sbchannels's blog
The Santa Barbara Channels seeks an Executive Director who can achieve its vision and guide the organization for long-term success.
The Santa Barbara Channels is a nonprofit organization that manages operations for the community media cable TV station, Public Access Channel 17, and Culture, Arts, and Education Channel 21 for the cites of Santa Barbara, Carpinteria, and Goleta, California. The Santa Barbara Channels has an annual operating budget of $600,000 and a FT and PT staff of seven with several as-needed employees, and has recently moved into a brand new facility located at 329 S. Salinas Street, Santa Barbara, California. Potential viewership is approximately 170,000.
Santa Barbara, CA is widely known as the “American Riviera” with a temperate, year round Mediterranean climate, breathtaking scenery, premiere music, art, and educational institutions, and the world renowned Santa Barbara International Film Festival. Many of the city’s 90,000 residents generously support local nonprofit groups and activities. Though Santa Barbara Channels’ became a nonprofit in 2001, Santa Barbara has had a rich history of public, education, and government community television for 30 years.
Job Description:
The Executive Director serves as the chief executive officer and principal spokesperson for the organization and works with the Board of Directors to give direction and leadership to the achievement of the Santa Barbara Channel’s mission, goals and objectives, and develops long-range strategic plans to respond to the challenges of Community Media. The Executive Director reports to and holds office at the pleasure of the Board of Directors.
Essential Responsibilities and Duties:
Key responsibilities include working with the Board and staff to develop and implement all policies, procedures, and long-range strategic plans and compliance with the agreements with the Cities of Santa Barbara, Carpinteria, Goleta, and the County of Santa Barbara, and supervision of such areas as personnel matters, outreach, training, production, programming, promotion, grant writing, and fundraising. This person must be technologically cognizant of both new and social media, be familiar with video production and digital editing equipment, and encourage the growth of diverse and quality programming while increasing the organization’s membership and ensuring that members are provided services on a timely and consistent basis.
Duties include, but are not limited to the following:
- Prepare periodic reports regarding progress toward and barriers to the achievement of such policies and plans
- Oversee an effective outreach effort, with an emphasis on reaching out to local underserved communitie
- Listen and communicate effectively in welcoming a diversity of opinions, needs, and cultures
- Maintain a close working relationship with representatives of the community organizations, government agencies andeducational institutions located in the area
- Establish and oversee media training curriculum that benefits community producers and volunteers
- Keep informed of trends, issues, events, and developments within the community media field through professional peer contacts,conference attendance, etc.
- Work constantly to improve and enhance the services offered by the Santa Barbara Channels
- Represent the Santa Barbara Channels in dealings with other public interest organizations and maintain an active role in the community
This job description should not be construed to imply that these requirements are the exclusive standards for the position. The Executive Director will follow any other instructions and perform any other related duties as may be required to fulfill all job responsibilities and the mission of the organization.
Knowledge/Skills:
- Proven visionary leadership and partnership with Board of Directors in achieving organizational vision and mission
- Proven success at pursuing and incorporating new revenue sources through a variety of fundraising and entrepreneurial activities, consistent with the mission of the organization
- Demonstrated management responsibility with a complex non-profit organization
- Documented experience that demonstrates a thorough knowledge of Community Access or a closely related field
- Strong communications skills, including effective public speaking and negotiation skills
- Demonstrated ability to develop and coordinate active outreach/volunteer programs
- Dedication to First Amendment rights and enhancing citizen participation through access to communications media
Minimum Employment Standards and Requirements:
- Education/Experience: BA or BS degree from an accredited college or university, or equivalent experience
- A minimum of five (5) years of upper management or supervisory experience in the community media field, or in related areassuch as public administration, arts, etc.
The starting salary will be appropriate for a community media center of this magnitude in this location, commensurate withapplicant’s qualifications. A benefits package will also be included.
APPLICANTS MUST SUBMIT VIA EMAIL:
- A DETAILED LETTER OF INTRODUCTION (DESCRIBING HOW APPLICANT'S EXPERIENCE, KNOWLEDGE AND SKILLS MATCH THE IDENTIFIED DUTIES,RESPONSIBILITIES, AND MINIMUM EMPLOYMENT STANDARDS, AND REQUIREMENTS OF THIS POSITION);
- CURRENT RESUME;
- SALARY REQUIREMENTS;
- AT LEAST THREE PROFESSIONAL REFERENCES WITH TELEPHONE NUMBERS
Send your Word or PDF format documents as attachments to an e-mailmessage to edsearch@sbchannels.tv. Please include “Executive Director Job Application” in the subject line of your email submission.
Applications will be reviewed on an on-going basis. No phone calls, please.
POSITION IS OPEN UNTIL FILLED
THE SANTA BARBARA CHANNELS EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR TRANSITION
A letter from Candi Corbani, Santa Barbara Channels Board Chair
The Santa Barbara Channels Board of Directors is announcing that Executive Director Keri Stokstad will be leaving to pursue a new career opportunity. I want to thank Keri for her unwavering dedication and outstanding leadership. She leaves the organization in a much stronger financial position; including securing our new location at 329 South Salinas St, which will result in a substantial savings. Among her accomplishments, in the last year she procured a $50,000 construction donation, $40,000 towards equipment upgrades, and $40,000 in fundraising for The Santa Barbara Channels. Keri has led the organization through a time of great transition. We wish her well in her future endeavors.
We are fortunate to have strong leadership on the board and a talented, dedicated staff to assure a smooth transition. We will continue full support for community producers and viewers while we implement the organizational strategic plan. Board Vice- Chair Jeff Green will provide board oversight and liaise directly with the staff, producers, and the community during the transition period, while Skip Stecker, Director of Operations and Development, will oversee daily operations. Mr. Stecker joined The Santa Barbara Channels in early fall and has already proven to be a valuable addition to the organization.
The search committee will soon embark on the recruitment process and it is my goal to have the executive director position filled as soon as possible.This will be an exciting opportunity for the right candidate, with a brand new facility to support the organization’s mission, as we continue our legacy to provide quality media education, access to equipment, and local programs on Channels 17 and 21 that reflect the diversity of Santa Barbara. We look to a future of continued success!
Sincerely,
Candi Corbani
Board Chair – The Santa Barbara Channels
About The Santa Barbara Channels
The Santa Barbara Channels, is a non-profit 501(c)3 corporation with a community based Board of Directors. The Santa Barbara Channels operates both Public Access (Channel 17) and Educational Access (Channel 21) channels as part of the Public, Educational, and Governmental (PEG) channels authorized by the Federal Communications Act in the cable franchise areas served by Cox Communications. Channel 17 Community Television provides a televised forum for legal, non-commercial speech, a First Amendment beacon, a channel in which citizens and organizations can create and disseminate information. Channel 21 serves as a televised gallery of local arts, culture and education.
More information is available at www.sbchannels.tv
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SANTA BARBARA CITY COUNCIL CANDIDATES UTILIZE COMMUNITY MEDIA TO CONNECT TO VOTERS
The Santa Barbara Channels to Air Back to Back Programs
to Inform Viewers about City Council Candidates
For Santa Barbarans who are still undecided on their voting choices in the 2011 City Council Election, the Santa Barbara Channels will air nonpartisan candidate forums and candidate statements on Channel 21 beginning on Friday, November 4, through Monday, November 7, the Santa Barbara Channels’ Executive Director, Keri Stokstad announced.
“All ten of the candidates have appeared on several candidate forums co-produced by the Santa Barbara Channels, as well as variety of our community producers’ weekly programs.” Stokstad said. “We felt it would be useful to air the material back to back to enable voters to get to know the candidates and make an informed decision. We applaud the candidates for recognizing the power of utilizing community media and encourage viewers to take our video production classes and produce programs that reflect their own community voice.”
The programming includes forums by the City of Santa Barbara Youth Council, Santa Barbara Arts Collaborative, the Santa Barbara League of Women Voters, produced by community producer Larry Nimmer, and individual candidate statements. In addition, Channel 17 has several programs including Bob’s TV Show, Ernie Salomon Live, and Just Between Us, that provide in depth interviews with the candidates.
Check the online program guides for airdates and times at 21.sbchannels.tv and 17.sbchannels.tv.
About The Santa Barbara Channels
The Santa Barbara Channels, is a non-profit 501(c)3 corporation with a community based Board of Directors. The Santa Barbara Channels operates both Public Access (Channel 17) and Educational Access (Channel 21) channels as part of the Public, Educational, and Governmental (PEG) channels authorized by the Federal Communications Act in the cable franchise areas served by Cox Communications. Channel 17 Community Television provides a televised forum for legal, non-commercial speech, a First Amendment beacon, a channel in which citizens and organizations can create and disseminate information. Channel 21serves as a televised gallery of local arts, culture and education.
Born and raised in the Midwest, Ms. Stokstad has been a staunch ally for the Alliance for Community Media for almost 20 years. She is passionate about community media and is a strong advocate of utilizing new media tools as a compliment to community television. She established start-up access stations in Oregon, Washington, and Massachusetts and is currently coordinating The Santa Barbara Channels move to a new location on Salinas St.
About The Santa Barbara Channels
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SONIA FERNANDEZ, NEWS-PRESS CORRESPONDENT
July 2, 2011 6:31 AM It's a new start for Santa Barbara Channels as the public access television organization gets a renewed grant and new digs, this time on the Eastside. "The Santa Barbara Channels finally has a home," said Executive Director Keri Stokstad. The station spent the last couple of years clear across town, on Hollister Avenue in Goleta, across from the Camino Real Marketplace. The location proved to be more than the station needed and was less convenient for some Santa Barbara-based producers. "Transportation-wise, Salinas Street is going to be a lot easier than hustling out to Goleta," said Ernie Salomon, host of "Ernie Salomon Live," a live call-in show on Channel 17. The building at 329 S. Salinas St. in Santa Barbara is home to other nonprofits, including Camerata Pacifica, Women's Economic Ventures and the Santa Barbara Maritime Museum. In her search for a good location, Ms. Stokstad got in touch with Tom Parker of the Hutton Parker Foundation, an organization that specializes in assisting area nonprofits with their space needs. One 10-year lease agreement later, and the Channels 17 and 21 will be, according to Ms. Stokstad, more centrally located to its Carpinteria-to-Goleta audience. "We are happy to provide space and support to the Santa Barbara Channels," said Tom Parker, President of the Hutton Parker Foundation, in a statement issued Friday. "We believe this as a great opportunity to reinvigorate community media in the Santa Barbara area and help local nonprofits utilize this great media resource." The move comes as the organization refocuses on its mission and the way it does business. One of the few outlets in the area for citizens to exercise their freedom of expression and examine hyperlocal issues, SB Channels is a nonprofit community access station started in 2001 as a condition of Cox Communication's local franchise agreements. Channel 21 is the designated arts, culture and education channel and Channel 17 is public access. The recent economy has been tight on the organization's main funding sources: donors, a grant agreement with the city of Santa Barbara, and an account that was established by Cox with a contribution of just more than $1 million when SB Channels started up. The account is administered by Santa Barbara County Donations dried up and the city, which supplied about half of the organization's $750,000 annual budget, cut its grant by $60,000, causing the organization to lean harder on its county pot of money. Meanwhile, infighting caused an exodus of board members and the board president. Last fiscal year was a time for hard decisions as staff was let go, and SB Channels reconsidered the funding of two of its most popular shows, Creative Community and Nonprofit Spotlight. SB Channels also needed to leave its 8,000 square-foot space in Goleta to reduce overhead, but the property owner's recent plans to demolish the building as part of a new mixed-use project made the move even more urgent. The 10-year lease agreement on the Hutton Parker Foundation property is, according to Ms. Stokstad, as close as the SB Channels has gotten to finding a permanent home. In the new space, the organization intends to ramp up its outreach and do more to get the community involved or reacquainted with the channels. To help them do this, SB Channels recently welcomed one of its producers to the board. John Macker, SB Channels host/producer of the weekly "American Riviera," was voted in last month. A 25-year veteran TV producer of shows in Los Angeles, one of the goals he mentioned on his application was one of attracting more producers. "I believe producing more local programs will attract local donations and fund raising especially in the arts and entertainment," he wrote. email: news@newspress.com |
The FCC’s “Future of Media” report discusses PEG access television in chapters 7 and 27, lists footnotes for both, and includes a few recommendations.
CAP Act Introduced In Congress
The Community Access Preservation Act (CAP Act) of 2011, H.R. 1746, was introduced in Congress on May 5th, 2011, by Congresswoman Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) and Congressman Steven La Tourette (R-OH).
Passage of the CAP Act will ensure continued operational funding for The Santa Barbara Channels
The CAP Act:
- Removes the distinction between "capital" and "operating" in PEG* support fees.
- Ensures local governments can secure funding for PEG channels in exchange for cable operators' use of public rights-of-way and makes sure local government can have PEG channels.
- Requires cable operators transmit the PEG channels without charge to the local government.
- Requires the FCC to undertake a study of PEG.
* PEG = Public, Educational, and Government
Read the full text of the Community Access Preservation Act.
Call Your Representative
Now the goal is to get a lot more Democratic and Republican co-sponsors for the bill.
Please call your Congressional offices and ask them to support the Community Access Preservation Act.
You can use these talking points, a press release and more information from the Alliance for Community Media, our national advocate fighting to protect community media!
Contact Your Congressional Representative!
Not sure who represents you in Washington? Find your representative here.
Felicia Greenwald was raised in Iowa, graduated from Western Illinois University and received a B.A. in Art with a concentration in Painting. She moved to Santa Barbara 5 years ago to push her art further through photography. She attended Brooks Institute and in 2009 graduated with a B.A. in Commercial Photography. Since then she has been working in a studio as the main Retoucher and Assistant Photographer. At the same time developing her own Wedding Photography company called Ring Around The Finger. When she's not shooting weddings you can bet she's traveling as much as she can! Always taking photos of whatever strikes her fancy!
