and supervising of national office and managerial staff; implementing Board policy and by-laws; overseeing fundraising and development activities; supervising production and distribution of national programming; working with the Chief Financial Officer to maintain fiscal and physical integrity; complying with the Corporation for Public Broadcasting and FCC rules and regulations and State and Federal laws and requirements. It is the job of the Executive Director to ensure that the Foundation is managed in a fiscally and socially-responsible fashion that complies with its mission. The Executive Director will also be responsible for navigating the institution through major technological changes and responding to political and financial challenges.

The Executive Director reports to the collective body of the 22 member Pacifica Foundation Board of Directors. The Executive Director is selected, supervised, and discharged by the Board and is subject to the Board’s annual evaluation.

SKILLS/KNOWLEDGE:

1) Executive management skills (e.g., financial/program planning, managerial expertise, human relations/resources);

2) Broadcasting industry skills and experience including programming, distribution, marketing and fundraising;

3) Ability to work cooperatively with the Board of Directors, staff and station management;

4) Excellent communication skills (written and oral);

5) The ability to provide visionary leadership in a diverse, multi- cultural, and intellectually charged environment;

6) A personal commitment to peace, economic and social justice; and

7) Experience working in a volunteer-driven, grassroots, social change institution, preferably in the field of radio broadcast media.

EXPERIENCE/EDUCATION:

The ideal candidate will possess a college degree and/or at least 10 years of relevant radio broadcast experience, including experience as a 501(c) (3) non-profit manager, or similar position, two years preferably as a General Manager of a noncommercial radio broadcasting station or similar position.

SALARY RANGE: Starting salary $80,000, negotiable depending on experience

Send cover letter and resume to:

Phil Osegueda

The Pacifica Foundation

1925 Martin Luther King Jr. Way

Berkeley, CA 94704

Phone: 510-849-2590, x 210; Fax: 510-849-2617; E-Mail: This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it

The Pacifica Foundation is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate against people on the basis of race, gender, gender identity, ethnicity, religious affiliation, sexual orientation, color, ancestry, national origin, marital status, medical condition, age or disability.

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