Public Radio in Mid America
Board of Directors Meeting Minutes
September 10, 2013
Called to Order: 11:30 AM EDT
Board Members Present: Christina Kuzmych, Karen Olstad, Regina Dean, Dan Skinner,Tim Eby Guest: Greg Petrovich
- Update on Super Regional—(Christina)
- Everything going according to plan except still we don’t have main speaker/facilitator nailed down. Talking with someone who has worked with PRI and PBS who can help us with strategic/scenario planning and asking the really tough questions. This will be the main activity of the conference and take most of Wednesday. The attendees would break into groups to discuss, along what lines is still being worked out. It may be done by TSR so that groups are diverse in terms of licensee type and formats but similar economics.
- Not sure how strategic planning by the station community will mesh with the scenario planning that NPR has already done. Greg said that he thinks the intent was for NPR to have something to present to stations at the super regional. Loren Mayor at NPR has been spearheading strategic planning.
- Time has been set aside for the regionals to meet even though it isn’t specified on the posted agenda. Discussion followed about individual guests we should invite. How about our PRIMA members who serve on the NPR board (i.e. Kit Jensen and/or Greg Petrowich) or someone from the CEO search committee? Consensus was to ask Kit and Greg unless something else comes up. Christina will follow up.
- PRIMA Meeting in February — A survey was of membership was sent. 23 responses received. 78% plan to attend Super Regional. If Super Regional becomes permanent, should PRIMA have its own meeting in Spring? Results were evenly split. Comments were that managers wanted more practical/useble information rather than the high level/strategic thinking. Christina will send out survey again to try to get more responses and also encourage them to pay their dues.
- PRIMA Board Nominations (Dan Skinner)
- According to By-Laws, President appoints a chair for 5 person nominating committee to present slate of candidates no later than 30 days prior to annual meeting which will take place at the Super Regional meeting in November.
- Positions that are open: President, Vice President and Board Member #2 (Tom Hunt) who has reached his term limit.
- Regina Dean offered to serve as Nominating Chair, Karen Olstad and Tim Eby volunteered to serve on the Committee. Regina will contact Paul Maassen and identify another non-board member to serve on the committee.
- PRIMA Scholarship to Conference – We were contacted by a general manager who inquired as to whether the station’s content director could be eligible for the scholarship. Board consensus was that it would be acceptable if the manager designated him as the PRIMA alternate. Dan will follow-up.
- Other
- Response to Tim’s AREPS Post regarding strategic questions facing system– Board agrees that these are provocative questions that should be discussed at the Super Regional meeting. It is difficult to do in that large a group, but we need to have these conversations. Of particular concern is the growing divide between large and small stations. We are not having conversations about how to continue to provide service throughout the country and the sustainability of the small stations. How do we get the attention of the license holders? How do we begin to have these conversations? One of the problems with the Super Regional was that no one owned the follow-up. Conference planners are working to address this.
- Next meeting will be October 8 at 11:30 AM EDT.
Meeting adjourned at 12:40 PM EDT
Respectfully submitted,
Karen Olstad
Secretary