General Manager Report to the Board, July 2014

Financial reports have been provided separately to that committee. Overall July was not a good month (it often isn’t). However, other than quite a dip in underwriting sales, we are financially sound and have been able to keep expenses in line with the budget. August should be a decent month and the end of summer brings us back to a lot of our revenue generating activity. I’m also happy to report that we received full funding from the Arizona Commission on the Arts for the first time in many years ($22,000), though it will be a while before we see that paid out.

My work continues on the draft budget for FY15. An initial draft was presented July 16th showing expected revenue growth of 6.4% and a growth in expenses of 9.7% for a budgeted loss on the year of $2,491. Keep in mind, however, that my initial budgeting is always very conservative on revenue and very liberal on expenses; as we get closer to the end of the fiscal year the projections tighten up considerably and I have no doubt that we will in fact be able to budget a modest “profit” for FY15.

Work on the tower site for the auxiliary transmitter kicked off in earnest on July 21st and both Amanda and I have made multiple site visits to meet with the various contractors. We should be able to file for the official testing period with the FCC in August (and begin that testing shortly thereafter). There are some decisions that need to be made on air conditioning, which won’t be cheap, but on the whole, installation is progressing very nicely.

The Amplify KXCI campaign has seemed to hit a summer lull, though, and we’ll need to pick up that effort and build on the excitement on its major (but not only) goal being reached.

I joined Michelle in attending the Greater Public development and management conference, July 10-12 in Denver. My workshops included: Sustainers: Nurture Relationships AND Maximize Cash; Managing Up and Sideways; Building Blocks: Deepening Local Relationships; You Are What You Measure: Metrics, Motivation & Major Giving; Philanthropy And The Small Station; Planned Giving: Making Time at Small Shops; Meet The Sustainer Revolutionaries; Non-Traditional Fundraising: Optimism and Common Sense; Delegating To Technology; Membership Fundraising in a Multi-Platform World; Free For The Taking: Great Underwriting Ideas

The best takeaways from the conference (in addition to being reminded of things one may have forgotten):

1) Across the system, we’re leaving money on the table (so add back a third small drive!)

2) Move from credit/debit cards to EFT to cut fees and stop losing payments;

3) Legacy giving – we’re all getting older.

One of the first things I did coming out of the conference was to work on setting up electronic funds transfers (EFT or now commonly called eCheck) for the station with Michelle; I’m happy to say we got fairly quick approval and are now equipped with that option.

Back to non-conference things:

We posted the part-time sales position. I ultimately interviewed three candidates, and have hired Leah Rhey, who has extensive radio sales experience in our market. I have begun training her and she’s already gone out on her first (successful!) sales calls.

I met with the Desert Leaf to set up print advertising to begin in October, targeting our new geography.

I met with the Southern Arizona Blues Heritage Foundation, renewing their annual ad contract and our sponsorship trade for the Blues Festival in October.

I did the annual termite inspection with Truly Nolen; we have some problems areas and I contracted with them to do the work (set for early August).

I filled in a few mornings on Your Morning Brew and one day for The Home Stretch.

I’ve taken responsibility for public service announcements back from Cathy (she has enough to do now as Program Director). PSAs in July included: Community Food Bank, Fund For Civility’s Community Mental Health Forum, Access Tucson, Children’s Museum Tucson, Tucson Museum of Art, Ben’s Bells, Arizona Theatre Company, TohonoChulPark, 2nd Saturdays Downtown, SAAMHA, Southern Arizona Arts and Cultural Alliance, Educational Enrichment Foundation, Tucson Values Teachers, Tucson Friends of the Streetcar, Tucson Clean and Beautiful, and Literacy Connects.