Resolutions
RESOLUTION
PUBLIC SESSION
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
CORPORATION FOR PUBLIC BROADCASTING
WASHINGTON, D.C.
Monday, June 28, 2021
unanimously
WHEREAS,
CPB management has developed a request for the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for an advance appropriation in support of the public broadcasting system for FY 2025 and the public broadcasting interconnection system and other infrastructure for FY 2023; and
WHEREAS,
CPB management has briefed the Board of Directors and is consulting legislative staff on a legislative request to shift interconnection operational costs from CPB’s System Support “6%” fund because the separate interconnection and infrastructure appropriation now funds both capital and operating costs of the television and radio interconnection systems; and
WHEREAS,
The Board of Directors has been briefed on CPB’s proposed monetary and legislative requests, and CPB management has consulted with public broadcasting system members to ensure a broad spectrum of system needs for providing service was considered; and
WHEREAS,
CPB seeks to comply with the confidentiality of the OMB annual budget process by not releasing its budget request figures publicly until the President has delivered his budget request to Congress.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED,
The Board of Directors authorizes CPB management to submit CPB’s general budget request for FY 2025, an interconnection system and infrastructure budget request for FY 2023, and a legislative request to OMB, provided that the legislative request to shift interconnection operational costs from the System Support fund to the separate interconnection and infrastructure appropriation shall be subject to the Board’s final review and authorization before its submission to Congress.
RESOLUTION
PUBLIC SESSION
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
CORPORATION FOR PUBLIC BROADCASTING
WASHINGTON, D.C.
Tuesday, June 29, 2021
Unanimously
RESOLVED,
The Board of Directors adopts the attached Goals and Objectives as revised.
GOALS & OBJECTIVES
I. CONTENT AND SERVICES
GOAL: Promote an educated, informed and diverse civil society by supporting high-quality engaging content and services created, developed, executed by diverse talent at all levels and capacities, and delivered across multiple platforms.
To achieve this Goal, CPB will pursue the following objectives:
- Support the development and distribution of high-quality, noncommercial content and services with particular attention to the needs and interests of children, core public media communities, diverse audiences, and unserved and underserved communities and the public generally.
- Strengthen stations’ role as essential local and regional institutions and content providers. Support initiatives that enable stations to respond to and reflect the diversity of their communities through their content, personnel and boards.
- Facilitate the development and distribution of high-quality content, including news and information, that is accurate, fair, balanced, objective, transparent, and produced in a manner that is consistent with editorial integrity by all involved. Support efforts to ensure diversity and inclusion in public media newsrooms. Make such newsrooms accessible to the public on a reasonable basis.
- Provide parents, caregivers, teachers and students with diverse high-quality educational content and services that advance learning in all settings. Support efforts to build education partnerships at local and state levels.
- Facilitate the development of content created for and delivered across multimedia platforms by new diverse talent.
II. INNOVATION
GOAL: Strengthen the quality of public media's content and services, and deepen the engagement with audiences and users, by supporting innovative projects.
To achieve this Goal, CPB will pursue the following objectives:
- Support the efforts of public media stations and producers to use multimedia platforms to serve and engage audiences diverse in age, gender, race, and ethnicity wherever, whenever and however they use, share and create media.
- Support public media efforts to develop strategies and seek to develop strategies to anticipate and respond to the rapidly changing ways in which people are using media.
- Advance public media’s role in providing emergency alerts by strengthening local and national partnerships and in seeking improved methods of delivering such information.
III. SUPPORT FOR PUBLIC MEDIA
GOAL: Strengthen the quality of public media’s content and services by supporting strong public media entities that are vital to and reflective of the people they serve.
To achieve this Goal, CPB will pursue the following objectives:
- Promote and support collaborations and consolidations to increase capacity to provide essential and diverse service.
- Foster a public media workforce that includes the diverse backgrounds, talents and experiences of the American people.
- Support initiatives and projects that extend the reach of public media to new and more diverse users and creators of content.
- Work with public media organizations to increase and measure the impact of the services they provide as well as the awareness of the vital role that public media plays in helping communities address important local, regional and national issues contributing to the national dialogue.
- Support efforts to strengthen community engagement with diverse organizations and institutions.
RESOLUTION
PUBLIC SESSION
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
CORPORATION FOR PUBLIC BROADCASTING
WASHINGTON, D.C.
Monday, June 28, 2021
unanimously
WHEREAS,
Following discussions with the 2019 Television Community Service Grant (CSG) Policy Review panel, CPB commissioned research regarding the optimal period of time that television Community Service Grant (CSG) recipients that have merged should continue to receive the base grants that would have been provided to each of the grantees before the merger; and
WHEREAS,
CPB engaged research firm Pacey Economics, Inc, and has considered the research findings; and
WHEREAS,
Based on those research findings, CPB management seeks authorization to modify TV CSG policy to set the number of years a second base grant be provided at pre-merger levels to merged television entities to four years.
THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED,
The CPB Board of Directors approves modifying TV CSG policy to set the number of years that CPB provides merging television CSG grantees with a second CSG base grant at pre-merger levels to four years.
RESOLUTION
PUBLIC SESSION
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
CORPORATION FOR PUBLIC BROADCASTING
WASHINGTON, D.C.
June 28, 2021
unanimously
WHEREAS,
In September 2019, the CPB Board approved TV Community Service Grant (CSG) policy changes that included the establishment of a $1 million Healthy Network Initiative to begin October 1, 2020, to support eligible grantees that strategically develop and use data to more effectively understand, engage, and serve their audiences more effectively.
WHEREAS,
Since that time, COVID-19 created unprecedented economic disruption across the
nation, challenging public television stations’ ability to maintain local programming
and services.
WHEREAS,
On May 5, 2020, the Board approved Management’s recommendation to postpone the launch of this initiative so that public television stations could focus on addressing their communities’ intensified educational, health and safety, and public information needs during the COVID-19 crisis.
WHEREAS,
This period of financial uncertainty and intensified provision of services continues.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED THAT
The CPB Board of Directors hereby adopts CPB management’s recommendation to postpone the launch of the TV CSG Healthy Network Initiative from FY 2022 to
FY 2023; and retain for distribution through the television CSG pool the $1 million
that would have been allocated to the initiative in FY 2022.
RESOLUTION
PUBLIC SESSION
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
CORPORATION FOR PUBLIC BROADCASTING
WASHINGTON, D.C.
Wednesday, April 28, 2021
unanimously
WHEREAS,
CPB management has developed a request for the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) and Congress for an appropriation in the amount of $300 million in support of the public broadcasting system’s infrastructure needs; and
WHEREAS,
The Board of Directors has been briefed on CPB’s proposed request, and CPB management has consulted with public broadcasting system members to ensure a broad spectrum of system needs was considered; and
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED,
The Board of Directors authorizes CPB management to submit CPB’s infrastructure budget request of $300 million to OMB and Congress.
RESOLUTION
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
CORPORATION FOR PUBLIC BROADCASTING
WASHINGTON, D.C.
APRIL 15, 2021
unanimously
WHEREAS,
The American Rescue Plan Act 2021 provides $175 million of stabilization funds to CPB to distribute to public media stations threatened by declines in non-Federal revenues resulting from the economic impacts of the coronavirus; and
WHEREAS,
Congress directed that these funds, which are not subject to CPB’s statutory funding formula, be used to maintain programming and services, and to preserve the ability of small and rural public media stations to continue to provide essential information, educational content and services to the American people; and
WHEREAS,
In consultation with the public media system and in accordance with the American Rescue Plan Act, CPB management has developed a plan for the effective and expeditious distribution of these funds to public media stations in this period of extraordinary economic hardship; and
WHEREAS,
The Board of Directors has reviewed CPB’s recommendations for the allocation of these funds as outlined in the proposed plan attached to this resolution,
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED,
The Board of Directors authorizes CPB management to proceed with implementation of the proposed distribution plan for the American Rescue Plan Act 2021 stabilization funds for public media stations as outlined in the attached.
Of the $175 million, $100 million would be calculated using the CARES Act formula that was developed in April 2020 to distribute stabilization grants that prioritized funding to small, rural and/or minority stations. The remaining $75 million would be calculated according to the respective television and radio Community Service Grant (CSG) formulas, which also considers stations’ service to rural communities, as well as the number of transmitters needed to cover large geographic areas, and the amount raised in non-federal financial support (NFFS).
Of the $100 million that would be used to calculate the first part of the awards, $50 million each would be allocated to the television and radio pools. Of the remaining $75 million, $37.5 million each would be allocated to the radio and television pools. The two calculations are then added together for a total grant award.
A. The Distribution Formulas
(1) Television Formula (CARES Act Formula + CSG Formula = Total Grant Award)
CARES Act Formula
This portion would be calculated using the formula CPB created to distribute Stabilization Grants funded with CARES Act funds in 2020. Under the American Rescue Act, the available pool of funds ($50 million) would be 33 percent larger than the CARES Act television pool and, accordingly, each award increased by 33 percent.
• Each of 158 grantees receives $266,667, including grantees that are in CPB-designated multi-provider markets. Of these, 98 receive an additional amount of $80,272 for a total award of $346,939. These grantees are small[1] and/or rural[2] and one is a Minority Audience Service Station[3].
Community Service Grant Formula (CSG)
Based on the formula CPB uses to calculate television CSG awards, the pool of $37.5 million would be distributed in proportion to the fiscal year (FY) 2021 television CSG awards that CPB made to each grantee. For example, if a station received an FY 2021 television CSG award that was 0.2 percent of the total television CSGs awarded, its “Rescue Act” award would be 0.2 percent of the available $37.5 million.
(2) Radio Formula (CARES Act Formula + CSG Formula = Total Grant Award)
CARES Act Formula
This portion would be calculated using the formula CPB created to distribute Stabilization Grants funded with CARES Act funds in 2020. Under the American Rescue Act, the available pool of funds ($50 million) would be 33 percent larger than the CARES Act radio pool and, accordingly, each award would be increased by 33 percent.
• Each of 395 grantees would receive $100,000.
• Of these, 207 small[4], rural[5], and/or minority[6] grantees would receive an additional amount of $49,515 for a total award of $149,515.
Community Service Grant Formula (CSG)
Based on the formula CPB uses to calculate radio CSG awards, the pool of $37.5 million would be distributed in proportion to the fiscal year (FY) 2021 radio CSG awards that CPB made to each grantee. For example, if a station received an FY 2021 radio CSG award that was 0.2 percent of the total radio CSGs awarded, its “Rescue Act” award would be 0.2 percent of the available $37.5 million.
[1]Small television CSG grantees have a total direct revenue of ≤ $5 million.
[2]Rural television CSG grantees have a coverage area population that is greater than 19 percent rural (U.S. Census national rural average is 19 percent.)
[3]A Minority Audience Service Station is licensed to a designated Historically Black College or University or to a Native American Tribe or related entity. See Part IV, definition V, 2021 television CSG General Provisions and Eligibility Criteria.
[4]Small radio grantees have total direct revenue ≤ $500,000.
[5]Rural radio grantees have a coverage area population density of ≤ 40 people per square kilometer.
[6]Small, rural and minority grantees have total direct revenue ≤ $5 million. A Minority Audience Service Station provides significant service to a minority group through diverse programming and is licensed to a designated Historically Black College or University or to a Native American Tribe or related entity. See Part II, definition HH, 2021 radio CSG General Provisions and Eligibility Criteria.
Resolution
Board of Directors
Corporation for Public Broadcasting
WASHINGTON, D.C.
Thursday, April 1, 2021
unanimously
RESOLVED,
That the Board of Directors adopts the following revised board meeting schedule for the remainder of calendar year 2021:
Date: Location:
|
|
Virtual
|
|
Monday, June 28 – Tuesday, June 29 |
Virtual |
|
Wednesday, October 6 – Thursday, October 7 |
Virtual |
|
Wednesday, December 1 – Thursday, December 2 |
Virtual |
RESOLUTION
PUBLIC SESSION
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
CORPORATION FOR PUBLIC BROADCASTING
WASHINGTON, D.C.
Tuesday, March 2, 2021
unanimously
RESOLVED,
The Board of Directors adopts the attached CPB Investment Policy.
RESOLUTION
PUBLIC SESSION
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
CORPORATION FOR PUBLIC BROADCASTING
WASHINGTON, D.C.
Tuesday, March 2, 2021
unanimously
RESOLVED,
That the Board of Directors of the Corporation for Public Broadcasting accepts the Combined Financial Statements and Report of Independent Certified Public Accountants, and Combined Financial Statements, Independent Auditors’ Report, and Reports in Compliance with the Uniform Guidance for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting and Affiliate for September 30, 2020 and 2019.
RESOLUTION
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
CORPORATION FOR PUBLIC BROADCASTING
WASHINGTON, D.C.
February 2, 2021
unanimously
RESOLVED,
That the Board of Directors establishes the following committees and appoints the directors as listed below to serve on these committees:
| Audit and Finance | Corporate Governance | Executive Compensation |
| Chair: Bobby Mandell | Chair: Laura Ross | Chair: Miriam Hellreich |
| Ruby Calvert | Bobby Mandell | Ruby Calvert |
| Laura Ross | Miriam Hellreich | Bruce Ramer |
Ruby Calvert serves as the Board’s representative to the PBS Content Services Committee.
RESOLUTION
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
CORPORATION FOR PUBLIC BROADCASTING
WASHINGTON, D.C.
January 25, 2021
unanimously
WHEREAS,
Due to the unprecedented financial impact of the coronavirus, public media stations across the country are facing a severe decrease in funding from individuals, charitable institutions, corporate underwriting, states and universities; and
WHEREAS,
In consultation with the public media system, CPB management has developed a supplemental FY 2021 request to the Office of Management and Budget and to Congress for a $175 million appropriation in support of ensuring the viability of public telecommunications entities during this period of extraordinary economic hardship; and
WHEREAS,
The Board of Directors has reviewed and considered CPB’s supplemental request,
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED,
The Board of Directors authorizes CPB management to submit a supplemental appropriation request in the amount of $175 million for FY 2021 to the Office of Management and Budget and to Congress.