Minutes for the regular National Finance Committee meeting June 14, 2011.

Meeting convened at 8:37 PM (ET) a quorum being present, the Chair and Secretary being present.
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Attending: Ken Aaron, Jim Boyd, Bill Crosier, Kim Kaufman, R. Paul Martin, Tracy Rosenberg, Alex Steinberg, Barbara Whipperman, Lavarn Williams, Bruce Wolf,  also attending was Executive Director Arlene Englehardt.
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Agenda:

1) Approve draft agenda
2) Approve minutes
3) Budget status report - 5 signal areas
4) National day of fundraising
5. CPB money
6) Arbitrons
7) Executive session
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Motion: (Tracy Rosenberg) “To approve the agenda.” (Passed without objection)

Approve minutes 8:44 PM (ET)

Motion: (Bruce Wolf) “To approve the minutes of the May 24, 2011, meeting.” (postponed to next meeting)

The committee decided to postpone consideration of these minutes to the next meeting at the request of a member.

Budget status report - 5 signal areas 8:45 PM (ET)

At KPFA the Treasurer has met with the Business Manager to go over various budget related issues. The LSB will discuss the issues further at its meeting this Saturday.

At KPFT they have met to discuss revenue streams. The General Manager was not able to attend, but is expected to be at the next meeting. There is concern about their having come in under goal for the last three on-air fund raisers. They plan to do marketing this year.

KPFK’s new General Manager started today. There will be a crash course on the station’s finances and the draft FY12 budget for the new General Manager.

The CFO said that she’d let the Treasurers know when the next meeting she’s having with the Business Managers will be.

At WPFW they’re getting payroll numbers for the FY12 budget template. They need some numbers regarding station relocation, the possible relocation of the transmitter due to lead abatement work, etc. The National Office is working with local Management on this. The committee discussed the relocation of WPFW’s studios and possibly of its transmitter. There was a short discussion of HD technical details.

WBAI’s Finance Committee has started going over the draft FY12 budget proposal. WBAI’s LSB will meet on July 13, and August 10, to discuss the FY12 budget. It is unlikely to pass a budget by July 31. There was discussion of allowing WBAI to get an extension so that it could try to pass its FY12 budget at its August 10, meeting.

National day of fundraising 9:38 PM (ET)

The CFO reported that the General Managers had agreed to various means of helping Pacifica to pay down its huge outstanding payables, including a day of on-air fund raising or an average of one day of on-air fund raising. The PNB has approved of this plan.

CPB money

The CFO reported that we will get some money from the CPB in FY12, how much will be known soon. Our closer contacts with the NFCB will help us to find out about this. No CPB funding is guaranteed past 2013. There is no new contract signed with Free Speech Radio News.

Arbitrons 9:53 PM (ET)

The committee discussed the possibility of Pacifica getting the Arbitron ratings for all five stations and paying a discounted rate. The committee also discussed how that expense would be reflected in the FY12 budgets. WBAI and WPFW each owe $4,000 for past Arbitron ratings. That will have to be paid. Whether and how the Arbitrons are used by the stations was discussed, as was the worth of the information gotten from them.

Motion: (R. Paul Martin) “To adjourn to executive session.” (Passed without objection)

Adjourned 10:27 PM (ET)

Submitted by R. Paul Martin, Secretary