WTBR-FM BUSINESS PLAN Proposal for Management by Pittsfield Community Television By Shawn T. Serre, Executive Director February 6, 2018 Executive Summary This plan details the reasons for, and the methods which will allow Pittsfield Community Television to manage and operate WTBR-FM, a full power class-A Non-Commercial Educational FM radio station located in Pittsfield, Massachusetts. The station, broadcasting on 89.7 MHz, was established in 1974 as a student-run high school radio station, and is currently licensed to the Pittsfield Public School Committee, with studios, transmitter and tower antenna currently located at Taconic High School, 96 Valentine Road in Pittsfield. Our intention is to establish a community radio station which will preserve a vital community resource for the City of Pittsfield and surrounding areas in the station's coverage area. By preserving this station, Pittsfield Community Television would also be ensuring the continuance of The Berkshire Talking Chronicle, transmitted on WRRS-LP, a 100-watt low-power FM station ‘operated on 104.3 MHz by United Cerebral Palsy of Berkshire County. WRRS-LP shares space on the same transmission tower as WTBR. The mission of Pittsfield Community Cable Broadcasting, Inc., a §01(c)(3) non-profit Public, Educational and Governmental access organization, is to provide access to the medium of television and related technologies to the citizens and community organizations of Pittsfield, and {0 provide training, production facilities, and channel time to enable its members to produce ‘community programming. True to that mission, Pittsfield Community Television is uniquely positioned to offer increased access to a community radio station, to all constituencies that the organization currently serves--public, educational, and governmental. While serving these constituencies with access ime, our organization wil likewise be serving the community at large, with ‘educational, informative and entertaining programming created by and for the community. We have a thirly-plus year history of successfully accomplishing this mission using a cable television platform. By operating at first one, and then three television channels, we have proven our abilty to provide non-discriminatory, first-come, first-served access to the medium that we manage. We are confident in our abilities to continue this level of management for this radio station,WTBR Business Plan | February 6, 2018 Needs and Solutions © Where We Are and How We Got Here Pittsfield Community Television is a PEG Access organization. For decades, PEG Access was limited to the cable television platform, Historically, when cable TV became ubiquitous In homes across the U.S., concerns arose that ordinary members of the public would not be able to have access to the expensive equipment, training, and air time that was increasingly in the hands of large corporations. Hence, legislation was passed on the federal level to mandate that cable companies provide channel time, and later, mandate that municipalities had the ability to write local licensing agreements that would provide funding for PEG organizations. As cable television operators run their wires from their head ends, on utility poles above the public rights of way to their subscribers’ houses, local municipalities are allowed to license and demand fees in exchange for that value. In 1986, Pittsfield Community Cable Broadcasting Inc. was founded by a small group of volunteers to make this access possible here in Pittsfield. Prior to this date, local cable television was handled in a variety of ways, from a ‘local origination" model operated directly by the cable ‘company, to a for-profit company which produced and aired local programming and paid for the channel time. At one point in Pittsfield, over 90% of homes in the city subscribed to cable television. This is mainly due to the fact that most residents are not able to receive over-the-air television signals from neighboring markets such as Albany, NY and Springfield, MA. Geographically, Pittsfield and the Berkshires were prime markets for cable television companies. Looking To The Future ‘Since this high point in the early 1990s, the media landscape has changed in a fundamental way. Satellite television services such as DirecTV and Dish Network are seen by many as an appealing alternative to cable, although the downside includes poorer customer service, signal reliablty, and lack of local PEG access channels. Satellite TV services are not required to fund or carry PEG Access channels, since they do nat run their wires above the public rights of way. In addition to satelite services, the advent of the internet, and “Over The Top" (OTT) video services such as Netflix, Hulu, YouTube, SlingTV, and other video delivery services has further ‘changed the landscape. People have many more choices of what to watch and how to have them delivered; and demographically, younger viewers tend to be less likely to pay for a cable ‘subscription. These “cord-cutters” can present a threat to the future funding for PEG Access ‘organizations, since the majority of the funding comes from cable television subscribers. itis essential that Pittsfield Community Television begin to diversify its funding mechanisms, while at the same time embrace new and diverse platforms to continue to reach our 2WTBR Business Plan | February 6, 2018 constituencies. Our organization needs to work to stay relevant to all demographics, and having multiple platforms upon which to do that work will be @ major advantage. Radio as an Option In Pittsfield and the Berkshires, there are few forms of media which reach a majority of people in ‘so many venues~at home, in the car, and at work--as radio. Our existing cable TV channels reach only those households with a Spectrum cable subscription, and then only those located in Pittsfield, Datton and Richmond. By comparison, the current WTBR signal reaches many Berkshire communities from Adams to Lee, and from the hill towns to Eastern New York State. From a community media perspective, running a radio station for the benefit of our local population presents an extremely iow barrier of entry for members to get involved and participate, and an easy way for the public to stay informed and entertained. Modem radio stations also provide newer technology, such as internet streaming and podcasting, wi provides additional platforms with which to reach new demographics of listeners. ‘Managing a radio platform in addition to our existing cable television channels provides a unique and rare opportunity for our organization to provide extended reach, branding and ‘cross-promotion, and underwriting. Beyond simply adding a whole new group of listeners to our existing television audience, the potential to promote television programming on the radio, and likewise, radio programming on the television channels, is exciting. Shared programming between the platforms is another synergy that comes from the inclusion of the radio platform. Finally, corporate support and underwriting provided as a package for television and radio becomes possible. In addition, this station participates in the Emergency Alert System (EAS), which adds another dimension of service that Pittsfield Community Television could provide to the city and the region. Finally, the equipment to run a radio station can be purchased and maintained at a fraction of what video and television equipment costs. Non-Commercial Educational Radio ‘© History and Differences in Types of Radio Licenses WTBR-FM, located on the dial at 89.7 MHz, is considered by the FCC as a Non-Commercial Educational station. According to the FCC, “FM Noncommercial Educational (NCE) stations may be authorized on 88,1 MHz to 91.9 MHz, corresponding to Channels 201 through 220 (sometimes referred to as the “reserved band’), No commercial operation is permitted on these frequencies.” 3WTBR Business Plan | February 6, 2018 These frequencies are generally allocated to educational institutions (schools and colleges), nonprofit organizations, and religious institutions. Importantly, The FCC is not accepting applications for new FM Non-commercial Educational Broadcast stations at the present time, Itis also important to note the difference between a fultpower FM license and a low-power FM license. Many community radio stations operate on a low-power license, which were awarded by the FCC beginning in the year 2000, Low-power stations generally only reach a small geographical area around the transmitter (perhaps just the immediate city or town area), whereas full-power stations reach a larger footprint. The FCC is also currently no longer accepting applications for new low-power stations. The Community Radio Model of Radio Broadcasting ‘Community Radio is a fairly new concept in the world of radio broadcasting, and one that is increasingly embraced by PEG Access organizations, such as Pittsfield Community Television. ‘Avery apt description can be found on Wikipedia: “Community radio is a radio service offering a third model of radio broadcasting in addition to commercial and public broadcasting. Community stations serve geographic communities and communities of interest. They broadcast content that is popular and relevant to a local, specific audience but is often overlooked by commercial or mass-media broadcasters. Community radio stations are operated, owned, and influenced by the communities they serve. They are generally nonprofit and provide a mechanism for enabling individuals, groups, and communities to tell their own stories, to share experiences and, in a media-rich world, to become creators and contributors of media.” Pittsfield Community Television would manage and operate WTBR-FM as a community radio station, which would encompass public, educational, and governmental constituencies from the City of Pittsfield. To participate, individuals would join PCTV as members through a nominal membership fee, and agree to abide by the rules and procedures of the organization. @ Licensing The Class-A radio broadcast license for WTBR is currently held by the Pittsfield Public School Committee, which expires on April 01, 2022. For the immediate future, this would continue to be the case. Pittsfield Community Television would manage and operate the studio and transmitter in accordance with an FCC-mandated Local Marketing Agreement (LMA) with the School Committee.WTBR Business Plan | February 6, 2018 @ The Station, Facilities, and Coverage Pattern in the Area The studio, transmitter and antenna/tower are currently located at Taconic High School, 96 Valentine Road, Pittsfield. The effective radiated power of the station is 380 watts. The coverage area is represented in the following image/map:WTBR Business Plan | February 6, 2018 The current Taconic High Schoo! building is scheduled to be demolished in September, 2018, as anew building is currently under construction on the adjacent property. The land where the current building sits will be converted to athletic fields when the new building opens, During the ‘School Building Needs process, it became apparent that there would be no plan to continue operating a radio station in the new building, and therefore, the studio, transmitter and antenna would need to be relocated if it were to continue broadcasting. ® Location and Basic Structure ‘We propose that the studio be moved and rebuilt at the Pittsfield Community Television facility on 4 Federico Drive, Pittsfield. With certain modifications, one office at the facility will be converted to a radio studio, with capabilities for live and automated operation, and a studio capable of interviewing up to three guests. Additional space will be reserved for radio production and recording. Separate access to the radio studio will be possible through modest building modification. In addition to the proposed radio studio, the other facilities at PCTV will also be available for radio production. For example, if a larger group performance is part of a radio program, this can be accomplished in the larger TV Studio-A, or smaller TV Studio-K, whether live or recorded. Likewise, radio programs executed in the radio studio can easily be televised through video facilites that PCTV already operates. ‘The transmitter and antenna, whether it be tower-mounted or pole-mounted, could either be located atop the Clock Tower Building at 75 South Church Street, or atop the 7 North Street building, both in downtown Pittsfield, via a studio-to-transmitter ink (STL), pending an ‘agreement with the building owner; or alternatively, located at 4 Federico Drive with direct ‘connection to the radio studio located in the building. The choice of transmitter/antenna location will depend on several factors, including engineering and cost. Management and Staff © Minimum Staffing At the outset, Pittsfield Community Television will manage the operations of WTBR with existing staff, dividing the responsibilities among coordinators, production, marketing, and engineering staff. This staffing will allow PCTV to effectively manage day-to-day operations, provide members with training and support, ensure schedule continuity and consistency, and apply rules and procedures fairly. The station will continue to operate at least at the level of reliability that it currently does, and by our judgment, it will be improved with a greater variety of programming To supplement this staffing, the Pittsfield Public Schools have agreed to continue a standing ‘arrangement and pay a stipend to an individual from the community, in order to keep automated programming running. In addition, PCTV will need to engage the services of a radio engineer for annual and periodic maintenance.WTBR Business Plan | February 6, 2018 © Full Operating Staff Upon passing agreed upon milestones with regards to programming and funding, we envision dedicating one fulltime radio coordinator/programmer who would have responsibilty for most aspects of radio operations, and who would report directly to the Pittsfield Community Television Executive Director. Programming © Music & Automation Currently WTBR features a classic rock & roll music format, and is the dominant programming heard on the station most hours of the day. This programming is executed mostly via automation hardware and software. At certain times of the day, such as during morning drive time, there is live programming, whether talk format or music, which is created mostly by interested adult community members. There are also long-running music programs which highlight polka, oldies, and heavy metal music, among others. There is litte to no high school student programming on the station. Live remote programming is occasionally scheduled, but is fairly rare. We propose to keep the rock & roll format for automation, as it is anecdotally popular among the station’s listeners. The station currently has a sizeable music collection, and we would continue to program that music. © Licensing In order to continue to program copyrighted music, existing music licensing agreements would need to be continued. Costs for ASCAP, BMI, and SESAC for broadcast rights, and ‘SoundExchange for online streaming, would continue to be paid for by the Pittsfield Public ‘School Committee. ® Local Content Local content is absolutely critical to the success of this station. There are already several ‘commercial radio stations broadcasting in the area, and there are two strong Public Radio affiliates that serve the area. Our niche as a community radio station will be hyper-local programming, including local hosts and guests, local music, and local events. We will ‘encourage student programming from both Taconic and Pittsfield High Schools. We believe it will be possible to dedicate a daypart (after-school hours, for example) to student programming, produced at either the PCTV studios or at the high schools themselves. We would also welcome the legacy slotted programs. They will need to complete a program agreement with PCTV in order to continue, In addition, we will entertain proposals for new, one- or two-hour radio program slots on a weekly basis from trained PCTV members, as part of the ‘community radio programming. These could take the form of live or recorded (‘voice-tracked") 7WTBR Business Plan | February 6, 2018 shows, depending on the availability of the time slot and the PCTV facility and staff. Again, producers of shows would need a completed program agreement form in order to proceed. © Live shows and TV simulcasts ‘One obvious strength of this arrangement is the synergy between the television and radio ‘operations under one roof. We anticipate some radio programs will transiate easily into television simulcasts, and some television programs could take advantage of radio simulcast. © Municipal Events PCTV is the authority when it comes to coverage of local municipal meetings and events. Objectively and reliably, PCTV covers hundreds of these events each year for the community, and provides high-quality television coverage. Some of these events will translate easily into WTBR radio broadcasts, and we will take every opportunity to provide this coverage. @ Opportunities for UCP Clients Partnering with United Cerebral Palsy of Berkshire County means that the good work that is currently being completed through the WRRS-LP Reading for the Bind and Disabled service can continue and expand. There will be opportunities for radio programming that is produced at UCP to be aired on WTBR, and reablfe radio and broadcast experience can be made avaliable tots clients. ‘® Integration with Digital Platforms: Streaming, Podcasting, Facebook ‘Along with the terrestrial radio broadcasts, we anticipate that WTBR will continue to be available as an internet stream to anyone in the world who wishes to listen in. In addition, we would like to explore the possibility of providing podcasts of regular radio programming created by members. Podcasting is generally more popular among younger listeners, which is another way to increase listenership among a hard-to-reach demographic. These podcasts could also be shared via our presence on Facebook, in the same way that we currently promote our video-on-demand programming, @ Rules and Procedures (One critical element that is missing at the current WTBR is a lack of clearly written, understood ‘and accepted rules and procedures that apply to all programming and participants that go on the air. This is a significant liability for the license holder, the Pittsfield Public Schools. PCTV proposes that all members of the public who will be granted shows on the radio station must be PCTV members, and agree to abide by the PCTV rules and procedures. In addition, we propose to amend those rules to include specific sections that pertain to terrestrial radio broadcasting and FCC mandates. A user-friendly radio producer handbook will also be published to make clear the rules that must be followed.WTBR Business Plan | February 6, 2018 Marketing Plan @ Demographics of Potential Listeners According to DataUSA: ‘© The population of Berkshire County, MA is 89.7%White, 3.93% Hispanic, and 2.65% Black. 7.39% of the people in Berkshire County, MA speak a non-English language, and 97.3% are U.S. citizens. ‘©The largest universities in Berkshire County, MA are Willams College, with 773 ‘graduates, Massachusetts Collage of Liberal Arts, with 447 graduates, and Berkshire Community College, with 346 graduates. ‘* The median property value in Berkshire County, MA is $204,700, and the homeownership rate is 68.6%, Most people in Berkshire County, MA commute by driving alone, and the average commute time is 19.3 minutes. The average car ownership in Berkshire County, MA is 2 cars per household. © Berkshire County, MA is the 11th most populated county in Massachusetts and borders Litchfield County, CT; Franklin County, MA; Hampden County, MA; Hampshire County, MA; Columbia County, NY;Dutchess County, NY; Rensselaer County, NY; Bennington County, VT 129,288 population in the county Median Age 45.8 years Median household income 49,956 Car Ownership 46.8% of households have 2 cars 77.6% of people drove alone as most common mode of travel Commute Time 19.3 minutes A look at this data demonstrates that there is a potential to reach a mostly older white demographic, with a moderate income level, who commutes to work mostly alone by car. There also potential to reach a smaller audience which is nonwhite and non-English speaking, More demographic details can be found at hitps://datausa.jo/profile/aeo/berkshire-county-ma/ © Competition The following services present potential competition for a Pittsfield Community Television-managed WIBR-FM. Competition presents itself in the form of listeners and also for underwriting and support dollars.WTBR Business Plan | February 6, 2018 Commercial radio stations have a different mission and demographic to serve than NCE stations, and look to different methods of financial support, i.e. advertising. Of the NCE stations, WMT is an NPR affiliate, with a classical music format; WAMC is also an NPR affiliate, with news, talk, music, and large-area Capital Region, NY programming. WFCR is also an NPR affiliate, similar in regional appeal to WAMC, except in the Western Massachusetts region. WINF is @ religious broadcaster. Its important to note that there are . ‘The nearest ones operate in North Adams and Great Barrington, which are both outside of the WTBR broadcast area. Commercial radio stations. The following commercial FM radio stations operate in the WTBR footprint: WUPE-FM 100.1 and 103.3 MHz (Townsquare Media) WBEC-FM 95,9 MHz (Townsquare Media) WBRK-FM 101.7 MHz (WBRK, Inc.) Non-Commercial Educational stations. The following NCE FM radio stations operate in the WTBR Footprint: WMHT-FM 89.1 MHz (WMHT Telecommunications, Troy) WAMC-FM 90.3 MHz (Northeast Public Radio, Albany) WFCR-FM 106.1 MHz (New England Public Radio, Amherst), 98.3 Lee, 98.9 Adams WJNF-FM 91.7 MHz (RenewFM Christian Broadcasting) Other entertainment: AM radio stations, Sirius XM satelite radio; streaming services; personal devices. All of these services compete for listeners in our area, at home, in the ear, and at work. Station Marketing It will be critically important to market the station and inform the public that itis under new management. Understanding that we will be operating on a shoestring budget, we propose to ‘employ the following methods, including: Using PCTV’s existing network of members and viewers, engaging In a campaign of ‘cross-promotion on the three PCTV cable TV channels © On-air radio promotional spots, which will call attention to the new management and mmission of the station News stories in focal media, including the Berkshire Eagle and iBerkshit Social media, including Facebook Email marketing ‘Advertising: billboards, possibly donated for non-profit purposes. 10WTBR Business Plan | February 6, 2018 Financial Plan Thanks to the initial efforts of UCP and their radio engineer, we have some idea of the initial and ‘ongoing costs that we might expect to incur to support WTBR. Some of these figures can be adjusted based on the change from UCP to Pittsfield Community Television as the designee, but we agree with the following: Estimated One-Time Startup/Moving Costs ‘The following table contains an estimate of one-time costs of moving the WTBR studio, transmitter and antenna, and making needed upgrades to broadcast equipment. It contains ‘some estimates from the previous radio engineer, and some estimates from PCTV engineering staff, This table is subject to change upon receipt of a new engineering study and quote: ITEM ‘COST | COMMENT New transmitter ‘$4,596.00 | To maintain licensed power with smalier antenna ‘Transmitter RDS Option $1,600.00 | Provides station and program information to receivers. Highly recommended. New antenna $4,295.00 | Replace 1960 antenna Antenna mounting $5,000.00 ‘Comrec Brick-Link $3,600.00 | To connect studio to transmitter Legal fees $1,500.00 | To prepare legal portion of file with FCC Engineering fees $2,000.00 | To prepare FCC application move Building modifications. $5,000.00 | Walls, doors, windows, locks, alarms, signage Equipment updates. $7,000.00 | Replace aging radio mixing board; video switcher and monitors; furniture TOTAL STARTUP/MOVE $34,591.00 | ESTIMATE "WTBR Business Plan | February 6, 2018 ‘ Estimated annual operating costs (PCTV Responsibility) TEM COST | COMMENT Electricity ‘$4,200.00 | Mainly due to the cost of operating the transmitter Internet ‘$1,440.00 | Needed to provide a studio-to-transmitter link. Music Library Costs $240.00 | Ongoing cost of adding music to the existing, extensive music library Equipment and supplies | ~—_—$1,500.00 | Costs of maintaining and replacing stu broadcast equipment Radio Engineer $3,000.00 —- FCC Consuttant ‘$3,000.00 Program Management 0.00 | Would be handled by existing PCTV staff for the beginning ‘TOTAL ANNUAL COSTS $13,380.00 | ESTIMATE ‘ Estimated ANNUAL Operating Costs (Pittsfield Public Schools Responsibility) tEM GOST | COMMENT Licensing Fees ‘$4,000.00 | Include FCC fees and music licensing, including ASCAP, BMI, SESAC, ‘SoundExchange Stipend for Personnel $1,000.00 | PPS currently pays a stipend for a person to coordinate the station and music programming TOTAL ANNUAL COSTS $5,000.00 | ESTIMATE - PPS COVERED itis important to note that ifthere are any costs specific to the installation or operation of WRRS-LP, the Berkshire Talking Chronicle, which are above and beyond the costs of relocating WTBR-FM, those costs would need to be bone by UCP alone. This could include any STL ‘equipment, or separate antennas or mounting costs. 12WTBR Business Plan | February 6, 2018 Funding Mechanisms ‘The typical methods for annually funding a NonCommercial Educational radio station include member support (through member drives, fund drives, and capital campaigns), corporate ‘support (in the form of PBS-style underwriting), and targeted grants. We anticipate pursuing all of these methods of support. With PCTV’'s new emphasis on fundraising, and especially with the recent creation of the Coordinator of Advancement and Community Production, our ‘organization will be better positioned to take on this activity. ‘We expect that in the first 1-3 years of operation, this funding will be slow to materialize, as there is no existing framework for it on this station presently. However, between years 3-5, we expect that these funding mechanisms will defray the ongoing costs, and eventually make the station self-sufficient. For the startup/moving costs involved with this business plan, we propose that PCTV absorb the Capital costs from the capital equipment budget. Due to the current budget situation in the City of Pittsfield and the Pittsfield Public Schools, we understand that there is no funding available from the license holder to defray these costs. Engineering and Feasibility © Transmitter and Antenna ‘Atthough UCP obtained a preliminary engineering survey of the potential move, we strongly recommend an updated engineering study and estimate/quote be requested, to obtain a second opinion on feasibility and cost. We recommend Mike Fitzpatrick, a Berkshire County native and licensed broadcast engineer, to accomplish this. He has substantial experience in radio and television engineering, and has built community radio stations from the ground up. Current transmitter and antenna data (from https://radio-locator.com/infoWTBR-FM) Effective Radiated Power 380 Watts Height above Avg. Terrain -35 meters (114 feet) Height above Ground Level 34 meters (112 feet) Height above Sea Level 372 meters (1220 feet) ‘Antenna Patter Non-Directonal Tranamitior Location 2° 27°34" N73" 16.29" W 13WTBR Business Pian | February 6, 2018 As noted in the executive summary, since the existing Taconic High Schoo! will be demolished on or about September 1, 2018, the existing transmitter and antenna will need to be relocated in order for the station to continue terrestrial broadcasting Due to the difference in height above average terrain (HAAT) between the current site and any new site, itis likely that the existing Armstrong transmitter, at 380 watts, will not output sufficient ower to continue broadcasting as per the FCC license, It's likely that the transmitter will need ‘@ minimum of 600-800 watts of power in a new location, depending on the location chosen and the antenna that is purchased. The two items should be purchased together for maximum. effect. ‘Modern transmitters are also far more efficient than the present one, will require less electricity to operate, and therefore will incur less cost over the long term. The existing antenna and tower, reportedly a Phelps Dodge ECFM-4, are outdated, and need to be replaced. About 12 years ago, the antenna required substantial repairs due to corrosion and age. There are several options for relocation of the transmitter and antenna: This building is owned by developer David Carver. UCP reportedly secured a tentative agreement to host the transmitter and antenna on the roof of this building. tis not yet confirmed what this agreement would look like writing, and what, if any, consideration would be required for the use of the building for this Purpose. Local permitting would need to be explored. Electricity and internet service would need to be installed. The transmitter would be mounted in a weatherproof housing, and the antenna would either be mounted to a tower secured with guy wires, or on a simple pole depending on what is available on the roof. eck Tower Buiding, 75 South Church Strest 4WTBR Business Plan | February 6, 2018 Option #2: 7 North Street Building, This building is owned by Scarafoni Associates. PCTV has aan ongoing relationship using this building for a camera site during the annual coverage of the Pittsfield Fourth of July Parade. We would need to approach this company to propose mounting the equipment there, and it is unsure what consideration would be required, if any, for use of the space. Local permitting would need to be explored. The transmitter would be mounted in ‘weatherproof housing. The antenna could be mounted to the existing cellular telephone antenna infrastructure that already exists on the top of the roof. Electricity and internet service ‘would need to be installed, but installing utiities might be easier since there is a pre-existing installation there. According to Mike Fitzpatrick, this antenna location would be preferable to the Clock Tower Building. 7 Noth Seat At This site is less preferable for broadeasting purposes, but more convenient and less costly for operation, There would be no need for an intemet circuit for STL, and the transmitter could be connected to our existing electricity service. The transmitter could be located just outside our current building in a weatherproof housing. The antenna could be mounted to our existing satelite dish pole, ‘secured with guy wires, or, a new foundation or pedestal could be prepared for it. Local permitting and zoning issues could be a problem. Other Options. There could be other sites that are appropriate for transmitter and antenna location, which could be explored. These might include other City-owned property such as the Doyle Softball Complex, another downtown building such as the Crowne Plaza Hotel, or co-location on another broadcast tower (on Bousquet mountain, or on Valentine Road). These would need more research ifthe first options fall through. 15WTBR Business Plan | February 6, 2018 Studio We recommend that the WTBR studio, currently located inside Taconic High School, be relocated to the present Pittsfield Community Television facility. The old front office, currently ‘occupied by Dave Cachat, would be converted to the radio studio. There is a window in that office that looks out to the building's lobby, and the studio would be highly visible to visitors. We would add signage to that window to identify the radio studio. The door next to the window would be the main radio station entrance, and we would add appropriate signage to that door as well. The alarm panel on the inside of that door would be programmed separately from the main building. ‘Adding a locking door to the end of the interior entryway would separate it from the television facilities, while providing keyed access. One sliding window would need to be changed to a double pane window, and one door would need to be moved several feet down. Acoustic treatments would be added to the walls to isolate sound from outside the studio. Some furniture, fires and equipment may need to be purchased to accommodate one host and. three guests in the studio. ‘Two to three racks of broadcast equipment would be installed along the back wall of this room, including the EAS equipment, signal processing equipment, and other gear. Risk Analysis In any business plan, itis important to recognize the risks along with the potential rewards. tis ‘crucial that we explore the potential downsides now, while considering this undertaking for our organization. @ Personnel shortages and Time Constraints PCTV currently has seven full-time employees, and close to 300 members. Our employees are busy taking care of our community television mission; and while some duties can be easily shared with the addition of a radio station, there are some tasks that must be done specifically because a 24/7 station demands they be accomplished, and in a timely manner. We have two hourly employees who cannot work more than 40 hours weekly without incurring overtime. These duties would then fall to the exempt employees, and their time is already at a premium. On the positive side, the new radio service should attract new volunteers, interns, and ‘members, who could take on some of those responsibilities. But station management cannot be entrusted to volunteers. That model of management is currently failing at WTBR. Eventually, ‘we may be compelled to add staff hours to compensate for the added responsibiities. 16WTBR Business Plan | February 6, 2018 Burnout ‘There is a risk that existing employees and members will feel overly burdened with the ‘additional tasks of running the radio station. We currently have many highly dedicated volunteer members who consistently go above and beyond to crew television programs. It would be diffcutt to rely on them for additional radio duties without burning them out. It will be necessary to develop new volunteer members to alleviate these demands on our people. Added expenses Clearly, PCTV must be mindful that our operating and capital budgets could be negatively impacted by the addition of a new program/service such as a community radio station. It could be a number of years before the annual operating costs are independently offset with the funding mechanisms listed above. The capital costs may take longer to reimburse. But we fee! that the overall cost of operating a radio station is much smaller than the cost of running three television channels, and the opportunities for new income, members, programming and visibility outweigh these risks. Exposure by Not Owning the Radio License Under the expected Local Marketing Agreement with the Pittsfield Public Schools, the PPS would remain the license holder for the immediate future. The intentions of the PPS at the end of the current FCC license, which expires on April 1, 2022, are unknown. The risk here would be the significant amount of investment that PCTV makes in the move and installation of the studio, transmitter and antenna, without knowing or controlling what happens to the license in just over four years. This uncertainty would need to be addressed in the LMA. Options include a sale or gift of the license to PCTV at that time, or a guaranteed continuation of the PPS license in the subsequent license period. Divergence of opinion In any major decision such as this, we would expect that there will be differences of opinion about the best path we should take. It will be necessary to hear opinions from all stakeholders, and to broker compromise as much as possible. At the end of the day, a decision must be reached which is ultimately in the best interests of Pittsfield Community Television. While there are good reasons to save and manage the station, and equally good reasons to not get involved, we believe we can and will come to the best decision for our organization, 17