BOARD OF OPERATING
TRUSTEES MEETING
Campus Club, Room 203
405 W. 25th Street
August 25, 2006
11:00 A.M.
AGENDA
I.
11:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. - Orientation of Board for 2006-07 -
Discussion Items
A. Welcome and Introduction (Kathy Lawrence, TSP
Director)
B. History and Purpose
of TSP Board (Kathy Lawrence)
C. TSP's Financial Structure (Merry Tillman, TSP
Assistant Director for Business)
D. Advising Television and Radio (Dan Knight,
TSP Broadcast Adviser)
E. Advising Cactus Yearbook (Kathy Lawrence)
F. Managing TSP Sales and Marketing (Wayne
Roche, TSP Asst. Director for Sales & Marketing)
G. Directing Print and Broadcast Operations
(Frank Serpas, TSP Asst. Director for Operations)
H Advising TSP Photography (John Foxworth, TSP
Photo Adviser)
I1.
12:00 a.m. - 12:45 p.m. - Texas Student Publication Orientation Luncheon
III. 12:45 p.m. – Convene in Open Session for
TSP Board Meeting -Discussion & Appropriate Action
A. Election of TSP 2006-07 Officers (Kathy
Lawrence Presiding)
B. Appointment of TSP 2006-07 Executive
Committee
C. Appointment of Other Committees as
Appropriate
D. Update on Possible Reorganization of TSP, TSP
Handbook (Kathy Lawrence)
E. Summer Activities Report (Kathy Lawrence)
F. Updated Five-Year Goals (Kathy Lawrence)
G. Financial Report Though July and Year-End
Projections (Kathy Lawrence, Merry Tillman)
H. Approval of April 21, 2006 Minutes
I. Proposed Student Payrolls, Student Editors
and Managers
J. Student Editor and Manager Reports and
Presentation of Goals for Each Medium
K.
Adjourn – 2:45 p.m.
To request accommodations under the Americans
with Disabilities Act, please contact the Board Office at
Least three days prior to the meeting. The Board
Office may be reached by phone at (512) 499-4402; by
Email at bor@utsystem.edu;
and by mail at 201 West Seventh Street, Suite 820, Austin, Texas 78701-2981.
III.A – Election of TSP 2006-07 Officers
* Kathy Lawrence Presiding
Dear Members of the Board,
I am running for the position of President of TSP.
Throughout the years I have been here, I have seen many changes, upgrades in
equipment, reorganization of advertising, elections, etc. We have a wonderful
organization with profit baring initiatives for the purpose of bringing the
media and experience within the media to the student body.
My experience for the position is as follows:
1. VP and Election Chair of the board
2. Student director of the College Broadcasters Board
3. 4 years of experience within TSP (mainly in broadcast
but I have
taken the time to get to know each media)
4. Internships and jobs in media ranging from KUT shows to
working in
Hollywood CA for the President of the Oscars
My objectives as president are:
1. Continue the push towards reorganization of TSP into a 501c.
2. Get prior review removed.
3. Make progress on the TSP building issue.
4. Reach a decision on the Editor issue
If chosen, I
will proudly serve as the President of the Board.
Sincerely,
Bill Laird
Dear Members of the Board,
I write to announce my
intention to seek the presidency of the Texas Student Publications Board of
Operating Trustees.
My interest in this position
is based what IÕve seen thus far as a dismal attempt to renegotiate TSPÕs
agreement with the University. Dealing with the Board of Regents and the
UT-Austin inner-political establishment, TSP needs a leader who has experience
dealing with all of the parties involved in renegotiation. I am that leader.
In my year as editor (and in
my previous time as a University-beat reporter) I have already developed key
political relationships with many of the heavy hitters TSP needs to have the
ear of this year. Not only do I believe I can improve TSPÕs political standing
in these negotiations, I believe if we all act transparently and rationally we
can accomplish a new agreement that is best for all parties involved, but most
importantly far better for TSP.
While some may of you be
concerned that I am too much of a bombast or too much of a partisan for this
position, please remember that in this past year my roll on the board was to
represent The Daily Texan. With the Texan as my sole responsibility (or client
if you will) I represented it with zeal and with a creative mind. My clientele
has now expanded as an at-large representative, and consequently I will
represent all of TSPÕs media entities with the same passion and creativity I
put into my advocacy for the Texan.
The following are my primary
objectives as your president:
-Renegotiate an agreement
with the University that leaves TSP stronger and more independent
-Eliminate prior review of
the Texan
-See if we can actually
facilitate reasonable working relationships among the media entities (not just
talking about how nice buzz words sound, actually seeing what each media needs
and getting the mechanisms in place to get it done)
-work to increase awareness
of TSP in the University political community with the goal of increasing
interest in the student board positions
Note these are preliminary
objectives. I plan on keeping my ears open for the concerns of workers from all
TSP media and helping them raise their voice on the board if need be. I will be
first and foremost a representative of student interests, after all, as an
at-large member of the board the entire University is my constituency.
My intimate knowledge of the
UT political arena and the leadership IÕve shown as Editor of the Texan are
assets I sincerely wish to use to TSPÕs advantage. I hope IÕll have your vote
to do so.
Sincerely,
A.J. Bauer
At-Large Board Member
Former Editor of The Daily
Texan
III.E
– Summer Activities Report
* Kathy Lawrence, Director
TO: TSP Board of Operating Trustees
FR: Kathy Lawrence
DATE: August 17, 2006
RE: Summer Activities Report
While not without its bumps, the Texas student media advising staff feels the summer has been one of accomplishment and new discovery. Yes, we hoped to be farther along with reorganization, and we hoped to achieve at least the same – if not stronger – financial performance over last year, we made some changes, took some risks and gained successes along the way.
As fall opens, we are saying goodbye to Mary Felps, my long-time assistant, who will retire at the monthÕs end. Jack Simons from the Cactus staff will become my assistant, handling some Cactus duties and director duties. Parts of MaryÕs position have been funneled to the business office, where we now have a full complement of staff.
We also have completed hiring a new radio adviser. Mary Baird was to start work on August 21. She brings a rich radio background to the position, and we are confident she will bring fresh new ideas into the advising ranks.
Following are other highlights area by area:
John Foxworth, Photography Adviser--
The Cactus yearbook wrapped up by the end of May. Spring Photo Editor Annie Snodgrass had a little difficulty keeping up with the yearend deadline load, but she finished on time without asking for help from me. Annie had taken over from Shannon Sibayan who graduated in the fall and did an excellent job, making it tough for Annie to fill her shoes.
Daily Texan veteran photographer Jessica Talley has agreed to become the next Cactus photo editor. I think sheÕll do a fine job, and IÕm always glad to see student photographers working for both the Cactus and the Texan.
The Daily Texan started the summer with a lot of new student photographers, who did a very good job, and almost all of them showed a genuine interest in learning and striving to do better. During our weekly Texan photo meetings, Photo Editor Mark Mulligan, who will be leaving after graduating this summer, showed an almost evangelical zeal in encouraging and educating the students to shoot better and follow their hearts while pursuing their photography. I caught one of these inspiring ŅsermonsÓ on video.
Speaking of video, I tried to get some photographers to start learning to shoot video for the Texan web, but the training with TSTV never materialized this summer. I hope to try again to get more photographers on board this fall and get them shooting video some of the time. The video camera still image quality has gotten good enough to print in the newspaper, and I hear from professionals in the field that their newspapers are wanting more video for their web offerings.
This summer, IÕve been acting as the assignment and photo editor for Texan supplements produced by the professional staff but photographed by student photographers.
And as usual the archiving process of images offers new challenges and opportunities. Since most photographers have switched from shooting compact jpeg image files to huge RAW image files, weÕve had to be inventive on how to not fill up hard drives and efficiently archive only the most important images. This is a challenge for everyone in our business. We are looking into an open source (free) software called ŅGreenstoneÓ to begin managing the images effectively.
Also since the Texan stopped printing for the summer, IÕve taken the opportunity to do some inventory, cleaning and minor maintenance on our photographic equipment.
Richard Finnell, Texan adviser--
The summer began with an extended tryout period, which ended with the staff orientation meeting that included a review of Texan policies and rules, as well as the libel/invasion of privacy lecture.
During the summer I also conducted a copy-editing workshop for the copy desk, a caption-writing workshop for photographers and a headline-writing workshop for the staff.
Over the summer, in discussion with the managing editor, plans have been made to have copy-editing workshops for assignment and news editors, as well as arts and entertainment editor and writers who wish to attend.
We will also have a headline and lead writing workshop early in the fall, probably conducted by retired faculty member Griff Singer. We are discussing a design workshop and plan to continue the nightly discussions about design and play decisions that the ME instituted this summer.
We were disappointed to learn that although we had six first-place winners in the SPJ Region 8 competition, three writing and three photography winners, none won awards at that level.
Jack Simons, Kathy Lawrence, Cactus--
The new Cactus yearbooks have arrived and are very impressive. We hope the campus will enjoy the book and help boost sales for 2007.
Most of JackÕs summer consisted of yearbook photo sessions, staff recruiting and book promotion during freshman orientation. We beat last year's record for photos taken: 2,022! We hope that this will increase book sales, or at least make more students aware that UT does have a yearbook.
The staff and Kathy went to the yearbook workshop in St. Louis. They have a pretty good idea what they want the new book to be, but they will still fine tune those ideas at their own workshop in a few weeks. They have already started selling advertisements for the yearbook, something we previously farmed out to an Atlanta agency.
Jack and the staff are preparing for our annual Cactus Cup Ice Cream Eating Contest at Party on the Plaza on Sept. 6. We will be handing out fans and giving out cups of lemonade to advertise the yearbook and cool off the students before and after the contest.
Dan Knight, interim radio adviser--
The move to the new production room was completed, and itÕs working well. Local Live is now being mixed live in the production room, with plenty of room for bands in the studio. The wiring was done to conform to general standards for recording studios, and a large audio board was installed that was donated from the Radio-Televison-Film Department. Planning is under way for Local Live the television show, to create a set to regain some of the video personality that was lost in the move.
A traffic/logging/billing system is being installed for radio and television, since trying to use the newspaper's software did not work for the volume of business we are beginning to experience. The system will help the advertising department easily keep track of inventory and place orders - a major roadblock in the current system and a source of errors and lost opportunities. Also, the radio automation part of the system will eventually get most of the music library on a server, which will help in two ways. The server will provide the data for each song that is required by law to be displayed on the website for the streaming feed, while also alleviating the constant need for physically expanding the music library.
Dan Knight, television adviser--
The studio has been drastically cleared out to make space for the radio production room and to facilitate the production of studio-based programs. Last semester saw production of as many as 16 studio programs a week.
Time Warner Cable donated two handheld studio camera systems that will be installed in addition to the three pedestal mounted cameras in the studio. These will particularly help with the look of Local Live and other music shows.
Two, one-week, summer camps were held for middle schoolers, and this year a camp was added for high school students. The high school camp included a radio component for the first time this year. Attendance was lower than planned, probably due to a more competitive environment, but our camps are demonstrably better than others we've seen.
The station filed with the FCC for a companion digital broadcast channel as a hedge for the transition from analog to digital broadcasting in 2009. If the channel is approved, the coverage footprint could extend from the current 77,000 people to a little more than 1.million viewers.
Frank Serpas, operations --
Cross-training of the night crew continues. In the fall the pressmen will
help in the mailroom on nights when the pressruns are complete and the
insert machine needs an extra pair of hands.
Ben Schreier has been hired to fill a mailroom/circulation vacancy, Ben also has
press experience and will be put to work in multiple facets of production.
Twenty on-campus Daily Texan boxes were replaced with brand-new ones;
the older ones trickled down to upgrade off-campus locations.
Student Circulation Manager Matt Mider was busy over the summer, adding
three dozen new throw locations for The Daily Texan.
Wayne Roche, sales and marketing--
If the TSM summer of Ō06 was a movie you'd find it in the "Horror" section at your local video store. Cruising at a quota-achieving pace this spring, the summer months were riddled with many unexpected distractions and market conditions.
Unanticipated marketplace conditions in student housing revenue that typically fuels the Orientation issues and subsequent summer issues went into hiding due to unexpected robust occupancy numbers. Perhaps The Daily Texan, its Housing Fair and the launch of LonghornLiving.org have contributed to the early success of most housing advertisers.
In addition, the spring semester and subsequent summer months were plagued with student turnover, prolonged absences and turmoil. As the spring semester closed, we said goodbye to three very effective senior sales reps due to graduation. As a result, green reps had to cover a great deal in a hurry, and, in some cases, the departing reps did little to pave the way for them. One of our reps underwent heart surgery, which has sidelined her for more than a month of key year-end selling time. The same rep missed many days prior to her surgery due to an almost fatal attack on her younger sister. In addition, some internal turmoil distracted students during some key times, but this seems to have been settled. In the meantime, two students left at the end of the summer, and their replacements are in training for fall.
We probably lost several thousand dollars this summer awaiting approval by the UT bureaucracy for a new classified advertising system. WeÕre hopeful it will be in place for fall. This system, in place at comparable campuses, generally results in increases as dramatic as doubling the classified revenue.
The first Daily Texan Coupon book, featuring 26 pages of coupons at $400 each, has launched this fall. Radio and TV each received $100 from the sale of each coupon to pay for a fall semester promotional campaign plugging each the Coupon Book advertisers. We will distribute 10,000 books by hawkers at the start of the semester.
Finally, our projected finish, based on current projections, will produce $168,000 at a minimum for Daily Texan print and Online for August which is $25,000 short for the month. We can still land incremental business into the Move-In, August 28, 29 and 30th (first day of class).
III.F
– Updated Five-Year Goals
* Kathy Lawrence, Director
2005-2006
Goals:
1. Complete work to support implementation of new TSM Handbook, along with possible reorganization of our department.
Engaged an attorney and began
discussions with UT System about future; gathered information and developed
lists of issues to be addressed; this process appears to be far from
completion.
2. Implement name change from TSP to TSM.
3. Refine space, staffing needs. Consider internal reorganization where
appropriate.
Completed final work on
building renovation; continued seeking space to relocate Texas Travesty;
undertook staff reorganization by eliminating one full-time position and
reassigning of duties of night production/circulation staff members.
4. Develop, with advisers and student managers, TSP-wide student
recruitment/retention plan.
5. Plan alumni activity.
Engaged alumni in limited
discussion about possible reorganization of Texas student media but did not
have resources available to plan social activity.
We continue to seek
economical opportunities to market, promote and seek general exposure for TSM
units.
This is under way and has
achieved a degree of success. Improved methods of communicating among staffs
and departments will remain a goal in the coming year.
What occurred was relatively
unsuccessful, and we will continue this goal for another year.
1. Ensure that reserves remain healthy to see media through economic downturn and provide new equipment as needed.
Unexpected and sharp
increases in the costs of utilities and newsprint have badly impacted our
budget. We now stand below our $1 million reserve goal and are uncertain of the
economic future due to the rapid changes in media use we are experiencing.
2. Expect sizable revenue from TSTVÕs outside production steam.
This did not occur, though
additional marketing will be implemented in the coming year in an effort to
improve income in this area.
3. Expect TSTV to be near a break-even position.
TSTV did not gain any ground
this year. While advertising revenues increased substantially, drops in the
summer Kids Camp enrollment and in paid productions took a significant budget
toll that we did not expect.
4. Expect a $100,000 contribution to reserves from net revenues.
This is not likely to be
realized. We are not certain the year will end in the black due to a drop in
advertising revenue in the summer, along with newsprint increases and utility
hikes.
This should be our priority
over the next few years. ItÕs difficult to know what will happen, but we need
to be flexible and watchful.
This is occurring
increasingly with radio and television, and is beginning in photo-videography.
We hope to see more podcasting in radio, television and The Texan and perhaps
some Texan-broadcast collaboration.
While this may not be feasible,
we are exploring the possibility of a Texan nightly news presentation that
highlights the next dayÕs stories.
collaboration mentioned above.
We have applied for a
companion channel that would greatly increase over-the-air audience and will begin
refining financial needs in 2006-07.
video, as well as still.
1. Try to bring reorganization of Texas Student Media to some conclusion between Board of Operating Trustees and Board of Regents.
2. Reorganize staffing in Director and Cactus office, eliminating one position from payroll and shifting some Director office functions to business office.
3. Find location and move Texas Travesty.
4. Refine long-range plan for TSM building.
5. Improve and assess efforts to make students feel welcome and supported at Texas Student Media.
6. Plan alumni event and/or communication with alums.
7. Conduct campuswide open house for student media.
8. Develop stronger ties and more formalized partnerships with academic departments.
9. Complete risk analysis.
Sales/Marketing/Promotion
1. Conduct new consumer studies.
2. Enhance bundled/packaged sales presentations involving all student media.
3. Improve revenue picture across student media.
4. Improve and assess student training in areas of sales and marketing.
5. Continue assessment of special projects and promotions, making adjustments as
needed.
6. Develop new partnerships with campus departments as opportunities are
presented.
3.
Attempt to maintain a $1 million reserve at all times.
4.
Improve and assess student training in areas of
financial planning and budgeting.
5.
Develop fund-raising plan for student media and seek at
least a modest start in generating dollars to support some units.
1. Encourage additional convergence between radio and television, with other opportunities developed between The Texan and broadcast entities.
2. Consider possible needs for additional student media offerings, modification of less effective media.
3. Re-examine adequacy of advising structures in light of changes.
4. Ensure and assess various training provided across student media and make adjustments as needed.
5. Enter joint venture with Athletics to improve broadcasting of volleyball, softball and other sports, as well as increase revenue and exposure.
6. Refine relationships with College of Communication and perhaps McCombs School of Business, engaging in joint projects and for-credit opportunities for students where possible.
7. Ensure training of new radio adviser,
5. Explore
implications of web-width reduction.
2. Repeat
campuswide open house.
3. Continue
alumni outreach efforts and a possible fund-raising campaign.
4. Update
assessment of media units, needs for services and development of new
media.
5. Improve
and assess efforts to make students feel welcome and supported at Texas
Student Media.
6. Enhance
partnerships with academic departments as appropriate.
4. Improve
and assess student training in areas of sales and marketing.
5.
Develop new projects/partnerships as need and opportunity arise.
4.
Improve and assess student training in areas of financial planning and
budgeting.
1. Assess web development and convergence in light of media trends and TSM
needs.
2. Consider possible needs for new or reconfigured student media offerings.
3. Ensure and assess various training provided across student media and make
adjustments as needed.
4. Assess Athletic Department joint venture for television sports, making
adjustments and expanding as appropriate.
5. Refine relationships with College of Communication and perhaps McCombs
School of Business, engaging in joint projects and for-credit opportunities for
students where possible.
1. Enhance web technology as needed, providing advising help as needed.
2. Consider press/mailroom improvements.
3. Continue routine upgrades of computer equipment, expecting all computers to be
replaced on a five-year rotation.
4. Consider implications, implementation schedule of web width reduction.
2. Continue
alumni outreach efforts; consider a major fund-raising campaign.
3. Update
assessment of media units, needs for services and development of new
media.
4. Improve
and assess efforts to make students feel welcome and supported at Texas
Student Media.
5. Continue
to develop ties to academic departments where appropriate.
1. Maintain focus groups and surveys that assess effectiveness of media services to
users and advertisers.
2. Continue development of new products to meet needs.
3. Improve revenue picture across student media.
4. Ensure that students are adequately trained in sales and marketing.
3. Improve
and assess student training in areas of financial planning and budgeting.
4. Continue
refinement of long- and short-range forecasting tools.
4. Improve
and assess student training across media.
2. Implement
or complete implementation of press/mailroom equipment upgrades.
1. Enhance links to academic departments as opportunities are available.
2. Examine fund-raising campaign strategy.
3. Continue campuswide open houses, and alumni activities.
1. Consider rate increases across products as appropriate.
2. Improve revenue picture across student media.
3. Implement consumer studies to improve service as needed.
III.G – Financial Report
Through July
and Year-End Projections
* Kathy
Lawrence, Director
* Merry Tillman, Asst Director,
Business
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TSP Accounts |
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(other than operating budget) |
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Beg. Balance |
Ending Balance Jul 06 |
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Sep 05 |
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14-0632-1251 |
TSP
Faculty Staff Directory |
$1,601.00 |
$1,980.92 |
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30-6267-4593 |
KVRX
Radio Gifts |
$25,940.20 |
$30,980.20 |
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30-6267-4551 |
KVRX
Radio Expense |
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2,420.97 |
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Balance |
$25,940.20 |
$28,559.23 |
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30-6267-4693 |
TSP-Var.
Donors, Var. Pur. Gifts |
$14,379.79 |
$13,529.79 |
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30-6267-4694 |
TSP-Var.
Donors, Var. Pur. Inv Inc |
1,098.06 |
1,098.06 |
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30-6267-4670 |
TSP-Var.
Donors, Var. Pur. Sch/Fellow. |
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30-6267-4656 |
TSP-Var.
Donors, Var. Pur. Misc. Other |
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1,917.00 |
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Balance |
$15,477.85 |
$12,710.85 |
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30-6267-4793 |
Pilot
Television Project Gifts |
$27.17 |
$27.17 |
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