Minutes of the KPFK Local Station Board Meeting February 20, 2009

A regular Meeting of the KPFK Local Station Board, February 20, 2009
at the Palms Presbyterian Church 2908 Robertson Pl., Los Angeles, CA 90034.

Steve Weatherwax served as Chair.   Doug Barnett served as Secretary Pro-Tem.
Seventeen Members were present, constituting a quorum: Grace Aaron, David Adelson, Jonathan Alexander, Christopher Bayard Condon, Israel Feuer, Sherna Gluck, Jan Goodman, Ian Johnston©, Rufina Juarez, Tracy Larkin, Ali Lexa, Shawn Casey O'Brien, Reza Pour, Leslie Radford, Summer Reese, Ricco Ross, Linda Sutton, Steve Weatherwax (LSB Chair).

Excused: Margaret Prescod

The meeting was called to order at 7:45 pm.

Motion by Larkin: Notify list of excused absence: no vote.

Motion by Radford: Members must notify  Chair or Vice-Chair of excused absence:  No vote.

Adelson moves: That we excuse those members that have contacted the chair, and made an active request for an excused absence. Seconded, passed W/out objection.

Members vote to excuse: Margaret Prescod,  w/out descent.

Motion on Afghanistan: Blocked by Steve {Under Article V }

Appeal of chair,   {offering by member of a substitute motion:}

Motion by Radford: Take up the motion at 9pm, time certain. 
Vote: 5- yes    6 -no    failed

Substitute motion Sutton: Deal with motion at hand on Afghanistan.
vote: 11- yes   1- no   1-abstention.

Motion on Afghanistan: That the KPFK  LSB request that the Pacifica Foundation take an on-air editorial position opposing military conflict and the escalation of military conflict in Afghanistan.
Vote: 12-yes   6-no   0- abstentions.

Motion by Condon: Apend the word and to examine the pretext of the invasion of  Afghanistan. No second.

Motion by Condon: Approval of Agenda as amended.  No objection,   Approved      8:32 pm

Reminder for Listeners and LSB members to sign-up for LSB committees, on the lists in the back of the room.

Terry Goodman specifies the PNB committees that  allow  'Delegate Members' are the PNB’s standing committees; audit, elections, finance, governance, programming, and technology committees.  Members vote according to preference.

Nominations for PNB standing Committees are as follows:

Audit: Donna Warren, Dave Adelson
Elections: Jan Goodman, Israel Fuehrer.
Governance: Chris Condon, Sherna Gluck, Rufina Juarez, Israel Feuer.
Programming: Sherna Gluck,  ian johnston, Israel Feuer, Chris Condon, Linda Sutton, Margaret Prescod.
Technology: Ali Lexa, Jonathan Alexander.

Candidates pitched for 1.5 minutes each.     9:10pm,  candidate speeches close.

Motion by Adelson: In the event that any member elected declines, the votes will be re-tabulated. Ballots will be retained.  Passes without objection.

More PNB Committee nominations:

Standing Committee of Inclusion: Directors report to PNB and Delegates, 1 director, 3 delegates.

This committee did not meet last year, the chair of the committee is not known.

Committee of Inclusion, Delegate positions: Sherna Gluck, Rufina Juarez, Reza Pour, Margaret Prescod, Tracy Larkins, Yolanda Anguiano

Committee of Inclusion, Director position: Ricco Ross, Leslie Radford.

PNB Director Reports,

Shawn Casey O'Brien: The PNB meeting in Los Angeles was successful. We peopled our committees, we have a new iCFO, Laverne Williams.   Dan Siegal, attorney for Pacifica,  resigned.

The outside  auditors report was delivered at this PNB meeting in Los Angeles. We are awaiting a final report from these outside auditors. There was a motion to memorialize all past legal motions & decisions, a paragraph of every legal opinion. The motion was tabled.

Ricco Ross reports that we need three national positions filled: the HR position, the CFO position, and Executive Director.  PNB Directors were pleased by KPFK's hosting in LA, and the beautiful location. PNB Directors were pleased with the workers driving, food, coffee- Tracy Larkins, Bella, Lawrence, Marla, doug, Bernie.

We have a PN Board with new people in a crisis time: egos must be put aside ...and the people elected us to do that.

Leslie Radford: I brought forward the motion from this body to the PNB on finance and new loans. Report on the Teleconference: Motions were housekeeping. Richard Ozal is the new PNB Secretary.

Grace’s report: Thanks to Jan Goodman and CC  hosted at his home, Tom Camarillo for hosting people in their home, Ali Lexa and Jonathan Alexander drove, Judy Olter hosted and Ken and I had five people in our home.

Attorneys are being interviewed for a new General Council for Pacifica. The decision will be made by Friday, February 20, 2009.  Because there was no ED, The Chair of the National Board serves as Executive Director.  A search for a new ED will begin in March.  There are Thursday morning telephone meetings with all the GM’s.  KPFT met their fund drive goal by 77%.  WBAI was 20% under their fund drive goal.  The PNB Finance Committee said we need austerity measures at all the five network radio stations.  We must concentrate on listener improvement.  All the GM’s agreed to make an all out effort to improve programming. We need  to reverse sinking listenership.  We expect significant improvements that are what we are concentrating on.  GM’s submit a plan in two weeks on how each station can cover their own expenses.

PNB Director Report; LSB question: What side of [our] balance [sheet] are Democracy Now! expenses? Answered, that the GM's are petrified of losing Amy Goodman & [She] is a fixed expense.

Answered, D.N! is not a big fund raiser but is effectively subsidized by Pacifica in signal areas with competing D.N! broadcasts.

Public comment:

Listener:    We have no business going to our universities to give voice to their opinion. Pacifica has a greater number of ears than all our universities combined, Clare Spark of KPFK fame proved in her doctoral thesis that academia got Moby Dick wrong,  they got 1776 wrong.

Listener:   Rotate our programming clock, we have disenfranchised our youth and radical listeners that we were known for.

Listener:   Encourage radical and  younger, newer producers. We have lost Fidel, and Soul Rebel Radio needs attention.

Listener:   Austerity measures; we're losing talent. Props to this station's fund drive, helping the homeless appears to be mission driven, this makes for more listener participation. Stop patronizing the Committee Of Inclusion. Check your privilege.

The results of the PNB elections will be announced at the next LSB meeting.

The LSB meeting adjourned at 10:12 pm.

db/SW