WPFW Regular LSB Meeting
April 8, 2020
Teleconference
Washington, DC
Sabooh Hakim – Chair
Ellen
Williams Carter - Secretary
I. Call to order
Sabooh Hakim, chair called the meeting to order at 6:35 pm. Quorum
was established at 6:40pm.
II. Roll call
22 - Members that were present at roll call: Craig Hall, Craig Williams,
Dennis Williams, Eileen Rosin, Ellen Williams Carter, Julie Hewitt, Louis Wolf, Marsha Coleman Adebayo, Martha Peterson,
Maskeelah Washington, Thomas Blanton, Tony Leon, Vanessa Dixon-Briggs, Wayne Bruce, Arthur McCloud, Lucille Perez, Tim
Willard, Kathleen Malloy, Sabooh Hikim, Nancy Sorden, Ron Pinchback, Thomas O’Rourke, Nick Arena, Jay Winter Nightwolf
2 - Excused Absences: Chuk Nixon, Donna Grimes
There are no resignations.
The IPD Katea Stitt
was present.
Timekeeper: Julie Hewitt
Sergeant at Arms: Parliamentarian
III. Agenda
The Agenda was approved
with addition.
IV. Approval of the Minutes
The February 2020 minutes were approved.
V. Management
Reports
The General Manager, Jerry Paris stated the following:
Programming
WPFW responded early concerning the
corona virus. We began by minimizing traffic in the studio. The Public Affairs programmers broadcast their program from
their homes. The music programmers come to the studio to do their programs. The studios are sanitized after each
program. We are setting up contingency remote feed locations. Tim Master’s show was broadcast through the remote
system. We can go straight to the transmitter by full remote control. We can check the transmitter status by remote. I
received a positive call from an Oakland listener about WPFW’s great programming. They stated that were thankful for
the stations programming.
Expenses
Berstein, the landlord, gave us a hardship form for our rent. We are applying
for rent relief. We are also asking for relief from American University utilities. Payroll and health insurance are
paid. Central Services will be paid if we can get a small loan for payroll. We have a commitment from lenders to keep
the station a float. The Pledge drive is scheduled for May 13, 2020. A call service will take pledges during the drive.
It will cost $500. To fix the streaming camera.
Interim Program Director stated the following:
Programming
WPFW is presenting updates on covid-19 every day. On Thursday from 5pm to 7pm programming will address the racial
disparity amongst those who test positive for corona virus and die. The next Thursday the program will address
incarceration and the corona virus situation. Bill Fletcher no longer does a program at WPFW. He was replaced by the
show Uncle Devine which airs at 7pm. It is geared towards children and parents.
Pledge Drive
The May pledge
drive theme is “Lean on WPFW” (Bill Withers song “Lean on Me). The Pledge Drive will begin on May 10 and end May
30, 2020.
Office/Engineering
Jerry and I are not coming into the office every day. We have a staggered
engineering staff. No Co-host are in the studio. From 8pm until 3pm on Thursday, I will engineer. On Sunday we received
a $45, 000 grant for salaries and health care.
VI. Finance (submitted a written report)
The Bank Balances were
$64,000 as of March 31. The past due Central Services payments from FY2019 (4-8) and there are other past due payments
including approximately $20,000 in National Election costs that are not included in the FY2020 budget. The Station has
not been asked to make payments for the National Election to date. Loan interest payments of $3,150 per month are
included in the Budget starting in December 2019. Budgeted Expenses include $50,000 for the HD transmitter costs which
were not made in January due to lack of funds.
VII. Community Comment
Joe Brown
He said that those who
brought the lawsuit for the amendment of the bylaws should be fired.
Cliff Smith
He thanked Katea for coming to
the meeting. He said that WHUR is running Democracy maybe we could do joint programming with WHUR.
VIII. PNB
Report
Ron:
The board was idle during the bylaw amendment election. They could not seat the full new board
representatives. At the next meeting Vanessa Dixon will be seated.
WE are gratified that people got the message and
there was a no vote on the bylaw amendments.
Eileen:
We need to populate the PNB committees by April
20th.
Nancy:
The PNB has set up a Corona Virus taskforce LSB members can join it.
The PNB has set up a
Development taskforce LSB members can join it.
IX. MASC Committee (submitted a written report)
A meetings wasn’t
held in March due to lack of quorum.
X. Outreach and Development (submitted a written report)
The Committee
discussed:
Fundraisers:
1. A Night With Nap Turner and Langston Hughes- tentative date September
2. Blues
Fest- 2nd Saturday in August
3. The 5K- October 3rd
Town Hall
June 20th in person or Zoom
XI. Programming
Committee (submitted a written report)
The Program Committee proposed recommendations for moderate adjustments to
programming: (1) during Weekday Evening Drive Time hours and (2) to add local and regional news during the weekdays and
on weekends. Robb Simms and Sue Goodwin WPFW news team members met with the Program Committee on April 1. The committee
members discussed their concept of local and regional news.
XII. New Business
The motion that was made wasn’t
addressed in the open meeting. It involved personnel masters. The regular meeting convened and the LSB went into
executive session.
XIII. Adjourned the Regular Meeting at 8:28pm
Convened the Executive Session 8:36pm
Sabooh
Hikim, Chair adjourned the meeting at 8:58 pm
Minutes submitted by: Secretary, Ellen Williams Carter