Re: [OCFRADIO:76] Digest for ocfradio@googlegroups.com - 1 Message in 1 Topic

[Michael JamesLong]

Jim:

Don't sweat blood yet.

I have a venue for a meeting all set up ... just answer my calendar Email.

I will talk to my attorney about the issues in general.

I will talk to Hilary about the concept and support.

Don't worry about the money and equipment ... it will come, because once we have the authority from the BOD to proceed in the name of the OCF, I firmly believe the Fair Family is with us totally.... and besides we can all help with ideas, networking, to raise funds. .... I'm not sure about lemonade ... that has unpleasant ramifications ... or was it Kool-Aid...?

Mike JL

On Dec 4, 2012, at 4:09 PM, ocfr...@googlegroups.com wrote:

  Today's Topic Summary

Group: http://groups.google.com/group/ocfradio/topics

• Money - - long and ramblingly - [1 Update]

 Money - - long and ramblingly -

jim goettler <j...@riseup.net> Dec 04 01:20PM -0800  

Hi - - you might want to hold off reading this till you have made some
tea and have a few minutes.
 
I feel we are getting to the point where virtual/phone communication
isn't cutting it - we need to invade someones kitchen that has a big
table and lots of chairs or wall space to lean against - get some adult
beverages, drop the crap and start us a friggin hippie radio station!
 
In the meantime, am doing this on the goog group to instigate/incite a
conversation, as well as to give newer folks on this list the group
email for responses.
 
I have had a few conversations about money - not so much that running a
station will cost money (doh!), but how to best approach the board for
support of the project - while keeping money secondary to the
conversation. It would be a rabbit hole from which we'd never escape.
 
The whole point of requesting the fair to umbrella this project with a
fiscal agent agreement in place - is precisely to keep the board out of
the financial/operations of a project that is obviously aligned with the
fair, blah, blah.
 
Provided there is interest, the question before the board should be a
legal one rather than a financial one - needing, after
discussion/negotiation, the advice and consent of our laywer(s), not
treasurer(s).
 
The board and staff have a fair to run - not a project that, while in
parallel with the fair - is not the fair and should not suck any energy
from the main reason we exist...meaning other than the standard monthly
(or whatever) reports to the board on how we're doing - the radio
project needs to be set adrift to find its own way.
 
This - the fiscal agreement with revisions - was also to satisfy a
couple concerns from management and board folk - so this route of
seeking the umbrella/fiscal agreement was specifically proposed and
then adjusted to meet those concerns.
 
In a perfect world, the fair umbrellas the project -trusts us as a group
and as individuals to do no harm in our communication with externals in
the community - lets us raise/spend money we run through the OCF books -
they being the non profit/fiscal agent/umbrella pass through - - and
only on special occasions do we approach the board for funding or a loan.
 
The board needs to understand that this may well happen - and not be
shocked or play some sort of 'gotcha' game. Reclaiming our media is
serious business - where such games are not appropriate. If we don't
keep our shit together - a lot of people/organizations who really don't
like us are going to apply for these new frequencies and effectively
control the frequencies/airspace over our fair - fact.
 
In those rare situations where we must seek funds (outright or as a
loan) , they (the board) should take up as they do any other request
from a community organization - we make the proposal, do the pitch and
let em vote up or down. I prepared a proposal and made a successful
pitch to the board years ago - as have many of you - and we will
probably all do it again!
 
Yes - having 3-5 years of operating capital in the bank would be
terrific - but with such would come micro oversight of every move we
make and constantly forced to defend every expenditure as we might if we
were entry level employees with access to the checkbook.
 
So as you can see from a draft budget I'm linking you all to - as well
as a few flavors of equipment lists - if we operate as a completely
volunteer enterprise - we can probably be up and running for around $10K
(with about 3 years to raise that!)- and then something around that
amount on a yearly basis.
 
Here is the budget of possible gear:
 
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/ccc?key=0AgH2RlE6ghPcdEpLRzVWdXpxeEZtRU5LaU1KZFB3d3c
 
If you have access to stuff on here - PLEASE let me/us know exactly what
you have so we can begin to identify what we have/need and reduce
numbers accordingly.
 
Here is a rough ops budget - made for another project - so don't get too
hung up on numbers..but rather suggest adjustment:
 
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/ccc?key=0AgH2RlE6ghPcdDN2enR2c3Vab0JTREhKWmJ6SmhieHc
 
Btw - these budgets are all pro forma - just numbers - so if you don't
like something - feel free to adjust anything. I have the originals -
and am trying to pass this stuff on and give others ownership.
 
If we want to get better seats, hire a coordinator and get higher
quality/new gear, the price goes up - - but the tremendous lead time we
have should allow us to establish the partnerships and revenue streams
to transition smoothly from planning to execution.
 
Yes - we will need to engage an audio engineer well before October to
complete the application - with money we can raise on our own (I'll do
shifts in the lemonade stand by the dragon!) - try to score an engineer
in trade - or use the option of seeking funds from the board as just
another community group and take our chances. I'm guessing the engineer
will cost no more than $1K - which is a lot of lemonaid - but essential
for a successful application.
 
Btw - the hardest part of of the application is determining the best
location for the transmitter - or with the new rules - our TWO
transmitters/translators - so a lot depends on us connecting with the
best engineer we can find between now and August, when the app should be
complete.
 
After the app is in - there really won't be any hard expenses until we
begin to source gear/studio space
 
If/how to fold all/any of this into the prelim letter to the board -
into the synopsis and ultimately into an action item for the board to
take up in...Feb? is where I am totally stuck.
 
jim

 

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