WYPR Board of Directors Recieve CAB Results BALTIMORE, MD (wypr) - WYPR's Board of Directors met yesterday to discuss station management issues. The meeting was highly-anticipated. And it was also the first board of directors' meeting since the February dismissal of talk-show host Marc Steiner. WYPR's Sarah Richards files this report.

Inside the chapel of the Church of the Redeemer, there was music. But outside, there wasn't much redemption in the air. Over a dozen people held up signs along North Charles Street to protest recent events at the station, including the departure of Marc Steiner. Bernie Brown sat on the grass making a sign.

AMBIENCE: [felt tip marker]

TAPE: (15 SECONDS)
IC: I think the things Marc has done for this community, when I think of that, I don't think he should have been treated the way he was. There were other ways to solve the controversies than fire the most popular announcer.

WYPR's Board of Directors met in a hall next to the chapel. About 70 members of the public, one uniformed police officer and a private guard watched the meeting unfold. A message posted on the station's website had stated that the board would not engage in deliberations on specific employees, and it stuck to the missive. A variety of management issues were discussed, including the recent pledge drive. Many people have been wondering whether the loss of Marc Steiner would affect the station's finances. WYPR general manager Tony Brandon said that in fact, more individual donors had raised more money.



TAPE: (22 SECONDS)
IC: We had a successful spring fund drive this year, we raised more than $178,000, but I think more importantly, we had close to 500 new people pledging this year. So we're very pleased with the amount, that does not include the matching gifts, and it's close to $25,000 more than our spring pledge drive last year.

For the first time ever, members of the station's community advisory board were also present at the board of directors' meeting. Many local followers of the station have been awaiting word on what kind of recommendations the advisors would make to the directors. Ralph Moore was one of five advisors who presented the advisory board's recommendations.

TAPE: (21 SECONDS)
IC: One was that station bring Marc back in the capacity of doing a two-way talk show. Second one was that the station conduct a governance audit, to get an outside professional group to review how it makes decisions and that that review then be made known to the public.

The advisors also recommended that the board be more representative of the public it serves. Of the 18 board of directors seated along the meeting tables, all were white.

TAPE: (8 SECONDS)
IC: Off the text, I remarked that the board looked like something out of 1962. That was not favourably received.

Moore was immediately asked to not insult the directors. Afterwards, Tony Brandon said the board is looking for more African-Americans, and that the station has had African-Americans on the board in the past.

TAPE: (15 SECONDS)
IC: For the record, two of our African-American board members were in the audience and not at the board table. I'm sorry they didn't come up and join us. One apologized, he was in a traffic accident downtown and was late to the meeting.

Brandon says the board will discuss all of the advisors' recommendations except the one on re-hiring Marc Steiner. Brandon says he, personally, has no objection to an outside review of the board's governance.

TAPE: (XX SECONDS)
IC: I don't think it's ever a bad idea to review your governance policies to make sure you're effective in your governance.

Thirty minutes before the meeting was set to end, board of directors chair Barbara Bozzutto read out a prepared statement about Marc Steiner. She said Steiner and the station had fundamental philosophical differences about the direction the station should take. That's when some Steiner supporters in attendance became very vocal in expressing their displeasure. Near bedlam ensued.

AMBIENCE: [chaos]

The board of directors then convened in executive session to a courtyard to finish the agenda in private. It's set to review the community advisory board's recommendations in the upcoming days.

I'm Sarah Richards, reporting in North Baltimore, for 88-1 WYPR.
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