Minutes
WPFW Regular LSB Meeting
May 10, 2017
Howard University College of Engineering, Architecture, and
Computer Sciences
College 2300 6th St NW, Washington, DC 20059
Robert Simms, Chair
Ellen Williams
Carter Secretary
I. Call to order
At 6:40 pm a quorum was established. Robert Simms called the meeting to order at
6:40 pm.
II. Roll call
13 Members were present at roll call: Robert Simms, Eric Ramey, Maskeelah-Myrtle
Washington, Ellen Williams Carter (non- voting), Donald Williams, Eileen Rosin, Nick Arena (non-voting), Martha
Peterson, Sabooh Hakim, Jim Brown, Julie Hewitt, Benito Diaz, Ron Pinchback, Sandra Butler-Truesdale, Cliff Smith
3
Members Late: Campbell Johnson, Meredith Cordisco, Gloria Turner
7 Excused absence: Nancy Sorden, JW Nightwolf,
Vickie McGill, Christine Cotter, Lona Alias, Louis Wolf, Tony Leon
The GM Jerry Paris was present.
The IPD Katea
Stitt was absent.
Parliamentarian: John Tatum
Timekeeper: Meredith Cordisco
III. Approval of Agenda
Agenda
Approved
IV. Approval of the minutes
The April 12, 2017 regular meeting minutes were not approved. Benito Diaz
wanted information included.
Minutes were not approved.
V. Management Reports
Interim Program Director, Katea
Stitt - submitted a written report:
April Programming Highlights:
• Saturday, April 22; 9am-3pm: National March
for Science and Earth Day
• Saturday, April 22; noon-8pm: DC Cannabis Festival
• Saturday, April 29; 9am-6pm:
Climate Change, Climate Justice: Resisting the Trump Administration’s Climate Agenda
• Saturday, April 29; 7pm: An
Evening with Amy Goodman, Grayland Hagler, and the Fruit of Labor Singing Ensemble
Upcoming Special
Programming:
• 40 Years of Singing the Revolution: WPFW Spring Fundraising Drive; May 7-27
• Saturday-Sunday, May
13-14, The DC Green Festival; we are a media partner
• Saturday, July 8, Sound Scene at the Hirschhorn sponsored by
DC Listening Lounge
• August 8-27, Documenta 14 Radio Program: Every Time A Ear di Soun
Chris Garlock, the Metro
Council-AFL-CIO, will again donate the envelopes, pay for postage, and mail our flash drive gifts out through their
mailroom for WPFW at no charge. In addition, he has secured a $1000 challenge grant form Union Plus.
The General
Manager, Jerry Paris stated the following:
• As of today we are $3000. short of the goal. During this drive we are
offering the “ The Voices that Changed the World” thump drive. WPFW programs will be pre-emptied to air Christine
Blogsdale from WBAI during the pledge drive. The Next pledge will be in August.
• The Century club wants to do a
fundraiser for WPFW in May/June.
• The Amy Goodman event went well.
• We are doing a lot of remote
broadcasting.
• There will be program changes.
• We have paid our bills and central services.
• The transmitter
it is doing well.
• Annette Carson is doing our bookkeeping.
• We are short on News; consequently, we are thinking
about using Real News network. We will use their content and not edit it. It is web based.
Questions:
Jim
Brown
How much did Pacifica raise for the audit drive?
WPFW raised $100,000. Pacifica raised $300,000 station wide
during the drive.
How much did we get from last Pacifica drive?
General Manager
It has not been determined
yet.
Campbell Johnson statement:
I know some people that want to do a fundraiser for WPFW.
VI. PNB
Reports
Benito Diaz and Jim Brown Presented the following Motion:
Motion to Preserve the Pacifica
Foundation
Whereas there have been proposals and initiatives in recent months that include measures to in one way or
another dissolve the Pacifica Foundation in whole or in part and,
Whereas there have been proposals which would
result in fragmentation and unit dissolution such as reducing the east coast stations to repeater stations,
Be it
resolved that, the WPFW-LSB urges the Pacifica National Board (PNB) to adopt and publicize the following positions and
decisions:
1) The Pacifica National Board hereby clarifies that it does not support any plans or active initiatives
for the dissolution of the Pacifica Foundation in whole or in part of any one or more of its units.
2) The Pacifica
National Board also rejects any plans to reduce WPFW, WBAI and/or KPFT to repeater stations.
3) The Pacifica National
Board urges our listeners and members to continue to support the Pacifica Foundation and all of its units as we grow our
listenership in these most challenging of times.
They requested that a copy be sent to the PNB and Bill Crosier,
Interim Executive Director, Pacifica Foundation.
The motion passed without objection.
Benito asked if the
Chair, Robert Simms sent the motion to Bill Crosier, Interim Executive Director, Pacifica Foundation that the LSB
approved regarding their support for General Manager, Jerry Paris.
Jim Brown
Annette Carson said that from
this point till the end of May all the accounting has been done.
WPFW needs the pledge drive to do well. We need
$400,000.
Questions:
Campbell Johnson
Has the 2014 audit been completed?
Jim Brown
The 2014 audit has
been completed.
VII. Community Comment
Brad Grant (Howard University)
He is interested in providing an
environmental program on the WPFW airwaves.
Tony Norman
When counting Quorum you don’t count treasurer and
secretary.
Chair response: It was noted that we only considered voting members of the LSB.
Regina Williams
(University of the District of Columbia)
She asked, “How do you present a program idea to WPFW Staff”?
Donna
Grimes (Program Committee Chair)
What happens to the information emailed to the station about different
shows?
VIII. Finance Report by Treasurer - submitted a written report
Pacifica Recovery Plan
Update
• Conference Call with IED and CFO in April. Station will need to meet budget and cash flow requirements.
Cash Flow Update by Management
• The Business Manager is supported with additional accounting staff.
• Cash Flow
was sufficient to reach May Membership Drive.
• There will be a Reduction of operating expenses update.
• A
2016-17 Budget update will be prepared.
National Finance Committee Update
• The SCA recommendation was rescinded.
• The Business Manager will receive support.
IX. Outreach and Development Committee – a written report was
submitted.
Spring Fling
• The Spring Fling tickets will be $40. (no increase at the door). The Cost for a ticket
during the Spring pledge drive is $75
• The 40th Year Gala is tentatively to be held at La Fontaine Bleue located at
7963 Annapolis Road in Lanham, Md. On September 15th from 8pm to 12pm. It will be catered by La Fontaine Bleue, (the
“All American” menu was chosen). The deposit amount needed is $3,656.25. The ticket cost will be $125.
5K
Walk/Run:
• The 5K Walk/Run is scheduled for September 16th.
X. MASC Committee
No report was given.
XI.
Relocation
General Manager stated:
Westminster Church is interested in renting WPFW space in their new church
building to be completed in 2018. He stated that the present landlord has stated that the 1990 K. Street N.W. building
lease may extend to 2020.
Shabooh Hikim stated:
A friend of his is building a building that we could rent. The
prospective property is located at 2nd Florida Ave.
XII. Programming Committee – submitted a written report
The
LSB Programming Committee unanimously approved the attached proposal on May 5, 2017. In summary, the PC recommends that
weekday programming (Monday through Friday) during morning and evening drive time and evening hours (7:00 - 10:00 am,
4:00 - 7:00 pm and 7:00 to 11:00 pm) be dedicated entirely to public affairs.
This change does not pertain to the
weekend or late night schedule. Furthermore, it is not intended to eliminate any music programs. Rather, the objective
is to enable the public to listen to valuable public affairs programs in real time when our members are most able to do
so, i.e., not during normal work hours.
We understand that this shift will require adjustments and collaboration,
but the need is great, especially at this time. As the attachment delineates, we believe this schedule change is in the
best interest of the Station and the community. Thus, we urge the LSB to endorse this recommendation.
The next PC
meeting will be on Thursday May 25 at 7pm at the Lamond Riggs Library, located at 5401 South Dakota Avenue NE.
Proposal – submitted by Cliff Smith for Programming Committee of LSB, WPFW-FM – April 30, 2017
Whereas: The
Pacifica Mission Statement is the defining document for all Pacifica ratio stations;
Whereas: The Statement says
that the Pacifica Foundation exists exclusively for the purpose of education, and for what type of education?
The
Statement lays out that Pacifica’s educational responsibilities are to be directed at ending the conflicts that exist
between nations, peoples, races, creeds, and colors: in sum, an education directed towards justice -- exclusively
so;
Whereas: Just as education throughout human existence has been done through lectures, discussions, forums,
speeches in universities, schools, and all other forums that teach, so too must Pacifica’s radio stations educate us by
such means: first and foremost;
Whereas: At WPFW our primary means at meeting our educational mandate is through
public affairs programming; consequently, this programming should be placed in those hours during which our listeners
can most conveniently pay attention to those programs, i.e. public affairs programming;
Whereas: The great, great
majority of all potential listeners conduct their work and/or study during weekday daylight hours allowing, if at all,
only fractured and interrupted listening to any radio shows; and furthermore, that this same huge audience sleeps from
late evening until dawn; this means that the hours during which this immense DMV audience are most likely to pay their
uninterrupted attention to our educational programs (public affairs)are those hours driving to and from work (morning
and evening drive times) and, most importantly, recognized by all radio and TV broadcasters, evening prime time. The
time when most people are at home after along day and are most open to TV and radio;
Whereas: WPFW runs some public
affairs programming during the two drive times, we do ? whatsoever during evening prime time;
Whereas: Our WPFW music
DJs so often give us words of wisdom (and wisdom it so often is) along with news and information. These sparks of
justice (and such sparks within their music as well) do not really fulfill Pacifica’s mandate. Education requires
concentrated information on particular subjects at predictable times. DJs, despite their virtues, do not provide
that.
Whereas: Daytime public affairs programming does not bring in the pledges we would hope for. But this lack of
support is not due to the content of the shows, but rather to the hours during which they are aired: hours when most
potential listeners are occupied by work or study;
Whereas: It should be noted that when Pacifica has network-wide
fundraising shows, they almost always raise substantial sums; yet almost all of that all-day programming is educational
– usually from Pacifica’s incredible archives. People do listen!
Whereas: Given the extraordinarily intense times
we live in and its dangers and the people’s immense pushback, Pacifica’s public affairs programming is needed now more
than ever. Otherwise, social media may leave WPFW in the dust.
Whereas: I am convinced that putting public affairs
programming front and center as Pacifica’s mandate requires will result in greatly increased finances. Given the times
we live in, people will be desperate for the information we can provide and will thank us through greatly increased
contributions. And, frankly given Pacifica’s mandate, we will live or die on our public affairs programming and
seventy years of success show that our listeners do want what Pacifica offers.
Whereas: Given that WPFW is located
in the middle of what many consider the most important city on earth, we at WPFW have an even greater responsibility
then at other Pacifica stations to bring our unique programming to the fore.
Whereas: We are a minority-controlled
Pacifica station – the only one – with a status that both WPFW and Pacifica should be proud of. WPFW absolutely should
remain under minority control – but using that minority outlook to not only express those centuries-old minority
“concerns” but to use that outlook as a lens to more realistically view America and the world. This proposed
rearrangement of hours will not and should not threaten our very special minority status.
Whereas: Objections have
been raised regarding putting public affairs programming on evening prime time (7 to 10 p.m.) concerning the
availability of engineers and union rules. Given the fact that thousands of U.S. stations are able to have public
affairs programming during evening prime time hours including other Pacifica stations, I am sure that if all of them
have been able to overcome these problems, we can do it here too. And besides, we have no choice: to be in line with
Pacifica’s mandate, we have to put public programming into radio’s prime times. We can do it – and must!
Whereas: I
perceive among many in the D.C. area – and particularly among many African Americans – that D.C. is seen as just another
U.S. city, not that different from so many others. In fact, given D.C.’s lack of national legislative representation, we
are actually politically a lesser city (and a lesser city by population as well – not anywhere near population-heavy
cities like Philadelphia, New York, Houston, Chicago, Los Angeles etc.). And for African Americans, I suspect the same
racist minefields that exist elsewhere in the U.S. exist here as well: the poverty, the police, the racist national
ruling establishment etc., etc. And I think some of this attitude carries over into WPFW – that we are a minority-run
beleaguered little station – to some degree reflecting a beleaguered minority in a not-too-large city.
But despite
these realities we at WPFW need to rise up out of this self-perception. Given our location in this city, in this
country, on this planet we at WPFW always have the potential to change things in this city, in this country and in this
world. I know we can rise up and meet this responsibility. Particularly because of the wisdom our status as a
minority-controlled station gives us – we have a more realistic view of America and the world than any other radio
station in the DMV can give us (with the exception of WOL). And frankly, it is only – primarily – through public affairs
programming that we can have the crucial impact that we are destined to provide.
Whereas: It has been said that our
public affairs programming is little different from what is presented on WTOP, WAMU, C-SPAN, etc. Yes, WPFW covers much
of the same material but from a completely different perspective from those corporate-controlled stations. Pacifica is
not corporate-controlled and its mission statement mandates that our goals are to reduce problems among nations, creeds,
races and colors. What other radio network has this as its goal? Only Pacifica! And we should rejoice in
this!
Whereas: WPFW is “Jazz and Justice.” And certainly, by WPFW radio hours, jazz is primary. But this goes against
Pacifica’s statement in which “justice” is not only primary but, frankly, solely. In this proposal we are not asking for
more than a light reduction in jazz and music hours, but what we are asking for is that justice and public affairs
programming – as required by Pacifica’s mandate to occupy all primary listening hours. To this end, we are simply asking
for a rearrangement of hours. We can no longer treat “justice” as a WPFW afterthought – and maintain public affairs
programing in the virtual “unlistened to ghetto” of daytime weekday hours.
Whereas: WPFW and Pacifica provide a
singular American light helping to guide our hugely emerging grass roots movement to save America and the planet. We are
today’s equivalent of Frederick Douglass’s North Star, of I.F. Stone’s Weekly, of the Black Panther newspapers. All
those are gone. We still exist. It’s up to us for all these above reasons (“Whereases”).
THEREFORE, I move that the
following prime time weekday hours as shown below be dedicated entirely to public affairs programming and that this
change in format be implemented as soon as possible but certainly within six months.
Primetime weekday hours are:
7 a.m. to 10 a.m. (morning drive time)
4 p.m. to 7 p.m. (evening drive time)
7 p.m. to 11 p.m. (evening prime
time).
The LSB postponed a motion on the proposal.
XIII. Adjournment
Motion to adjourn: There was no
objection.
Robb Simms adjourned the regular meeting at 9:00 pm
Meeting adjourned at 9:00 pm
Minutes submitted
by: Ellen Williams Carter