Minutes:
WPFW Local Station Board Meeting
2390 Champlain Street NW, Washington, DC 20009
13 September 2006
Quorum declared about 7:45 P.M., Carol Wolfe serving as Chair.
Board Members present at the call to order: Mark Berman, Jim Brown, Acie Byrd,
Billy Ray Edwards, Joni Eisenberg, Jane Gatewood, Ayo Handy-Kendi, Luzette
King, Ambrose Lane, Kalonji Olusegun, Rob Robinson, Zarinah Shakir, Gloria
Turner, Carol Wolfe.
Late Arrivals (between 8:30 and 8:50): Norberto Matinez, Thomas Ruffin.
Absent: Mark Roberts, Hakam Takash.
Excused Absences: Joe Chiara, Dan Logan, Amanda Sweet.
Also Present: Ron Pinchback, WPFW General Manager, and Carl Pfluger, LSB
Secretary.
Actions on Absences: The Chair noted that, pursuant to the LSB Resolution of
August 9, and the Secretary's report of August 11, Donnie McKethan has been
recorded as having 4 consecutive absences, and Cade Campbell has 3. Upon
approval of the August Minutes they will be officially recognized as having
ceased to be members of the LSB, in accord with the provision of the Bylaws,
Art. 4, Sec. 9. Jane Gatewood reported that Joe Chiara, originally recorded as
"absent" when the Secretary called the roll, had informed her by email earlier
that day that he was ill, and that he would also be unlikely to attend the
October meeting, due to a scheduling conflict. The Chair then moved that he be
added to the list of "excused absences." Joni Eisenberg objected that Joe
Chiara has been absent every meting since February, and suggested that any
Member with 6 consecutive absences ought to "reconsider their participation."
The Chair observed that so far the LSB has followed the practice of accepting
as sufficient excuse any form of notification to any other Member of the LSB;
that it might be desirable to adopt a different policy on absences, but that
such a change would need to be put on the Agenda at some future time. Without
further discussion, the LSB voted (Yes 8, No 0, Abstaining 4) to accept all 3
excused absences.
Approval of Agenda: Without amendment and without objection the Agenda was
approved.
Amendment and Approval of the August Minutes: With the amendment of one word
("admonished" replaced by "advised" in the description of Luzette King's
statement to the Election Supervisor) the August Minutes were approved, 11-0.
General Manager's Report & LSB Questions: Much discussion of fund-raising,
technical problems, (power failures, computer crashes, server crashes, loss of
data, insufficient backup, etc...), programming, scheduling, and community
outreach problems; all further complicated by the requirement to organize and
cover the upcoming LSB elections. Matters involving personnel decisions are
sensitive, and will require a special Executive Session of the LSB. Joni moved
adding to tonight's agenda, after the Budget Report, a 10-minute "brainstorming
session" to help the LSB develop efforts to get more information out into the
general community about our election. Motion passed: 10 Yes, 1 No, 1
Abstention.
Budget Report, by Jane Gatewood, LSB Treasurer: We have no solid and up-to-date
numbers for the 2006 budget, due to both technical problems (meltdown of server
holding all financial data for the network) and lack of communication between
Station Management, Finance Committee, PNB, etc. After much discussion, the LSB
eventually voted to convene a special meeting Monday, September 25th, to
discuss the Budget, after the GM shall have sent to all Members (by the 14th)
his latest Budget Narrative. (Later the agenda of this meeting was expanded to
include also a proposal to amend the Bylaws to allow for the inclusion of 2 at-
large Members of the PNB.) Jane volunteered to inform the PNB of this special
meeting (technically a continuation after the adjournment of tonight's meeting)
and to request that the 2006 Budget be extended by 2 months.
Community Comment: Nightwolf, who told of his new work with Native American
Television (NATV) and urged the LSB to show more unity and less bickering; and
Marcelo Tolliver, who discovered WPFW after the demise of WDCU, and is now
perhaps going to run in the coming LSB election.
Special discussion of promoting outreach efforts (aka Joni's brainstorming
initiative): 10 minutes of various suggestions & offers of direct personal
participation in community events by LSB members to spread the word about
Pacifica, WPFW, & especially the LSB elections (coming up very soon!)
LSB Committee Reports.
Management Assessment & Search Committee (MASC): Jim Brown reported that the
MASC has so far received 11 applications for Program Director. Nominations
close on September 30th, and shortly thereafter MASC should submit 3 or 4
recommendations to the LSB. As this is a personnel matter, Jane moved, seconded
by Luzette, that the LSB should schedule an Executive Session for it. The LSB
agreed without objection, and voted to set it for October 4th, at which time it
might also address the GM evaluation, and some of the matters raised in the
GM's Report.
Programming Committee: Kalonji Olusegun presented to the LSB a Motion drafted
by the Committee expressing its response to the Draft PNB Programming Policy.
After 20 minutes of discussion, the LSB adopted an amended version unanimously,
11-0. The motion as passed is added to these Minutes as an Appendix.
PNB Reports: Never formally presented; but during the MASC discussions Billy
Ray had raised the matter of a proposed Bylaws Amendment (apparently only sent
out earlier on the 13th - neither the Chair, the Secretary, nor many LSB
members had seen it) to increase the number of at-large Members of the PNB; the
LSB agreed to add it to the agenda of the Special Meeting scheduled for
September 25th.

Appendix: Motion unanimously approved by the WPFW LSB, 13 September 2006
MOTION:
WPFW LSB Position on the National Pacifica Program Policy
The WPFW Local Station Board appreciates the need for a National Program Policy
to develop policies and procedures that support the continuation of creative,
independent, community-based radio. We recognize the diligent efforts that have
taken place to develop and streamline a National Program Policy, and we agree
with much of what is included in the draft policy.
However, we have serious concerns about the role and powers of the National
Program Coordinator, and thus seek to recommend specific guidelines to protect
Pacifica stakeholders.
Throughout Pacifica's history, there have been instances when a few individuals
have usurped power over others, resulting in an abuse of control and unpopular
programming decisions. To guard against such abuse of power with the National
Programming Coordinator, the following recommendations are made:
1. Hiring Process for National Programming Coordinator
. The National Programming Coordinator must receive a Vote of Confidence from
three out of the five Station GMs in the network before that person is hired;
. If a candidate originates from a particular signal area, LSB members from
that area shall be invited to give official input on that candidate.

2. National Programming Guidelines
. There shall be no "Must Carry" national programming on
Pacifica's airwaves, without approval from 3 out of the 5 stations
(approval from the station GM, the PD, the LSB rep mentioned below).

. Policies and procedures should be developed to facilitate timely involvement
from the General Managers with regard to national programming. In addition, a
working committee or advisory board should be established as part of the
National Coordinator's staff, consisting of one LSB member from each station,
to help in developing and facilitating policies and procedures;
. A central role of the National Programming Coordinator is to support
collaboration amongst members of the Pacifica Family (the GMs, LSBs, and rank-
and-file programmers) in the production and distribution of mission-driven
programming;
. The National Programming Coordinator shall explore mechanisms to facilitate
periodic communication amongst rank-and-file Pacifica programmers across
genres.
3. Other Changes to National Program Policy (major concerns only)
. Preamble: Programming should support audiences capable of sustaining the
network..., without compromising Pacifica's mission or prioritizing revenue
over content.
. 1.1. Community Assessments: The LSBs should be given the lead in overseeing
the community assessment process, in conjunction with the CABs.
. 8.0: The Evaluation Process should provide both new and long-standing
programmers an opportunity for constructive feedback.
. 10.0: Compliance with Federal Law shall include indecency laws.