[grc] Some thoughts about the GRC Conference

Donna Dibianco communityradiogoddess at yahoo.com
Sun Dec 20 09:51:19 PST 2015 

Hi all,      I'd like to thank Ursula for bringing up this subject because these conferences need to be strategically planned. Having worked as co-coordinator and lead coordinator on the past two conferences, I see a great need for stations who want to host to have a planning and development outline in place. This conference is too important to let slip off the radar, as we experienced this past GRC. If it weren't for Al Davis, and the fantastic cooperation by WLPP-LP, we would have not had a conference at all. This type of gathering takes incredible organization, teams of people working independently with clear communication, and, most importantly, lead-time! GRC 2015 was planned, coordinated and implemented in under two months by 2 and 1/2 people....a monumental task. The conference's success is entirely dependent on long-range strategic planning. As for locations, the mix between inner-city, suburbia and rural should be included. The past three GRCs have reflected the diverse communities the host stations serve, and, is, in my opinion, a very valuable learning tool.  I welcome the idea of having a few regular conference calls on the matter, so we can better organize, support stations who are interested, and offer strategies with perhaps, a resource page for host-stations and participants.
    
 Donna DiBiancoStation Start-up Specialist
503-960-1068
http://grc2015.net/

www.linkedin.com/pub/donna-dibianco
www.facebook.com/communityradiogoddess
 

    On Sunday, December 20, 2015 9:02 AM, Danny <danny at wspj.org> wrote:
 

 So far I've only attended the last 2 GRC conferences, so I realize my voice
doesn't carry the same weight as many others. But I was horribly
disappointed the last GRC wasn't held in Detroit when it appeared the LPFM
there wanted to host it.  Detroit would be an awesome GRC location for a
whole host of reasons. It's an exciting city with a lot of great new
grassroots activity. Like many others, our group is trying to bring
community radio for the first time to a diverse city that has seen better
days, but is now reinventing itself in a post-industrial age. We find
Detroit to be incredibly inspiring and would highly welcome learning
firsthand how to facilitate positive change in a diverse urban environment.
The last two GRC host locations just bear no resemblance to our own
community and I feel some important things were lost in that.

I too welcome this discussion and would be happy to help to the degree that
I can provide useful input.

Thanks,
Danny
WSPJ-LP Syracuse NY -- coming in 2016

-----Original Message-----
From: grc-bounces at maillist.peak.org [mailto:grc-bounces at maillist.peak.org]
On Behalf Of Will Floyd
Sent: Sunday, December 20, 2015 1:15 AM
To: Michelle Bradley
Cc: GRC List
Subject: Re: [grc] Some thoughts about the GRC Conference

I think this is an important discussion and I definitely support making some
concrete processes for the planning and implementation of the conference.

I do have to strenuously take issue with the suggestion that the city of
Detroit, or any other majority African-American city, should be avoided. If
anything, a city like Detroit with a vibrant independent media culture and
an exciting new LPFM project should be a top contender. Many GRC
participants have also participated in the Allied Media Conference, a media
conference held successfully every year in Detroit.

Best,
Will


On Sat, Dec 19, 2015 at 9:27 PM, Michelle Bradley <mae at recnet.com> wrote:

> Organizing a GRC needs to be project managed, like any other big project.
>
> As I had told Donna awhile back, for this process to work right, we 
> should know the dates and location of the next GRC prior to the ending 
> of the current one.
>
> The locations chosen should be fairly inexpensive, have access to 
> sufficient amenities (not everyone will want to camp), be in a 
> community that is safe, accessible to nearby air transportation and in 
> an area inviting to minorities (including non-Christian religions, 
> sexual orientation and gender identity)..
>
> For example, I would not attend a GRC in certain high-crime areas such 
> as Detroit.  I will also be less likely to attend a conference in the deep
> south or in Texas outside of the Austin or Dallas area.  I am personally
> economically boycotting the Houston area due to the outcome of the 
> HERO vote.
>
> When I went to Palenville, I fell in love with the Catskills area.. 
> Eva and I will be possibly going back there for a vacation in the spring.
>
> I will be more than happy to serve on a GRC steering committee as I do 
> have process and project management experience.
>
> =m
>
>
>
>
> On 12/19/2015 9:10 PM, Frieda Werden wrote:
>
>> What about asking organizers of previous conferences to write 
>> informally to this list about what they did and what resources were 
>> most important to them, and then setting up a wiki or a simple page 
>> where these can reside for later reading.  I think many of the 
>> previous conferences have had some kind of web page, and we could add 
>> links to those.
>>
>> I'm supposed to take a one-day Wordpress class in January, so 
>> hopefully I'll be able to help with that if nobody more experienced steps
forward.
>>
>> On Sat, Dec 19, 2015 at 5:58 PM, Ursula Ruedenberg 
>> <ursula at pacifica.org>
>> wrote:
>>
>> The GRC was established as a tradition, not a corporate entity and 
>> does
>>> not
>>> exist as part of any other group. Many have supported and furthered 
>>> the tradition. The tradition is passed from autonomous group to 
>>> autonomous group. What I am suggesting is that we pass on a bit more 
>>> formalized information based on past experience, and resources along 
>>> with the tradition.
>>>
>>> GRC is not part of NFCB. Pacifica has had affinity to the GRC for 
>>> many years and stepped up in 2014 - when it looked like two years 
>>> might go by without a conference - by allocating staff time to 
>>> organizing the conference in Ames. Within my capacity as Pacifica's 
>>> affiliate network manager, I continue to allocate time to 
>>> contribute, as many station staff, volunteers, and other individuals 
>>> have done, but the nature of the conference is such that each 
>>> conference is autonomous.
>>>
>>> Do we see a future for such an experiment in collaboration and is it 
>>> possible to build a body of resources to facilitate such a tradition?
>>> Could
>>> be fun.
>>>
>>> Ursula
>>>
>>> On Sat, Dec 19, 2015 at 5:16 PM, Michael White 
>>> <michael.white at gemair.com
>>> >
>>> wrote:
>>>
>>> Is the GRC separate and distinct from the other entities?  I don't 
>>> think
>>>> of it as being supported by Pacifica, for example.  What about NFCB?
>>>>
>>>> My reason for bringing that up is that a corporate memory can be 
>>>> helpful for these kinds of processes.  Also, if an enduring 
>>>> structure exists, and is not too onerous, then there is the 
>>>> potential for creating a funding
>>>>
>>> body
>>>
>>>> / mechanism.  E.g. the GRC fund you mention.
>>>>
>>>> Michael
>>>>
>>>> Quoting Ursula Ruedenberg <ursula at pacifica.org>:
>>>>
>>>> I'd be interested in hearing from folks who would find it 
>>>> worthwhile to
>>>>
>>>>> take a look at how to support the GRC conference process.  It is 
>>>>> such a valuable thing - that conference. Conversation snippets of 
>>>>> this have
>>>>>
>>>> been
>>>
>>>> occurring at recent conferences between various people. I see a 
>>>> number
>>>>>
>>>> of
>>>
>>>> things that warrant some thought:
>>>>>
>>>>>  - body of resources that can be gathered & passed on to the next 
>>>>> host (such as boilerplate docs, sample budget, GRC fund, sponsor 
>>>>> contacts,
>>>>>
>>>> best
>>>
>>>> practices & sample task lists, etc.)
>>>>>
>>>>> - check list of things to consider when stations thinking about 
>>>>> hosting
>>>>>
>>>>> - some best practices for the decision-making process for where 
>>>>> the conference goes next (such as communication, courtesy & 
>>>>> inclusion shown towards new stations and minority groups, clear 
>>>>> public articulation of
>>>>>
>>>> the
>>>
>>>> decision process, etc.)
>>>>>
>>>>> Maybe there are some considerations I haven't thought of; this is 
>>>>> just what I have noticed in my recent involvement.
>>>>>
>>>>> I  feel the value of us and the conference deeply -  means so much 
>>>>> to
>>>>>
>>>> me.
>>>
>>>> So I am looking to stimulate this step towards supporting the
>>>>>
>>>> conference.
>>>
>>>> I have a conference call line and can offer this as a place to 
>>>> meet. I
>>>>> would ask you to post here if you can see your self contributing 
>>>>> to
>>>>>
>>>> such a
>>>
>>>> building conversation or just if you think it is a good idea.
>>>>>
>>>>> Best wishes,
>>>>>
>>>>> --
>>>>> Ursula Ruedenberg
>>>>> Pacifica Affiliate Network Manager
>>>>> 510-812-7989
>>>>> pacificanetwork.org
>>>>>
>>>>> <http://www.facebook.com/PacificaRadioNetwork>
>>>>> <https://twitter.com/RadioPacifica>
>>>>> _______________________________________________
>>>>> grc mailing list
>>>>> grc at maillist.peak.org
>>>>> http://maillist.peak.org/mailman/listinfo/grc
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>
>>>> _______________________________________________
>>>> grc mailing list
>>>> grc at maillist.peak.org
>>>> http://maillist.peak.org/mailman/listinfo/grc
>>>>
>>>>
>>>
>>> --
>>> Ursula Ruedenberg
>>> Pacifica Affiliate Network Manager
>>> 510-812-7989
>>> pacificanetwork.org
>>>
>>> <http://www.facebook.com/PacificaRadioNetwork>
>>> <https://twitter.com/RadioPacifica>
>>> _______________________________________________
>>> grc mailing list
>>> grc at maillist.peak.org
>>> http://maillist.peak.org/mailman/listinfo/grc
>>>
>>>
>>
>>
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--
Will Floyd
Technical Director | Prometheus Radio Project will at prometheusradio.org |
215.727.9620 x524 _______________________________________________
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