KERRFUFFLE at the WYPR Governance Committee Meeting

The WYPR Board’s governance committee met at WYPR on Tuesday, April 28, and reported back to a committee of seven–as four public observers sat in attendance–the results of a WYPR Board of Directors feedback survey, and their effort to move forward to expand the WYPR Board.

Overall, WYPR Board Members expressed happiness with board performance and roles, according WYPR Board Member Dr. Emile Bendit, who delivered the results of an anonymous survey of board members. Only 10 out of approximately 19-to-21 responders agreed that the board represented the community. Only 13 board members out of approximately 19-to-21 responders felt they were well-informed about WYPR programming matters and decisions. Only 7 responders thought WYPR board performance itself was properly monitored, while 10 responders listed “neutral” on this issue. The committee singled out these three areas for improvement. I report these figures from the meeting’s conversation, and can only approximate the total responders (the context) because those numbers were not precisely articulated.

WYPR’s governance committee appears to be moving toward expanding the board’s diversity (in terms of profession, age, and ethnicity). They voted to nominate Gary Levine, an ex-officio board member according to the committee, to the board, as well as to move forward in vetting another nominee who shall remain anonymous. If both are elected–as it appears will be the case from the meeting–WYPR will have added four new board members in the last half year (with three out of four being new): a church leader, a Towson University professor, a doctor, and a chain-store owner. The WYPR Board runs up to a limit of “25″ total members, said station manager Tony Brandon, who was at the governance committee meeting. WYPR’s Board may not be able to add any more for now, the committee seemed to fret.

Brandon sits on the WYPR Board, according to the WYPR Web site, is station manager and “CEO” of WYPR, and currently serves as “President [of] American General Media.” Furthermore, Brandon as “[t]he station manager” is in charge of being the “CAB Coordinator” and overseeing WYPR’s Community Advisory Board (CAB) and its feedback to the station and board–according to the CAB rules submitted to the Corporation for Public Broadcasting Office of Inspector General (Report #903, Exhibit 3: By Laws 1.3). In fact, Brandon helped to interview the new members for the recently expanded CAB, which will have its first meeting on May 27, 5:30 PM at the station. Lastly, Brandon on April 28, 2009 sat in on the only WYPR board committee specifically in charge of overseeing his job: that of WYPR CEO. This is a clear conflict of interest. Quite a lot of cookies for that cookie monster.

WYPR’s governance committee also finalized language outlining WYPR committee roles, and approved language requiring the WYPR Board to evaluate itself on an “at least” annual basis. The board members present also appear to be refining and expanding the board’s active engagement with the station, with content, and with fundraising–including formalizing the role of a “content” WYPR Board committee. This is a good development, a good start, in terms of increasing the board’s activity, self-scrutiny, and engagement with the station.

All this action is the result of the tsunami of outrage triggered by the Feb. 1, 2008 secretive firing of radio host and WYPR founder Marc Steiner–and the massive kerrfuffle of pressure that protesters have brought to bear on making WYPR less secretive at its top. Specifically on April 15, 2008, the WYPR Community Advisory Board formally recommended that WYPR Board undergo an outside governance audit, diversify the board, and improve its governance structure. WYPR did hire an outside consultant, who delivered an audit report to WYPR’s board. The board is tweaking its structure in response.

As the meeting ended, ubiquitous Take Back YPR activist Max Obuszewski stood up and demanded to see the “report”! The board committee reacted nonplussed, startled; many of them leaned back in their chairs. Mr. Obuszewski demanded the “report” again. A gaggle of responses kerrfuffled the room.

This blog editor somehow clarified the stunned committee that Mr. Obuszweksi was requesting a copy of the original governance audit.  This audit was completed by the summer of 2008, for a summary of the report–dated July 30, 2008– was presented to the WYPR CAB. WYPR Board Chairperson Deborah Callard, after presenting it to the CAB meeting, in fact did say she would get back to the Take Back YPR group and saveWYPR.com about whether we could read the full report.

This is a public board, and that is a public document, Obuszewski claimed and demanded.

Then Tony Brandon rose and said it was not a public report. The audit was paid for with private funds, he said. At some point, the governance committee chairperson said that the request for report was noted. Another board member, becoming frustrated, told Mr. Obuszewski his request was noted and asked him to leave.

Of course none of the three other members of the public (including the blog editor) were leaving at that point. Who could? Obuszewski demanded the board members there and then respond “yes, no, or maybe” about whether he would get a copy of the report. Brandon asked the board to come to his office in order to escape this public harangue. At this point Obuszewski said he was leaving and we all left.

The good news is that WYPR Board member John Machen stopped by after the meeting as some of us were talking outside WYPR and said he would email the report to the saveWYPR.com blog. WYPR Board Chairperson Deborah Callard and other members of the committee echoed this. This blog is looking forward to reading the report.

Next week saveWYPR.com will provide Part III of its analysis of the CPB Inspector General’s audit of WYPR, focusing on the documents provided by WYPR in the report itself and what they say about the state of WYPR. Til then–