NCPR Executive Council Meeting Minutes 10/28/15

a. More accessibility for public involvement

b. A more complete record of the conversation to be added to the website with the meeting minutes.

2) EC Chair Rod Giltz called the meeting to order. Jon Sklaroff does roll call.

7/9/15 minutes

a. As of today (10/28/15) we are about $6,000 over goal and still counting mail for the week towards our total.

b. By comparison, last fall in our first attempt, we interrupted programs in the first 3 hours of the “traditional” drive before making goal.

c. This past spring, we interrupted programs for 2 ½ days before hitting goal rather than the usual 6 days.

2) Our new style of fundraising is leading the way for stations across the country, many who are watching and learning from NCPR, specifically from Ellen and Membership & Finance Director June Peoples.

a. Ellen and June have given webinars and provided advice in the last year to other stations looking to participate in our style of fundraising.

b. Ellen received word from other stations who called NCPR the “Mother ship” of the new “Warp Drive” format.

3) The new format is beneficial not only for us, but for our listeners. Listeners who have already given are not burdened by interruptions and new listeners / donors won’t “tune-out” so that we will not lose them altogether.

4) A major factor of success this time around was more staff involvement.

a. Planning started after the end of the spring drive.

b. Creative content created by all, great digital work.

a. The project is affiliated with The Association of Independents in Radio (AIR) and is grant funded and is 1 of 15 stations in the country to be a part of the program.

b. Meredith will be working with us at Fort Drum for the next 6 – 9 months to gather stories and build connections for NCPR with Fort Drum.

c. The program will have both digital and live events.

a. Cali will be open to the public for comments or concerns with the station and will pass along to the other council members as needed.

b. Cali was chosen in part because she works for a neutral and non-controversial organization.

a. The Board was pleased with the good news from NCPR.

b. Successes of the new model of fundraising were a highlight for all as well as the opportunities in major giving.

c. The national presence of NCPR throughout the year and specifically the Dannemora prison break story proved the quality of NCPR reporting.

d. Ellen and Marion will continue to give the SLU Board “slender but strategic” reporting.

e. Another highlight for the board was the continued usage of SLU students as interns, and specifically the Stan MacDonald internship.

2) EC member and SLU VP for Communications, Melissa Farmer Richards also noted that the positive information about the station has been shared in SLU literature with alumni and donors of the university.

Report on facilities and status of new space

a. EC Member John Ernst is a regular attendee and is hosting Ellen’s attendance this year.

b. Also in attendance from the EC will be Rod Giltz, Steve Hopkins and Nancy Keet.

c. The event was originally developed while Ellen sat on the board of NPR and she agrees it is a very useful weekend.

d. John Ernst shared that he meets folks from all over the country who know about the successes of NCPR.

2) Ellen mentioned the latest breaking news in our region, the controversy surrounding a SUNY Plattsburgh student publication which is garnering national attention.

3) Rod brought up the success of the Ira Glass show at the Strand Center in Plattsburgh from earlier this month.

a. Both the show and pre-show reception were wildly successful and fun for all attendees.

b. The show was a great addition to the Strand since its recent $3 – 4 Million dollar renovation was completed which is a point of pride for the community.

c. In conversation, Ira personally echoed the core principals of NCPR for all public radio and also encouraged a proactive approach in training the next generation of public media reporters as NCPR has been doing for some time now.

d. Ellen thanked Rod and Northern Insuring again for being the primary underwriter for the event.

e. Ellen also mentioned that NCPR is happy to do events and wants to continue to do them, but we have to choose events carefully in light of limited staff time.

4) Cali asked that a meeting be set with Ellen and NCPR Program Director Jackie Sauter to discuss the 8 O’Clock Hour.

a. In the last year NPR made clock changes to programming and their newscasts which has effected some local programming.

In the absence of that reliable, broad and regular feedback or any substitute, NCPR may risk losing a valuable mechanism for keeping its programming fresh and relevant to its audience.

At the same time, by hanging on to programs that may have lost audience or relevance, NCPR may also be missing opportunities to reach out to newer, younger listeners. From time to time while listening to certain NCPR programs, both local and network, I wonder if my station might not be falling hostage to tradition and/or nostalgia. The continuation of Car Talk springs readily to mind.

I would appreciate any light the staff might shed on the process of program selection and/or elimination.

Thanks.”

Per Ellen’s suggestion, Mark’s comments have been shared with the EC and June Peoples. June will respond directly to Mark. If any EC member has comments to share, they will be included at the approval of this meeting’s minutes at the next EC Quarterly meeting.