WWOZ Governance Board Meeting
Tuesday, December 11, 2007
Manager=s Report
l. Fall Fund Drive Totals. Total Membership Income for this Drive now stands at $354,340 compared to $318,412 raised by this point last year as a result of the 2006 Fall Membership Campaign. To date we have registered 1,445 members among our web listeners compared to fall 2006 figure of 1,057 members. Total number of members to date for Fall, 2007 is 2,308, compared to Fall, 2006, 1,657. Brass Pass memberships were down to 258 from 275 in the Fall 2006 campaign. Over Pass memberships also fell to 41 from 60 for same the period. The average gift per member also declined from $205 to $152. These figures do not include the matching grants, which totaled more than $30,000.
2. 3-Day Power Drive. On December 5th through 7th, WWOZ held an On-Air Membership “Power” Drive with a goal to increase the number of members to the station. The Drive was an unqualified success, garnering 520 additional members and more than $100,000 in contributions. The breakout is as follows: New Members in town: 97, New Members out of town: 115, Renewing Members in town: 112, Renewing Members out of town: 115, Brass Pass New Holders: 16, Brass Pass Renewing Holders: 41, Brass Pass Holders out of town: 23, Brass Pass Holders in town: 34, Gift Memberships: 13.
3. LETA Grants. On December 3, 2007, WWOZ received a grant of $7,142 from the Louisiana Educational Television Authority. This represents the second half of the entire grant. The funds are unrestricted and will be applied to operations.
4. Tampa Orlando Foundation. On November 16, 2007 WWOZ received a check for $4,375 as an unrestricted grant from the Tampa Orlando Foundation. The Funds will be applied to operations.
5. Major Gifts. A. The second of two letters went out December 4th to prospects for the WWOZ Social Aid & Pleasure Club (SAPC), the station’s new major gifts initiative. The first mailing went out in early October and to date we’ve received more than $10,000 in donations to the Club with more anticipated as we near the end of the tax year (December 31).
B. Two major gifts were secured as incentive matches to our “power drive”-- one from a longtime listener who agreed to match (dollar for dollar) all of the memberships taken in on the first day of the drive, a gift of more than $20,000. The other came from Thomas and Sally Zoline of the Zoline Family Foundation who sent $2,000 to the Social Aid & Pleasure Club effort and agreed to send another $1,000 as a match for the drive. The Zoline match was used during Friday’s N.O. music show to encourage first-time members to pledge
6. Underwriting. During the period November 6th through December 11th, the WWOZ Underwriting Department reports that it collected $14, 863 from station sponsors.
7. WWOZ Jazz & Heritage 2nd Annual Holiday Bazaar. From 9 am ‘til 4 pm., on Saturday, December 15th, the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival Foundation and WWOZ will hold its 2nd Annual Holiday Bazaar at the Foundation’s offices, 1205 North Rampart Street. This event will provide local music fans with an opportunity to pick up one-of-a-kind mementos for their holiday shopping.
WWOZ Governance Board Meeting
Tuesday, December 11, 2007
Manager=s Report
8. Brass Pass Agreement. On December 10th, WWOZ received a memo of understanding from the Producers of the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival outlining the terms for the 2008 WWOZ Brass/Over Pass. The cost to the station per Brass Pass increased 33%. For all those who became members of WWOZ at the Brass/Over Pass levels during our Fall Fund Drive, WWOZ representatives will be distributing certificates at the office, 1008 North Peters Street, on Friday, December 14 as well as at 1205 North Rampart Street on Saturday, December 15, at the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival Foundation 2nd Annual Holiday Bazaar. Anyone requiring other pick-up arrangements should contact Membership Director, Crystal Gross, at 504-568-1239.
9. Web Editor Hire. On November 26th Tom Morgan was contracted to edit WWOZ’s website. Tom has been a volunteer show host for years, familiar to many listeners for his Tuesday New Orleans Music Show and Wednesday's Jazz Roots Show.
10. Library of Congress. The Library of Congress notified WWOZ that it had completed the initial accession of the WWOZ recordings of live performances delivered to the agency’s facilities in September of this year. On November 28, 2007, WWOZ shipped the second batch of recordings that had been temporarily stored in the Louisiana State Archives in Baton Rouge following the Federal Flood of 2005.
11. Press.
Times-Picayune, December 4, 2007. In a review of I-Phone features, TV columnist Dave Walker highlighted a broadband “radio” service, Pandora. He went on to write: “The recent controversy over Internet royalty rates threatens this primo site (as well as the essential Internet feeds from terrestrial broadcasters like WWOZ FM-90.7)….”
Times-Picayune, December 4, 2007. Announcing the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Foundation 2nd Annual Holiday Bazaar, Keith Marszalek promoted WWOZ merchandise for the event to be held Saturday, December 15th.
Times-Picayune, November 20, 2007. WWOZ’s webcast of the November 20th CD release party and concert for “Fulton Street Live” was publicized by reporter Keith Marszalek.
Lumino, (Chicago) November 12, 2007, In an article describing his experience at VooDoo Fest, writer Barry Brecheisen described his experiences at the WWOZ/SoCo Stage.
Top 40 – Charts.com, November 19, 2007. This music industry website reported that WWOZ radio personality Marc Stone has joined the production team of the TV show "Dixie Melodie " as music supervisor. Stone was described as being, “part and parcel of the music community of New Orleans. The station does not provide these aficionados with playlists; each show is unique and hand-picked just for the listeners. What’s more, hosts are not influenced by commercial considerations (i.e., record labels, music venues, etc. do not pay for play).”
Guardian Unlimited, (United Kingdom), November 12, 2007. In a review of a theatrical production of Waiting for Godot on the streets of New Orleans’ 9th Ward, a British publication, The Guardian Unlimited, described star actor Wendell Pierce as delivering his lines “in a smooth, silky baritone reminiscent of DJs on local jazz and heritage radio station WWOZ.”
WWOZ Governance Board Meeting
Tuesday, December 11, 2007
Manager=s Report
12. Live Broadcasts:
A. Club 528, November 20, 2007, “Fulton Street Live” CD Release Party
Gregory Davis, Ingrid Lucia, Sharon Martin, Barbara Shorts, BJ Crosby, John Boutte, Troi Bechet, Gina Brown, Leslie Smith, Philip Manuel. Leah Chase, George French, Joe Krown, Don Vappie, Brint Anderson, Mike Barras, John Fohl, Michael Bacon, Donald Ramsey, Anthony Brown, Jackie Banks, Cheva Vinning,Sr.
B. Blue Bay Jazz Fest, Frederiksted, St Croix, November 15-18,2007:
Donald Harrison, Jr., Troy Andrews, Stephanie Jordan, Christian Scott, Henry Butler, James Andrews, Marlon Jordan, Kent Jordan, Joe Dyson
C. Snug Harbor, November 15, 2007, Frenchman Street:
The Thelonious Monk Institute Ensemble
D. Fiesta Latina/CAC, November 10,2007:
Otra, Julio and Cesar, Patrice Fisher and Arpa with Special Guests Chiko and Rogerio Group from Aracaju,Brazil