NCPR Executive Council Meeting Minutes 7/9/15

Approved April 29 Meeting Minutes

Department Overviews

a.      Brit will produce high quality digital content, in the past the digital producer took broadcast first content and transformed for the web.

b.      In addition to web content, Brit will work to develop broadcast first content as well.

c.       The position was crafted to give digital consumers the high quality digital content they desire.

2)      Fiscal Year 15 was great for the digital team in attracting digital users.

a.      76% increase in visitors to the NCPR website.

b.      142% increase in mobile usage.

c.       52% increase in live stream usage.

d.      124% increase in consumption of social media traffic.

3)      Increase in users attributed to great content and innovative digital techniques.

a.      A new tool was developed for the new series “This Must be the Place” which had excellent traction.

b.      The in-depth Garret Phillips coverage had over 25,000 views, the most ever for the website.

4)      NCPR Music has also been introduced, spear-headed by NCPR Production Manager Joel Hurd.

a.      Will feature local musicians and venues to our region.

b.      Has already and will continue to broadcast video productions of local performances.

c.       Features by NCPR staff on their music of interest.

5)      Bill addressed the question of digital being a revenue generator in the affirmative. Noted that there is a huge audience out there that supports NCPR for both digital and on-air content.

a.      NCPR Station Manager Ellen Rocco pointed to the trend away from traditional on-air radio and a move to multi-media.

6)      Bill also defined visitor groups as two:

a.      1 – 30 second visitor which is the largest

b.      60 – 180 second visitor who is the target audience, the loyal listener.

a.      In depth, breaking coverage on all fronts including digital and social media.

b.      Plattsburgh correspondent Zach Hirsch had the “opportunity of a lifetime” to cover the story and have so much national exposure.

2)      Martha confirmed what Bill had alluded to with the addition of Brit, that the news team will have a closer relationship with the digital team.

a.      Digital tools will be more in sync with journalistic tools.

b.      Digital is the present and also the future for news.

c.       We are no longer just radio, but media.

d.      Brit will bring more breaking news and forward thinking strategy to social media.

e.       Brit will also have a strong influence on film and photo journalism for our website.

3)      Other strong content produced in the last year included “This Must Be the Place” and the coverage of Sunmount in Tupper Lake, which NCPR collaborated with the Adirondack Enterprise with.

4)      NPR changed their clocks which had a direct effect the timing of the 8 O’Clock Hour.

a.      Allows us to air a new 6:50 a.m. newscast

5)      NCPR has added 5 interns this summer allowing more projects to be worked on.

6)      Martha gave an acknowledgment to everyone who helped create and sustain our Next Generation project which has allowed an expansion in our geographic region and the type of journalism we are able to provide.

2)      There is a focus on revitalizing the content and sound of the station.

a.      National legacy programs change and some go away while others have host changes.

3)      Jackie referred to a comment by NPR President Jarl Mohn that “radio isn’t going away, it’s going everywhere.”

4)      NCPR has difficulty tracking listenership because the services available (Neilson, Arbitron) do not measure well in rural areas.

a.      In more populated areas, commercial stations subscribe to these services which allow public radio stations to obtain the services as well.

b.      In our region no commercial station subscribes.

c.       Based on past measurements and factors we believe our weekly cume is around 50,000.

i.      Our renewal rates prove that we are not flat.

d.      We provide a vital service which brings listeners in.

5)      This coming fall we plan to air a new show, a collaboration between WNYC and The New Yorker.

6)      Ellen pointed out that both Jackie & Martha serve on national associations for Program Directors & News Directors, respectively.

2)      On August 1^st, we will sign on in Elizabethtown.

a.      This will be a gateway to Saratoga Springs.

b.      A long slow progress due to broadcast limitations.

c.       Will make our signal more available where WAMC is broadcasting.

d.      Ellen says that we don’t compete with WAMC or VPR, but we complement each other.

3)      Bob is continually working with Zach in Plattsburgh and Watertown Correspondent Julia Botero to keep them operational.

4)      The St. Huberts signal went off the air because it had low reach. This translator is what will be moved to Elizabethtown. St. Huberts already receives service via the Keene transmitter.

a.      This will allow Joel the opportunity to work more with local artists which is a love of his.

b.      More video for the web, the first being the Soundwaves Concert Series in Westport on July 3^rd.

c.       The new streaming service on web and on mobile app display artist, album art and song.

2)      Brit has been brought as a full-time replacement for Nora Flaherty who left in 2014.

3)      Reporter Sarah Harris is leaving the station to go back to school to work on her Master’s Degree.

a.      Part of our role as a small station is to give a chance to young talent and help develop them.

4)      Xian Chiang-Waren has been brought in to help expand our underwriting cliental. Xian will be based out of Plattsburgh / Burlington.

a.      An experiment in underwriting to expand upon.

b.      If successful, the goal will be to establish similar positions in Watertown and Glens Falls.

c.       EC Chair Rod Giltz has done a lot to help introduce Xian to businesses in the Plattsburgh area.

2)      We finished thirty-four thousand ahead of the previous fiscal year in payments received.

3)      Underwriting rates were increased for the first time in 3 years.

a.      The increase was incredibly manageable for businesses.

4)      A big thank you was attributed to the digital team for helping develop new tools and strategies for selling more digital underwriting.

5)      An acquisition of business names was obtained and a targeted post card campaign has been initiated with businesses responding quickly.

6)      The addition of Xian has been an early success and a welcomed addition to the team.

7)      NCPR has become members of 3 more Chambers of Commerce in FY15.

8)      We have offered clients the opportunity for more exposure on the website by providing testimonials of appreciation for the service.

a.      June is being awarded in recognition for her innovative “quiet drive” campaign that has been utilized in the past two fundrasiers.

b.      The new drive format has yielded the highest goal total and achievement in NCPR history and did so with minimal program interruption.

c.       NCPR took two weeks of traditional on-air fundraising and whittled it down to two and a half days on-air while making goal.

2)      In June’s absence, Development Coordinator Jon Sklaroff gave a brief summary of the member gifts to the station in FY 15.

a.      Annual giving in the range of $1 – 4,999 was the highest ever at $657,520 which was up $33,999 from the previous fiscal year.

b.      Donations by phone has dropped while donations online has increased.

c.       Overall NCPR donor retention rate is 75% while the national non-profit average is 43%.

d.      One of the main focuses going forward for the team will be how to bring on new donors.

2)      Reinventing Radio: An Evening with Ira Glass will be held at The Strand Center for the Arts in Plattsburgh on October 3^rd.

Financials Update

2)      Currently no foundational grants are being giving to NCPR and these have a history of being incredibly helpful.

a.      Grant money raised in the past helped create the Adirondack Bureau to sustain Brian Mann’s position and his eventual successor.

b.      EC Member Nancy Keet had drawn attention to the Knight Foundation for NCPR.

3)      Development has raised more than a hundred thousand dollars, up from the previous FY.

4)      The SLU annual gift will be about a hundred and thirty thousand a year, in the past the gift had been about 50% of the NCPR operating budget.

Other Business

a.      Going forward, NCPR will have more communication and reporting to the SLU board. The SLU board will pay more attention to NCPR at the committee level.

b.      Preliminary discussions have been had in the direction to fund a new NCPR space.

2)      The SLU website now features a link to NCPR.

3)      NCPR SLU interns had a feature story on the SLU website.

4)      SLU Trustee Sarah Johnson sat in on the meeting as well to offer some thoughts.

a.      Looking for synergy between higher education and NPR member stations.

b.      Sarah was interested in gathering information on NCPR and hopes for a significant relationship going forward.

5)      Going forward there will be a more diligent effort on behalf of NCPR to publish public meeting notifications and minutes.

a.      Exploration of possible webinar for quarterly meetings not done in person will be explored.

Public Commentary

a.       Concerns on programming, preference that the station carries Democracy Now.

b.      An inquiry on the makeup of the council and how selected.

c.       After a 15 minute monologue the chair of the EC suggested that he submit further comments to the station in writing.