WYPR Community Advisory Board Recommendations

In response to some of our blog comments, we are posting the recommendations of WYPR’s own Community Advisory Board here, as handed out at the meeting by the CAB Chairperson.

According to a WYPR reporter, WYPR President Tony Brandon says the board refuses to consider the CAB recommendation to bring back Marc Steiner.

“Brandon says the board will discuss all of the advisors’ recommendations except the one on re-hiring Marc Steiner. Brandon says he, personally, has no objection to an outside review of the board’s governance,” reports WYPR. For that article click here.

To not even consider the CAB recommendation is par for the course at WYPR these days.  I say “par for the course” not just as an analogy, but as a literal statement, describing how WYPR management is playing a game to win with WYPR even though the public and WYPR staff lose.  Brandon’s rejection out of hand also contradicts the spirit of the federal law requiring public radio stations to have CABs within “180 days” of inception, and for them to listen to CAB’s non-binding advice. It certainly does not seem in the spirit of public radio. However it is in line with the Board’s response during the meeting: There was scant room in their schedule for debate and two persons dominated the proceedings.

If you have not read about the April 15 meeting yet, you can read it by clicking here. Further reflections as well as observations by University of Baltimore law professor Douglas Colbert can be found here.

Now, for the main show:

WYPR Community Advisory Board Recommendations to the WYPR Board
April 15, 2008
(as handed out at the meeting by the CAB Chairperson after the CAB presentation).

Introduction : Several observations frame the recommendations:
a) The WYPR Board needs to make a public acknowledgment that it made mistakes in handling the Marc Steiner situation and communication with the CAB.
b) The WYPR Board can’t pretend that the way recent events unfolded was appropriate.
c) The CAB believes decisions were made that imperiled the station.

1) Based on the overwhelming public response, we recommend that Marc Steiner be invited back to resume his duties as host of a public affairs program.

2) Regarding the WYPR Board:
a) There should be a timely external audit of the station’s governance by a nationally recognized expert, with findings publicly released.
b) The Board should be more representative of the public that it serves–more African-American, and also all kinds of persons of different ages, backgrounds, races, religions, socio-economic levels, and education.

3) Regarding the CAB:
a) To represent the community effectively, the CAB will need to develop a mission statement, by-laws, and goals, and define its roles and responsibilities regarding policy decisions and programming philosophy. This will require information, transparency, and support from the WYPR staff and board. We expect to facilitate better community representation with substance and meaning, and to develop a mutual respect and positive working relationship with WYPR. As a first step, we expect the WYPR Board to respond to all of these recommendations in a complete, timely, and transparent manner.