Minutes
WPFW Regular LSB Meeting
January 11, 2017
1990 K Street N.W. Washington, D.C.
Robert Simms, Chair
Ellen Williams Carter Secretary
I. Call to order
At 6:45 pm a quorum was established. Robert Simms called the
meeting to order at 6:45 pm.
II. Roll call
19 members were present at roll call: Robert Simms, Sandra
Butler-Truesdale, Eric Ramey, Maskeelah-Myrtle Washington, Ellen Williams Carter (non- voting), Louis Wolf, Donald
Williams, Eileen Rosin, Nick Arena (non-voting), Martha Peterson, Meredith Cordisco, Sabooh Hakim, Jim Brown, Tony Leon,
Christine Cotter, Vickie Mc Gill, Campbell Johnson, Jim Brown, Gloria Turner, Benito Diaz, Julie Hewitt, Cliff Smith
2 members Late: Nancy Sorden, Ron Pinchback
1 Excused absence: JW Nightwolf
1 Unexcused absence: Lona
Alias
The GM Jerry Paris was present.
The IPD Katea Stitt was absent.
Parliamentarian: John
Tatum
Timekeeper: Meredith Cordisco
III. Approval of Agenda
The Agenda was amended by Benito Diaz.
Motion:
I move that the Retreat be moved to 8:20pm and the Standing Rules be placed after approval of the minutes.
Agenda
was amended: There was no objection.
Agenda Approved
IV. Approval of the minutes
Minutes Approved of December
14, 2016 meeting
V. Management Reports
General Manager Jerry Paris
The General Manager stated the following:
• On November 12th the transmitter antenna failed and produced reduced power. Then the backup transmitter on the
breaker failed. The breaker was never properly installed. The Back-up transmitter at American University‘s automatic
switch failed. We were able to get a replacement part for $250. as opposed to paying the market rate. We are now at
full power.
• American University has been paid in full for use of the transmitter tower.
• The pledge drive
begins on January 29 and ends on February 18. Volunteers are needed to be fund drive captains and answer
phones.
• The Interim Program Director and Development Director are looking for venues for the 40th anniversary gala.
• The reduction of staff hours has been successful. We are belt tightening. There is no overtime abuse.
• WPFW
will cover the full Inauguration broadcast.
Questions:
Campbell Johnson:
What banks do you use?
GM: All
stations need a separate account that is not named. There has been trouble with named accounts.
Meredith Cordisco:
Does Pacifica have the app for listening to the programs?
GM: The Pacifica APP should be coming back.
Eric Ramey:
How does the request for volunteers affect the union issue?
Benito Diaz: Will we have a WPFW sign visible during the
Inauguration broadcast?
Tony Leon: Will the temperature changes effect the transmitter?
GM: Temperature controls
are all fixed.
Eileen Rosin:
Now we can prove that the transmitter work was not done properly. Can we refuse to
pay the person who was supposed to do the work?
GM: Yes, we are addressing that.
Jim Brown: Can you think about
doing the 40th anniversary in June?
GM: The Interim Program Director and Development Director are looking for venues
for the 40th anniversary gala.
Louis Wolf: We need to be prepared to have standing security for all the mall sites.
GM: Answer Coalition is going to provide security.
Cliff Smith: Answer Coalition pushes the button at times.
Interim Program Director Report She submitted a written report.
The following information was in the report:
Special Programming 2016
• WPFW Covered the DC/MD/VA primary election
• WPFW will broadcast the election
results from Busboys and Poets Brookline.
• WPFW did a New Year’s Day special programming, New Jazz. It was a 12 hour
broadcast produced by Willard Jenkins.
Upcoming Special programming
On January 16th MLK Day WPFW did cutaways
during regular programming to cover the 2017 MLK Peace Walk from Ward 8.
Inauguration Broadcast
• WPFW will cover
the full Inauguration. The broadcast is entitled Voices of the Nation: A Call to Action.
• It is produced by Katea
Stitt, Sue Goodwin and Argin Hutchins for WPFW/Pacifica.
VI. PNB Reports
Jim Brown
Pacifica has had several
meetings about personnel matters. Pacifica needs a new IED and CFO.
Nancy Sorden
The 2014 audit is complete.
Question: Who will do the election recount and how much will it cost?
Response: The Election committee has
determined that True Ballot has certified the election. A motion to have a recount to find out who were the runners up
is planned. It would cost $15, 000.
A motion was made about the Spanish language Programming.
It was decided that
this motion would be presented at the Programming Committee meetings to the IPD. The motion was to review the Spanish
language Programming to schedule 5 hours. There was no objection.
VII. Community Comment
Pete Tucker:
Is the
rent reduction an agreement to pay $10,000 a month and then you have to pay all the back rent in October?
Tony
Norman
Who sent the email about PNB members voting against the interest of WPFW?
Chair: I did.
Joe Brown:
1.
WPFW needs new and inventive ideas for fundraising. We need to charge for advertising.
2. WPFW needs to talk with
RFK development to see if we could be involved in their development.
William Taft
He wants his song regarding
the election played on the air.
Chair: Share your song.
Jane Gatewood
She has watched for 10 years and there
has not been enough dramatic changes. She can’t see how the station can survive. One thing that stands out is that the
GM does not have the staff to get things done. Tracey Rosenberg’s emails are the information that she sees. The PNB is
failing. For the last 12 years people have poured their energy into developing the station.
VIII. Finance Report by
Treasurer He submitted a written report.
The Treasurer stated the following:
American University has been paid
in full for use of the transmitter tower.
A lease agreement has been completed for the November 2016 through
September 2017 rent.
The budget for 2016 – 2017 has been approved.
Nick Arena:
A Motion was introduced to be
considered by the Finance committee.
Motion
I move that we need to put together an escrow amount that allows us
to start saving money to put aside in an account that can’t be touched. This will be submitted to the Finance
Committee. There was no objection to the motion being considered by the Finance committee.
IX. Outreach and
Development Committee
WPFW LSB Retreat:
A motion was introduced to create an Ad Hoc committee to plan the
retreat. There was no objection to the motion.
A motion was introduced to move the 40th Anniversary Gala to a date
later than February. There was no objection to the motion.
Sabooh Hakim introduced the following Motion:
I move
that we have the Town Hall meeting on February 25th at the VIP room.
The results of the motion:
In Favor
2
Against 20
Abstention 1
The motion was not approved.
X. MASC Committee
The committee did not meet.
There was no report.
XI. Programming Committee
Programming committee did not meet. There was no report
submitted.
XII .Delegate Assembly to Elect PNB Members
Recess 8:55pm Regular meeting
Reconvened 9:03pm - For
election of PNB
Election results
WPFW LSB PNB Delegates
Convened the regular meeting for the PNB Vote:
21
LSB members voted.
The floor was opened for election of the staff PNB member Jim Brown who was the only staff member
nominated before December 31. He accepted the nomination.
Jim Brown was elected by acclimation. Jim Brown 21
votes
Jim Brown –WPFW Staff PNB representative.
PNB WPFW listener members:
The floor was opened for the
nominations for the listener PNB LSB members. Nancy Sorden, Maskeelah-Myrtle Washington, Benito Diaz and Campbell
Johnson were nominated. All of them accepted the nomination. Nancy Sorden, Benito Diaz, and Maskeelah-Myrtle
Washington were elected.
Total Votes
Nancy Sorden 8
Benito
Diaz 6
Maskeelah-Myrtle Washington 6
Campbell Johnson 1
Total Votes
21
Staff PNB member
Jim Brown
PNB WPFW listener members:
Nancy
Sorden
Benito Diaz
Maskeelah-Myrtle Washington
XIII. Adjournment
Motion to adjourn: There was no
objection.
Robb Simms adjourned the regular meeting at 10:57pm
Meeting adjourned at 10:57pm
Minutes submitted
by: Ellen Williams Carter Secretary of the LSB