3729 Cahuenga Blvd. West - N. Hollywood, CA 91604
Main phone: (818) 985-2711 - Fax: (818) 763-7526 - Studio phone:
(818) 985-5735
1
MINUTES
Local Station Board Meeting of January 8, 2017
Aris & Carolyn Anagnos Peace
Center
3916 Sepulveda Blvd, Culver City, CA 90230
Local Station Board (LSB) Meeting
I. Call to Order / Opening
Business 1:40 p.m.
a.) Roll Call Taken. Present are KPFK LSB Members Grace Aaron, Kenneth Aaron (Treasurer), Jonathan
Alexander, Sharon Brown, Sandy Childs, Roberta Eidman, Stephen Frantz, Jaime Gomez (Chair), Jan Goodman, Ricardo
Hernandez, Steve Kaiser, Doug Kriegel, Maggie LePique, Ali Lexa, Barbara Marbach, Reza Pour, Dorothy Reik, Myla Reson,
Adam Rice, Mansoor Sabbagh, Paul Song, Fernando Velazquez, Sabina Virgo (Vice-Chair), and Lisa Wong. Also present are
KPFK General Manager Leslie Radford; KPFK LSB Director Michael Novick; KPFK Interim Executive Director and Pacifica
National Board Vice Chair Lydia Brazon; and Michael Adler, who has volunteered to be LSB Secretary.
b.) There were no
absences.
c.) Seating of Secretary (Michael Adler) approved by consensus.
d.) Mansoor Sabbagh and Steve Kaiser
agree to be time keepers.
e.) The Local Station Board Minutes of 12/11/16 were approved by consensus.
f.) The
Proposed Agenda was approved with the addition of an agenda item to Review Future Meeting Dates as part of Closing
Business.
g.) A motion to set Time Certain to recess LSB to convene for Delegates Assembly to 3:00 p.m. was made,
seconded, and passed.
h.) A motion to set Time Certain to Adjourn the LSB at 4:30 p.m. was made, seconded, and
passed.
II. Public Comments
Public comments were heard by the Local Station Board.
2
Recessed for Delegates’
Assembly.
LSB recess for Delegates Assembly (see Appendix B.)
LSB reconvenes
III. Public Comments #2
Public
comments were heard by the Local Station Board.
IV. Reports
a.) General Manager Report was presented KPFK General
Manager Leslie Radford (see Appendix C.)
b.) Questions for KPFK General Manager Leslie Radford
Questions of the
KPFK General Manager were heard and answered by the General Manager.
V. PNB Committee Elections
There was a motion
to move the PNB Committee elections to next month that was passed by consensus with no objections.
VI. Closing
Business
a.) Old motions for the old board will be sent back to their respective committees to be forwarded to the
LSB if needed.
b.) In the last Governance Committee meeting, there was a consensus to develop a strategic planning
presentation for next KPFK LSB meeting. Mansoor Sabbagh is the interim chair for Governance and will take the lead on
the agenda for the strategic planning presentation. Anyone with ideas for strategic planning is asked to work with
Mansoor.
c.) Review date and time for next LSB Meeting. It was agreed by consensus that the next meeting will be held
at 10:30 on Sunday February 26 at the Aris & Carolyn Anagnos Peace Center.
d.) Meeting adjourns at 4:48
p.m.
Appendix A - Required Notices
Proper notice of this meeting was posted on the KPFK Calendar and at the
Pacifica Calendar as required.
3
Appendix B – DELEGATES ASSEMBLY MINUTES
KPFK Delegates Assembly Meeting of
January 8, 2017
Aris & Carolyn Anagnos Peace Center
3916 Sepulveda Blvd, Culver City, CA 90230
I. Call to Order
/ Opening Business
a.) Roll Call: Present are KPFK LSB Members Grace Aaron, Kenneth Aaron (Treasurer), Jonathan
Alexander, Sharon Brown, Sandy Childs, Roberta Eidman, Stephen Frantz, Jaime Gomez (Chair), Jan Goodman, Ricardo
Hernandez, Steve Kaiser, Doug Kriegel, Maggie LePique, Ali Lexa, Barbara Marbach, Reza Pour, Dorothy Reik, Myla Reson,
Adam Rice, Mansoor Sabbagh, Paul Song, Fernando Velazquez, Sabina Virgo (Vice-Chair), and Lisa Wong. Also present are
KPFK LSB Director Michael Novick, and Michael Adler, who has volunteered to be LSB Secretary.
b.) Seating of
Secretary (Michael Adler). Michael Adler was seated as Secretary by consensus
c.) Approve STV Teller(s). Fred Blair
and Charles Fredricks were approved to be the tellers of the elections without any objections.
d.) Approval of
December 11, 2016 Delegates Assembly Minutes delayed to next month. Grace Aaron has made many small changes to the
minutes. Will be postponed. 18 yea, 2 nay, 3 abstain.
e.) Approve Proposed Agenda
A motion was made to have 8
minutes of public comments immediately before each the staff and board elections to the PNB. The motion was seconded and
approved. The modified agenda was approved by consensus.
II. Election of 2017 Pacifica National Board (PNB) Directors
Staff Election
a.) Nominations for Staff Director
1. Jonathan Alexander
2. Fernando Velazquez
b.) Candidate
Statements
The candidates provided their statements.
c.) Board Questions of Candidates
The LSB asked questions,
which were answered by the candidates.
d.) Public Comment
The public’s comments regarding the candidates were
heard.
4
e.) Teller Instructions/Voting
Tellers provided LSB with voting instructions.
f.) Results 24 votes
received (all members voting).
Jonathan Alexander: 17
Fernando Valezquez: 7.
g.) Chair announces winner
Jonathan Alexander
III. Election of 2017 Pacifica National Board (PNB) Directors Listener Election
a.)
Nominations
1. Jan Goodman
2. Grace Aaron
3. Sharon Brown
4. Reza Pour
5. Mansoor Sabbagh
b.)
Candidate Statements
Each candidate presented a statement to the LSB.
c.) Board Questions of Candidates
LSB Q&A
of candidates was conducted.
d.) Public Comment
The public’s comments regarding the candidates were heard.
e.)
Teller Instructions/Voting
Tellers provided LSB with single transferable vote (STV) system instructions.
f.) Chair
announces results:
Grace Aaron (9) Jan Goodman (7) Sharon Brown (7) Mansoor Sabbagh (1) Reza Pour (0)
Jan Goodman,
Grace Aaron, and Sharon Brown are winners on first ballot.
5
IV. Pacifica Delegates Motion
A motion was made
and seconded to vote on the Pacifica Delegates Motion attached as Appendix D.
The motion was passed by the Delegates
Assembly; 15 yea, 3 nay, and 4 abstain.
V. Adjourned Delegates Assembly and returned to LSB Meeting
Appendix C –
General Manager’s Report to LSB
Report to the Local Station Board
8 January 2017
PERSONNEL
We have hired
Barry Brooks as our business manager. He will be working for KPFK for three days a week and for the National Office for
two days a week.
We have re-hired Jerry Quickly as a programmer for a daily show. Jerry was a successful programmer
on KPFK from 2002-2009. Alan and I are working to make room for his show with the winter schedule changes. We are
planning a promotional campaign around his return. His premier broadcast will be on Inauguration Day.
Senior Producer
Christine Blosdale has left KPFK.
Corey Dubin, former host of American Indian Airwaves and former program director,
has passed.
BUDGET AND FINANCES
I’m attaching the version of the budget approved by the Pacifica Finance
Committee. Significant changes from the version you received last month are on the “Notes” tab.
I met with the
Pacifica finance committee on December 27, and after some questions, our budget was approved to be consolidated in the
budget presented to the full Pacifica National Board.
On the financial front, we have faced some unexpected
difficulties. On a December 14, $95,195 was withdrawn from our operating account to pay a court order to pay Pacifica’s
attorney fees in the Cohen vs. Pacifica (2008) lawsuit originating at our sister station. We were able to cover the
outstanding checks, and we are not paying our Central Services fees until that amount is recovered.
Two days later, a
hold for approximately $53,000 was put on our operating account and lifted later that day. We contacted payees with
outstanding checks and all who had attempted to cash checks that day were willing to accept replacement checks, which we
issued. Then on or about December 30, a hold was placed on our operating account that has stopped all check payment for
the past week. I have been talking with a Bank
6
of America vice president and a senior vice president, and
neither has (or has offered me) any explanation for the holds. We have received no documentation (as we did for the
court order). None of the Foundation’s other Bank of America accounts appear to be affected. Because of this latest
hold, I know of five payees whose checks were returned. Nineteen more are outstanding. The Interim Executive Director is
now addressing the issue and will request that the bank write letters of apology and explanation to the payees, and that
the bank rebate fees associated with this.
We have about $80,000 remaining to pay on the settlement agreement
(assuming the January settlement payment clears the bank).
We paid about $8800 for premiums in December.
The
operating bank account balance is $179,529.95 as of January 6. The National Office has not issued an income statement
for November or December. I’ve attached an aging payables report.
OPERATIONS
We had a water leak outside the
building, which listener-member Kent Landfield of Alegre Plumbing repaired for free. That was related to a defective
water pressure regulator that was replaced and resulted in damage to a toilet that has been repaired.
We are
upgrading our spam filter and email server.
We have implemented a policy that requires the back door remain closed
and locked, and that allows any staff member to refuse to open that door to anyone they do not recognize. We will be
implementing a sign-in procedure for guests at the front desk during business hours. I have discussed with the chief
engineer replacing our security cameras with better ones.
PROGRAMMING
We aired holiday-themed specials throughout
the Christmas break, and we have aired two two-hour specials on stopping the Trump administration.
The interim
Program Director will be reviewing winter schedule changes with me next week.
We are working with sister station WPFW
in Washington D.C. and Democracy Now! to provide national coverage of Inauguration Day events.
FUND DRIVE
Our
listeners pledged $431,218 during our December fund drive, 18% over budget and 8% over what we asked our listeners to
donate. No doubt, part of this was a Trump bump that I hope will continue throughout the year as our programmers speak
out about the rise of the right and what we can do about it. Part of it was due to the Pacifica Radio Archives, which
let us offer their “Best of” flashdrive that they used so successfully for their November drive day.
7
The
February fund drive begins on February 7 and runs through February 28. The budget calls for raising $22,500/day or
$495,000. This is $2,866/day less than what we achieved in December, so I’m hoping we can do better than
budgeted.
OUTREACH, FUNDRAISING, DEVELOPMENT
A report on our upcoming media sponsorships is attached.
The Fidel
Castro celebration, sponsored by the Spanish Language Broadcasters Association, netted about $3,100, and Junor Frances’s
club benefit brought in about $300 (on a rainy, cold night).
We sent out letters to listener-members who pledged more
than $250 prior to December and asked them to give again for a tax write-off, and we aired carts asking all listeners to
do the same. I don’t know how many responded since we directed them to both our paypal account and our lockbox, but we
did have about $30,000 come into our lockbox account between 12/27/16 and 1/3/17.
The People’s School of Broadcasting
will resume on Monday, January 9 at 5:00PM, and Adam welcomes the LSB to attend. We are preparing for station
representation at the anti-inauguration events and the Kingdom Day Parade. We are hosting a screening of “Fidel: The
Untold Story” here at the Peace Center next Saturday starting with a reception at 4:00PM for a $35 donation. I hope you
all will attend.
I would like to thank Maggie LePique and Adam Rice for their assistance with this
report.
Respectfully submitted, Leslie Radford
General Manager, KPFK
January 8, 2017
8
Appendix D
Pacifica Delegates Motion
Whereas, on 03/25/2016, the KPFK Local Station Board passed a motion directing all four
KPFK Directors to uphold the Pacifica (PNB) Bylaws, and further noted that failure to adhere to the Pacifica Bylaws and
to ensure compliance with state and federal laws could result in removal of one or more KPFK Directors.
And whereas,
on 04/17/2016, the KPFK Local Station Board passed a motion resolving that the PNB remove delegates and directors
(elected prior to 2012), who were improperly seated as delegates and directors according to the PNB Bylaws. And further
that the two affiliate directors be removed from their Affiliate Director seats because of their improper seating
according to the PNB Bylaws.
And whereas, on 05/15/2016, the KPFK Local Station Board passed a motion condemning the
PNB exclusion of WBAI directors, contrary to PNB Bylaws.
And whereas, on 06/19/2016, the KPFK Local Station Board
went on record that it considers the current Pacifica National Board to be illegitimate due to the improper seating of
Affiliate Directors and the exclusion from seating of WBAI Directors as properly elected representatives to the Pacifica
National Board.
And whereas, on 06/19/2016, the KPFK Local Station Board resolved that no PNB Bylaws changes may
occur unless and until all PNB directors and delegates are properly seated according to the current Pacifica National
Board Bylaws.
And whereas, on December 13, 2016, and again on December 15, 2016, the PNB continued to breach the
bylaws requirements for equal representation from all five stations by refusing to seat newly elected WBAI
Directors.
And whereas, on December 15, 2016, the PNB elected Affiliate Directors without the proper participation of
WBAI representatives, according to PNB Bylaws.
And whereas, the PNB has refused to accept the final certified 2017
Pacifica Local Station Board elections, as certified by True Ballot, the nationally recognized elections services firm
hired by the PNB.
Therefore, the KPFK Delegates Assembly hereby determines that all of the National Directors, as
elected by each Local Station Board (as certified by True Ballot), including but not limited to WBAI, should be
immediately recognized and seated by the Pacifica National Board, in accordance with the Pacifica National Board
bylaws.
And furthermore, that as to the recent (December 15, 2016) PNB election of Affiliate Directors that occurred
without the full participation of all stations (i.e., WBAI), it is determined that said election of Affiliate Directors
is determined to be in violation of PNB bylaws, and is therefore null and void, and that a new election of Affiliate
Directors is warranted after the proper seating of National Directors from all member stations has occurred.