C.T.P.A. report of 'Olelo board of directors meetings
(Posted by Wendy Arbeit, President, C.T.P.A.)
Date: Thu, 11 Dec 1997 12:09:40 +0000
From: wendy arbeit
Subject: Disgrace
Imagine this...
You are at a board meeting... being held one day and one hour earlier
than normal and without the required publicity.
The board is seated at a table at the head of a room containing an
“audience” of some 40-odd people. The table is not oriented in the usual
manner with the members facing its audience. It is set up so that the
board members face each other, with only the president (Gerald Kato)
facing the assembled.
The meeting begins. At this, the first board meeting in four months (the
last three were cancelled), the new executive director (Lurline McGregor)
explains the rationale behind the proposed budget for 1998. She speaks softly,
without a microphone, and does not face the audience. We can neither see
nor hear her. A member of the audience asks her to speak up so we may
hear the presentation. She continues, again in a low voice, making no
attempt to be heard by the people she has been hired to serve. Again, a
complaint. This time the president calls the raised voice “out of
order.” The assistant to the executive director (Kealii Lopez) whispers,
“Have patience, we need time to get the bugs out.”
A member of the audience enquires if more details will be given for the
rounded-out figures of the projected 3.7 million-dollar 1998 budget
(condensed to seven line items) when they become available. He is flatly
told, “NO,” by the executive director.
Halfway through the meeting the newest board member (Susan Doyle) arrives
at this, her first open meeting. She is not introduced.
The meeting is concluded without a call for new business. A member of
the audience has her hand raised. The president ignores it. Another
member calls for him to recognize her and to listen to those who would
address the board. He steadfastedly refuses, stating that the new policy
is to no longer entertain any new business from those in attendance.
Q. Is this a new organization, that it doesn’t know how to conduct a meeting?
A. No, it’s been around for seven years.
Q. Is it taking place in Russia that it has so little regard for its constituents?
A. No. But it doesn’t care about them because no matter how badly it
behaves, no matter how dysfunctionally it operates, it still receives
over three and a half million dollars — mandated by the Legislature to
be paid by cable viewers.
Q. What it is this plainly arrogant organization?
A. Olelo: The Corporation for Community Television, whose mission
reads, in part:
“programs will be aimed at the preservation, development and enhancement
of the diversity of thought... within Hawaii. Through these activities
the corporation will facilitate... the community’s participation in the
democratic process.”
In the past, involved members of Education and the Public have
challanged Olelo’s commitment to its mission, which they saw carried out
well only in words. Clearly now Olelo no longer feels the necessity for
even that charade.
The Government made Olelo and the Government can break Olelo. Public
access, yes; Olelo, no. Call me. 941-1278.
Wendy Arbeit
President, CTPA