KZYX’s Annual Membership Meeting

As the pleasant sunny afternoon of May 4th settled into a mild spring evening, the KZYX Board of Directors met in Ukiah at the Space Theater for its annual meeting with its membership. Absent was Board member Jane Futcher who, according to current Vice Chair Stuart Campbell, was traveling.

The purpose of the annual membership meeting, as stated in the station's Bylaws is "to declare the results of the preceding election of the Board, to present an annual report to Members on the activities and accomplishments of MCPB, to present the audit report and any other business as may come before the meeting."

In her statement of Board Matters, outgoing chair Elaine Herring noted that the past year had been a difficult for her personally. In her enthusiasm of praise for the accomplishments of Vice Chair Stuart Campbell, she unwittingly revealed that Campbell would do a fine job as the station's incoming Board President. As that agenda item was still forthcoming, it was obvious that the spontaneous nomination of Election officers was an often repeated charade put on for appearance of a democratic process for the benefit of attending members.

An audit report was presented by Director Paul Lambert, the head of Audit Committee. Membership development and fundraising was down $50k, in part due to the reduction of members by approximately 200 to an official count of 2118. Fundraising was limited to the 25th Anniversary celebration and Celtic concerts produced by programmer Tim Bray. A reduction of $45k in the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB) grant also cut station revenue.

Director John Sakowicz asked for information on the budget line for salaries which could not be discerned from the audit as it is divided there into separate categories. The salaries for news personnel are not included as a part of staff salaries but put under the classification of “consultants” which may include several other unspecified expenditures. Sakowicz asked General Manager John Coate for this information and was refused. Sakowicz then requested that the minutes of the meeting include the fact that the GM refused to answer a question asked of him by a Board member. Coate then allowed that his salary was $59,400 and that no employee made over $40k.

Fiscal year 2013-14 ended with a surplus of $24k.

The Personnel Committee, headed by Director Meg Courtney, conducted an evaluation of the General Manager. Stating that the specifics of the analysis were confidential, she summarized the results by saying that the GM had the support of all but one member of the Board.

The evaluation rated the overall performance, the accomplishments and challenges and the communication skills of Coate on a scale of one to five.

The dissenting Director, Sakowicz, described Coates' leadership skills as poor using the words rigid, intemperate and callous to amplify his remarks. He denied the claim that Coate had financially saved the station, stating that the deficit grew in the two years after Coate became general manager. He was of the opinion that financial stability was brought about by cutting expenses rather than in raising new monies. He also gave the lowest rating to Coate on communication skills, stating that Coate does not communicate with him as Director or with him as a programmer along with the two other programmers that lost their shows in the past two years.

In regard to a question that asked what improvements the Board can make to run the station and make the GM's job easier, Sakowicz cites a major flaw in vesting the General Manager's position with Executive Director authority. He claims that in doing so, the Board has ceded all operational control over station operations to the General Manager reducing it to a rubberstamp Board that does nothing in regard to developing the budget or questioning the audit.

He added that the Community Advisory Board (CAB) has been so weak in the station's 25 year history, it has been rendered ineffective and the Program Advisory Committee (PAC) is nonexistent. He maintains that it is this lack of substance which makes it so difficult to find community members willing to serve as volunteers for either.

Sakowicz recommends a process such as a website or chat room whereby members are allowed to communicate with each other. He also favors valuing programmers by creating stipends for gas money for programmers in need of financial support.

Election Report: The Election Coordinator, Stuart Campbell announced the winners of the recent election.

District 2- Benj Thomas: 76%; District 5- Clay Eubank: 68.6%; At Large- Ed Keller: 63%.

Despite having been specifically requested to include a vote tally in the election results, as had been willingly dispensed by Election Coordinators in 2010 and in prior years, Campbell persisted in his interpretation of the Bylaws in reporting only in terms of percentage points. He stated that the information had been announced on air for two weeks after the election and in the local newspapers. He directed members who wanted more detailed information to request the exact vote tally via email: BOD@kzyx.org.

Having navigated the circuitous avenue to the vote tally, they are as follows:

Benj Thomas: 493, Tony Novelli-156/24%, Clay Eubank: 458, Dennis O'Brien: 210/31.4%, Ed Keller: 428, Doug McKenty: 253/37%.

New information was provided that candidate Tony Novelli had withdrawn his candidacy at some point after the Candidates Forum, leading Campbell to surmise that the level of support indicated by the percentage of votes received was not an accurate account. Campbell also refused by email to give me requested information on the frequency of announcements, stating he wasn't going to use staff time to provide information that was only of interest to myself. He did include the text of the on air announcement which also did not contain any statistical data.

Why the Election Coordinator is so miserly and guarded with information clearly in his possession is a mystery. I could only speculate that in not doing so, the official vote tally could not be included in the meeting minutes and hence, could not elucidate any membership trends in pro and con management candidates.

Campbell spent most of his report painstakingly parsing through the number of ballots not received by members (17 actual) of which nine signed affidavits that they had not received a ballot, eight ballots being resent. Two of the 17 missing ballots were volunteers who were not recorded into the data base and another two, perhaps coincidentally, was one of the candidates favoring a restructuring of management practices and a lone critical Board member. He also mentioned that some ballots had been mistakenly thrown away or temporarily misplaced.

The induction of new Board members Thomas and Eubank proceeded with short statements from each about bringing their experience and determination to the new Board to help the station prosper. Ed Keller, formerly a District 2 representative, returned to the Board as the At Large (not specific to a designated area) member.

The next agenda item was the election of new officers which predictably had Directors Page and Campbell nominating each other for the positions of President and Vice President —  Campbell the former, Page, the latter. Equally predictable was Keller's seconds for both nominations. It was a bit embarrassing as the pretense was more obvious with Herring's previous disclosure. Lambert, in an attempt to give the proceedings an air of legitimacy, asked if there were any other nominations for those positions but, predictably, there were none.

Courtney let it be known that she would gladly give up her position as Board Secretary if any other Board member volunteered themselves. No one did so she reluctantly agreed to continue in that capacity for another year. In reading through the accepted minutes on the station's website, I could not help notice the lack of diligent attention to details such as the misspelling of candidate O'Brien's name as well as the misspelling of Director Sakowicz's name. Larger inaccuracies pertaining to the allegation that Coate used the programmers listserve improperly did not cite the main complaint that Coate had made negative statements about one of the candidates. The rebuttal stated: "It is common for Boards and staff to air their view in election campaigns. He did not misuse the air waves and has not violated any rules." (emphasis mine) The fact that the minutes were approved without the necessary corrections being made makes one wonder how much of the material given Board members is actually read and how much is done mechanically without due attention.

The nominee for Board Treasurer was Clay Eubank and was approved by the Board.

The President of the Board Report: Campbell extended a warm thank you for the services of outgoing Board members Eliane Herring and Holly Madrigal. He credited Herring for her involvement in getting the present CAB formed. Madrigal was praised for her tact and sense of humor which made the Board a gentler place to be. Both were given parting gifts of appreciation: new radios.

Campbell remarked that the new Board had agreed to return to a bimonthly schedule-six meetings a year which would allow greater face to face interaction of Board members. He also noted that annual membership meetings had been held exclusively in Ukiah. He planned to move that meeting around the county in the future to be more accessible to members who lived elsewhere. The next meeting would have coincided with the July 4th holiday so a decision was made to move the date of the meeting up one week to Monday, June 29th in Willits. The location will likely be at the Willits library, 390 E. Commercial St.

As Board President, Campbell has also decided to reinvigorate the system of Board committees which will be open to interested community members.

He reported that two questions were asked those who pledged during the winter drive in February related to programming preferences and to news about station business. 15% of those surveyed wanted more music; 12% wanted more news about the station with the majority content with the present format.

Campbell acknowledged the past problems the Board has had in communicating with members. Action items on the Board agenda will continue to have a period of Public Comment of three minutes in addition to the more generalized comment period. However, public comment will be more formalized into one-way communication. Translation: The Board will discontinue its recent practice of attempting to answer questions from the public.

Other ways to communicate with the Board were enumerated: Socializing after annual meetings; the 5th Thursday of The Month Discussion program (July, October, December 2015; March & June of 2016); through the email at BOD@kzyx.org; the Farmers Market in Ukiah; public comment forms recently made available at Board meetings; mail addressed to the station and the kzyxtalk listserve.

New Board member, Benj Thomas suggested that Board emails be reviewed, answered or directed by more than one member of the Board. That task has been taken on by Campbell in the past several years. Campbell stated that he would be happy to share the responsibility with other Board members. Thomas agreed to be the second member to field emails.

Director Sakowicz asked if there was a way that members could communicate among themselves noting that two former Board members had worked hard to make that happen.

Campbell responded that it would be put on the next meeting's agenda for discussion.

Sakowicz also asked to be on the Discussion program. He noted that his request to be on the show has not received a response for over a year.

General Manager's Report

The station has waited almost 18 months to find out if the FCC plans to renew the license for the KZYX — the 90.7 band of the station. The KZYZ license was granted months ago. Coate said he expects a reply soon and that the FCC doesn't do a good job of keeping its communications file updated.

Operations 

The most affordable and least disruptive way to strengthen the STL signal from Philo to Cold Springs (the station’s main broadcast antenna) is to raise the tower that holds the antenna at Philo. The exact height required is being calculated. Plans for a Ukiah studio are on hold until the best way to proceed is determined.

The source of the scratch noise that plagued the airwaves during late winter was found to be interference from a set of CHP radios. State technicians made adjustments to their equipment and the station improved its shielding of the Philo building. The cooperation of Goldeneye Winery in cutting some large oak branches on its property also helped improve audio quality.

Two new consoles were installed in the Mendocino and Philo production studios during the year. Replacement of the console at the Willits studio s hoped for in the near future as well.

Finances 

The reduction of the CPB funding increased to $54k for FY 2014-15. The loss was partially offset by a record $35k in end-of-year donations. Coate credits the increase to improvements made in local news reporting.

Third quarter expenses totaled $155k while income figures were at $115k for a quarter loss of almost $40k. Increased spending on salaries for news “consultants” was a factor. It is hoped that the June pledge drive will reflect member satisfaction with the increased news coverage and add to an end of year surplus. Currently, figures for fiscal year 2015 show a positive balance of $3,594.

Total accounts payable is $26,100 of which $14k is long term debt. Accounts receivable (pledges and underwriting income) is $39k+.

Programming

Increased experience and new talent has made possible a long awaited resurrection of the local news program. Lorraine Dechter came to the station last November with 20 years experience as a public radio news director. Working with reporter Sherri Quinn, the quality and quantity of news expanded to independent coverage of local issues and events. One of the hosts of the Farm and Garden Show, Valerie Kim, already familiar with broadcasting technique, fit easily into the role of hosting the 6pm news segment along with developing skills in the writing and reporting of original news stories.

To make the news more accessible for morning commuters, the station will concentrate its news coverage in 6.5 minute news blocks at 7:45 and 8:45am. Weather reports will have their own time slot at half past the hour. It is hoped that the new format will increase listener support for the news team and result in increased membership.

Mendocino Currents is a long form adjunct to the news teams daily news reports. It airs at 9am on alternate Thursdays.

The station has welcomed several new voices to its public affairs programs — among them are Sarah Reith of Women's Voices, Kim Rodriques and Hannah Bird from the UC Hopland Research and Extension Center and Dr. Robert Spies who all host the Ecology Hour on alternate weeks.

Many programmers retired as hosts of shows during the past year. Among them are Val Muchowski of Women's Voices, Greg Krouse of The Ecology Hour, Tom Wodetski of Corpoations and Democracy and Jay Sydeman of Mind of the Composer.

All are deeply saddened by the passing of Eduardo Smissen who with his wife Joelle Signorelli recently returned to host the Lapin Frito show on Thursday mornings. He was a man of many talents.

The station now offers a way to access past programming through the KZYX Jukebox (jukebox.kzyx.org). More than an archive, it allows the listener to find and bundle programs according to category making the variety of programming more understandable to new or occasional listeners. The Jukebox also plays the live stream off the web browser without calling up a separate program to play it. Programs can be downloaded and streamed where the station owns the copyright and streamed only where they don't. The system works well on mobile devices. Public affairs programs are available for two months while music shows have a two-week window for access. Through the effort of local high school student Max Weyrich, the station is close to providing a KZYX app for iPhones. Jukebox is a work in progress as steps are being explored to improve the look and feel of the program. It is being offered on an "as is" basis.

Membership

The 25th Birthday celebration was a successful community event. Organized by Directors Futcher and Courtney and drawing from the multiple musical and dance talents of its programmers and their friends, the party brought together past and present radio devotees with its listening audience while managing to bring in $3k in revenue.

The donor database software will change from DonorPerfect to Allegiance this summer as DonorPerfect is moving away from public broadcasting as a core customer. Allegiance will carry a 20% higher monthly cost but is the industry standard.

Energy will be focused on developing the membership base which has declined. It has been found that early morning drive time is the time when the station has the most listeners so changes in news programming are in place to appeal to that audience.

The challenge faced by public broadcasting at this time is to adapt quickly to the changing technology of connectivity through broadband and cellular data. With expenses rising in this sphere, consumers have less to spend in support of public radio. Radios in cars have always been a standard accessory provided by car manufacturers but media habits are changing with net connectivity so the comfortable avenues of radio access are currently in a state of flux. Coate refers to this as "the climate change of media" that can't be slowed down or stopped. He foresees a time when the station's value will almost wholly depend on locally produced content. The question that Coate poses is how does the station distinguish itself and deliver enough value when the listener has so many choices and the advantage of distribution as one of a few spots on a radio dial is lost?

On a more personal note, Coate expressed his sadness at the recent passing in late April of Robert Crawford, a former Board member and husband to another former Board member, Fran Koliner. Crawford was a programmer at KMUD as well as a musician and artist. Fran has our deepest sympathies.

Public Comment

Fran Koliner spoke of her continued support for the station through its Board, staff, management and programmers. She left the meeting after her statement to recover from her painful loss of her longtime companion only four days before.

Micheal Kisslinger thanked Coate for the opportunity to work in the news department but realized that his talents are not those of journalist. He invited Board members to attend a series of workshops he would be giving on leadership training for community organizations and nonprofits at both the Ukiah & Fort Bragg libraries.

Dorotheya Dorman wanted to see more coverage by the news team on the issues of fire danger caused by Mendocino Redwood Company’s practice of using the toxic herbicide Imazapyr to kill thousands of unwanted tan oak trees. She also wanted coverage on how the Willits Bypass is destructive to the Pacific flyway through the drainage of Little Lake Valley.

I read the station's bylaw 10.03 (1) concerning membership meetings for the benefit of the Board and membership. It states that a meeting of the members for any lawful purpose may be called at any time by the Board or by five percent (5%) of the members. The Board has never responded to my question of how this could be accomplished without a way for members to communicate among themselves. I pointed out that new Board member Benj Thomas commented during the Campaign Forum that if something is written in the bylaws, the Board has to find a way to make it happen. I also contested the alleged conflict with the CPB rules concerning membership lists whereby the Board has said it cannot disclose the names of donors to any unaffiliated third party without prior notice given to the donor and a choice to opt out provided. I stated that as members of the station we are affiliated with the station. The rule of third unaffiliated parties applies to those who work for database companies or to the station's auditor, not to its own members. I said I will look forward to the discussion of membership communication that will be on the June 29th meeting's agenda.

Bill Taylor spoke of his experience in being part of the Anderson Valley Grange and how people there work together. He would like to dream that Sakowicz can return to the station as a programmer. Different points of view are what makes local programming unique.

Tim Gregory thought a better question to ask on a survey would be "Should there be more locally sourced content in public radio programs?" He felt there should be concern for excellence that is not a factor in what is commonly known as canned radio produced from largely urban areas.

Valerie Kim took note of the lack of diversity in the people that attended the meeting. She said the news department has not been silent on either Hack and Squirt forestry practices or the Cal Trans Bypass issue. She also remarked that it takes time and money to research and produce news and hopes that more ways to raise funds will be a part of future discussions.

Greg Tallen is a resident of Dos Rios and spent four years on the Willits City Council. He said he is surprised at the contentious quality of the meeting. He thought it a shame that people have not been able to sit down together to work through their differences. He said he listens to the radio for entertainment, not to listen to problems that are self created.

Ellen Saxe: As a member of the CAB, she sees her role as one which facilitates communication between the community and the Board. She stated she is looking forward to the discussion of member communication.

Former Board member, David Hopmann congratulated management for providing a better news program and for the many improvements in service. He was sorry that Herring and Madrigal had left the meeting as he wanted to thank them both for their time and service to the station and the community.

Lorraine Dechter remarked on the strength of the community. She said she is very open to hear what people think is newsworthy. She gave out two contact emails for the news department: lorraine@kzyx.org and news@kzyx.org.

Staff member David Steffen addressed the continual call for transparency of station employee salaries in a prepared statement. He said he believed a person's salary was a private matter between the employer and employee but to calm the situation he stated he makes a living wage of about $15 an hour. After the cost of gas and wear and tear on his vehicle is figured in, he estimates his wage is closer to $11 an hour. He is not happy with the attacks on the station by Sakowicz who has written that he believes most of the programmers are tedious and irrelevant. He doesn't believe it is productive to keep tearing the station down.

Programmer Jeff Blankfort spoke last remarking that he had been involved with radio problems for 20 years in his time as a programmer with Pacifica radio. He felt the problems encountered there were much worse than the conflict of personalities in the present situation. He felt that too many people see a radio station as a political entity but he sees the station as being there for the enjoyment of all of the people. He advised that we remember what we have and not try to tear it apart.

The meeting was adjourned at 7:30pm and about 50 people stayed on to meet, greet, converse and dine on the substantial fare of chicken, beans and a cabbage and carrot salad.

The next Board meeting will be held in Willits on June 29th at 6pm. The approval of the operating budget for 2015-16 will be on the agenda.