by David Chapman
Staff Writer
Budget management in trying economic times isn’t fun.
For non-profits like WJCT, the region’s community supported public broadcasting station, a cut in funding from federal, State and City coffers means having to stretch its dollars in the upcoming year to the limit – not exactly how station officials wanted to celebrate WJCT’s 50th year of service.
WJCT President Michael Boylan and station officials are in the midst of fine-tuning a budget to present to the station’s board of trustees for the 2009 fiscal year beginning Oct. 1, one that will have an operating budget of around $6.6 million. With its current moving target, Boylan said it’s within $15,000 of completion.
That total figure is down from the just over $7 million the station operated on the past two fiscal years. In anticipation of the fewer dollars, cuts in staffing and programming have already been announced.
“In a slower economy, non-profits tend to absorb more of the financial blows,” said Boylan, who noted that WJCT wasn’t the only one affected by fewer dollars.
Around October, the television version of the locally produced “Week in Review” will be discontinued indefinitely, as will the print publication of the bimonthly WJCT Magazine. The staff cuts have come sooner, as 8-9 percent of the station’s workforce was reassigned or let go.
“It’s always hard to lose people,” said Boylan. “Some might look at it and say, ‘That’s not that much.’ But it really is.”
But Boylan is an optimist. Instead of focusing on the events in the past, he’s looking to find ways to make the station more efficient and engaging to the public.
He is grateful for the funding the station does receive from federal, State and City sources – roughly adding up to 27 percent of the overall budget – and is proud that despite reduced and stagnant funding from those sources for years, the station has been able to maintain its level of public stewardship and begin new endeavors, especially on the Internet.
“What we’re looking to do on the Web right now is find our niche,” he said. “We’re trying to grapple with what works and what doesn’t.”
The site will soon offer short video clips (“Think You Tube-ish,” he said) of a variety of educational topics. Streaming broadcasts of FM-89.9 are available online, as are broadcasts of the station’s Arts, Radio Reading Service and NOAA Weather programs. The information people normally read in the print version of WJCT Magazine is also being integrated into the online format.
“The Web is more reliable and user friendly,” he said. “It will help us minimize some costs and what’s fascinating about it is how easily you can cross platform things to other mediums.”
Additionally, Boylan hopes Web users will fill out a survey about how the station is perceived in the community. Between the video pieces and survey, Boylan intends to use the medium to explore how WJCT can stay locally connected .
He credits both the station’s community advisory board and board of trustees for keeping things running smoothly both topically and financially. The advisory board is made up of vocal community members who discuss community issues and concerns that can lead to programming, while the board of trustees makes sure the entire operation is financially and strategically effective.
Despite the cutbacks, culturally important hot topics – such as health, education and the upcoming elections – will continue to be highlighted in programming and Boylan remains vigilant about the station maintaining its place within the community.
“In a perfect world, I focus on the service side of what we offer,” he said. “I want us to be perceived as indispensable in this community and people can look to us with a sense of appreciation.”
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