HomeMy WebLinkAbout06-17-07• PEG Access Coordinating Committee Minutes, 6-17-07
Special Meeting, 3:00 PM in Mark Welch's Classroom. Members attending were
Mark Welch, Geoff Masci, Karen Nelson, Gary Nelson, Kitti del-ong.
Discussion in depth re: Carl Nomura's suggested business plan. The entire board
will be presented with a feasibility discussion of a nonprofit corporation.
Discussion of Summer Hours for PTTV. Julian will reroute Mark's studio phone,
379-0707 and he will answer. (Julian was not able to reroute Mark's phone, and
the number to call to reach Julian in order to make appointments is 379-4520)
Appointments for use of the studio other than the days that Steve is here will
require one day's notice. Mark will return July 12.
Discussion re: the availability of a radio station license. A subcommittee was
formed between Mark Welch and Julian Ray to look at the feasibility of acquiring
a radio station license.
Discussion of channel monitoring. Once a production manager is retained, the
channel monitoring will be satisfied.
Meeting ended at 4:30 PM.
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• Comments on Carl Nomura's Suggestions for a Business Plan
I completely agree with Carl Nomura's suggestion for a Business Plan. In effect,
he suggests running PTTV as if it were a for-profit business and I completely
agree with that suggestion. Here are my comments for each point:
1. Plan to make PTTV a first class station with up-to-date technology and
operated by first class staff.
Up -dating the technology of the station is the way to keep our little station at
the competitive edge of the industry and is the avenue that Mark and Julian have
been suggesting. After Mark and Julian's presentation last week, I understand
more what that really means and agree that is the best way to position the station
in our "market." If we are gong to run this station as if it is a for-profit business,
we need to do the planning that a business would do and have a Capital
Acquisition Plan that lists the equipment we need, the costs for that equipment,
any considerations to adding each planned new piece to our present line-up (can
we add one piece at a time, or only a whole group of equipment?). I am willing to
act as Secretarial support for Mark and Julian, who have the technical expertise
to construct a Capital Acquisition Plan.
2. Since both the City and the School system have limited budgets, get additional
funds via promotion and grant writing.
• The PEG Board has discussed these options but we, unfortunately, have not
put any parameters into place to guide us in finding avenues of income other
than our present sources. After our last meeting with Albert Koval, I feel we are a
little closer to that and would like to pursue this avenue immediately. You, Karen,
have instituted one type of "promotion" in trading the value of a membership in
PTTV for help in the form of people from the Boiler Room who can help with
productions at the station. There are many forms of promotion that are exciting to
consider pursuing. As a person with a business background, this is one of the
areas of work that excite me. However, this is one area where we have not
reached a consensus with the PEG Board about the parameters of selling "soft
commercials", finding sponsorships, or any other form of raising money. Albert
Koval suggests we change "soft commercials' to "Sponsorships." Since we have
had our noses to the grindstone to keep the station alive and have not had a
clear direction in fund raising, we have not made this fundraising a priority. Carl is
right and we need to concentrate on that immediately although 1 have one
question. I believe we need to be a non-profit corporation to pursue grants (in
most cases) and we are not. Does Carl have experience in writing grants where
the recipient does not need to be non-profit? If he does, would he lead us in that
pursuit?
3. Operate the station with a Profit and Loss; develop a good working capital so
that you could cover short falls and also fund attractive opportunities for
. enhancing your programs.
Yes, this will allow the station to function in a professional manner. My
• question is: "How do you construct a profit and loss at the beginning of a cycle, in
our present circumstances?" Developing good working capital has been one of
our major concerns and desires the entire time I have been on the board. I hope
that under Carl's direction, we can finally work toward raising money in new and
exciting ways, in addition to bringing in new members.
4. Hire a General Manager who is experienced in running a profit and loss
business, who knows the technology and the art of TV productions, who is skilled
in finance, accounting, and fund raising.
Yes! Yes! Yes! Here again, we need to work on promotions and other ways to
raise funds immediately to back up our decision to institute hiring, and keeping, a
General Manager who is experienced, as Carl suggests.
Second Section of Carl's Suggested Business Plan:
1. Write a job description of the Station General Manager.
We started this process when we advertised for an interim manager.
Things have changed. We need to respond to the change in our process,
rewrite and complete the description of the Station General Manager.
2. Write a detailed mission statement of the Board; a description of the
purpose and authority of the Board.
• Writing a detailed mission statement for PTTV is in the works and, I
expect, will be finished at our next board meeting. Writing a mission
statement of the Board, and a description of the purpose and authority of the
Board, is a very interesting idea since we have had varying opinions of the
authority and boundaries of the Board. This would unify our board and give us
clear guidance in our duties. I believe that this can be done after we have
finished the Mission statement for PTTV, and concurrently with our search for
a Station Manager.
A description of the duties of the Board Members.
My response is the same as number two.
4. Prepare a business plan consisting of a vision statement and other items
Carl presented at the 5-9-07 PEG Board meeting.
Yes, the need to prepare these items is clear.
5. Prepare a budget and a capital equipment plan. These would give us a
Profit and Loss and a Balance Sheet.
We have always operated under a budget (a very tight one) that the
Station Manager has constructed and presented, with occasional minor
changes. I agree that we need to construct a new type of budget which
includes the capital equipment additions. which we need to "bring the station
into the 21St Century," as Julian is fond of saying. But, in order to do that, we
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need a list of the capital equipment, and projected costs of that equipment as
• well as installation costs and any projected shut -down time. These are
planning documents that any business uses to plan, but which we have not
been able to manifest in the past. I am willing to work with Mark and Julian, as
Secretary, to document their suggestions of the equipment we need. I believe
this documentation needs to be done immediately and will arrange my time to
coincide with any time that Mark and/or Julian can schedule to this end.
The Balance Sheet can be done immediately. Again, how do we construct
a Profit and Loss at the beginning of a cycle? Do we use past financial
documentation, even though we have operated in a different manner? I agree
these documents are necessary and would aid, and drive, our work. I would
like to work, with any of the other Board members, on these two documents
and would like Carl's guidance in this.
Building a Strategic Plan
I believe that we are on the path to building the strategic plan after our
meeting with Carl and after Albert's meeting, and Julian's presentation,
brought us closer together in our visions of the future of PTTV. We do need
guidance and direction to stay on this path and manifest the documents
required to build the strategic plan, and then to implement that strategic plan.
I am impressed and thankful that Carl Nomura feels that he has the time to
lead our efforts. His help and guidance is crucial to finding a path to manifest
• our common needs for PTTV and aligning the diverse opinions of the
members of our Board.
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