NPR Board Election Results

National Public Radio released the results of its Board of Directors Election on July 9th, and Colorado Public Radio Blog received the results on Friday, July 18th. As CPRB Readers know, Max Wycisk, President of Colorado Public Radio threw his hat in the ring during this round, but his own peers (or as NPR refers to them, authorized representatives), who make up voting constituents from public radio rejected him (1 station, 1 vote). As you can see from the results below, Member Station diversity is spread geographically. This year; however, was not Max Wycisk's year to represent the Rocky Mountain Region. Perhaps because he COMPLETELY LACKS DIVERSE EXPERIENCE.

The current NPR Board of Directors consists of 16 members: 10 of whom are General Managers, Presidents, CEOs, etc., of NPR Member Stations; The Chair of the NPR Foundation; and 5 prominent members of the public. Staggered elections for new Board Members are held every year, and Board Members serve 3-year terms. This board-member distribution and ratio goes back several years, to a time when Member Stations bailed out NPR during a financial crisis in 1983, and subsequently demanded a stronger say in the strategic guidance of the network. In short, NPR Board Membership is about power -- about the leadership and management of the network in general, and about the network's relationship to Member Stations, specifically.

From some of our previous posts, it is the opinion of Colorado Public Radio Blog authors that Max Wycisk lacks the ability to represent Member Stations nationally on the NPR Board, BECAUSE his past history shows that he lacks the fundamental skills necessary to deal openly and ethically -- to deal publicly -- with NPR and non-NPR radio stations within the State of Colorado. For their own reasons, it appears that Member Station Authorized Representatives -- the Member Stations -- agree.

While CPR membership on the NPR Board potentially gives Colorado a higher profile at National Public Radio and in public radio affairs, it's better for our state to have creative, open-minded representatives in place to guide public radio during flattening times -- irrespective of region, state, or station affiliation. Public radio in America needs true creative visionaries to guide this medium into the future if it is to survive -- if it is to thrive. We think people like Max Wycisk represent public radio's past -- a past to which public radio should rightly look back, but also to a past which public radio can ill afford to move back.

JJJ

*****

NPR Board Election Results
July 9, 2008

To: AREPs
From: Joyce Slocum, NPR Secretary
Michelle Shanahan, NPR Assistant Secretary
Re: NPR Board Election Results

We are pleased to report the results of the balloting for the election of four Member Directors to the NPR Board of Directors, as well as the confirmation of three Public Directors, and the ratification of one Non-Board Distribution/Interconnection Committee Member.

The following candidates were elected as Member Directors of NPR, with terms beginning in November 2008:

1. Steve Bass, KOPB-FM, Portland, OR
   
2. Jon McTaggart, KSJN-FM, Minneapolis, MN
   
3. Marita Rivero, WGBH-FM, Boston, MA
   
4. Roger Sarrow, WAFE-FM, Charlotte, NC

In addition, voters confirmed the Board’s election of the following Public Directors:

1. John Herrmann
2. Lyle Logan
3. Howard Stevenson

On a separate ballot, PRSS representatives ratified the Board’s election of Loris Ann Taylor as a Non-Board D/I Committee Member.

Thank you to all of the candidates who sought to serve in the Member Director positions. NPR is honored to have had such a strong slate of candidates willing to serve as Member Directors. Thank you also to all of the Authorized Representatives who exercised their membership rights by voting in this election.

Community Service Grant Congratulations!

KAFM-FM, Grand Junction, Colorado.

Licensee: Grand Valley Public Radio Company, Inc.

KAFM-FM went on the air in 1999 to serve the residents of the Grand Valley in Western Colorado. The station broadcasts a variety of locally-produced music and public affairs programming. The station also houses a 75-seat auditorium where it offers live performances from local and national artists.

The station becomes the 16th radio grantee to receive CPB funding in Colorado. Read about KAFM and all the other grantees here, from The Corporation for Public Broadcasting. The CPB made the announcement on August 23, 2007.

Your "Local" Public Radio Station.

Lost and Found Sound is great. It is the National Public Radio (NPR) show that finds and broadcasts old radio and radio show pieces which have been lost or forgotten.

In keeping with that theme, lost and found, or rather just found, look what I found! These are the Form 990 files (financial documents) for The Classical Public Radio Network otherwise known as CPRN. It is the joint venture (LLC) between Colorado Public Radio and KUSC (in Los Angeles, California) to produce and distribute classical music to its listeners.

Here are the links to the financial documents: Form 990, CPRN 2003, Form 990, CPRN 2004, and Form 990, CPRN 2005. At Colorado Public Radio Blog, we just thought our readers would like to know some more details about their "local, community" radio station.

Radio is Next to Get Disrupted.

This commentary in Current.Org, by Jim Paluzzi of Colorado Public Radio, is well done. Of course it also begs the question, "Why hasn't Colorado Public Radio developed any new or compelling news programming since the beginning of the Colorado Public Radio News Initiative?" Also {temporally speaking}, how long can a 'News Initiative' really last before it becomes a 'News Process?' Just wondering . . .

Has KCFR "[d]evelop a strategy for innovative programming that recognizes that 'local radio' means something new in the Internet-connected world?" If KCFR has developed a strategy for "local programming," what is the actual product? Is more "inserting of local headlines and weather and traffic reports or covering a segment of Morning Edition [or any other NPR show for that matter] with a locally produced package" really all that KCFR News can do, while simultaneously promoting the "filler" with more frequency?

Has KCFR News actually "[thought] about making radio that will compel new audiences to listen?" If KCFR has thought about it, what about their actual broadcasts are "new or compelling?" The Public Insight Network (PIN)? Is this "Network" really going to provide, discover, or reveal innovative content for new listeners? For younger listeners? If so, how so?

From the actual sound of Colorado Public Radio's news broadcasts, it seems like the Vice President of New Media & Technology (Jim Paluzzi) should leave a copy of his very coherent article under the door of the Vice President of Programming (Sean Nethery). Maybe then he'd learn something about what the programming department needs to do on the content side. Or perhaps, Colorado Public Radio should just realize some further "back-office efficiencies" by getting rid of the bureaucratic fat. Which Vice President would you cut? It seems obvious to me. Oink!