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Minutes of the KPFK Local Station Board Meeting of September 10, 2011

The regular monthly meeting of the KPFK Local Station Board was held on Saturday, September 10, 2011, 12:53 PM at Service Employees Union International Local 721, 500 S. Virgil Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90020, the Chair (Dutch Merrick) being in the chair and the Secretary (John P. Garry III) being present. The minutes of the two previous meetings (August 17, 2011, August 31, 2011) were approved.

Sixteen members were present, constituting a quorum: Ken Aaron, Chuck Anderson, Ankine Antaram (1:25), Rodrigo Argueta, Fred Blair (1:09), Lydia Brazon, Omar Burdet, John Cromshow, Leonard Isenberg, Kim Kaufman, Brenda Medina, Dutch Merrick,
Margie Murray, Michael Novick, Lawrence Reyes, John Wenger (late).

Six members were excused: Aryana Gladney, Fred Klunder, Jim Lafferty, Ali Lexa, Sequoia Olivia Mercier, John Parker.

Two members were absent: Summer Reese, Lamont Yeakey.

Also present: Bernard Duncan (KPFK General Manager), Terry Goodman (Sound Board) and members of the public.

Authority and Notice: This meeting was authorized by the LSB by a motion approved at its meeting of July 20, 2011. Specific notice was posted on KPFTX.org, on September 1, 2011 (see Appendix A).

Audio Recording: Due to technical errors no audio for this meeting is available.

1. CALL TO ORDER / ROLL CALL (12:53)

Quorum was achieved during the calling of the roll and the meeting commenced at 12:53.

PROCEDURES FOR DISRUPTIVE BEHAVIOR (12:57)

The Chair read from “Proposed Public Decorum Policy” and reiterated the procedures for public participation and communication with board members.

EXCUSED ABSENCES (12:59)

The excused absence requests of Gladney, Klunder, Lafferty, Lexa, Mercier, and Parker were accepted without objection.

ANNOUNCEMENTS (1:00)

Reyes welcomed everyone to SEIU local 721. The Chair thanked board members for finding meeting spaces. Novick acknowledged the 40^th anniversary of the Attica Commune and its suppression and announced a Jericho Amnesty Movement event on September 28, 2011. Cromshow announced on-going immigration clinics and called for volunteers. Murray acknowledged Ali Lexa, who will be marching at a clean air event. Argueta announced the Independent Historical Project, September 17, 2011. Medina announced a Heal the Bay Coastal Clean-up event on Saturday September 17, 2011 8:00 AM at Lake Balboa Park, San Fernando Valley. Merrick announced that his film “One Minute” will be screened at the Zeitgeist Media Festival, Sunday September 11, 2011 and at the Big Bear Film Festival, Friday September 16, 2011, 3:30 PM. Reyes acknowledged the first 9/11: Chile, 1973.

The Chair asked for a moment of silence for the victims of 9/11 and for those who have died in Afghanistan and Iraq.

AGENDA APPROVAL (1:08)

The Chair polled the board on whether or not Steve Goldsmith shall serve as a facilitator during the executive session: The suggestion was agreed to by a show of hands: Yes—7, No—5.

The agenda was approved as amended without objection (see Appendix B).

MINUTES APPROVAL (1:22)

The minutes of August 17, 2011 and August 31, 2011 were approved without objection.

2. SCHEDULING OF MEETINGS (1:27)

Novick moved that all Saturday meetings shall be at 1:00 PM. Motion passed without objection.

Wednesday, October 19, 7PM (location TBD)

Saturday, November 19, 1PM (location TBD)

Wednesday, December 21, 7PM (location TBD)

3. CHAIRPERSON’S REPORT (1:30)

The Chair gave an oral report, followed by comments from the board.

4. TREASURER’S REPORT (1:38)

Kaufman (Finance Committee Chair) made a report and distributed to the board “Detailed Trial Balance for 2011” (LSB Expenses, see Appendix D), followed by discussion. Medina requested receipts for the Reese expenditures.

Point of order from Reyes: The Chair should only relinquish the chair to vote or motivate a motion. Point of order from Cromshow: The chair is engaging in debate. Cross-examination is inappropriate.

Murray moved (amended by Novick, Kaufman, Aaron): No LSB member shall request reimbursement without presenting a receipt. The Business Manager shall not reimburse any LSB member without a receipt. All LSB expenses shall be approved by the total board.

PUBLIC COMMENT I (1:57)

Public comment was heard for five minutes.

Murray’s amended motion passed by a show of hands: Yes—14, No—0, Abs—0.

5. MANAGEMENT REPORT (2:19)

The General Manager gave an oral report and emailed a written report to the board before the meeting (see Appendix C). Questions from the board followed.

Kaufman moved to extend five minutes. Motion passed without objection. Questions to the General Manager continued.

PUBLIC COMMENT II (2:35)

Public comment was heard for four minutes.

Argueta moved for the LSB to support a Spanish-Language Town Hall to be held before the end of the year. Motion passed by a show of hands: Yes—14.

6. PNB DIRECTOR REPORTS (2:55)

Brazon, Argueta, Aaron gave oral reports, followed by questions from the board. Brazon announced an up-coming Bylaws amendment.

Reyes moved to postpone the executive session to the November meeting at a time-certain of one hour before the end of the meeting. Motion passed by a show of hands: Yes—19, No—1, Abs—5.

PNB ELECTIONS COMMITTEE (3:07)

Murray and Novick gave oral reports.

PUBLIC COMMENT III (3:09)

Public comment was heard for one minute.

7. PERSONNEL COMMITTEE REPORT (3:10)

Cromshow (Personnel Committee Chair) gave an oral report, followed by questions from the board.

8. PROGRAM OVERSIGHT COMMITTEE (3:12)

Novick (PrOC Chair) gave an oral report and presented three motions.

1. Motion—The LSB requests that management provide the LSB with the total of listener-sponsor members for the last 10 years. Motion passed by a show of hands: Yes—14.

2. Motion—The LSB requests that management provide the LSB with hour-by-hour, program-by-program breakdown of the most recent fund drive. Motion passed by a show of hands: Yes—15.

3. Motion—The LSB requests that management provide the LSB with the Arbitron reports on listenership and explain how these are interpreted. No vote taken due to expiration of time.

Reyes moved to extend 10 minutes. Motion failed by a show of hands: Yes—5, No—6, Abs—1.

Medina moved to adjourn. The meeting adjourned without objection at 3:30 PM.

Respectfully submitted by John P. Garry III, Secretary
(these minutes were approved on October 19, 2011)

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Appendix A—Public Notice

Posted at KPFTX.org

Saturday, September 10, 2011 3:30 PM ET

KPFK LSB

Purpose: Regular Meeting

Los Angeles - KPFK

The KPFK Local Station Board will meet on Saturday, September 10, 2011 from 12:30 pm sharp to 3:30 pm at SEIU Local 721 Los Angeles Office, 500 S. Virgil Avenue, Los Angeles, CA 90020. Phone Number: 213-368-8660. A closed session of the Board will follow the open session.

Terry Goodman

Posted: 09/01/2011 - 2:39 AM

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Appendix B—Approved Agenda

Proposed Agenda for KPFK LSB Meeting of 9-10-2011 12:30pm- 3:30pm

(all times include board questions and discussion)

Call to Order promptly at 12:30pm,

1. Roll Call, acknowledge Procedures for Disruptive Behavior, Excused Absence

requests, Announcements, Agenda approval, August 31^st meeting minutes approval (20 min)

2. Scheduling/Notice of upcoming Meetings (5 min)

3. Chairperson’s Report (10 min)

4. Treasurer’s Report

- Station expenditures, Board expenditures (5 min)

Public Comment I (7.5 min)

5. Management Report: Bernard Duncan (10 min)

Public Comment II (7.5 min)

6. PNB Director Reports (20 min)

Reese, Brazon, Argueta, Aaron

Elections Committee

Public Comment III (7.5 min)

7. Personnel Committee Report (5 min)

8. Programming Oversight Committee Report (5 min)

9. Governance Committee Report (10 min)

Action Items:

Governance: LSB-Staff etiquette policy.

Governance: Spanish language translation update.

10. Town Hall Task Force Report (5 min)

11. Outreach Committee Report (5 min)

12. Finance Committee Report (5 min)

Public Comment IV (7.5 min)

13. Unfinished Business (5 min)

14. New Business (5 min)

Time to clear meeting room (5 min)

15. Executive Session (Closed to public) (30 min)

Total 180 minutes/ (3 hours)

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Appendix C—General Manager’s Report

PACIFICA RADIO KPFK 90.7 FM

MANAGER’S REPORT TO THE LOCAL STATION BOARD

Wednesday, September 10, 2011

(Bernard Duncan, General Manager)

Manager’s Overview

• 2012 Budget
  • The LSB approved the proposed Fiscal Year 2012 operating budget on 31 August, and it will be considered by the Pacifica Finance Committee on Tuesday evening, 13 September.

 

• Report to the Listener
  • The next on-air Manager’s report will take place in either the week of 12 September or 19 September. It is envisaged that these reports will be made by the GM for the remainder of this year, and will introduce other staff, and, perhaps, the LSB from the beginning of 2012.

 

• August Fund Drive
  • The August drive was successful from a financial perspective. However, the pre-emption of regular programming, and the frequency of drives remain concerns.
  • The success of the August drive may be due to a number of factors, including its relative brevity, the two-week prior on-air solicitation, and the provision of at least some regular programming throughout. Some premiums (thank you gifts) proved particularly successful – among them the health and economy-related items.

 

• Staff meetings
  • Monthly full-staff meetings continue.

 

• General – KPFK’s Public File is up to date.

 

Outreach and Development

· Activities – In addition to the specific activities detailed below, there have been other developments, including discussions with Win-Win, an e-commerce company focused on the local and non-profit sector to expand email reach through a partnership with them; and discussions have begun with various grant-writing organizations in preparation for large-volume grant-writing efforts.

· Film Club – As an important advertising and promotional tool for KPFK Radio, the Film Club ensures our KPFK logo and information is appearing on movie screens and in film guides to an affinity audience throughout Southern California which doesn’t necessarily already listen to 90.7.

· Member Benefits Card – Over 30 new solicitations to Community Partners in our Business Outreach project have been made, with 19 new sign-ups. Each Community Partner receives a KPFK window decal and the option of a brochure holder to display bumper stickers and schedules at their location.

New Sign-ups:

All Seasons Outlet – online store

College Planning Advisors - Burbank, CA
Hair by Ramona - Santa Monica, CA

Earth Friendly Goods – online store

Elevation-Sierra Adventure Essentials – Lone Pine, CA

Foster Tire Company - Hawthorne, CA

LifeSource Water Systems, Inc. – Pasadena

Malibu Grapes Wine Tours – Malibu, CA

Meow Vintage Clothing – Long Beach, CA

MT Optical – West LA

Nopalito Native Plant Nursery – Ventura, CA

Optometric Café – Beverly Hills

Pac Herbs – online store

Pacifica Radio Archives

Ten Women Gallery and Shop – Santa Monica & Venice

The Folk Tree – Pasadena, CA
Truly Vegan Restaurant – Los Angeles, CA

Victorio's Ristorante – Los Angeles and North Hollywood

Zephyr Vegetarian Café – Long Beach, CA

· Media Sponsorships – (Including cross-promotion of KPFK Radio by organization)

Website

AWOL – Vets for Peace Ventura

Fall Equinox Folk Music, Dance & Storytelling Festival (Santa Monica)

Bhakti Festival, Joshua Tree (Joshua Tree)

LA vs. WAR (Downtown Los Angeles; youth focus)

Website and Print

KPFK Presents Frances Lappé (Pasadena)

Leimert Park Arts Festivals (Los Angeles)

Ford (Hollywood)

Grand Performances (Downtown Los Angeles)

Skirball (West Los Angeles)

Silent River Film Festival (Irvine, Orange County)

Festival of Philippine Arts and Culture (Los Angeles)

Brazilian Day LA (Los Angeles)

The Urgency of 9/11: Confronting US War Making (Pasadena)

The SPARC World Wall event (San Fernando Valley)

· Events – Report Back:

Wednesday, September 7, 2011 – KPFK hosted an author event with Frances Moore Lappé, author of Diet for a Small Planet and her most recent EcoMind: Changing the Way We Think, To Create the World We Want. The event was held at the All Saints Episcopal Church in Pasadena. About 70 people attended, expressing appreciation for the information presented and the author, and pleased to see KPFK presenting this free event which focused on personal empowerment to change and the creation of environmental consciousness.

· Coming up –

Sunday, 9/18: LSB Town Hall Meeting

Saturday, 9/24: KPFK Recycle Day in MacArthur Park (Note: Date changed from 9/10 to 9/24 to accommodate last-minute change to MacArthur Park’s roster of events). E-waste recycling, food trucks, KPFK DJs, including a special music by Sergio Mielniczenko. This is a co-production with ReGreen and proceeds benefit the solar project.

 

Programming

• Of special note is a day of national Pacifica programming tomorrow, the tenth anniversary of 9/11/01.

Every Pacifica station will be contributing. KPFK’s contribution will be focused on 9/11’s impact on foreign policy and geopolitics. The hour will be co-hosted by KPFK’s three staff hosts/producers: Ian Masters, Margaret Prescod, and Sonali Kohaltkar.

• The only programming change to announce is that Mary Katherine’s Alive and Pickin’ returned from a summer hiatus today – and in the next week there will be some minor adjustments to the programming schedule in order to accommodate the show’s return. As advised, all programs will undergo evaluation in coming months.

• Spanish Language Programs – the General Manager met with representatives from KPFK’s Spanish Language programs to discuss concerns and issues, which will factor into the program evaluation process previously announced, and set to commence before year-end.

Operations

• Facilities –

HVAC Systems – Major parts replacement and repairs to our aging systems have been costly in the current year. Close attention is being paid to minimizing this expense, but there are ongoing problems.

Phone System – The phone system has been running well. Handling basic troubleshooting within the building has allowed us to save on service calls.

• Production – Compared to last year we have had more programmers, interns, and volunteers take advantage of available training, with the result that programmers become more self sufficient.

• Telecom Services – As mentioned at the budget meeting, discussions with Telepacific Services (provider of the majority of telecom services for KPFK) have enabled us to make a budget saving for 2012.

• Energy Champions – As of September 6^th the Los Angeles Counties Energy Champions program board has accepted us into their program. The Energy Champions program has been set up to encourage non-profit organizations to promote the Energy Upgrade message for the good of our communities and the environment. Energy Champions is an innovative way for nonprofits to raise money by introducing energy efficiency upgrades to homeowners in their community network.

As Energy Champions we will “champion” the cause of saving energy by reaching out to our community network. By helping generate interest and provide information about residential energy efficiency rebates of up to $6,000, from an incentive fund of $3million.

• KPFK Dispatch – Since the inception of the weekly dispatch we have begun to include more editorial eyes to help provide content and improve proof reading. Intended features in the dispatch will include program/programmer highlights, surveys, film club specials, and content that will help inform people about the station’s programming.

The Volunteer and Outreach Coordinator has actively solicited email addresses for the KPFK Dispatch while tabling station-supported events. We are also informing people that they can join by texting KPFK to 22828.

Dispatch Statistics

 

Our open and click thru rates are higher than the non-profit industry averages of 13% and 1.9% respectively, according to M+R Strategic Services and Non Profit Technology Network.

 

Engineering

 

• Studios – The studios are generally in good condition and repair.

• Malibu Booster site – We have a site on Saddle Peak overlooking Malibu for the KPFK Malibu booster transmitter installation. The output power will be approximately 1,500 watts from this location and cover the area that is currently shadowed from the main KPFK transmitter. We hope to complete the installation by October 1^st and are working on a Point to Point connection service for the signal feed.

• Ranch Bernardo translator site – Equipment for this translator has been upgraded and is working very well. The antennas will be optimized within a few weeks.

• Santa Barbara translator site – The translator is in good condition and is operating very well.

• Mt. Wilson transmitter site – The Air Quality Management District has issued KPFK a permit to operate the emergency power generator at the Mt. Wilson transmitter site. The generator will be serviced and made available for use within a month. Electrical work is needed to be able to automatically switch to the generator during a power outage. Work will be done to coordinate the electrical work with the installation of a new auxiliary transmitter this year.

Maintenance and repair of the KPFK transmitters and associated equipment continues.

 

Business Office

• Financial status as at September 8 (cf. August 12) –
  • Total Cash in Bank is $600,000 (392,800)
  • Total payables is $30,000 (22,000)
  • Central Services owed to National Office is $300,000 (247,000)

· August Fund Drive – our target was set (modestly) at $300,000 with expectations that that would be exceeded. Pledges at the end of the drive totaled just over $450,000.

 

· The LSB approved the proposed Fiscal Year 2012 operating budget on 31 August, and it will be considered by the Pacifica Finance Committee on Tuesday evening, 13 September.

 

Bernard Duncan

General Manager

September 9 2011

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Appendix D—Board expense report (on file with the Secretary)