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