Minutes
Western State Public Radio Annual Meeting

Heathman Hotel
Portland, OR
November 5, 2009

Attendees: Steve Barton, KLCC, Neil Best, KUNC, Chris Hartig, Guam Public Radio, John Hess, Boise State Radio, Ron Kramer, Jefferson Public Radio, Dick Kunkel, KPBX, Tom Mara, KEXP, Carl Matthusen, KBAQ/KJZZ, Gregg Neilsen, KNHC, Wayne Roth, KUOW, Walter Rudolph, KBYU-FM, Jon Schwartz, Wyoming Public Radio, Paul Stankavich, KPLU, Delaney Utterbech, KRCC, Karen Holp, KGOU, John Stark, Neil Best, KUNC, John Greene, KUER, Kerry Swanson, NWPR.

In addition, there were numerous guests in attendance as conference attendees.

I. 8:15 a.m. WSPR President Paul Stankavich called the meeting to order.

II. Minutes were approved from last year’s annual meeting.

III. WSPR treasurer’s report: Karen Holp presented the WSPR FY10 budget and expenses to date to the membership, as well as the final numbers for FY09. She reviewed those stations who have currently submitted payment for their 2010 WSPR membership. There were no questions on the treasurer’s report.

IV. Presidents report: President Stankavich delivered his report. He thanked the board of directors in their role in planning the annual meeting. He gave a brief explanation of the role of board members within WSPR and how the President of WSPR interacts with the NPR board. 

This year was a less active in terms of surveys and getting feedback from the membership to present to the NPR board. The WSPR board meets monthly with primary responsibility for planning the annual WSPR conference. 

Paul thanked Mike Riksen for his help with the Regional organizations working with our legislatures in Washington D.C. He also congratulated Ellen McDonald for receiving the PRRO award last year. He thanked our current sponsors who helped to make our annual conference successful. 

Paul urged other WSPR members to run for seats on the WSPR board in the future. He also urged to membership to consider electing all board members at large and having the board elect officers in future years. In terms of WSPR dues for individual stations, he sounded an early warning on the possibility of an increase in dues in future years. 

Paul invited Dennis Harssager, NPR Senior V.P. to addressed the group since Dennis was a long time member and officer of WSPR. He discussed this past few years serving NPR first as interim CEO and now as Senior Vice President for Systems and Technology. It has been an interesting few years to see public radio from a different perspective. Dennis currently supervises PRSS and NPR Labs and will be deeply involved in the new building that NPR hopes to move to in 2013. Dennis also announced an agreement with IBUIQITY and NPR to increase the power of HD stations by at least a four-fold increase. 

John Stark added that NPR has sold the current building and bought a new one. The NPR board is working on various financing plans to lease back the current building. Regarding NPR’s budget, it has been revised several times due to NPR’s lost in underwriting on the national level during this past year.

V. WSPR Election: WSPR members re-elected; Jon Schwartz, Vice President, Paul Stankavich, President and John Hess, Secretary. 

Neil Best asked that in next year’s round of nominations for the WSPR board, the nominating committee make a concerted effort to come to the membership with a duel slate of candidates for each board position if possible.

VI. Retirements: Roger Johnson, NWPR has retired and Walter Rudolph, Provo, UT will be retiring from KBYU in 15 months.

VII. Location for next year’s conference: Discussion centered on who would host next year’s conference. Mike Tilton from Hawaii Public Radio has offered to host next year’s conference. Neil Best offered to look into possible sites in Colorado. Karen Holp offered Oklahoma City, or another location in the Southern Region of WSPR. As was the case last year, President Stankavich will send out a survey to the membership to get a better idea about possible locations for next year’s conference.

VIII. Updates from WSPR members stations and guests: All managers attending the annual meeting identified themselves and reported on what was happening at their stations or organizations.

IX. Adjournment, the annual 2009 WSPR board meeting was called to adjournment by President Stankavich at 9:30 a.m. 

Respectfully submitted: John Hess, WSPR Secretary