Public radio station KHNS will “have to get creative” to recoup a funding shortfall, including diminished revenues from memberships, Lynn Canal Broadcasting board chair Russ Bowman said at the station’s annual membership meeting Friday.
“We have to budget carefully. We have to make up the difference with fund-raisers,” Bowman said.
A station budget distributed at the meeting showed finances from July 2009 through June 2010, and didn’t include reduced memberships. The station’s marathon fund-raiser brought in $40,000 this year, compared to $59,701 in memberships and donations the previous year.
Slightly reduced grant funding and increased technical expenses have eroded funding, but cuts and unfilled positions have helped the station keep $14,000 in the bank. “We have less than last year, but we’re able to fund all our positions. We’re still okay,” Bowman told members.
Bowman’s budget showed the station brought in $377,000 last year, including $253,767 from the federal Corporation for Public Broadcasting and Alaska Public Broadcasting Commission. Major expenses were payroll ($230,145), programming fees ($37,355) and electricity ($18,600).
Board members Deb Potter and Randy Wiley of Skagway and Rita Brouillette of Haines were re-elected at the meeting. Write-in candidate Diana Kelm won a seat that attracted no official candidates.
It was the second, consecutive membership meeting that has failed to muster a quorum of members. Turnout was about five shy of the 47.5 members needed to conduct business. Bowman said failure to reach quorum meant the minutes of the past two meetings haven’t been approved.
Bowman said the station would begin interviewing general manager candidates next week. There are 13 candidates, including some “strong ones,” he said.
During member comments, Ned Rozbicki said the station should seek a donation of phone and Internet lines from Alaska Power and Telephone, which would save about $6,000.
Krishna Smith said he’d like to see more late-night shows. Tom Morphet said the station could regain members and funding by making itself vital to the community, with news and information of interest to the widest possible segment of the population.
Volunteers Smith, Brouillette, Carol Mitchell, Bob Plucker and Alex Juren were honored.