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The NCPR Executive Council Home

Audio and Minutes: Executive Council Meeting, November 1

by on October 24th, 2018

Listen to archive audio of the November 1, 2018 meeting:


The quarterly public meeting of North Country Public Radio’s Executive Council, which acts as the station’s community advisory board, will be held Thursday, November 1, 2018 at 1:30 pm. at The Wild Center, 45 Museum Dr., Tupper Lake, NY.

The meeting is open to the public and time will be provided for members of the public to participate with questions, comments and concerns.

Directions to the meeting room

  • The address is 45 Museum Drive, Tupper Lake.
  • You will drive down the long driveway then enter a large parking lot.
  • To the right there is a service drive that you and other attendees may walk down after parking your vehicle.
  • When walking down the service drive you’ll see a set of doors with an “Administration Entrance” sign hanging above the doors (to the left in front of the storage container unit on its side).
  • Once you enter the building the Hutchens Conference Room will be on your left.

For those unable to attend the meeting, the public could also participate by posting questions and/or comments in advance on this post, or by emailing questions and comments in advance to NCPR ([email protected])

NCPR Executive Council Meeting Minutes

November 1, 2018, Wild Center, Tupper Lake, 1:30 p.m.

Roll Call: EC Members: Ann Adams, Cali Brooks, Linda Cohen, Mark Dzwonczyk, Mike Erickson, Andy Gustafson, Hannah Hanford, James Howard, Julia Kaplan Toce; NCPR Staff: Doyle Dean, Lizette Haenel, Ellen Rocco.

Introductions, Linda Cohen

  1. New Member Introductions

Approval of Minutes from July, 2018 Executive Council Meeting

  1. Moved: Hannah Hanford
  2. Seconded: Mark Dzwonczyk
  3. Approved

 

Appointment of Margot Ernst

  1. Margot will fill out the term of her husband, John Ernst
  2. Moved: Mike Erickson
  3. Seconded: Cali Brooks
  4. Approved

Station Updates, Ellen Rocco

Personnel Shifts

The station is beginning major personnel shifts, transitioning from “founding generation” to an amazing cadre of “youngins.” Jackie will be leaving in December; Ellen and Martha in June, and Bob at the end of 2019.  A national search will begin on January 1st for the new Station Manager.  Ellen will continue in various project-based work after her retirement, and all will continue to serve as important institutional resources moving forward.

Zach and David’s positions are in the process of being filled, offers should be extended in the coming weeks. The new hires will train for a few months in Canton, and then one will be based in Plattsburgh and the other will remain in Canton.

Program Updates

  1. American Roots has shifted to Met Opera until April when it will return
  2. There will be various holiday specials
  3. Deep coverage for the midterm elections, including David and Lauren’s podcast on the 21st District Election
  4. Howl Storytelling Slam season finale is 12/1
  5. North Country at Work live storytelling event is 12/8 at Tupper Lake State Theater

This program recently received national acclaim as a runner up for the “Local That Works” programming award.

The archiving platform built for this project is almost ready to be shared with other stations.

NCPR Website

  1. Recent redesigned won national recognition
  2. Minutes of past EC Meetings and list of current members are readily available at ncpr.org/executivecouncil

50th Anniversary Celebrations

  1. Success!

Fundraising

  1. Met goal of $350,000 from fall fundraiser, including donations from 165 new donors, and more from formerly lapsed donors.
  2. Non-interruptive fundraising has been a successful shift for the station, all EC members prefer it.
  3. Discussion of annual budget, of which more than 50% comes from individual donations and corporate/business underwriters.
  4. Can we get more data to cull out seasonal vs. year-round donors?
  5. Preparations for end-of-year giving, tax changes may affect the year end donations.
  6. Car donations don’t bring in a lot of money, perhaps in the future this will be a better source of fundraising.
  7. Future Fund

$2.5 million goal, of which $1m will be used for quasi-endowment, and the rest will be spread out of next five years to fund cost of employment transitions, training etc.

Currently $700,000 away from goal

Will have public conclusion to the fundraising effort in June 2019, using Ellen and Jackie’s departure as a call for more funds.

Task Force for New Station Manager Hiring

  1. President of St. Lawrence University has created task force, including EC Members Margot Ernst, Cali Brooks, and Linda Cohen, to look at the roll that the station plays in the university and in the community. The task force has held monthly phone calls, and has selected, though not finalized, a search firm to conduct the hiring process for the new Station Manager.
  2. The Task Force will now morph into a Search Team
  3. Discussion of whether the new SM will have an on-air presence: it is a secondary job description.

Looking Forward to 2019

  1. Executive Council members are station ambassadors in the community. Please communicate ideas of news stories, relay sentiments from listeners, and keep in mind financial considerations and other ways to be involved.
  2. New comment on EC Website from Rick Paul read to the council:
  3. We will discuss this briefly at the next meeting, all members shall read the CPB Rules, available on the website, and should listen to Democracy Now if they get an opportunity.
  4. NCPR follows NPR’s ethical guidelines for journalistic integrity.

 

Other Business

  1. New members of EC are the class of ’18-’21.
  2. EC Members are encouraged to get into their communities, create relationships, host events, talk to people, tell the station who is listening, discuss the station with other groups we are a part of.
  3. Discussion of possible event in Plattsburgh to introduce new News Desk hire to community.
  4. Upcoming EC Dates

2/7/2019: February Call-In, 1:30-3:00

5/2/2019: In Person Meeting Location TBD 1:30-3:00

7/18/2019: Annual Meeting in Canton 1:30-3:00

Motion to Adjourn: Ann Adams

  1. Seconded: Cali Brooks
  2. Adjourned at 2:45 p.m.

 

Upcoming Executive Council meeting dates:

  • Thursday, February 7, 2019, 1:30-3:00 pm, internet meeting
  • Thursday, May 2, 2019, 1:30-3:00 pm at location in Adirondacks TBD
  • Thursday, July 18, 2019, 1:30-3:00 pm in Canton (annual meeting), location TDB
  • Thursday, October 3, 2019 – 1:30 pm or evening, time and location TBD

Members of the NCPR Executive Council:

  • Linda Cohen, Old Forge, NY (chair)
  • Ann Adams, Dekalb Junction, NY
  • Cali Brooks, Lake Placid, NY
  • Mark Dzwonczyk, Nicholville, NY
  • Mike Erickson, Brant Lake, NY
  • Margo Ernst, North Hudson, NY
  • Rod Giltz, Plattsburgh, NY
  • Andy Gustafson, Old Forge, NY
  • Hannah Hanford, Saranac Lake, NY
  • James Howard, Morrisonville, NY
  • Robert Keller, Boonville, NY
  • Alan McLeod, Kingston, ON
  • Stephen Meier, Queensbury, NY
  • Cathy Pircsuk, Watertown, NY
  • Susanna Piller, Plattsburgh, NY
  • Christopher Robinson, Potsdam, NY
  • Julia Kaplan Toce, Thousand Islands Park, NY

Ex-officio members representing license holder St. Lawrence University

  • Sarah Johnson, Canton, NY
  • Paul Redfern, Canton, NY
  • Marion Roach Smith, Troy, NY

The governing board of North Country Public Radio is the Board of Trustees of St. Lawrence

2 Comments on “Audio and Minutes: Executive Council Meeting, November 1”

  1. louis curth says:
    November 1, 2018 at 10:42 am

    My wife and I are very appreciative of the range of communication you provide to people of northern New York. Thank you all.

    Allow me to offer some observations:

    1. Commercialism seems to be taking up more and more of the stations air time. The balance between program content and advertising revenue should be a concern to all of us.

    2. I hear NCPR Brian Mann reporting news on NPR far from our area with some frequency. While we all benefit from Brian’s excellent reporting and his added experience in the wider world, I hope that NCPR is being reimbursed fairly by NPR for Brian’s services and also for his travel and loss of his reporting service to us while he is away.

    3. The geographical balance of NCPR reporting seems to favor the northern part of the region. Reporters and story content seem too concentrated in that area. Without more attention to stories that deserve attention in the southern most area, listeners may feel more inclined to turn to other media sources.

    4. The use of FaceBook as a conduit for listener comment is a negative to those of us who dislike this avenue and refuse to be a part of it. It also seems to be getting much less popular with younger people- your future listeners- as well. NCPR needs to take a look at this.

    I hope you may find these comments helpful to be considered by the advisory council members.

  2. Rich Paul says:
    October 31, 2018 at 1:53 pm

    Concerns and Questions I have with the Community Advisory Board CAB. October 31, 1:30 Tupper Lake
    Has the board read the CPB Corporation for Public Broadcasting rules for CAB’s? Please have a show of hands and role call as to who has, and has not, read the entire 16 pages? Martha Folley, please do not stop the board from performing its duty and allow this inquiry to continue. You have interfered with this CAB voting on whether or not to RECOMMEND or NOT RECOMMEND Democracy Now! news. Do not insult me, again, as I am fully aware that the CAB can only make recommendations. Why is the management of this station so afraid of allowing more than two whole sentences of discussion of Democracy Now and prohibits the CAB to Vote on this matter?

    The need to consider a change becomes more, and more, evident as NPR and NCPR have to abide by NPR Washington to never refer to any statement made by the president as a lie. The reporters, and guests, have to go through contortions and elaborate grammatical hurdles to comply with this act of censorship. It is an embarrassment of news reporting. There is a website with 45,800 signatures to Tell NPR to Call A Lie a Lie (act.rootsaction.org with documentation) The Washington Post has documented 4, 229 false or misleading claims in 558 days…

    I understand Ms. Cohen is the new chair of the CAB having replaced the old chair who felt it necessary to resign as he lives on the on the west coast. Ms. Cohen is it the policy of the CAB to never vote on any program recommendations to the station management? For the CAB to allow management and staff to control the meetings? Would you revisit my suggestion and ask each board member to listen to Democracy Now, and vote at the next meeting as to recommend it, or not, for consideration to the management of the station?

    I thank you for your time and I would like to see this board act as a board on this matter: an example of public input, board deliberation/action, and recommendation or no recommendation, without management intervention in the process.
    Richard Paul

Comments are closed.