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WWOZ Board of Directors Meeting September 28, 2010 General Manager's Report 1. FYE 2010 Audit. The CPA firm LaPorte Sehrt Romig and Hand has completed the FYE 2010 Audit and will present a draft for review at the Board of Directors‘ Meeting today. WWOZ ended the Fiscal Year with a modest surplus. 2. Chief Financial and Business Development Officer. On Friday, Oct 1, 2010, Beau Royster will assume the twin duties of WWOZ‘s Chief Financial and Business Development Officer. Mr. Royster holds an MBA and a CPA and will be charged with overseeing the daily financial operation of the station, providing financial analysis and developing products and markets for WWOZ‘s earned income projects. 3. WWOZ Strategic Planning Retreat. On Wednesday, September 1st, the WWOZ Board of Directors and staff revisited the station‘s foundational vision, developed broad categories of core activities and reviewed Board roles, especially as the station gears up for a major gift solicitation campaign. Assisted by consultants David Othmer and Betsy Harman, the next step is to create a strategic plan for next year‘s developmental priorities, along with case statements and an updated vision statement. 4. WWOZ Best Local Radio Station In the August 31st edition of Gambit, WWOZ was selected as ―Best Local Radio Station.‖ The weekly newspaper wrote: ―And it is ever thus: New Orleans loves its commercial-free 24-hour homegrown music treasure, which is even more valuable as the rest of the radio dial sinks into cookie-cutter mediocrity. Passionate DJ‘s with character and eclectic tastes are the backbone of ‗OZ, and the station makes it easy to ―be a New Orleanian wherever you are‖ with free online streaming and, this year, even a smartphone app.‖ 5. Best Radio Website Award. On August 30, 2010, Gambit Newsweekly designated www.wwoz.org as ―The Best Radio Website‖ in New Orleans. WWOZ‘s i-phone app was selected as the 2nd best mobile app, as well, (http://bestofneworleans.com/gyrobase/page?oid=73964). 6. New Orleans All–the-Way Live. Syndicated to 60—soon to be 66-- public radio stations, New Orleans All-the-Way-Live is WWOZ‘s weekly hour-long program produced by George Ingmire and featuring live recordings of music performances from local venues, as well as features on local foodways and events. The program is being aired on more and more stations across the country since being introduced 18 months ago. 1 WWOZ Board of Directors Meeting September 28, 2010 General Manager's Report 7. Washington D.C. Jazzfest. June 8-12, 2010 and October 5, 2010. WWOZ Board Member Mary Johnston Norriss will serve as Honorary Chair of an event to be held in Washington D.C. honoring Tommy Boggs with the John Conyers Jazz Advocacy Award. The event will take place on October 5, 2010 at the Italian Embassy. WWOZ is currently exploring a broadcast of Dee Dee Brigdewater‘s performance from the Embassy. 8. 2011 Brass Pass Agreement. In a meeting held July 13, 2010, WWOZ Board President Carol Solomon, New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival Executive Producer Quint Davis, WWOZ General Manager and New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival Associate Producer for Finance, Heather Smith finalized arrangements for the 2011 WWOZ New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival Brass Pass. 9. Membership. As of September 22, 2010 WWOZ has raised $39,767 from 686 donors (429 renewing and 145 new). This time last year OZ raised $36,900 from 397 donors (352 renewing and 45 new). Membership announces that the Fall On- Air Membership Drive will be begin at 8am on Thursday September 30th and ends at 4pm on Thursday October 7th. Membership staff held training sessions for on-air producers on Thursday, September 16th and Saturday, September 18th and provided instruction to phone bank volunteers on Thursday, September 23rd and Saturday, September 25th. In an effort to revitalize the WWOZ House of Blues Pass, Crystal Gross and Molly Cobb met with executives from the club. The passes for 2011 will now also provide the same benefits as accorded a House of Blues Foundation Bronze Member, including access to the Parish and two free Gospel Brunches. Crystal Gross, Molly Cobb and Scott Borne met with Tipitina‘s to plan an future 30th Anniversary event at the club on December 4th 10. Underwriting. Bookkeeper Monica Landry reports underwriting income of $15,979 to date since the previous Board meeting of June 3. 2010. 11. Arts Council of New Orleans. On September 22, 2010, WWOZ received $11,543, a 75% payment of the full Community Arts Grant. The funds are unrestricted and were nine months late due to the new administration‘s review of all state funding. 2 WWOZ Board of Directors Meeting September 28, 2010 General Manager's Report 12. Swamp Shop. For the month of August, the Swamp Shop earned $1,289 in sales, and $1,206 for the month of July. Income for FYE 2010 totaled $28,037, as of July. The Swamp Shop is preparing for a busy retail season, which includes the Crescent City Blues Festival, the Creole Gumbo Fest, and holiday shopping in general. All members who donate during the fall Membership Drive will receive a money-saving coupon to encourage them to visit our online store. 13. Major Giving. As of September 22, 2010 WWOZ has received $4,500 in major gifts from 5 donors. This time last year, OZ received $5,000 from 1 donor. David Freedman and Crystal Gross are working with Amy Hines and David Othmer to increase the station‘s major funding from donors. Crystal is working directly with Amy Hines to identify and cultivate potential major donors currently giving to WWOZ. 14. Leadership for Philanthropy/Public Media Development and Marketing Conference. While attending the PMDMC in Forth Worth, TX, July, 9-10, 2010, WWOZ staff members David Freedman and Crystal Gross and Board Member Mary Johnston Norriss attended a special program, the Leadership for Philanthropy, designed to significantly increase major contributions to public radio stations. Two other staff people from the Membership Department, Molly Cobb and Eliza Llewellyn and Underwriting Representative, Carmen Post, attended other sessions designed to improve productivity in those two areas. 15. Outreach. The Outreach Krewe led by Eliza Llewellyn attended 6 events from June 1 – Sept. 1, 2010. These included the Creole Tomato/Cajun-Zydeco Festival in the French Market, an ‗OZ Live Broadcast at DBA in the Marigny, the Gretna Farmer‘s Market on the Westbank, and Culture Collision at the New Orleans Museum of Art. Since June 1st, outreach events have brought in 112 new ‗OZone subscribers, 6 new members and roughly $220 in membership donations. Outreach is hoping to participate in at least 6 more events between September and December 31. Upcoming events include 2 live broadcasts in September and the Crescent City Blues & BBQ Festival in October. 16. Groovin’ in the Vines. WWOZ held its first Groovin' In the Vines event at the Pontchartrain Vineyards in St. Tammany Parish on Saturday, September 11, inaugurating our 30th anniversary year-long celebration. Sunpie and the Louisiana Sunspots performed and there was a private wine tasting before the show, with commemorative bottles of wine for each guest. 41 'OZ members attended, raising a little over $900. ‘OZ partnered with Hotard to offer members transportation to and from the event. 3 WWOZ Board of Directors Meeting September 28, 2010 General Manager's Report 17. Southern Food and Beverage Museum. The WWOZ Swamp Shop is partnering with the gift shop of the Southern Food and Beverage Museum located in the Riverwalk. WWOZ is also seeking other ways in which to widen its collaboration with the non-profit curator of local foodways. 18. Web. During the summer, the web team initiated a system to prioritize volunteer management systems across the station to help membership, operations, programming and more specifically the Live Wire Calendar (listings of live music performances). The web team also worked with other staff members in preparing an NEA grant application to enhance the web content for New Orleans All the Way Live. 19. African-American Radio Station Summit. As a result of a grant from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, WWOZ General Manager attended a one- day Summit for African-American Radio Stations in St. Paul, Minnesota. June 8th. The conference, hosted by Corporation for Public Broadcasting, signals CPB‘s intentions to fund at significant levels, the development of African-American public radio stations. 20. Louisiana Public Broadcasting Emergency Preparedness Conference. In anticipation of the advent of the 2010 hurricane season, WWOZ General Manager David Freedman attended a conference on June 14, 2010 hosted in Baton Rouge by Louisiana Public Broadcasting to co-ordinate emergency procedures among state public broadcasters. Others in attendance included: Dave Spizale, KRVS, Lafayette; David Gordon, WRKF, Baton Rouge; Blythe Johnson, WRKF, Baton Rouge; Kermit Polling, Red River Radio, Shreveport; Todd Delaney, KSLU Hammond; Joel Willer, KEDM, Monroe; Paul Maassen, WWNO, New Orleans; Beth Courtney, CEO, LPB; Steve Graziano, COO, LPB; Randy Ward, Chief Engineer, LPB; Kathy Merrick, Corporation for Public Broadcasting and Richard Tillman, National Public Radio, SAFER Emergency Prep Manual. Part of the discussion centered on LPB‘s development of an online statewide media exchange depot that will enable stations to quickly and easily share locally generated content. 21. Community Engagement. On July 9, 2010 in Fort Worth, TX, as part of a Public Media Development and Marketing Conference panel on ―Community Engagement‖ WWOZ General Manager reviewed a number of his station‘s more outstanding outreach and community engagement activities, including the New Orleans Musicians Clinic, Sweet Home New Orleans, Gulf Aid and work on a mayoral committee revising the city‘s current noise ordinance.