Virgin Islands Public Broadcasting System FY 2020 BUDGET HEARING PRESENTATION Submitted by: Tanya-Marie Singh, Chief Executive Officer & Chief Operating Officer July 30, 2019 GOOD AFTERNOON SENATOR VIALET, CHAIRMAN OF THE LEGISLATURE’S COMMIT TEE ON FINANCE, MEMBERS OF THE FINANCE COMMITTEE, AND OTHER MEMBERS OF THE 33 RD LEGISLATURE. I AM TANYA-MARIE SINGH, CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER AND CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER OF THE VIRGIN ISLANDS PUBLIC BROADCASTING SYSTEM. I AM HERE TODAY TO RESPECTFULLY REQUEST YOUR SUPPORT OF THE VIRGIN ISLANDS PUBLIC BROADCASTING S YSTEM’S 2020 FISCAL YEAR BUDGET IN THE AMOUNT OF $4,030,123. TODAY, I HAVE WITH ME, NEDRA THOMAS, THE SYSTEM’S CFO , MARIE WHITE, SENIOR FINANCIAL OFFICER, AND CHRISTOPHER BENTON, OUR DIRECTOR OF ENGINEERING. IN THE AUDIENCE IS OUR DIRECTOR OF RADIO OPERATIONS, DOUG HARRIS, OUR ST. CROIX PRODUCTION SUPERVISOR, FRANCIS GUSTAVE, AND OUR ST. CROIX FACILITIES COORDINATOR, ATO HODGE, WHO IS A YEAR OLDER TODAY; HAPPY BIRTHDAY ATO. THE VIRGIN ISLANDS PUBLIC BROADCASTING SYSTEM CONTINUES TO BE THE PBS (PUBLIC BROADCASTING SERVICE) MEMBER STATION IN THE TERRITORY. WE ARE ALSO THE NPR (NATIONAL PUBLIC RADIO) MEMBER STATION SERVING THE VIRGIN ISLANDS. PBS PROVIDES ITS MEMBER STATIONS WITH PROGRAMMING IN ARTS, CULTURAL, EDUCATIONAL, AND SCIENTIFIC AREAS, IN CH ILDREN’S FARE, AND I N NEWS AND PUBLIC AFFAIRS. IT ALSO PROVIDES EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES TO ITS MEMBER STATIONS TO SUPPORT THE EDUCATIONAL DEVELOPMENT OF INDIVIDUALS, STARTING FROM PRE- SCHOOL. NPR OFFERS A BROAD RANGE OF HIGH-QUALITY NEWS AND INFORMATIONAL PROGRAMMING TO RADIO STATIONS THROUGH PROGRAMS SUCH AS: MORNING EDITION, ALL THINGS CONSIDERED, FRESH AIR, 1A , AND LATINO USA TO NAME A FEW. IN SHORT, WTJX IS 1
Virgin Islands Public Broadcasting System FY 2020 BUDGET HEARING PRESENTATION Submitted by: Tanya-Marie Singh, Chief Executive Officer & Chief Operating Officer July 30, 2019 PART OF TWO NATIONWIDE SYSTEMS THAT STRENGTHEN COMMUNITIES AND TRANSFORM LIVES TO GIVE EVERYONE, NO MATTER WHERE YOU LIVE OR YOUR ECONOMIC MEANS, ACCESS TO A WORLD OF IDEAS. IN 1972 THE VIRGIN ISLANDS PUBLIC BROADCASTING SYSTEM BEGAN TO TRANSMIT, AND FOR 47 YEARS THIS MONTH, WTJX-TV HAS PROVIDED NON-COMMERCIAL, EDUCATIONAL, CULTURAL, AND ENTERTAINMENT PROGRAMMING, ALONG WITH INFORMATIVE AND PUBLIC AFFAIRS PROGRAMS TO THE PEOPLE OF THE VIRGIN ISLANDS. WTJX-FM HAS BEEN ON THE AIR FOR ABOUT FOUR YEARS. THE ORGANIC COVERAGE OF THE TELEVISION AND RADIO STATION EXTENDS BEYOND OUR BORDERS TO THE BVI, VIEQUES, CULEBRA, AND THE EASTERNMOST AREAS OF PUERTO RICO. THE SYSTEM RECEIVES OVERSIGHT BY AN 11-MEMBER BOARD. PRESENTLY, WE HAVE NINE BOARD MEMBERS AND TWO VACANCIES. SENATORS, THE STATION IS STILL IN THICK OF ITS RECOVERY. SINCE THE LAST TIME I APPEARED BEFORE THIS COMMITTEE, WE HAVE 17 PROJECT WORKSHEETS (PW) IN THE FEMA GRANTS MANAGEMENT SYSTEM WITH ONLY THREE MINOR PROJECTS OBLIGATED. WHILE WE HAVE ADDRESSED A FEW ITEMS, THERE IS MUCH WORK BEFORE US. OUTSTANDING PROJECTS THAT ARE STILL WORKING THEIR WAY THROUGH FEMA’S SYSTEM ARE TIED TO THE FOLLOWING DAMAGES: OUR MAIN OFFICE AND STUDIO AT HAYPIECE HILL WAS DESTROYED – PLEASE NOTE THAT OUR VIDEO MEDIA LIBRARY WAS HOUSED THERE AND WE ARE WORKING TO RESCUE, RESTORE, AND DIGITIZE OUR ARCHIVES, AT OUR TRANSMITTER SITE AT MOUNTAIN TOP WE SUSTAINED DAMAGES TO OUR PERIMETER FENCING, THE ROOF OF THE MAIN BUILDING WAS COMPROMISED AND THE INTERIOR NEEDS 2
Virgin Islands Public Broadcasting System FY 2020 BUDGET HEARING PRESENTATION Submitted by: Tanya-Marie Singh, Chief Executive Officer & Chief Operating Officer July 30, 2019 REPAIRING, OUR PBS DISH IS CRIPPLED AND NOT OPERATING AT CAPACITY, THE ROOF CAME OFF THE BUILDING WHICH HOUSES THE DIRECTOR OF ENGINEERING ’S OFFICE AND THE SITE’S STORAGE AREA , THE GENERATOR AT THE FACILITY NEEDS TO BE REPLACED, AND THE HVAC SYSTEM HAS TO BE REDONE. THE STAFF AT HAYPIECE WHO WERE DISPLACED ARE NOW WORKING FROM A FACILITY THAT WE ARE RENTING AT AL COHEN’ S MALL. WE ARE STIL L AWAITING PW’S TO BE OBLIGATED FOR THE BUILD OUT OF THAT FACILITY AND EQUIPMENT PURCHASES. ON ST. CROIX, WE STILL HAVE A COUPLE OUTSTANDING PROJECTS, THE MAJOR ONE BEING THE REPLACEMENT OF THE STUDIO TRANSMITTER LINK POLE. ADDITIONALLY, WE ARE WORKING ON SUBMITTING SEVERAL MITIGATION PROJECTS FOR ALL OF THE SITES WE OWN AND WE ARE ACTIVELY ENGAGED WITH ERNST & YOUNG AND WITT O’BRIEN’S TO PREPARE APPROPRIATE RFP’S FO R EACH PROJECT, CHIEF ON THAT LIST IS THE A&E RFP FOR OUR HAYPIECE FACILITY. WE ARE ALSO STILL WORKING ON GETTING OUR UNDERGROUNDING NEEDS FOR POWER AND FIBER SATISFIED. WE ARE PUSHING TO GET ON WAPA’S AND VINGN’S PW’ S TO PROVIDE UNDERGROUND SERVICE TO ALL THREE OF OUR FACILITIES. AS IT RELATES TO CDBG-DR, THE HOUSING FINANCE AUTHORITY ’S STAFF HAVE ADVISED US THAT THEY ARE SCHEDULING US FOR AUGUST FOR CAPACITY ASSESSMENT. WE ARE HOPING THAT THIS PROGRAM WILL PROVIDE THE 10% MATCHING FUND NEEDED FOR OUR FEMA PROJECTS. ON A HAPPY NOTE, I RECEIVED GOOD NEWS IN MAY FROM FEMA. IN A LETTER TO THE DIRECTOR OF THE OFFICE OF DISASTER RECOVERY (ODR), FEMA GAVE NOTIFICATION THAT OUR HAYPIECE FACILITY IS ELIGIBLE FOR REBUILD. CURRENTLY, ODR IS WAITING TO SETTLE WITH FEMA ON THE COST ESCALATION FACTOR FOR BUILDING IN THE VIRGIN ISLANDS. WE HOPE TO BE POISED TO MOVE FORWARD ONCE THAT ISSUE HAS BEEN SETTLED. ONE OF THE MAIN QUESTIONS WE ARE ASKED RELATES TO 3
Virgin Islands Public Broadcasting System FY 2020 BUDGET HEARING PRESENTATION Submitted by: Tanya-Marie Singh, Chief Executive Officer & Chief Operating Officer July 30, 2019 THE COST OF THE REBUILD FOR OUR HAYPIECE FACILITY. WE DON’T KNOW YET. OUR WITT O’BRIEN’S ENGINEER E STIMATES A COST OF $1.5 MILLION DOLLARS FOR DEMOLITION ALONE. THE SYSTEM HAS OTHER MAJOR PROJECTS BEING WORKED ON IN TANDEM WITH THE RECOVERY PROJECTS, TO WIT: THE REPLACEMENT OF OUR 100-FOOT TOWER THAT FELL DURING HURRICANE IRMA AND THE RESTRESSING OF OUR 250-FOOT TOWER. THESE PROJECTS ARE BEING FUNDED THROUGH THE FCC. ANOTHER MAJOR PROJECT IS THE REMEDIATION OF THE ROOF ON ST. CROIX. WE JUST SELECTED A CONTRACTOR FOR THIS PROJECT WHICH IS BEING FUNDED THROUGH THE CORPORATION FOR PUBLIC BROADCASTING. WE ARE ALSO IN THE FINAL STEPS OF SELECTING A COMPANY TO PROVIDE A MOBILE PRODUCTION UNIT FOR THE ISLAND OF ST. CROIX. WE HAVE RECEIVED THE FUNDING FOR THIS UNIT FROM AN APPROPRIATION FROM THE 32 ND LEGISLATURE. WE HAVE QUITE A FEW OTHER PROJECTS THAT WE ARE WORKING ON CONCURRENTLY AS WELL: FIXING AND PAINTING THE PARKING LOT ON ST. CROIX, WHEN THE ROOF FOR THE ESTATE RICHMOND FACILITY IS DONE WE WILL PAINT THE BUILDING AND REVISE THE SIGN TO OUR CURRENT NAME, WE ARE REPLACING THE FLOORING ON THE FIRST FLOOR OF THE ESTATE RICHMOND FACILITY WHICH HAS BEEN DAMAGED DUE TO A NON HURRICANE RELATED INCIDENT, WE ARE SEEKING TO REPLACE OUR FIELD CAMERAS ON ST. CROIX AND ARE LOOKING TO DONATE THEM ALONG WITH OUR OLD EDITING COMPUTERS TO A SCHOOL, WE ARE PURCHASING A NEW COMMERCIAL GRADE UPS FOR MOUNTAIN TOP AND WE’RE CHECKING TO SEE IF MOUNTAIN TOP’S EXIST ING UPS CAN FIT THE NEEDS OF THE ST. CROIX OPERATIONS , WE’RE CONTRACTING A COMPANY TO HAUL AWAY TWO TRAILERS AT THE MOUNTAIN TOP FACILITY WHICH HAVE BEEN ABANDONED – WE’RE WA ITING ON A FINAL EVICTION PROCEDURE TO 4
Virgin Islands Public Broadcasting System FY 2020 BUDGET HEARING PRESENTATION Submitted by: Tanya-Marie Singh, Chief Executive Officer & Chief Operating Officer July 30, 2019 START THIS PROJECT. WE ARE ALSO WORKING ON ENGAGING THE COMMUNITY AND PLANNING FUNDRAISING EVENTS, TO INCLUDE OUR POPULAR TASTE OF TWO ISLANDS WHICH IS SCHEDULED FOR NOVEMBER 21. AS IT PERTAINS TO TH E SYSTEM’S EMPLOYEES , WE SIGNED A COLLECTIVE BARGAINING AGREEMENT (CBA) WITH THE UNITED STEELWORKERS OF AMERICA IN DECEMBER 2018. THE AGREEMENT SPANS THE PERIOD OF OCTOBER 1, 2015 THROUGH SEPTEMBER 30, 2020 WITH A WAGE REOPENER IN FY 2019. THE SYSTEM IS CURRENT WITH THE FISCAL PROVISIONS OF THE AGREEMENT AND WE PROJECT THAT WE WILL MEET SOON WITH THE UNION REGARDING THE WAGE REOPENER. AS IT PERTAINS TO OUR STAFFING LEVEL, WE HAVE SEVEN VACANCIES. WE ARE CHIPPING AWAY AT FILLING THEM. WE’RE CURRENTLY ONBOARDING OUR I.T. ADMINISTRATOR, ACTIVELY CONDUCTING INTERVIEWS FOR TWO OTHER POSITIONS, AND INTENTLY SEARCHING TO FIND THE RIGHT FIT FOR THE BALANCE. NOT LISTED IN OUR SUBMISSION TO YOU IS A NEW POSITION FUNDED BY FEMA, A DISASTER RECOVERY SPECIALIST. WE WILL BE ADVERTISING FOR THAT POSITION BEGINNING NEXT WEEK. THE SYSTEM IS WORKING HARD IN HELPING ITSELF FINANCIALLY AS WE GET KNEE DEEP IN OUR RECOVERY. BEFORE I DETAIL HOW, I AM PARTICULARLY PLEASED TO ADVISE THIS COMMITTEE THAT WE RECEIVED OUR AUDITED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS IN APRIL, AND NOT ONLY IS OUR AUDIT UNQUALIFIED, THERE WERE NO AUDIT FINDINGS. AS A PRACTICE, WE CONTRACT AUDITORS FOR THREE YEAR PERIODS. WE HAVE CURRENTLY ISSUED AN RFP FOR A NEW AUDITOR AS THE 5
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