ZOOM MEETING LINK / RECORDING

https://iu.mediaspace.kaltura.com/media/Clip+of+WTIU+Community+Advisory+Board+Meeting+-+June+4%2C+2020/1_r9f804v2

In Attendance:
Community Advisory Board Members:
Nicole Bolden, Joan Curts, Pamela Davidson, Mark Edwards, Hope Flores, Sally Gaskill, Mike Hefron, Sara Laughlin, Cullen McCarty, Martha Nice, Lynn Schwartzberg

Staff Members/Others:
Mary Ducette, Brent Molnar, Marianne Woodruff, Eva Zogorski

Agenda:

Roll Call – Brent Molnar

WTIU Antenna Project
On December 30, 2019 the transmission line on WTIU’s tower failed. Repairs were finally able to be made on May 30, 2020. The station operated on a backup antenna at 70% power which meant that our over-the-air coverage was only able to reach about half of our regular viewing area.

https://iu.box.com/s/5e8mjo356z9iz04pef0fctg8ke73b4wm

Preview
A Rural Revolution: Indiana’s Round Barns
The barn is an icon of the heartland’s rural landscape. Yet one special type of barn is on the verge of disappearing altogether in Indiana. A Rural Revolution: Indiana’s Round Barns examines the importance of round barns to the state’s agricultural history and the current efforts to preserve them.

https://indianapublicmedia.org/roundbarns/

Coming August 2020.

A Message from Paula Kerger
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eSXSrYaJF4k&feature=youtu.be

COVID-Related Issues
• Working Remotely
• Loss of Student Workforce
• At Home Learning / Indiana DOE Partnership
o www.wtiu.org/athomelearning
o PBS Education Resources for Hoosiers

• Governor’s Address / Acknowledgement

• Station Events – through end of July cancelled.
• Spikes in web/digital traffic – close to double
o See pages 3, 7, 8, 10, 11, 15, 16, 20

Digital Benchmarking Presentation (either July 21-22)
Learn about how WTIU/WFIU digital platforms are growing and have been affected by COVID

Budget
• FY ’20 is in fairly good shape. WTIU Membership and Underwriting will meet/slightly exceed goal.
• FY ’21 - IU announced no salary increases, hiring freeze, mobile phone stipend removed
• RTV is predicting a 10% Shortfall on Revenue Side (Mix of underwriting, membership and production services.)
• 5% cut from IU, and capital requests at $0? ($132,000 request)
• 15% to State Agencies (IPBS) $67,000
• State is trying to maintain funding for Education. (IU and IPBS align with that mission.)
• FY 21 is going to be challenging

Awards
• 27 SPJ Awards
• 3 Regional Murrow Awards. Will go on to the National Murrow Awards in October.
• 16 Nominations for NATAS. Winners announced June 20, 2020.
• 14 Telly Awards

Jennings County Schools
Superintendent and Chief Technology Specialist for Jennings County Schools think datacasting may be able to serve their 4,200 students distanced education needs. Especially important for the 1,200 who don’t have internet connectivity at home.

Datacasting could help with distribution of homework/worksheets, or live video. Data needs to make the most of the 16G of storage space on Chromebooks.

Now that the transmitter has been restored, will verify that our signal reaches all of Jennings County to determine whether datacasting would serve all of their students.

Then, need to find $25-50,000 from source for datacasting equipment. Also need to identify source of funding for about 1,200 dongles for students.

PBS Streaming Player
Livestream of WTIU-HD on PBS.org (and WTIU.org?) anticipated in late July/early August
700+ hours of programming must be cleared for Live Linear Streaming rights every month.
Hope that the WTIU-HD Livestream will become a feature on the PBS App in its next generation too.

Proposed Arts Program Treatment?
The CAB discussed what might be possible in terms of additional arts content. The idea of “The Creative Economy” kept circulating, highlighting the contributions of Indiana’s artists, makers, craftspeople, and others who create economic opportunities for themselves and others through their work.

Not yet sure whether the content should be a long form doc, series of interstitials/fillers for use between programs, reoccurring segment in an existing series, or digital shorts at this point.

Brent Molnar pointed out that the station’s grant writer position is currently open, and with the IU hiring freeze, is unlikely to be filled for some time. CAB Members can help by keeping their eyes open for appropriate arts and humanities grants that might help fund the project. If appropriate grant opportunities can be identified, a few CAB Members may be called upon to assist with writing the requests because of their experience. We will need guidance from the WTIU Business Office and other Grant Entities on campus to make sure we are going about it the right way.

Other Ideas and Issues

Government Meeting Calendar
Mike Hefron complemented our News team’s daily Local News Headlines e-mails. He cited how helpful they are.

He also asked whether we would have the resources to develop a government meetings calendar for our coverage area. He hasn’t been able to find anyone else already doing that – and thinks it might be a need we could serve. “No one else can do something like that in Bloomington.”

Hefron says that he has been surprised when he stories pop up covering decisions that have already been made by town councils, but never heard of when the meeting for public comment may have been in the first place.

Planned Gifts/Major Donors
Pamela Davidson expressed appreciation for all of the initiatives the station has managed to tackle in the face of adversity over the past few months (COVID-19, transmitter issues, economy, etc.), and encouraged the station to reach out to its major donors and individuals who have included the station in their estate to touch base.

The goal is to strengthen the relationship during this uncertain time. “How are you doing?” Not an ask.

Brent Molnar commented that other university licensee in the system are seeing additional gifts from major donors come in as a response to their increased viewing/listening, and greater appreciation for news, information, and entertainment right now.

Davidson followed up with the comment that if there was an appropriate opportunity to make an ask, it could be framed along the lines of, “We noticed you make an additional gift lately. Are you interested in learning more about how to write the check when you aren’t here?” Her experience in planned gifts tells her that if donors are making unsolicited additional gifts at this time, then they might also be interested in helping even more.

Miscellaneous
Nearly every CAB Member was able to share what they have been working on since our March meeting and how the coronavirus has changed their service to the community. Large Arts and History Museum events are being reinvented, Indiana’s heightened interest in rural broadband is opening opportunities for Smithville to expand into northern Monroe and Owen Counties, United Way funds and emergency relief grants in Lawrence and Martin Counties are being used in a different way than anticipated.

Brent Molnar encouraged CAB Members to send him bullet points for story ideas which could generate news or other content that the station should consider – and to do so throughout the time between CAB Meetings as well.

Remaining 2020 Meeting Schedule:
September 3, 2020
December 3, 2020