[Kzyxtalk] Sunshine Policy at KZYX

[Dennis OBrien]

Norm Duvall has suggested thatbuilding trust is essential for any candidate in this election.  I believe it is also important for KZYX itself,and that it can start with a sunshine policy. I attended my first annual membershipmeeting in 2013.  All comments weredeferred till the “Members’ Comments” item on the agenda.  At that time, a man stood up and asked, “Couldyou please give us an update on the Ukiah studio?”  He left the remainder of his three minutesfor the board and management to respond. Instead, the chair announced that, although comments would be allowed,there would be no responses.  That wasthe moment I realized that there was something essentially wrong in the way thestation was being run. The decision to withhold informationremains the policy of the current board, which has announced that its role is tosupport and protect the management of MCPB/KZYX.  The policy has continued through this month’sboard meeting in Fort Bragg.  At firstthe board would not allow any comments on items on the agenda, and comments onitems not on the agenda were deferred till near the end of the meeting.  It took a revolt be the membership presentand a switch by three of the board members to change the policy and allow commentsand questions about items on the agenda. Even then, the board limited howmuch information it would share.  Mostpeople seemed interested in the salaries paid to management and staff, yet theboard would only reveal that the General Manager was paid $54,000 for the yearending June 30, 2013, as reported on the tax return for that fiscal year.  Disclosure of the returns is required by the FCC/CPB.  However, theywould not reveal any information from the 2014 fiscal year tax return, eventhough the General Manager confirmed it was recently filed.  I have submitted a written request for thereturn, as is any member’s legal right. Both the General Manager and the board have refused to release it. The current policy is that informationwill be disclosed only if it is required, and even that is being ignored.  We must reverse that.  Allinformation must be shared unless its confidentiality is specifically protectedby the law.  Adopting such a sunshinepolicy may be the most important single change that KZYX can make.  For it is only by having all relevant informationthat the members and the public can make informed decisions about their publiccommunity radio station.  Conversely, keeping information secret results in an improper concentration of power, less essential feedback, and bad decisions.  It is the first policy I would change as a director.

Denny
PS - Does anyone else have a story aboutinformation being withheld?  Remember,nonviolent communication allows comments on actions and their consequences.  Just avoid calling people names or demeaning their character. 
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