Some of our stations really forget that we are supposed to mobilizing listeners toward positive social change. And when you say that to some of the people at some the stations they ask us, What do you mean by mobilize? What do you mean by positive? What do you mean by social? And what do you mean by change? I think that anyone who reads the mission statement and the charter and the history of the organization ought to be familiar with what that means. So positive social change. The other goal is to reach the largest possible audience. New listeners obviously. Attract new listeners to reach the largest possible audience. In other words, not the smallest audience that consists of people like you who are already listening, but to reach a large audience. 

And then on the issue of national infrastructure, which has concerned me greatly, the goal is to develop and maintain national staff and systems adequate to serve effectively. Pacifica stations and the units. People, money, and so, in some cases what we have done is to try to reduce infrastructure rather the building infrastructure. Which is not a happy occurrence. And then to be guided by Pacifica's priorities. The first one that is on the list in the strategic plan is to consider what is best for Pacifica as a single entire network. So I think that with one step forward and one step backwards and two sidesteps we have been working on those priorities, and I just hope that we continue to do something. 

The next thing that I would like to do is to look at the agenda, and see that I am supposed to seat members, minutes, and schedule the next meeting. Madame Secretary, who of these members am I supposed to seat?

Then we need to schedule the next meeting. In terms of, you might look at schedules, in terms of my own schedule I can do February on the 19th, 20th and 21st.

I want to report on the Executive Committee meeting. The Executive Committee discussed a lot of issues. One is that Lynn will be going back to New York to try to manage and resolve some issues related to management at WBAI. So she will be trekking back to New York to try to resolve those issues before we get some reports on how things are going there. The other issue is that we've received a letter from the CPB.

My only experience is that agencies do not send out in writing letters concerning their own regulations, unless they have carefully examined them. In ninety percent of the cases, they have correctly interpreted their own regulations. They are very cautious about putting things in writing. So before they write it down and put their name on it, they are careful. But we should ask our lawyer, and then we would, if the answer is yes, CPB is correctly interpreting their regs, we would then ask for the Governance Committee to review the matter and to come up with recommendations for the board to act on at its next meeting. And such recommendation would be in the form of a by-law change. 

And that there are various options that the Governance Committee could consider. As well as any options that I am not listing that they may think of. Which is what committees are supposed to do. Such options as having people who are Governing Board member resign from Local Advisory Boards. That's an option. Or having people elect all the directors at large. That's a cure. There are various ways to approach this and I'm sure the board Governance Committee, which David Acosta chairs, will figure out something and bring it back to us. 

Then the staff, I understand that CPB is expecting us to respond to this letter by the end of this meeting. Because they expected us to discuss this issue at this meeting and to get back to them on what we intend to do about it. So I am hoping that if the board agrees with that process, that the staff will write a letter to them saying that the approach to this matter is to have our legal counsel look at it. Then if it's necessary, then we will institute a by-law change, which the board will review and act on in the next meeting. So that the CPB would know that we are responding to them. Otherwise, the staff is in the position of trying to deal with CPB without being in compliance after CPB has told them that we're not. So that's where the matter stands. Any discussion?

So and I don't want to have a rerun of last year or whatever. I came in late on that process. But I don't want a rerun of that again. It may be inevitable, but I think, and we obviously need somebody to help us to manage the information dissemination on this. But I want this board at this meeting to make a decision as to whether you are willing should it turn out that that's what we have to do. To make some sort of by-law change, that you are willing to entertain a change on the subject of board composition and membership. If you are not, just tell me about it. And then we'll just tell CPB we're not. And don't expect us to come back in six months with a plan, because we're not planning on that.