Fall Conference

November 3, 4, 5, 2009

Heathman Hotel

Portland , Oregon

WSPR gratefully acknowledges our sponsors:

National Public Radio

Dow Lohnes, PLLC

Oregon Public Broadcasting

Public Radio Partners

PRX

Lewis/Kennedy Associates

7:00 pm to WSPR Hospitality Room  

9:00 pm      No major event – just a time to relax and talk

8:00 am  Continental Breakfast

8:30am  Public Radio and the Internet: A Way Forward

The morning’s discussion will be moderated by WSPR VP and General Manager of Wyoming Public Radio, Jon Schwartz.  Expert guests will be Kinsey Wilson, Senior Vice President and General Manager, NPR Digital Media and Mark Fuerst, founder of IMA. 

We will also hear from NPR President Vivian Schiller who will join us electronically from New York to share her vision of our collective future.

Your active and focal participation in the discussions are an integral part of the agenda so please come to the meeting prepared to take part in this critical discussion of our future.

Over the past year, your WSPR Board has had many discussions about the web and New Media and developed an Internet White Paper and a subsequent platform describing ways forward for public radio stations and NPR. The analyses received significant attention from the new management at NPR as well as other national organizations and “Current.”

Today we broaden that discussion to include you.  Here are some questions to jumpstart this conversation:

         * What is the current snapshot of public radio’s status in the online environment?

        * What are WSPR’s Coalition of the Willing’s proposed strategies and what progress has been made?

* What is NPR’s Project Argo and NPR’s ambitious plans for the online and mobile future?

* Where are we going from here? Is a solid content local/national partnership brewing, as we enjoy on the air? 

* What is success? What are consequences of the status quo or failure? * What if any thinking on a plausible business plan exists? Can we expect an ROI?

12:00 pm  Luncheon

CPB Vice President for Radio, Bruce Theriault shares the news from CPB.  A fitting conclusion to our morning discussion since CPB has begun to fund New Media projects.

1:15 pm  Sound Exchange – Why do we have to do this!

Melodie Virtue will lead a discussion about this hot topic with Phil Johnson from PI and Ginny Benson from NFCB.

2:30 pm  Break [Coffee/Soft Drinks/Snacks] (Sponsored by Lewis/Kennedy & Public Radio Partners)

2:45 pm  Underwriting and Membership: The Cornerstones of our Economy

Kirk Nelson of Public Radio Partners and Jim Lewis of Lewis/Kennedy share the podium to discuss preserving our income and getting more.  Is there funding for this New Media World?

4:15 pm  Newspapers and Public Radio – willing partners?

There has been a lot of discussion and some movement for newspapers to become non-profits themselves or to partner with public broadcasters.  Is there both a programming and funding opportunity here? Steve Forrester, from the Daily Astorian is our guest for this stimulating discussion.

5:30 pm  Free Time

6:30 pm  Dinner

Glynn Washington, dynamic host of Snap Judgment shares story’s from his new show.  Glynn was one of 3 winners of the CPB sponsored Talent Quest.

8:00 am  Breakfast (Sponsored by Dow Lohnes)

Annual WSPR Business Meeting

9:30 am  Session: It’s the Law!

No breathalyzer test required to join Meg Miller, Ernie Sanchez and Melodie Virtue for a discussion of current legal issues. BYO Questions.

10:45 am  Break

11:00 am  What the heck has happened to my ratings!

RRC Representative Dave Sullivan takes the time to explain what the new PPM surveys mean to all of us.  Even if your station is in a market that will not use PPM, information gleaned from the data can be useful.

12:15 pm  Luncheon (Sponsored by NPR)

NPR’s Mike Riksen leads a discussion on how the expiration of the Public Broadcasting Act affects funding and how we need to adjust our thinking. 

1:30 pm  How do we acquire/distribute programs?

Earl Johnson from PRSS shares information about new and future services at PRSS.  PRX has been successful in sharing stories for years, what’s new for them?  John Barth joins Earl to describe PRX today.

2:45 pm  Break [Coffee/Soft Drinks/Snacks] (Sponsored by PRX)

3:00 pm  Northwest Public Affairs Network

N3, has 10 partner stations in 3 states collaborating in news gathering.  Join founder, Wayne Roth and Regional Editor, Colin Fogarty along with Morgan Holm, News Director at OPB as they talk about the future of news partnerships.

4:15 pm  Conference Adjourns