Friends of WWOZ Board of Directors/NOJHFF WWOZ General Manager’s Report September 13, 2017
Highlights:
It’s my pleasure to introduce our new Director of Development, Marcel McGee. Marcel has over 19 years of successful experience in donor relations and fundraising, working in settings as varied as Loyola University New Orleans, Dillard University, the Louisiana Association of Nonprofit Organizations, American Red Cross-Southeast Louisiana Chapter, The Audubon Nature Institute and CureSearch National Childhood Cancer Foundation in Maryland. Marcel is a native New Orleanian who grew up in the Ninth Ward. He served in the United States Navy and is a graduate of Southern University at New Orleans. He is a member of both the Association of Fundraising Professionals and The Council for Advancement and Support of Education.
Research and planning for our Tricentennial Music Moments project is underway. There is a lot of excitement around this effort and more notable New Orleanians and ‘OZ supporters are signing on every day to voice the spots. We continue to seek funding for the project.
Thanks to the Ruth U. Fertel Foundation for a generous grant in the amount of $15,000. This grant will allow us to bring A CLOSER WALK into the schools of the Greater New Orleans area and refine and expand the project. We also received notice from Lt. Governor Nungesser’s office that we will be receiving a $12,000 grant from the Louisiana State Arts Council and the Louisiana Division of the Arts. Additionally, we learned that we have been recommended to receive $14,000 from the Arts Council of New Orleans.
Several excellent external meetings Quint Davis and the Festival Productions group, Tod Smith, General Manager of WWL-TV, Greg Lucas, Executive Director of the Preservation Hall Foundation.
Excellent articles about WWOZ in BreakThru Magazine and Louisiana Kitchen & Culture Magazine. http://www.magazinevolume.com/20540BM
WWOZ was named Best Local Radio Station in Gambit’s 2017 Reader’s Poll.
We have a very busy Fall planned between our live broadcasts, pledge drive, NOJHFF Crescent City Blues & BBQ Festival, Jazz and Heritage Concert Series, Ponderosa Stomp, Tricentennial Moments production and more.
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Content & Programming:
The most recent Nielsen audience data (Spring 2017) showed a record on-air audience of 87,300 weekly listeners for WWOZ-FM. This continues a recent growth pattern and represents a full 25% increase year-to-year! Below is the 10 year trend for total on-air audience:
Over the summer, our music staff initiated and completed an initial review of the pre-Katrina LP’s that have been in storage since the storm. Of approximately 7,000 LPs, we have identified about 300 that are worth considering digitizing and a small number that may be of high value. The remainder will be disposed of – perhaps in a surplus record/CD sale later this year. In the meantime, this freed up one full monthly rental space. At the same time, we’ve cleared out a second rental storage space, discarding some items and moving others to our Kenner engineering facility. Savings from releasing these storage spaces will be over $9,000 annually.
With the fall performance season ramping up, we are currently working on plans to cover the biennial Ponderosa Stomp Festival, with live coverage from the Ace Hotel (in cooperation with WFMU, New York) and a video live stream of their music conference. The events run October 5-7. The following weekend we will live broadcast performances from main stage of the NOJHFF Crescent City Blues and Barbeque Fest and will be supporting the festival with video for the Jumbotron at the park.
In September, we have a performance by the Edna Karr High School Brass Band on Monday September 25 at Noon. We are also working on plans for the new Second Line Season for Takin’ It To The Streets.
Volunteers
During the month of August WWOZ off-air Volunteers contributed 404.75 hours in Administrative/Clerical support; production; music digitization; general operations and membership/development. Based on a new Independent Sector report Setting the value of one volunteer hour in the state of Louisiana at $22-24 hours WWOZ’s off-air volunteer contribution was $8,904.50.
On-air hours for the month of August totaled 672 - a value of $14,784.00.
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WWOZ will have a general orientation for new volunteers on Friday, September 15, and on Saturday, September 16 from 2-4 p.m. at 1008 North Peters Street.
Interviews 8/16 Jeffrey Miller 8/18 Kellye Gray 7/6 Cyril Neville 8/23 Deltaphonic 7/10 Norma Miller 8/23 Sam Price 7/11 Bon Bon Vivant 8/23 Noisewater 7/11 Glen David Andrews 8/24 Byron Asher 7/11 Cecil Bridgewater and Kidd Jordan 8/24 Frank Oxley 7/12 Gal Holiday 8/26 Tito Puente Jr./ Brent Rose/ Margie Perez 7/13 Roderick Paulin 7/13 Meschiya Lake/Jason Jurzak/ Ben Polcer Performances (In-Studio) 7/17 Alexey Marti 7/18 Khari Allen Lee/Gregory Agid 7/6 Cutting Class- Ellis Marsalis Ctr. 7/20 Joe Lastie/ Kid Merv 7/12 The Wanting 7/20 Johnny Vidacovich 7/27 Annie Ellicot/ Singleton/Torkanowsky 7/20 Stanton Moore 7/31 Topsy Chapman & Solid Harmony 7/27 JD Hill Interview (Satchmo Preview) 7/28 Kaila Vandever 8/3 Ecirb Muller Twisted Dixie (Satchmo 7/31 Phil the Tremolo King Preview) 7/31 Cary Hudson 8/1 Red Wolf BB (Satchmo Preview) 7/31 Aden Paul 8/4 Leroy Jones (Satchmo Preview) 8/2 Sweet Crude Interview 8/14 Cutting Class- Satchmo Summer Camp 8/9 Alex McMurray 8/24 Ani DiFranco 8/10 Mark Braud 8/10 David Harris 8/10 Walter Wolfman Washington
New Media We prepared and launched new Brass Pass form for Jazz Fest 2018.
Testing new LiveWire data entry system on the C4 end.
Provided support for ~10 Live Video streams in July/August (see video). The Ani DiFranco stream produced some impressive Facebook Live stats: 161,759 Video Views, 2,097 Comments, 1,519 Shares
Created and populated new aggregate pages for all WWOZ Video (https://www.wwoz.org/topics/WWOZ-Video) and Live Video streams pages (https://www.wwoz.org/topics/recent-video-streams), both with thumbnail photos.
Created an internal promotions list, including items that we promote with unsold ad positions on the web site and 'Ozone. Began conducting monthly audits of Spinitron playlists.
Prepared and distributed In Memoriam content for: DL Menard, Dolores Marsalis, and Ike Edward.
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NPR Music Facebook Post on A Closer Walk - https://www.facebook.com/nprmusic/posts/1656082281068446
July / August 2017 Video Report
Recorded 7/1 Maafa Commemoration, Woldenburg Park 7/4 Prince Albert The Dogman and His Royal Knights, Vaughns 7/6 Cyrile Neville + Swamp Funk with Omari Neville, WWOZ Studio (LIVESTREAM) 7/6 Cuttin Class: Marsalis Jazz Camp (LIVESTREAM) 7/9 Ancestor Ring for Flagboy Ike Edwards, Congo Square 7/13 The Wanting - Summer Love Edition, WWOZ Studio (LIVESTREAM) 7/19 Video for A Closer Walk Promo 7/27 Annie Ellicott + James Singleton + David Torkanowsky, WWOZ Studio (LIVESTREAM) 7/31 Satchmo Preview: Topsy Chapman and Solid Harmony, WWOZ Studio (LIVESTREAM) 8/1 Satchmo Preview: Red Wolf Brass Band, WWOZ Studio (LIVESTREAM) 8/3 Satchmo Preview: Ecirb Muller’s Twisted Dixie (LIVESTREAM) 8/4 Satchmo Preview: Leroy Jones and New Orleans Finest (LIVESTREAM) 8/9 Walter Wolfman Washington Interview Re: John Williams, Tick Tocks 8/11 James Singleton + Aurora Nealand, Sidebar 8/14 Chief Keith Keitoe Jones Interviewed by Cherice Harrison- Nelson 8/14 Cuttin Class: Satchmo, Armstrong Camp (LIVESTREAM) 8/16 Marc Paradis Interview Re: Aurora Nealand + Rory Danger and the Danger Dangers 8/16 Ben Schenck Interview Re: Aurora Nealand + Panorama Jazz Band 8/23 Tom McDermott Interview Re: Aurora Nealand 8/24 Ani DIfranco, WWOZ Studio (LIVESTREAM)
Published
7/13 Mr. Ike - Isaac Edward, Flagboy Https://Vimeo.Com/225461284 7/17 Deltaphonic ‘Way Down In The Hole (Tom Waits Cover)’ Https://Vimeo.Com/225888295 7/18 One Love Brass Band Https://Vimeo.Com/226042304 7/18 Folk Blues Explosion Https://Vimeo.Com/226048794 7/18 Cyril Neville And Swamp Funk - Money And Oil Https://Vimeo.Com/226056300 7/18 Keith Porteous Https://Vimeo.Com/226058914 7/25 Voices Of The Nation Https://Vimeo.Com/226978474 7/26 A Closer Walk Https://Vimeo.Com/227146529 7/28 D.L.Menard - The Back Door / La Porte D’en Arriere Https://Vimeo.Com/227459065 7/28 Henry Butler, Save Our Sponge Https://Vimeo.Com/227466430 7/28 Loyola Jazz Ensemble ‘Girls That Dance (Masego X Medasin Cover)’ Https://Vimeo.Com/227489430 8/2 Danny Barker Festival ‘Struttin’ With Some Barbecue’ Https://Vimeo.Com/228080502 8/2 Funky Meters With Allen Toussaint - All These Things Https://Vimeo.Com/228125372 8/10 Tom Mcdermott + Aurora Nealand - I’m So Lonesome I Could Cry Https://Vimeo.Com/229151940 8/10 Tom Mcdermott + Chloe Feoranzo - Empty Bed Blues Https://Vimeo.Com/229186916 8/25 Shannon Mcnally ‘I Went To The Well’ Https://Vimeo.Com/231136244
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Finance:
Monthly Report – CFO (Accounting/Finance/HR) Through AUGUST 2017 During the month of August 2017, we advanced/completed the following projects, above and beyond our normal Accounting workload:
Banking Update: After a challenging year with our banking (FNBC closing), combined with the turnover of key employees who were authorized signers on our accounts, I am now happy to report that WWOZ is now current and functional in all necessary aspects of our banking. This not only includes our traditional operating and reserve accounts, but also our now newly functioning Line of Credit (LOC), as well as our corporate credit card program, all of which are held by the Whitney Bank as was facilitated by our proactive Finance Committee. Cash Flow: In the normal course of our cyclical business, each year WWOZ has the need to drawdown funds in the summer of each year in order to sustain our Operations until new funds arrive (Fall Drive). As such, I am happy to report the WWOZ was able to improve our cash management and postpone this annual LOC drawdown until September, thereby sustaining until the END of FY17 without having to utilize the LOC for about two months longer than we had to do in the prior few years. Fiscal Year-end: As a reminder, our fiscal year ends on August 31 of each year, and as such, we have commenced closing our books in preparation of our annual audit in October.
Development:
Membership
2018 Brass Pass Brass Pass sales started via website 09.05.2017 On-Air Spots - On air spots started running on 08.31.2017. There will be 5 spots ran on- air per day until we sell out. OZone promoted brass pass sales 09.05.17. Membership Assessment and evaluation of potential new vendor for our Customer Relationship Management (CRM) system Allegiance Software System and Blackbaud NXT 08.09.2017 - Building the Base - How to engage your supporters to build a sustainable fundraising program – Webinar, 08.10.2017 - Creating a Top-Performing Membership Program - Webinar; 08.23.2017 - Meeting about Pledge Drive; 08.23.2017 – Website Giving Pages/Donation Form Meeting
Underwriting & Sponsorship
August: WWOZ Underwriting Department Update Ashli Richard Morris hired as the new Underwriting & Sponsorship Manager
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o Evaluating materials, communication strategy Underwriting/Sponsorship Meetings with: o Tanner Gallery, New Orleans CVB, Marketing manager for Louisiana Museum Foundation & Ben Franklin High School, Kermit Ruffin’s for the Mother-in-Law Lounge, Twelve Mile Limit, Deep Fried Advertising for Sally’s Pralines o New Orleans Food Co-op, Dutch Alley Artist Co-op, Algiers Festival, Winter Circle Productions/AEG South WWOZ Guardians of the Groove Cocktail Party o Meetings (in person and conference call) to with Rachel, Designed invitation and invite packaging, Coordinated 10 volunteers to package and mail over 400 invites, Creating sponsorship solicitation letters for board members
Outreach
Evaluation of outreach initiatives and goals as well as implementing plan to bring A CLOSER WALK into area schools.
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