Maryland Public Broadcasting Commission September 27, 2016 meeting At Maryland Public Television
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Maryland Public Broadcasting Commission September 27, 2016 meeting At Maryland Public Television MinutesPresent: Mr. Edward Kaplan, chair; Dr. Elizabeth Morgan, vice chair; Mr. Paul Berry; Mr. Warren Green; Mr. Howard Rosen (by telephone); Ms. Trisch Smith; and Ms. Ellie Wang. Dr. Greg Talley was present to represent Dr. Karen Salmon, Maryland State Superintendent of Schools. The following members of MPT management and staff also were in attendance: MPT President and CEO Larry Unger, Mr. George Beneman, Ms. Colette Colclough, Mr. Andrew Levine, Mrs. Frances Minakowski, Mr. Jay Parikh, Ms. Betsy Peisach, Mr. Steven Schupak, Ms. Suzanne Schwertman, Ms. Linda Taggart and Mr. Tom Williams. Ms. Laura Taylor was present to record the minutes, Mr. Rob Jefferson was present for audio visual support, and Ms. Lauren Stevens attended to assist with the Content Division’s presentation. Chairman Kaplan recognized the presence of a quorum and called the meeting to order at 8:40 a.m. Minutes review and approval Mr. Kaplan asked if there were changes or corrections to the May 24 and June 16 meeting minutes. The commissioners responded that they did not have questions or edits. Mr. Rosen made a motion to approve the minutes. Mr. Green seconded the motion, and the minutes were unanimously approved. Mr. Kaplan turned the floor over to Mr. Unger for the president’s report. President’s report Mr. Unger welcomed the commissioners and said that MPT had a rewarding summer season. He presented an Emmy award to Mr. Kaplan for Potomac by Air: Our Nation’s River. Mr. Unger noted the chair who, along with his wife, founded the New Initiatives Fund, which has allowed MPT to earn many Emmy nominations. Mr. Kaplan responded that he and Mrs. Kaplan were pleased that they can make a difference for MPT. New commissioner – Mr. Unger stated that a new commissioner has been appointed. Mr. David Scheffenacker was appointed by Governor Hogan to replace Mr. Gelfman. Mr. Unger noted that Mr. Sheffenacker is one of MPT’s largest underwriters. Mr. Scheffenacker is expected to attend the November Commission meeting. Vietnam Initiative – Mr. Unger thanked the commissioners for their support of the LZ Maryland event held in June at Maryland State Fairgrounds. He said MPT was successful in keeping the event’s focus on the veterans. He praised his staff for a remarkable job and added that the feedback from the veterans and other attendees was very positive. Mr. Unger advised the commissioners that they will find a book titled Reflections with the materials at their seat. The book is a compilation of photos from the four-year Vietnam initiative. Mr. Unger played a clip of highlights from the event. Mr. Unger said that MPT’s involvement with veterans will continue. A meeting with several influential supporters is scheduled for mid-November. The team will discuss how the relationship with veterans should continue. Approximately 30 individuals will depart for the Vietnam tour on October 14. The travelers are scheduled to be back in the United States on October 29. Spectrum update – Mr. Unger reminded the commissioners that the combined opening bid number for all stations 10 months ago was about $342 billion. The reverse auction, wherein broadcasters agree to sell spectrum to the FCC, concluded over the summer. The FCC planned to acquire 126 megahertz and needed about $88 billion to cover purchases and costs. The forward auction yielded only $23.1 billion, which will cause the FCC to move to stage 2 of the auction. Mr. Unger stated that he was unsure of the next steps if the auction does not garner the needed proceeds. Assuming that an auction is successfully completed, stations will still have to complete the repacking process. Mr. Unger predicts that repacking will take place in 2017. Mr. Unger reminded the commissioners that MPT obtained legislation exempting it from state procurement rules for the purchase of repacking equipment. Mr. Unger said that he was concerned that the funding set aside may fall short and that the time allotted for repacking might not be sufficient. He advised that those concerns will be addressed with Congress by public and commercial advocacy groups. ATSC 3.0 – ATSC 3.0 is the next broadcasting standard which should be released around the 2017 spring season. Broadcasters currently are using ATSC 1.0. Mr. Unger said that broadcasters must either broadcast ATSC 1.0 or ATSC 3.0. Mr. Unger and Mr. Beneman answered commissioners’ questions regarding potential challenges and options. Mr. Unger advised that he will have a more in-depth explanation of ATSC 3.0 at the November meeting. FY18 budget – A meeting is scheduled with the Department of Budget and Management in October to discuss the 2018 budget. MPT is scheduled to receive capital funding exceeding $10 million to be used for replacing all six of its transmitters and for the expansion and modernization of Studio A. Mr. Unger directed the commissioners to the handout that outlines plans for Studio A’s renovations. Emmys – MPT was nominated for 17 Emmy awards this year and won four. The winners were for Potomac by Air: Our Nation’s River, Outdoors Maryland, lighting for America’s Veterans – a Musical Tribute and an audio composite entry. New channel lineup – MPT2-HD began airing Create® TV in July. Create® TV broadcasts lifestyle and how-to programs that air for 20 hours a day. MPT airs other select programming during the four primetime hours. Mr. Unger played a Create® TV clip. PBS Kids will replace the V-me channel after a 10-year contract ends with the Spanish language broadcaster. PBS Kids will launch in January 2017. The PBS Kids channel will be marketed through many platforms, including email blasts as well as through social media and promotional materials in public spaces. Commissioner Smith offered her firm’s assistance for public relations for the new kid’s channel. MPT will be researching other venues to connect with the Spanish-speaking community. Efforts include the translation of MotorWeek to Spanish and providing Spanish content online. MPT will premiere a fourth channel featuring NHK World programming in January 2017. NHK World is essentially Japan’s PBS. MPT has already aired some of NHK World’s shows with positive feedback. NHK World hired its own public relations firm which will be supplemented by MPT’s promotional efforts to market the new channel. MotorWeek – MotorWeek begins its 36th season on Saturday, October 1. Mr. Unger reported that MPT is thrilled with the longevity of the program. Ms. Morgan inquired whether MPT ever uses a live studio audience for the show. Mr. Unger responded that a live audience may occasionally be used. Mr. Schupak said that he will coordinate with Ms. Morgan regarding opportunities for her to participate in a studio audience. Dates to note – Spotlight Education Week premiered September 12 through 17. Programming included nationally produced documentaries and films as well as shows with Maryland ties. Season 4 of Maryland Farm & Harvest airs November 15. A reception for sponsors and funders will be held in Studio A on October 6. MPT’s Alumni Honor Wall and Walk of Fame ceremonies will be held October 5. Six new inductees will be added to the wall as the Class of 2016, and granite stars for Robert Heck and Charles Robinson will be revealed on the Walk of Fame near MPT’s main entrance. Content update Mr. Unger turned the floor over to Jay Parikh for the Content Division update. Mr. Parikh began his overview with a breakdown of the division’s positions and staff roles. He said his division serves more than 1.8 million viewers in the mid-Atlantic region and produced 297 original programs during FY16. He provided examples that demonstrated the impact of MPT-produced programs, such as Conowingo Dam: Power on the Susquehanna, Maryland Vietnam War Stories and Youth Voices Baltimore. A number of the local programs have been nominated for and/or won Emmy awards. Mr. Parikh explained the process for MPT’s acquisition of programming from other producers as well as the development of programs by MPT staff. The Content Division must evaluate factors such as whether a production falls within MPT’s mission, the probable viewership and whether funding is available or obtainable. He reviewed the new channel assignments and the logic behind those choices. Mr. Parikh then focused on current and upcoming programs. He mentioned PBS and Masterpiece programs such as Poldark, The Durrells in Corfu and Victoria. Also previewed were local programs such as Direct Connection, Artworks, Maryland Farm & Harvest and Steve Raichlen’s Project Smoke. Excerpts from many of the current programs were shown to the commissioners. Mr. Parikh also briefed the commissioners on several local projects. MPT’s Addiction and Recovery Initiative will begin in February 2017. The Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (DHMH) is partnering with MPT to raise awareness on opioid addiction, which has been deemed an epidemic by many federal, state and local agencies. The initiative will last one week and will include programs and outreach activities designed to focus on the challenges of overcoming gambling, alcohol and drug addiction as well as recovery success stories. The week will culminate in a one-hour broadcast roadblock for a show titled Breaking Heroin’s Grip: Road to Recovery followed by a live phone bank staffed by addiction counselors. Mr. Parikh told the commissioners that MPT’s Chesapeake Bay Week is now in its second decade. Chesapeake Bay Week features programs that spotlight the history, heritage and splendor of the Chesapeake Bay. Frank Sesno will host a panel discussion again this year with renowned experts regarding the Chesapeake bay’s health during the 2017 Chesapeake Bay Summit, and the spotlight program for the week will be Eating Oysters. Mr. Parikh concluded his presentation with an overview of MPT’s Digital Studios. The web pages contain new and original online content. Voices of Baltimore: Black White and Gray gives those affected by the unrest in Baltimore the opportunity to speak about their personal experiences. Mr. Parikh showed a clip. There were no questions on the Content update. Mr. Parikh turned the floor over to the chair. Mr. Kaplan thanked Mr. Parikh for an informative presentation. Then he turned to Ms. Morgan for her budget review. Budget Review Ms. Morgan stated that the Budget and Compensation Committee met on September 13. She introduced the new chief financial officer, Ms. Suzanne Schwertman, and asked that she provide an overview of that meeting to the commissioners. Ms. Schwertman stated that she was experiencing a bit of a learning curve since her previous employer had been fully funded by the state but felt that she was adjusting well in her new role. She began with a review of the FY16 results. Ms. Schwertman reviewed each line item. She stated that federal grants funding has decreased, that the endowment fund has increased and that the FY16 year-end balance was positive. She reviewed the itemized revenue and expense items. Ms. Schwertman pointed out the reduction in revenue of grant dollars. She stated that the decrease was offset by decreased Education expenses. Ms. Schwertman reviewed the approved contracts over $50,000 for FY17. She stated that the Nader-Mara Entertainment, LLC contract was for fundraising for the Soul/Doo Wop concert which will be held in May 2017. The Forest Incentives contract was for pledge premiums. Since contracts over $500,000 must be approved by the Commission, Ms. Wang made a motion to approve the Forest Incentives project. Mr. Rosen seconded the motion, and the commissioners voted unanimously to approve the contract. Mr. Schupak reviewed the four projects approved by the Project Review Committee. He stated that the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene is partnering with MPT on the heroin initiative. Mr. Schupak turned to Ms. Colclough for the Human Resources overview. Ms. Colclough stated that MPT has said goodbye to numerous retirees over the past few months, especially in the Technology Division. The Human Resources Department is focused on filling those positions. Ms. Colclough noted that her department has expanded outreach efforts, which are aimed at further diversifying MPT’s staff. She noted that the recent across-the-board three percent salary increase has raised annual salary expense. Ms. Morgan questioned whether managers’ salaries were included in that annual salary figure. Mr. Unger responded that the amount is the sum of all MPT salaries, including those of senior staff. Ms. Morgan asked whether the report could also reflect total salaries that exclude vice presidents and above. Mr. Unger responded that future reports will contain the figure Ms. Morgan requested. Mr. Kaplan thanked Ms. Schwertman for a thorough report. Meeting adjournment There being no further business to discuss, Mr. Rosen made a motion to adjourn. Ms. Wang seconded the motion. All were in favor, and the meeting was adjourned at 10:05 a.m. Directory: hostedbento-prod -> filer public -> mpt documents mpt documents -> Contacts: Tom Williams, apr mpt documents -> For immediate release Contacts mpt documents -> Season 34 of MotorWeek filer public -> Small Group and Shared Reading in the Primary Classroom Background Essay filer public -> Spillover – Zika, Ebola, & Beyond Classroom Guide Download 20.62 Kb. Share with your friends:
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