Minutes for the regular National Finance Committee meeting June 14, 2011.<br />
<br />
Meeting convened at 8:37 PM (ET) a quorum being present, the Chair and<br />
Secretary being present.<br />
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Attending: Ken Aaron, Jim Boyd, Bill Crosier, Kim Kaufman, R. Paul Martin,<br />
Tracy Rosenberg, Alex Steinberg, Barbara Whipperman, Lavarn Williams, Bruce<br />
Wolf,  also attending was Executive Director Arlene Englehardt.<br />
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Agenda:<br />
<br />
1) Approve draft agenda<br />
2) Approve minutes<br />
3) Budget status report - 5 signal areas<br />
4) National day of fundraising<br />
5. CPB money<br />
6) Arbitrons<br />
7) Executive session<br />
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<br />
Motion: (Tracy Rosenberg) "To approve the agenda." (Passed without<br />
objection)<br />
<br />
Approve minutes 8:44 PM (ET)<br />
<br />
Motion: (Bruce Wolf) "To approve the minutes of the May 24, 2011,<br />
meeting." (postponed to next meeting)<br />
<br />
The committee decided to postpone consideration of these minutes to the<br />
next meeting at the request of a member.<br />
<br />
Budget status report - 5 signal areas 8:45 PM (ET)<br />
<br />
At KPFA the Treasurer has met with the Business Manager to go over various<br />
budget related issues. The LSB will discuss the issues further at its<br />
meeting this Saturday.<br />
<br />
At KPFT they have met to discuss revenue streams. The General Manager was<br />
not able to attend, but is expected to be at the next meeting. There is<br />
concern about their having come in under goal for the last three on-air<br />
fund raisers. They plan to do marketing this year.<br />
<br />
KPFK's new General Manager started today. There will be a crash course on<br />
the station's finances and the draft FY12 budget for the new General<br />
Manager.<br />
<br />
The CFO said that she'd let the Treasurers know when the next meeting<br />
she's having with the Business Managers will be.<br />
<br />
At WPFW they're getting payroll numbers for the FY12 budget template. They<br />
need some numbers regarding station relocation, the possible relocation of<br />
the transmitter due to lead abatement work, etc. The National Office is<br />
working with local Management on this. The committee discussed the<br />
relocation of WPFW's studios and possibly of its transmitter. There was a<br />
short discussion of HD technical details.<br />
<br />
WBAI's Finance Committee has started going over the draft FY12 budget<br />
proposal. WBAI's LSB will meet on July 13, and August 10, to discuss the<br />
FY12 budget. It is unlikely to pass a budget by July 31. There was<br />
discussion of allowing WBAI to get an extension so that it could try to<br />
pass its FY12 budget at its August 10, meeting.<br />
<br />
National day of fundraising 9:38 PM (ET)<br />
<br />
The CFO reported that the General Managers had agreed to various means of<br />
helping Pacifica to pay down its huge outstanding payables, including a<br />
day of on-air fund raising or an average of one day of on-air fund<br />
raising. The PNB has approved of this plan.<br />
<br />
CPB money<br />
<br />
The CFO reported that we will get some money from the CPB in FY12, how<br />
much will be known soon. Our closer contacts with the NFCB will help us to<br />
find out about this. No CPB funding is guaranteed past 2013. There is no<br />
new contract signed with Free Speech Radio News.<br />
<br />
Arbitrons 9:53 PM (ET)<br />
<br />
The committee discussed the possibility of Pacifica getting the Arbitron<br />
ratings for all five stations and paying a discounted rate. The committee<br />
also discussed how that expense would be reflected in the FY12 budgets.<br />
WBAI and WPFW each owe $4,000 for past Arbitron ratings. That will have to<br />
be paid. Whether and how the Arbitrons are used by the stations was<br />
discussed, as was the worth of the information gotten from them.<br />
<br />
Motion: (R. Paul Martin) "To adjourn to executive session." (Passed<br />
without objection)<br />
<br />
Adjourned 10:27 PM (ET)<br />
<br />
Submitted by R. Paul Martin, Secretary<br />