Minutes
WPFW Regular LSB Meeting
January 10, 2018
1990 K Street N.W. Washington, D.C.
Robert Simms, Chair
Ellen Williams Carter Secretary
I. Call to order
At 6:35 pm a quorum was established. Robert Simms called the
meeting to order at 6:35 pm.
II. Roll call
19 Members were present at roll call: Robert Simms, Maskeelah-Myrtle
Washington, Ellen Williams Carter (non- voting), Louis Wolf, Eileen Rosin, Nick Arena (non-voting), Jim Brown, Julie
Hewitt, Benito Diaz, Cliff Smith, Martha Peterson, Ron Pinchback, Donald Williams, , Tony Leon, Vickie McGill, , Eric
Ramey, Meredith Cordisco, Campbell Johnson, Gloria Turner, Nancy Sorden, JW Nightwolf
3 Excused absence: Christine
Cotter, Sabooh Hakim, Lona Alias
The GM Jerry Paris was present.
The IPD Katea Stitt was not
present.
Timekeeper: Meredith Cordisco
III. Approval of Agenda
Agenda Amended and Approved
IV. Approval of
the minutes
The December 2017 regular meeting minutes were approved.
V. Finance Report by Treasurer, Nick
Arena
The cash flow is over $126,00. raised in the December pledge drive. He congratulated Jerry, the staff,
programmers and volunteers for their good work. The bank balance is approximately $50,000. With payroll paid through
January 31 and office rent, tower rent and Health Insurance paid through February 28. He said as of today we have only
one March balloon payment that is due. The next pledge drive is expected to start on February 11. The LSB members “End
of the Year” friends and family raised $500. LSB members and volunteers December 30, 2017 “One Day On-Air Fundraising
Day” supported by LSB matching funds was part of the December end of the year drive. A donor mailing was sent to
several individuals. Grant proposals are being evaluated by staff and volunteers for new grants this month. The New
Year’s Eve Party was canceled. The other off air fundraising is the Comedy Night program in January. A spread sheet was
included with highlighted areas in yellow where volunteers are needed for revenue generating activities.
VI.
Management Reports
The General Manager, Jerry Paris stated the following:
During the December “End of the Year”
Drive $126,000. was raised additional money is still coming into the station. The next pledge drive is scheduled for
February 4 thru 24. The goal is to raise $350,000. Volunteers are needed as drive captains and to staff the phones.
Volunteers are needed to identify and write to restaurants that may donate food for the drive. He stated that we are
three months behind on Central Services payments. Two programmers have left WPFW Steve Hoffman Don’t Forget the Blues
program and Nancy Alonzo’s Latin Flavor Salsa Dura Edition program. New programs are needed. The General Manger said he
is looking at a possible relocation for the station at 1201 Franklin Street N.E., Washington, D.C.
Benito Diaz’s
Motion regarding the Interim Program Director:
The LSB moved to remove the motion.
VII. Community
Comment
Tony Norman -We need a town hall meeting and discussion and public dialogue regarding the present financial
situation at Pacifica.
John Tatum- He gave instructions on how a report out should occur after an executive session.
Jane Tomlison – She said that she came to the meeting to find out what was happening with Pacifica and
WPFW.
VIII. New Business (Motion and Letter)
There was a discussion of Lou’s Wolf’s resolution/motion:
The
WPFW Local Station Board requests that the interim Executive be fired. In the very midst of what are supposed to be
critical confidential internal deliberations about the financial future of our network, the interim general manager Bill
Crosier has broken network-wide bylaws by suddenly taking the issue to the Wall Street Journal, under a WSJ headline on
January 3, 2018 ("Radio Broadcaster Pacifica Teeters on Edge of Bankruptcy" and a subhead "Nonprofit foundation's board
hopes to arrange a loan to avoid having to file for chapter 11 protection")
[https://www.wsj.com/article/radio-broacaster-pacifica-teeters-on-edge-of-bankruptcy-1514907785?shareToken=st7ccde8f32447415d9409b4194a9d9737&reflink=article_email_share].In
his increasingly blatant agenda to drive Pacifica into a bankruptcy corner, Mr. Crosier apparently also decided to go
rogue by placing our network's internal deliberations before the Wall Street Journal. This move is not only wrongheaded,
it is clearly not in the interest of the network or any of our five stations and affiliates.
LSB vote: Lou’s Motion
15 Favor - Against 0
Ron Pinchback added a friendly amendment which involved adding his letter:
LETTER OF CONCERN
TO THE IED, CFO AND PNB
Whereas it has come to the attention of the WPFW Local Station Board that the Interim
Executive Director, Bill Crosier and CFO, Sam Agarwal are having consultations with various groups who wish to purchase
or swap the license of WPFW. Whereas these consultations are being done without the knowledge and participation of the
WPFW LSB despite Pacifica bylaws that require any negotiations involving the sale of licenses must be approved by the
LSB, PNB and ultimately the listener members of the network. Presentations by groups or individuals who wish to obtain
the station license must include the LSB so it can responsibly evaluate any proposals being considered. Resolve that
the WPFW LSB requests that all such presentations be done with the full knowledge and participation of the LSB and
resolve that The LSB demands the release of names of organizations or individuals involved in any effort to obtain the
station license and insist that any such group or individual make a formal presentation to the entire LSB.
LSB vote:
Ron’s Letter 15 Favor - Against 0
IX. PNB Report
The WPFW PNB members stated that they were unable to report
information that was discussed in PNB executive sessions under the bylaws. At a special closed meeting on Tuesday the
PNB accepted the resignation of the PNB chair and WPFW LSB PNB delegate Nancy Sorden was chosen as the new chair.
X.
Programming Committee, Donna Grimes (chair)
Donna Grimes sent a motion for the Programming Committee:
Martha
Peterson said that the motion below that was adopted by the LSB hasn’t received a response from management.
I move
that the LSB request that the General Manager provide the LSB Programming Committee with the following information items
regarding the community feedback about WPFW programming:
1. Comments received and responses submitted through the
website: info@wpfw.org.
2. The most recent fund drive results by program identifying programs that met, exceeded or
did not meet established goals.
3. Report of the CAB Survey results which were compiled in 2015.
XI. MASC
Committee
No report was shared.
XII. Outreach and Development
The Resistance Comedy fundraiser is scheduled for
February 22, 2018. A Town Hall Committee was formed. A Town Hall meeting is planned for January 22, 2018.
XIII. WPFW
LSB Vacancies election
Motion was presented by Benito Diaz:
Benito Diaz’s Vacancy Election Motion
Whereas the
national contractor for Pacifica's 2016 LSB elections, True Vote, failed in its responsibility to provide the NES
(National Election Supervisor) and the PNB with a complete and accurate count and list of all runner-up and write-in
candidates.
Whereas, as a consequence, the 2016 PNB refused to certify the runner-up and write-in candidate election
results; and commissioned a Recount of each station's election results to be performed by a small group of
volunteers.
Whereas the Recount Report was completed and made available to the PNB during July of 2017.
Whereas
the 2017 PNB has thus far failed to approve and/or otherwise accept the results of the Recount.
Whereas in so far as
WPFW is concerned, the Recount is also incomplete in that, at the very least, the status of a few of the runner-up
and/or write-in candidates has still to be verified, thus making it impossible for us to immediately use the Recount:
even if the PNB were to certify the WPFW runner-up and/or write-in election Recount results today.
Whereas the
'PFW-LSB has patiently waited for the PNB to act and has made no attempt to fill those seats in all this time: a year
after the Recount was commissioned, a year after one 'PFW listener seat became vacant, and more than 6 months after a
'PFW staff seat became vacant.
Whereas, given the 2017 PNB's failure to act, there currently exists no authority on
election matters other than the Bylaws, which do not speak to this type of situation.
BE IT RESOLVED that, after a
full year of waiting, and thereby denying our staff and listener constituencies their right to full representation
through a 24 member LSB, the'PFW-LSB will wait no longer to fill our two (2) vacancies.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that,
given that our current Secretary and current Treasurer are non-voting members of the LSB and each has been in that
status for at least one year if not longer; and given that they are amongst the hardest working members of our LSB; it
is unjust, unfair, and undemocratic for them be denied the right to vote as regular voting members of our LSB.
BE IT
FURTHER RESOLVED that the 'PFW-LSB, through this action, elects/appoints our current, nonvoting Secretary to fill our
staff vacancy and our current, nonvoting Treasurer to fill the listener vacancy.
FINALLY, BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED
that, once the PNB acts to certify, approve or otherwise accept the Recount report; once the status of the remaining
WPFW write-in candidates is resolved; and/or once the PNB otherwise resolves all 2016 LSB election issues, the ‘PFW-LSB
will dutifully conduct all future vacancy and regular elections according to established authorities and
procedures.
Results of the election: Unanimous
Nick Arena, Treasurer
Ellen Williams Carter, Secretary
XIV.
WPFW LSB PNB Delegate election
Adjourn Regular Meeting at 8:20 pm
Reconvened the WPFW LSB PNB delegate
election
Reconvened the Regular Meeting 9:51pm
Results of the WPFW LSB PNB Delegate 2018 election:
Staff member
candidate:
Tony Leon
Listener member candidates:
Benito Diaz
Maskeelah Washington
Nancy Sorden
XV.
Adjournment
Motion to adjourn: There was no objection.
Robb Simms adjourned the regular meeting at 9:52
pm
Meeting adjourned at 9:52 pm
Minutes submitted by: Ellen Williams Carter