CAB Minutes, August 7, 2018
Community Advisory Board Meeting Minutes
Tuesday, August 7, from 6 to 8 PM
The meeting was announced on the air starting two weeks before the meeting date and was repeated with increasing frequency until the meeting. The CAB appreciates Rural Communities Housing Development Corporation at 499 Leslie Street in Ukiah, who generously provided the use of a friendly and comfortable facility for the meeting.
Attending (listed alphabetically by last name)
John Arteaga
Tom Dow
Steve Fish – CAB member Margie Fish
Maria Gilardin Anne Gould Tim Gregory Ed Keller Holly Laird Marsha Little
Jonathan Middlebrook – BOD-CAB Laison George Poore
Ellen Saxe – CAB member Renee Vineyard
Meeting Format
Everyone was seated at a large table, and attendees made comments during one rotation around the table and then just spoke up until everyone was satisfied. Nobody was timed, but attendees spontaneously limited each other to discourage anyone from talking for too long. CAB members tried to restrict topics to those that are solvable and within the CAB’s mandate.
Comments are main points made by attendees
Tim Gregory wants the Willits Studio to be improved.
Renee Vineyard supports the station and wants more information on the CAB’s work and purpose.
Tom Dow also supports the station and would like to know more about the CAB.
Jonathan Middlebrook was enthusiastic about the new Board of Directors of KZYX (BOD) and wants new equipment for the station, more funding for the Station, and wants to revise by-laws to have BOD elections every two years to save time and money.
Steve Fish was concerned that the BOD has not been responsive to the CAB in his five years on the CAB.
Margie Fish expressed support for the Station and cites her comparisons to other public radio stations experienced while driving across the country on several occasions. Feels that KZYX is the best.
Marsha Little Is a long time listener and supporter and wants to help the Station.
Holly Laird expressed concern about what she reads in local newspapers, especially about the finances at KZYX, and doesn’t know what is true.
George Poore came to listen and learn.
Maria Gilardin is the programmer of TUC Radio for almost twenty-five years and had previous experience at KPFA. She expressed concern about upcoming program changes, especially about not being informed yet of the schedule for her show. She was also concerned about continuing technical issues that are annoying listeners. She wants KZYX to hire a news director that will produce a one-hour news show. She talked about the need for grassroots emergency systems for fire and flood using two- way radios.
Tim Gregory suggested that there should be more consideration of the hard topic of NPR and the truth behind finances. There was a general discussion on this topic without any resolution.
Tom Dow is a Board member and is interested in the finances of the Station. He explained that one-third of the budget is NPR and its programs.
Ellen Saxe explained what the CAB’s purpose is and that the connection to financial questions is not a direct one.
Jonathan Middlebrook expressed approval of the meeting, and suggested that the CAB could
recommend a show called, “Discussing NPR.” He explained that there is now talk about how to fund the
news and that there is a search for a news director.
George Poore wanted to know why the last CAB survey results weren’t announced on air.
Ellen Saxe explained that she was unable to have the survey results added to the KZYX website until the afternoon of this meeting even though they were presented to the staff months ago. She also told the group about the CAB’s proposal five years ago to air a regular “News of the Station” segment. The station only tried this very briefly during Loraine Dechter’s tenure.
George Poore said that KZYX is able to air a bird feature, so why not station news. Ellen Saxe replied that Pam Huntley independently produces the Audobon segment. If someone would produce a station news segment, there might not be an objection to airing it.
Anne Gould thinks the CAB should find out why people listen without joining and paying.
Maria Gilardin asked for a meeting specific to programming changes be called.
Renee Vineyard read a long note from a person who was unable to attend that wants more news, an improved website and likes programs that are useful to listeners like, “Point and Click,” but doesn’t like “The Discussion” because it is dominated by repeat callers.
John Arteaga is willing to serve on the CAB, and Jonathan Middlebrook will start the process for him to join.
Ellen Saxe and Steve Fish lead a discussion about the difficulty of having a CAB that represents the whole county and proposed the idea of having representatives in different communities that could hold small local meetings and have one meeting per year with the entire CAB.
These minutes were provided by Ellen Saxe with apologies for any errors or omissions.