PACIFICA NATIONAL BOARD MEETING
FEB. 26 AND 27, 2000
Transcription of notes taken by Alice Chan
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February 26, 2000 at 9:00AM – Program Policy Committee, chaired by Frank Milspaugh
Attending: Bob Farrell, Aaron Kriegal, Ken Ford, Andrea Cisco, Bessie Wash, Valerie Van Isler, Garland Ganter, Lynn Chadwick, Anton Marcs, Wendell Johns, Rob Robinson, Jim Bennett.
Facilitator: Nan Rubin
Garland Ganter reported from the "Top Line Numbers" that all stations showed audience growth, although not fast enough. "Programming change does lead to increased audience, which means we’re serving our mission."
Valerie Van Isler: WBAI is up about 196,000 per the Metro Survey. They are serving New Jersey and Connecticut as well now. They have about a 40% minority audience, with growth in the Latino community.
Bessie Wash – WPFW – reported growth in every area of programming. She introduced her Program Director, Lew Hankins, who asked why Pacifica uses only Metro numbers. (More about that below) He referred to the "turn off factor" measurement as well as TSL – "time spent listening." He said that TSL is not a good measurement of growth – better is the turn off factor (what makes people turn off the station.)
Jim Bennett – KPFA – reported significant growth, despite the conflict and the time off the air. He reported that more people are tuning in and staying tuned in.
Mark Schubb – KPFK – reported "we are not getting as much audience as even our current programming deserves." (Italics added.) Their goal is for the morning and afternoon "drive time" to be covered by professional staff with volunteer assistants.
Frank Milspaugh reported that numbers over-all are up 30% to 40% over the past 5 years. But he referred to the "Pacifica Myth" that audiences are small but loyal. He said "our audiences listen to NPR twice as much as to us." He said Pacifica has 40,000,000 potential listeners, and that there is an 800,000 cumulative audience.
Robbie Robinson: "we lack a strong national programming offering – why can’t we use local talent" (and nationalize that?)
Wendell Johns: identify which programs are successful and why, and replicate them.
Milspaugh: we have the "responsibility to use this valuable resource to reach the maximum number of people." We’re not fully utilizing the assets with which we’ve been entrusted. "Anyone who relies entirely on numbers is an idiot. Anyone who ignores numbers is a fraud."
Van Putten – an incomprehensible comment (to me) that "irrelevance is not a new concern."
Andrea Cisco asked "who is listening that we don’t know about?"
Ken Ford: content should meet the 7 core values. "Programming needs to be broad and specific." (What does that mean????) Resources are potential energy. "I look at numbers. A .02% audience share means nobody’s listening." We’ve established no new station in the past 23 years. Need to use new technology.
Bessie Wash: WPFW has over a l% share. "Every manager wants to put out a better product."
Van Isler: problem – the consolidation of media; mergers creating mega-media corporations and we wonder why our audience share is low – and these factors are increasing. Need to improve infrastructure – sound has to be good.
Ganter: we have to maintain localism as well as providing national programming, but not become an NPR jukebox.
Schubb: we need money. Have to judge funds we’re providing for national programs – are we getting "bang for our buck?" The national organization does no fund-raising, local boards do no fund-raising. "This is a big elephant no one discusses."
Bennett: lack of resources. Has a hard time keeping people (staff.) KPFA is training ground for KQED – more salary, more resources available. Need to involve communities in programming.
Kriegal: need to end antagonism between the stations and the board – pay more attention to the LABs.
Ford: (to Kriegal) cites CPB requirements – free speech does not enter into programming. It doesn’t have to do with relationships between the LABs and the National Board.
Cisco: How important is programming in audience growth?
Van Isler: it’s fundamental.
Johns: wants task force to come up with four programs comparable to Democracy Now.
Kriegal: "we can increase listenership by playing a lot of music, but that isn’t the message of Pacifica."
Farrell: money is significant. We can’t just rely on listeners. We must find other ways to get money. Democracy Now identifies sources of funding. We can get base funding from Pacifica and go elsewhere for additional funds, and "find progressive persons to give large amount of unrestricted funds."
Then: public comment period.
Several people commented.
Some significant comments:
Mimi Rosenberg – How does Arbitron relate to giving "voice to the voiceless?" Outreach is important but who do we want to reach out to? We don’t want to make ourselves "palatable" to increase numbers. We could beome Christian radio and increase numbers exponentially.
Lew Hankins – Not all 40,000,000 are real potential listeners. Maybe 10 mill don’t listen to radio at all, 10 mill work where they can’t listen during the day, 10 mil watch Who Wants to be a Millionaire, and that leaves 10 mill who may have other reasons not to listen.
Comment from Alice. After this meeting I asked Jim Bennett if Sonoma County numbers are included in the Metro numbers, and he said no – Sonoma is not in that MSA (Metropolitan Statistical Area.) Sonoma County’s numbers are counted via pledges in the pledge drive – per Jim we are a large % of his donors. But KPFA does not get "credit" on the numbers report card for Sonoma County listeners.
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February 26, 2000 – Finance Committee, chaired by Michael Palmer
Attending: Farrell, Milspaugh, Wash, Van Isler, Ganter, Marcs, Chadwick, Ford, Schubb, Bennett, Moran, Johns, Sandra Rosas, Michael Palmer, Mary Berry.
Palmer: referring to Income Source Report: Listener support is up 35% over all. KPFA up 36%, KPFK up (18%??) WBAI up 4%, WPFW up 31%, KPFT up 44%. Last pledge drive had $2,411 mil goal, actual pledges were $2,394 mil. Pledge drive days: 12 days for K, 12.5 days for A, 13 days for T, 14 days for W, 18 days fir I. Referred to "proven income" rule – budget for this year is based on last year’s pledge income. Surplus has been used for debt-retirement and capital improvements, and station projects. In future, surplus will help with following year’s budget.
Wash: revenues raised have been ahead of projections in every area. Acknowledges Development Director Joanne Meredith.
Van Ilser: was a difficult year. (something about) a contract for major donors.
Bennett: last year’s surplus – applying it to fund Hard Knock Radio. Have had no development dir. since last Fall, other key staff positions are not filled. Had a flood. Both sump-pumps failed at the same time. Water rose to the base of the first floor elevator car.
Palmer: Budget requests must be submitted by 3-15 or fall into the next budget period.
Moran: had wanted to propose 3 motions as a package, to increase trust within the KPFA signal area. Intent was to bring his motions up in the full Board meeting the previous day, not in the Finance Committee, as part of a "Trust Package."
- Sandra Rosas to make a presentation at each station on how funding allocations work, and how funds are accounted for.
- New procedure for dealing with surplus funds from prior year, to be allowed into the budget of the next year – a change from the "proven income" rule.
- Procedure for budget adjustments, due to extraordinary expenses or extraordinary income.
Palmer: will not accept the motions – this wasn’t the appropriate process; Jim Bennett should make these proposals, per the procedure previously explained.
Moran: re. surpluses pledged by the listeners, and "trust" – what assurance as to how these surpluses are turned around to benefit the station? "That’s the pitch by the staff during fund-raisers," that the excess funds will fund the staff at the station, but it’s not the truth.
Palmer: it’s inappropriate to bring an "unnoticed" budget request here – you are inexperienced, and unaware of the proper procedure. This budget request should come from Jim Bennett.
Comment from Alice – Tomas made no budget request, per se – it was a procedural and "new idea" presentation, since his resolutions could not be presented the previous day.
MFB: "I asked Mr. Moran to deliver copies of resolutions by fax, email, fed ex, whatever, " so we could look them over ahead of time. (…but he didn’t…) That’s why they weren’t discussed yesterday." "Budget is Policy."
Moran: point of personal privilege: "I understand that the chairman does not feel capable of reviewing this now. I requested time to make presentations (yesterday) just as there were other presentations yesterday."
MFB: "Mr. Moran prevaricates."
(simultaneous statements about who had emails and who said what to whom – unclear)
MFB: (to Mr. Palmer) "Mr. Moran does not run this board."
Alice again – per Barbara Lubin, Tomas did discuss all of this with Jim Bennett, but Jim sat silent and did not corroborate any of it.
End of committee meeting.
(Alice: Unnoticed by me, Court Steno packs up and leaves, prior to Governance Committee Meeting.)
Between this meeting and the Governance Committee meeting, Lori Iyama and Don Rush get into an argument with Robin Urevich re Dan Coughlin’s "reassignment." Don Rush’s wife says Robin called Don a scab.
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Governance Committee meeting, chaired by David Acosta
Alice: Unfortunately, I failed to make note of the attendees, and Jeff photographed only one portion of the table. There was no court steno, and no videographer. It appears that audio tapes are spotty in quality.
Known to have attended, based on comments noted: Acosta, Berry, Farrell, Robinson, Moran. From photographic evidence via digital photos by Jeff Chan: Cisco
David Acosta: announced June Makela’s resignation. Said that 19 positions were authorized (on the Board) and there were nominations for 5 seats:
*Leslie Kagan (sp?)*Bertram Lee
* John Murdoch (sp?)
Beth Lyons
Valerie Chambers
*to be seated at this term
Introduction of John Murdoch, atty @ Epstein, Becker…
Murdoch: the 5 stations represent 5 diverse communities culturally, racially, etc. "I provide representation to a wide variety of organizations and individuals……..I am not a labor lawyer"
Farrell: "are you perceived as being anti-union?" Are any of your clients (involved in litigation around union activities or union-busting) or management vs. union?
Murdoch: "the short answer is – no." (regarding his law firm) "much of what we do is in the area of compliance."
Robinson: (refers to the Epstein Becker website which touts a union-fee workplace)
Murdoch: "the website says what it says – I am not a labor lawyer."
MFB: "Mr. Chairman, I protest this unwarranted invasion of his personal life…" goes on at some length about this invasion of his personal life, apologizes to Murdoch.
Mr. Murdoch is thanked and sits down.
Acosta: re no longer taking LAB-selected people onto the Board, and appointing from within instead: it’s a new process – there is no procedure yet – they will get it "cleaned up" soon, with formal nominations, formal questions to the nominees, and formal notification that positions are available on the Board.
Moran: There were always 15 Board members – why are there 19 now?
Acosta: in ’97 we were authorized four more positions.
Moran: was that an amendment to the Bylaws?
Acosta: yes.
Acosta: re Board member duties and responsibilities: will not address any individual situations here, of "inappropriate behavior of Board members." "Any allegation about any Board member or staff will come to me, as Chair of the Governance committee," and (I) will resolve it.
Acosta: re the No Sale resolution or By-law amendment. Wants to get legal advice, to make certain to comply with FCC rules and "our own rules." Hope to have (research) done by June.
Moran: is there a formal process to table his amendment or not? Why was it not presented as a formal resolution with the Board packet and notification?
Acosta: the Governance committee "decided" not to present it.
Moran: how was this decided? why didn’t I know?
Acosta: was discussed at a committee meeting…
Moran: "You mean you discussed a resolution I proposed without my presence and without notifying me of the committee meeting? (a committee I am a member of)
Acosta: that was a mistake.
MFB: asserts that Moran is not a member of the Governance committee.
Moran points to Board packet, with his name noted as a member of the Governance committee
MFB: that’s wrong, as well as other errors in the book, "like saying my term expires in 2001 instead of 2000, thank god" and 5 other errors.
Palmer: since each signal area is represented on each committee, who from KPFA area is on this committee?
MFB in consultation with ? replies "Bramson."
Alice: but the official book handed out on Sunday has Moran’s name crossed out and Michael Palmer written in. So there is no rep from KPFA signal area.)
Moran: where are the minutes from the Houston meeting, where he was appointed to this committee, not Pete?
MFB: minutes not yet available.
Alice: I look now at my notes from the Houston meeting; Moran is seated on the Governance Committee. No further notes from this meeting – I’m not sure if anything else happened—too much shock over what I just witnessed. Also noted: Robinson did not speak up to assert that Moran was in fact named to the Governance Committee.
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Sunday February 27
Elections, seating of members, minutes, scheduling of next meeting
All known members in attendance except for Pete Bramson.
MFB: in order to have an orderly transition in Foundation leadership, the Executive Committee decided to select a new Chair and Vice Chair.
David Acosta, Chair
Ken Ford, Vice Chair
Milspaugh moved to accept, Palmer seconded.
Moran: is this a new process, for selecting the Chair and Vice Chair? How does it work?
MFB: there’s nothing in the Bylaws about it except how to get on the Board. We always elect officers by simple majority.
Moran: "where did the nominations come from? There was no notice of an election."
MFB: "the agenda says ‘elections.’"
Moran: thought it was only (elections) for new Board members.
vote called.
opposed: Robinson
abstain: Moran
MFB: during the transition, in the remainder of my term, I’ll put my efforts to "heal" Pacifica. Ref. to Sol Landau letter – read entire list of (alleged) signers, "good progressives all."
Moran: there are other notable progressives and critics of Pacifica – will you reach out to other "progressives who have signed other documents?"
MFB: "I find this document impressive."
MFB: re Resolutions given to her by Moran, not reviewed by committee, the "Dirty Laundry Rule," and re dropping charges against "a certain person." "I see no reason not to send a letter," although an identical letter was previously sent. Re "Dirty Laundry" – "the Board would not be well-served to discuss this again," although she would entertain a move and a second to refer it to a committee.
Moran moves, no second.
Alice: but my impression is that she referred it to committee anyway.
MFB: re June Makela resignation. MFB reads entire long letter of resignation. Lots of KPFA-bashing, reference to "the great Northern California Email machine," veiled call for resignation of Moran.
Milspaugh: requests letter of appreciation from Board thanking Makela for her many years of service. Approved.
MFB: introduces nominations for new Board positions.
Moran: cannot support the nominations "on procedural grounds."
Vote.
No: Moran and Robinson
Abstain: Kriegal
MFB: re the minutes from October meeting – "virus had destroyed" – a draft is on the website – but minutes are not ready to be approved.
COMMITTEE REPORTS
Executive Committee Report
Data on audiences – there is growth in audiences. Re KPFA – audience is loyal but small, is not growing, but does give money. All numbers will be put out publicly.
Re Giovannoni’s report: "Pacifica’s audience has never been larger" …and "for most Americans, Pacifica does not exist"…and "Pacifica has crossed the line from under-performance to irrelevance."
Lynn Chadwick resigns effective March 1. Will serve as consultant until September. MFB thanks her for "her willingness to persist in these difficult times." Recommending a Gen Mgr. to succeed Chadwick – temporary, for a year, with review after 90 day.s – Bessie Wash
moved and seconded
Moran: was there an open process to select this person? One year is excessive for a temporary appointment.
MFB: there is review in 90 days.
Vote
No: Moran, Robinson
Abstain: Johns, Ford, and Kriegal
MFB: other items – some union contracts are expiring. ref. to needed change in space for WPFW. Calls for comments from Board.
Moran: the "board member training session" should be in public session – the public would benefit.
Concern with Arbitron data – not an exclusive metric for the progressive mission. Doesn’t measure "giving voice to the voiceless." Other activism in No.Calif. not reflected, and Webcast audience isn not reflected in Arbitron. Urges looking at other measures than Arbirton.
Van Putten: refers to item previously discussed – requests letter of appreciation for Chadwick.
Palmer: we only have Arbitron and listener support numbers – there are no other measurements available. We’d like to see other ways to measure, but Arbitron is "the only factual data in the marketplace."
Milspaugh: suggests "Markle" (sp?) foundation
Moran: this is what I do – I develop metrics to measure medical performance. It’s very standard to develop special metrics for specialized needs. (Re calling Pacifica irrelevant) we don’t have historic measurements – how can we say that now?
Ford – re to expense of developing new model – there’s no expertise at this table – how to quantify, eliminate bias
(Confused squabble over whether Moran is an expert – MFB calls the Board to order.)
MFB: "I can see that some of us are still in a state of denial."
Re increasing audience, and suggestions about that, it’s "quite racist (to say that we ) have to be a top hits station to get a black audience – someone said that to my face."
Program Committee
Milspaugh: there has been a "50% increase in the weekly aggregate cum."
Report on the institution of a Programming Task Force
MFB cites "Democracy Now" as a shining example of what can be done. Personal praise for Amy Goodman, (Alice – sitting right next to me – no response from Goodman.)
Moran: echoes praise for Amy Goodman. Urges the right of news broadcasters to exercise personal judgment, in ref. to the PNN strike. Refers to "questioning the independence of professional news journalists."
MFB replies by referring to Saul Landau’s letter, calling for an end to Pacifica-bashing.
Moran: we have the perception of censorship.
MFB: we already have a policy that it’s the managers who have responsibility for what’s on the air.
Finance
Palmer: to Moran – appreciates his actions as a representative from Northern California, but refers to meagerness of contributions of the strikers. Some named on the strike letter haven’t actually signed it.
MFB: "that’s enough." Let’s get on with it.
(See notes from Finance com. meeting.)
Palmer: our attorney requests that all public comments come through him, not by individual Board members, due to the various lawsuits. Specifically Board members are not to speak to the plaintiffs – there are so many, he (Palmer) has to watch who he talks to.
Moran: restates his comments about the use of "surplus" from pledge drives. States that he will work with the KPFA manager to properly present next time.
MFB: (raises her voice) Mr. Moran, you are a Governing Board member, are you not?
Moran: Yes I am.
MFB: You do not work with a manger to bring something to the Board – it’s a conflict of interest – you’d have to recuse yourself from voting. (Very emotional, very loud.)
Outbreak of response from the audience to her treatment of Moran. MFB calls for the audience to be in order. Marcs gets up to call security, Chadwick calls him back.
Governance
Acosta: This is the first time since the 19 positions were allocated in ’97 that all will be filled.
And we have new procedures for dealing with inappropriate behavior by a Board member.
Robinson: calls for "no sale" affirmation while Moran’s resolution is studied.
MFB: not necessary; "we’re not selling anything."
Technical
Ford: we have to increase audience. Look to the internet, other new technologies.
Lucy: resigns, for same reasons as June Makela.
Public Comment (no notes taken.)
MFB after public comment. I can see it will be a difficult job to engage in the healing process. The same people keep coming and saying the same things. Everybody thinks they know exactly what Lew Hill would do.
Pacifica does not take corporate sponsorship of programs.
The staff will soon hire a national program director.
Adjorns.