WRFI Board Meeting Minutes — January 2021

By WRFI Board Recorder | February 9, 2021

WRFI Board Meeting Minutes — January 11, 2021, 6-8pm

Present:

Stephen Cope

Carlos Gutierrez

Joseph Haefeli

Joe Romano

Godfrey Simmons

Pamela Tan

Felix Teitelbaum

Chantal Thomas

John Young

Agenda:

Coup attempt, ongoing risks, coverage

Risks to journalists/media

Risk Trump could use EAS - response

Personnel

ND or Director of Content ?

When to do search?

VOTE: Hire Jimmy to manage headlines?

VOTE: Contract Celia to produce Which Way Forward

WINO update

VOTE: Apply for second round PPP

DISCUSS: Apply for SBA loan for WINO move?

Anti-racism workshops

News Reboot

Reviewed minutes from December 2020 Board Meeting

Coup attempt, ongoing risks, coverage + Risks to journalists/media

Possible to increase security in the station.
Press credentials for news team if they’re covering anything on the street?
Proactive call to the mayor/police: ask how we can help as well as head’s up about possibility of being targeted as a news source.
Felix can broadcast from home, if the station is compromised.

Risk Trump could use Emergency Alert System

“EAS Participants must transmit Presidential messages during national emergencies.”

Personnel

Michayla stepping down from news director role after 1/22.
On 1/25: new interim format, headed up by Felix and Peter
VOTE: Hire someone to manage headlines on interim (3 month) basis
- Stephen called vote, Joseph seconded. Motion passes unanimously.
VOTE: Authorize hiring someone to produce Which Way Forward
- Grant from Engaged Cornell to continue through spring 2021
- Remaining grant funds: $1800
- NO VOTE Needed, as grant funds are for this project.

VOTE: Apply for second round PPP (provided personnel changes will not be an issue)

Raised $67K in 2020 ($5K over last year)
Rule for 2nd round: show 25% increase in any given quarter in 2020 compared to 2019.
$13K from 1st round.
Bookkeeper has PPE reporting tool, making tracking straightforward.
Stephen called vote, Joseph seconded. Motion passes unanimously.
Second draw info

Board Antiracism Sessions

WINO update

$250/month rent.
Contingent on passing structural engineering sign-off.
Will need space for two antennae array as well as points above and below the tower (about 30 feet).
Where on the tower? Need to set antennae in a particular way, increasing the load.
Window coming up for non-commercial educational licenses, suggest get authorization for modification before then.
Felix: will continue to follow up with Michael.
Eventually need someone local (Michael is in Oregon) to assist. Stick with Michael if he comes through soon.
Felix: We could cover Ithaca with two streams of content: talk and news
- KUNC: do they have words of wisdom, as they went down this road.
- Can a translator run two program streams. Maybe run both streams on both towers?
Apply for SBA loan for WINO move?

News Reboot

Felix asked the past 3 news directors to consider reformatting the show, but it was challenging for them to do this when the focus was producing weekday news.
Other stations: 1.5 minute local spot versus WRFI’s 10 minutes of local news daily (that takes 4 hours of writing/day + daily feature/interview
Plan for the interim
- Two 2-minute newscasts (early morning, 3 pm, replays at 6)
- No ½ hour evening program.
- ½ hour magazine program on Fridays looking back on previous week.
- Lowers the bar of entry for volunteers and increase quality of what we’re doing.
What is the purpose of the news? Training, engagement.
Felix’s notes from meetings with advisors
News Director could be a Director of Content instead.

Safety during COVID:

Local News: April 22, 2024