Bennington-recommendations
Structure
Reported by Bill Densmore . . .
- Community web portal
- Perhaps operated by radio staff
- But branded independently as a service of SVC
- Perceived as a college resource/outreach
- But closely crosslinked linked with other media:
-- Banner, Pennysaver, BCAT
- Marketing alliance for radio station with one or more media
- create an editorial board for the radio station
- Convene a tech infrastructure committee
--Community wide (include hospital)
- Investigate community wireless option
Community Outreach
Reported by Sheila Collins . . .
The most ready resource is the community. There is a not of programming space that could be filled by members of the community. A general call to the community is likely to get the same types of people that most community stations get. Talks about a way to get diversity. A good idea to have one person, an institutional manager, to coordinate the volunteers and their programming. There are models to do that.
Two ideas:
- The coffee shop -- Embed WBTN right in community downtown. Do a remote of the noon news broadcast right from the South Street Coffee House. A reporter would read news. They might come in and provide news. Robin at the coffee house would love to do this. And they have a live drop for BCAT TV. Lisa Byer: "We'd have to go through a couple of buildings but we can get there." It could move around.
Financing
Reporter by Tony Elliot . . .
What could funding models be:
- Underwriting/advertising
- Discussed membership model: dues support basic operation
- There is paid staff and advertising
-- Possibly eliminate national and replace with local: more revenue?
- Community organization creates membership
- Don't do anything too radical: Involve people involved in station today
- Take it in a direction everyone believes in
- College behind media center as educational component
- Media center is hub of collaboration
- Radio station just one of the outlets
- Try to maintain three staff members; what they do might change
- Agreed to share content with WOOL-LP
Q: Scribner: Is there a contradition between being a commercial station and a community station.
Elliot: A bit of a contradition. But don't worry about it. I think you can have it both ways, especially if you open the doors to the community.
Connecting with other educational institutions
Karen Gross suggested involving Bennington College, Burr & Burton, CCV and others in providing programming and becoming "members" of the station.
RECOMMENDED NEXT STEPS
- Figure out how to start web portal and who will sustain it
- Convene technology committee to thing about talents and needs/wireless
- Separate advisory committee to work with station staff/finances/programming/marketing/strategy
- Talk to non-profit lawyer about all the relationships to maximize tax benefits to donors
- Build consensus for shift of philosophical paradigm of station to "community" mode
