2009-03-08 iED Report

Legal

Ricardo De Anda, our interim General Counsel, has reviewed most of our pending legal matters.  We are in the process of working out strategies to resolve them, one by one, as quickly as possible.  He and I have already begun working on several of these matters and are making good progress.

Ricardo and I both understand the need for a Human Relations Director.  I will be working on engaging an HR Director, and will seek assistance from the Personnel Committee regarding this.

Sean Heitkemper, KPFK General Manager, will be helping the National Office to implement sexual harassment training (including training about discrimination in any and all forms) through an on-line service at all stations and units of Pacifica on an on-going basis.

I have also been in communication with John Crigler, our attorney for FCC, copyright and other similar matters, regarding the possibility of acquiring a Sirius/XM satelite channel, as well as other issues.


Elections

As the Pacifica Bylaws clearly state in Article 4, Section 4., Part A. that  "the Executive Director shall appoint a national elections supervisor" for the upcoming Local Station Board elections, I have begun reviewing the work of the PNB Election Committee.  It is clear to me that the Bylaws specifically refer to one person being assigned the role of national elections supervisor and as Mr. De Anda agrees that the Bylaws are very clear on this matter, I will be considering the suggestions of the Election Committee but also be keeping in mind that I must choose one person who will be fully responsible for ensuring that the Bylaws are adhered to exactly in all aspects of the election process.

This may mean that I will ask that the search be broadened by the Election Committee and that I will embark on a search myself for further candidates for the position of national elections supervisor.  This does not rule out hiring a company for most of the functions, but the position of national election supervisor must be filled by an individual.

Also in preparation for the elections, the General Managers will be asked to report on the state of both staff and membership lists.  Whatever work needs to be done to make sure that those lists are accurate, up to date, without duplicates, and complete needs to be started immediately, not just for the elections but for the health of the stations.


Finance

I am very pleased with the excellent work LaVarn Williams, iCFO, has been doing to improve our financial reporting, plan for a more functional monitoring of our finances networkwide, training of station Business Managers, finalizing the audit, figuring out our legal expenditures, etc.

We are still facing severe financial problems.  I will leave it up to LaVarn to tell you about them in her report in a few minutes.

 
Stations, the Archives. and Affiliate Network

KPFK exceeded its goal and raised more than a million dollars in its fundrive that just ended about a week ago.  Much thanks goes to the incredible staff at KPFK and Sean Heitkemper, the GM!

All the other General Managers have sent me the written report I requested of them for Emergency and Short Range Plans to improve income and cut expenses.  Thank you all.  I will be carefully reviewing those plans with each GM.

Many stations are working on events related to our 60th and individual stations' birthdays.  KPFA is having a huge 60th birthday event in mid April.

Efforts will be made to create a separate budget for the Affiliate Network, which now is within the National Office Budget.

The Archives staff are working on grant proposals to make up for income shortfalls.  It is full speed ahead for the school curriculum program that has been so successful for the Archives.


I will be working with the GMs to review and implement the Programming Policy passed by the PNB on Nov. 16, 2008.  (Text directly following this report.)

I will also be working on ensuring that Community Advisory Boards are fully functional at all 5 stations.  (See PNB Resolution of August 24, 2008 at the end of this report.)

 
Odds and Ends

Work is being done to update and improve the Pacifica website.

PNB Director James Ross and I have been working to get Arbitron and other listenership information for all 5 stations.  Jamie has offered to do an analysis from this info in spreadsheet form for the PNB.

I think that's about all, folks!!

     -- Grace Aaron

 
Pacifica must increase its audience dramatically so that stations can survive, maintain quality programming, and not be vulnerable to fluctuations in pledge revenue, recessions and unforeseen events. Therefore, our programming must have impact and be mission-driven and our stations must strive for audiences worthy of full-power, major-market and prime-time exposure. The Programming Committee emphasizes that mission fulfillment, should be as significant as audience and revenue generation in determining what gets and stays on local station airwaves. Clearly, local stations need to balance their allocation of programming between the airwaves, the internet and HD sidebands.


The Programming Committee supports the principle that local station program schedules must include national programming and network broadcasts, in addition to local programming, to sustain growing, broad-based audiences. However, network access to local station airwaves is key to any network recovery plan, so, we feel the terms of such a policy would best be negotiated by Pacifica's next ED with station managers and program directors, and submitted to the PNB for approval, so that the ED will have the capacity to impact the long-term health of the local stations.

 
In order to further these aims, we propose the following resolutions:
 
#1 Resolved:  The development of national programming, in concert with the local GMs, PDs and appropriate National Office Staff shall be part of the job description of the Executive Director. The ED is authorized to pursue foundation and grant funding as a significant revenue source capable of developing local and national programming and production assets.

Pacifica shall develop internet and digital platforms, in conjunction with innovative licensing technologies, to create worldwide exposure for local station programming, Pacifica Radio Archives ("PRA") and affiliates programs, by creating access for audiences beyond local station signal areas to local station programming. National Office staff shall be responsible for implementing this, in conjunction with GMs, PDs and paid and unpaid staff.


#2 Resolved:  GMs and PDs at all stations will be responsible for developing quantifiable program goals as part of an overall national strategy for audience growth, designed specifically to:

      - reach listeners who are not currently listening;
      - convert more listeners to members; and,
      - reach-out to nonrenewing and inactive members.
 
In order to achieve such goals, including those requiring changes in programming, all stations will develop objective measures to assess mission fulfillment, review program schedules and evaluate individual programs. These review/evaluation processes and procedures will be developed in consultation with national staff and local station paid and unpaid staff. Public concerns and needs of non-listeners, listeners and members shall be included in these review & evaluation processes.

Local stations are encouraged to allocate budgetary and staffing resources to improve the production of existing programs, in order to reach larger, more diverse audiences and develop new programming capable of reaching new listeners with new voices.

Plans for reaching the agreed-upon goals should include but are not limited to:
 
- increasing stations' presence during, and coverage of, local events;
- cross-promoting programs with other local nonprofit media;
- taking advantage of grants available from community foundations, governmental  entities and private foundations;
- working with nonprofit organizations to enhance and promote their local programming; and,
- encouraging programmers to place articles about their programming in free media, including online outlets.


Requests for these plans will be submitted by the Programming Committee through the PNB to the ED. Such plans will be submitted in writing by local station GMs and PDs through the ED to the Programming Committee and on or about December 31, 2008 and formally presented to the PNB at its January 2009 meeting.

 
#3 Resolved:

The National Program Committee recommends that the PNB adopt a position on underwriting by non-profit groups.

 
The PNB's Programming Committee members, for the balance of this calendar year, will seek ways to work in consultation with the National Office, with LSB Program Councils/Committees, LSBs and with General Managers, Program Directors and programmers to solicit their input, and promote a collaborative process to implement programming policies, goals and plans.

The Corporation for Public Broadcasting requires that each of our stations have a functioning Community Advisory Board.? As it is mportant that we ensure full compliance with Corporation for Public Broadcasting Guidelines, be it resolved that:

CPB funding be distributed to each station only after receipt of the following proof of CAB activity during the quarter immediately
preceding such disbursement.  Thus, a minimum of 1 CAB meeting per quarter must be reported.  These reports shall be sent to both the CFO and ED of the National Office and shall contain:

1) Proof of the announcement of a CAB meeting or meetings on the station website and on the air in the preceding quarter. Such
announcement should include a statement that all CAB meeting are open to the public, should contain a way for members of the listening community to apply for CAB membership, and a way to submit input to the CAB.

2) A roster of the members and attendees of CAB meetings including their names, addresses, phone #s, email addresses and organization affiliation (if any).

3) Minutes of a minimum of 1 CAB meeting from the previous quarter.