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10 Things KOPN Should Expect in the Coming Months/Years

As KOPN's new general manager, you can guess that I am thinking a lot -- and asking for a lot of opinions -- about what our future should hold. What follows are some of the key things on my list right now. I would love to hear what you think (and that includes where you disagree with me!). 
: )


1.              Financially successful within 12 months – Thanks to Tao and the board, we are stable today (with no overdue bills, no debt, and a few months worth of money in the bank); within 12 months, I believe we will have a steady income and at least a six-month cushion in our account.
2.              Improved radio engineering and technology program – Today, we have incredible volunteers who help when they can and where they can. They really are amazing. Moving forward, we will focus on upgrading our technology and a team organization that better prepares us for emergencies, with a focus on taking everything to a higher level.
3.              More ongoing, changing reasons for people to visit and interact with the website – For example, in the coming months we will launch the most comprehensive community calendar in town, filling a void with something Columbia needs (want to volunteer to help with that?!?).
4.              More volunteer programmer training and opportunities – I officially can’t count the number of programmers who have now told me they would have liked to have had more training. Our programmers are awesome, but we can always be better, and we can fix this.
5.              Accessibility for people with disabilities – It should concern all of us that we are a community radio station and our building is not accessible for people with mobility issues. Even staying in the building through our current three-year lease, it looks like there are things we can do. Stay tuned.
6.              Community events that expose more people to KOPN and provide greater interaction – Look for some very cool things in the coming months and years. There was a time in our history when KOPN had great community festivals and events; we will become known for that again.
7.              Greater transparency for membership – For example, it has been years since the general manager has provided a written annual report at the annual meeting; we will have one this year so people can study it, keep it, and read it if they can not attend. Also, this list is an example of sharing what is on my mind; there will be a lot more examples.
8.              An endowment fund – As we reach financial stability/relative prosperity, it will open the door to long term investment planning that will make us stronger and more able to contribute to the community.
9.              A national podcast network – We have wonderful podcast production technology – again, thanks to our incredible tech/engineering volunteers – and it is within our power to create even more great Columbia content and share it with the world.
10.           More of our shows with national distribution – A few of our shows are getting pretty good play in other parts of the country. We can and will see more of this.

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