MISSISSIPPI AUTHORITY FOR EDUCATIONAL TELEVISION
Regular Telephonic Meeting of the Board of Directors
Tuesday, December 8, 2015
9:30 a.m.
Board Room
MAET Administration Building
3825 Ridgewood Road
Jackson, Mississippi
Directors present: David Allen, Chair, Bob Sawyer, Vice-Chair, Peggy Holmes and Jennifer O’Neal
Directors participating telephonically: none
Staff present: Ronnie Agnew, Paul Moore and Claudia Morris
Others present: David Scott
APPROVAL OF AGENDA
A motion was made by Vice-Chair Sawyer, and seconded by Director Holmes that the Board approve the agenda, and upon a unanimous vote, the motion carried.
UPDATES
Ronnie Agnew announced that the Foundation’s Downton Abbey event will be held this evening (December 8) in Oxford and that Alastair Bruce, historian for the series, will be present.
Ronnie Agnew stated that he recently received notice from Public Broadcasting System’s (PBS) CEO Paula Kerger that he has been placed on the PBS committee that sets policy for stations.
Ronnie Agnew noted that he wishes for the board to be present in early 2016 to hear a presentation regarding the PMM system (a cloud system for data) developed by WGBH and Sony and which MPB wishes to consider purchasing.
Ronnie Agnew asked Paul Moore to report on his recent trip to a grant training meeting held by Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB). Paul Moore stated that he wants to have a CPB consultant come to MPB and assure that we understand the rules and standards for how grant money can be used and to make certain we are in compliance at present.
FINANCIAL REPORT
Paul Moore presented the financial report and noted that education enhancement funds monies to MPB continue to track below what was budgeted.
A copy of the financial report is included as a part of these Minutes as Exhibit A.
DISCUSSION
Paul Moore presented information from Brian Pugh, fiscal policy advisor to Governor Phil Bryant, regarding state allocations to MPB over the years.
A copy of Mr. Pugh’s report is included as a part of these Minutes as Exhibit B.
Paul Moore distributed a report on financial performance metrics of 85 public broadcasting systems. Paul Moore stated that the average percentage given to these stations by their Foundations is 69% of the Foundations’ intake.
A copy of Paul Moore’s report is included as a part of these Minutes as Exhibit C.
Chairman Allen read a letter regarding the recent draft of an amended affiliation agreement between MPB and the Foundation sent by Foundation board member John Clark.
Discussion followed regarding the analyses and MPB’s affiliation agreement with the Foundation.
It was determined by the board that Chairman Allen will respond to Mr. Clark’s letter.
EXECUTIVE SESSION
A motion was made by Director Holmes and seconded by Vice-Chair Sawyer that the Board go into a closed determination session to consider whether it had cause to go into executive session. The motion to go into closed determination session was unanimously passed by the Board members present.
In closed determination session, a motion was made by Director Holmes and seconded by Director O’Neal that the Board go into executive session for the following reason:
Strategy or negotiations with respect to prospective litigation, litigation or issuance of an appealable order when an open meeting would have detrimental effect on the litigating position of the Authority.
The motion to go into executive session was unanimously approved by the Board members present.
A motion was made by Director Holmes and seconded by Vice-Chair Sawyer that the board come out of executive session.
NO ACTION WAS TAKEN BY THE BOARD.
ANNOUNCEMENTS
Ronnie Agnew announced that the new executive director of Mississippi Community College Board, Dr. Andrea Mayfield, will join the MPB Board as of January 2016.
Ronnie Agnew added that he will meet soon with Marcus Thompson of Institutions of Higher Learning (IHL) and will discuss the need for a replacement for Mr. Alan Perry, representative to the board from IHL, who resigned from the Board in November.
ADJOURNMENT
As there was no more business, the meeting was adjourned.
