This resolution is about public accountability for our public radio station, WFCR.

In January WFCR abruptly canceled Afropop Worldwide, an African music show; Tertulia, a local Spanish-language production; the Celtic music show Thistle and Shamrock; and Valley Folk, a local folk music show that had been airing for more than 25 years. This programming decision left many listeners feeling surprised, bewildered, upset and dispossessed. WFCR had provided no opportunity for the public to learn about the changes in advance; and no chance to defend the programs nor understand and possibly address the issues behind their cancelation. This led the Article 35 petitioners and a growing number of concerned listeners to conclude that WFCR's governance structure is in need of serious reform.

Namely, the station needs a Community Advisory Board of the type described by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (or CPB), who are the stewards of federal funds disbursed to public radio stations. In their words, a Community Advisory Board shall be permitted to “review the programming goals established by the station,” and shall advise whether these “are meeting the specialized educational and cultural needs of the communities served by the station.” Further, a CAB is to be composed of citizens “reasonably representative of the diverse needs and interests of the communities served by such station,” and shall hold “open meetings preceded by reasonable notice to the public.”

Federal law governing the CPB requires all privately-licensed public radio stations to maintain Community Advisory Boards. For state-owned stations such as WFCR which is licensed to the University of Massachusetts, CPB does not require, but does recommend the establishment of a CAB.

This issue is important to Town Meeting for several reasons:

1. WFCR is supported by our tax dollars

a. Federal tax dollars disbursed by the CPB, plus state tax dollars represented as in-kind donations of facilities and services by UMass amounted to nearly $750,000 in the most recently reported year.

b. The WFCR studio which is housed in Hampshire House on the University campus indirectly benefits from our local taxes though the town services that it receives.

2. We are seeing an erosion of cultural diversity with the loss of Pan-African, Celtic and folk music, and a 50% reduction to our locally produced Latino program, Tertulia.

3. There has been an economic impact to the region's musicians, concert organizers and venue owners whose events were regularly announced and highlighted on Valley Folk.

WFCR currently has 2 boards that offer it advice, but neither is a Community Advisory Board.

The WFCR Advisory Committee currently consists of 5 faculty representatives and two at large members. Before filing this petition last March, I spoke to several members of this Committee. One member told me that the Advisory Committee does not advise on programming. At the same time I spoke to the Chair of the committee and asked if it was the Advisory Committee's purpose to convey community input to station management. She recommended I speak to WFCR General Manager Martin Miller directly and promised to have him call me. I never received a call.

The 2nd board, the WFCR Foundation, is a 17-member board of directors of a 501c3 corporation established to accept donations. Its primary purpose has been to provide financial support to the station. Foundation bylaws also allow for the board to advise on station operations and strategies, but nowhere in the bylaws is programming mentioned. We cannot expect these hardworking volunteers to do a good job of both fundraising and surveying community opinion, both challenging jobs and, one might conclude, representing conflicting interests. Furthermore, Proponents of Article 35 learned in a meeting with Martin Miller last week that the WFCR Foundation does not hold meetings open to the public. Open meetings with published minutes are the essence of an effective Community Advisory Board.

There is ample precedent for what Article 35 is asking for. I would urge you to look at the governance structures of stations such as Maine Public Radio, and WNYC in New York to see models of good Community Advisory Boards and the excellent programming that can result.

Please recognize that this article is not about particular programming but about process. Article 35 proponents feel that the process that led up to the January cancelations was flawed and ask Town Meeting to urge that the decision be revisited with a proper governance structure in place and with proper community input.

A 2005 survey by the Inspector General of the Corporation for Public Broadcasting found that one-third of university-owned stations were out of compliance with CPB's open meeting regulations, and risked losing their federal funding. The report concluded by recommending that CPB encourage state and university stations to also establish CABs to enhance public participation in their programming decisions.

Earlier this month both the Pelham and Shutesbury town meetings passed resolutions similar to Article 35, calling for a WFCR Community Advisory Board.

The petitioners feel that creating a WFCR CAB will help the public feel more engaged and will strengthen the bond between the radio station and its listeners. This should lead to better informed and more vital, relevant and inspired programming - in short, a healthier and better public radio station.

I urge you to vote in favor of this article.