October 10th MAPBA Meeting

The Mississippi Associated Press Broadcasters Association held an important meeting on Oct. 10 to discuss several issues and proposals for 2009. Here are the minutes for the meeting hosted by Chief of Bureau Mike McQueen.

The meeting began with a motion to replace three members of the board, Ralph Braseth (Ole Miss), Robert Davidson (WTVA), and Angela Williams (WAPT), who are no longer holding their previous positions with the companies they represented. A motion was made and approved to seek a replacement at Ole Miss for Ralph, WTVA Interim News Director Craig Ford for Robert, and Assignment Editor John Parker for Angela Williams. Another possible replacement mentioned was John Johnson at WTOK in Meridian.

A date for the 2008 MAPBA Broadcast Awards Banquet was announced. The date is April 11, 2009. The board discussed possible speakers, including the winner of the Musgrove-Wicker race, former Senator Trent Lott or Congressman Chip Pickering. The board decided to come up with more names and decide on a speaker at a December meeting. The date has yet to be announced.

Chief of Bureau Mike McQueen informed the board that former AP Broadcast Editor Timothy Brown who recently returned to the bureau will be helping to plan the 2008 banquet, but the bureau no longer has the position of broadcast editor.

The board then discussed the organization's finances. MAPBA has about $700 in its bank account which might not be enough to fund the scholarships awarded last year and to pay the expenses for the person brought in to speak at the 2008 banquet. The board considered motions for several cost cutting options, including raising the cap for tape entries and awarding framed certificates instead of plaques to winners. Those motions will be discussed and voted on at the December meeting after cost estimates are complete.

The board did approve a motion to award first-place certificates for winners along with the plaques, which are usually kept by the stations.

Chief of Bureau Mike McQueen discussed a proposal to hold Mississippi's 2009 Broadcast Awards Banquet and Louisiana's Broadcast Awards Banquet in the same location, possibly in Vicksburg, Natchez, or another location to eliminate the cost of holding separate award banquets. The move could mean more money for scholarships and workshops. The board will revisit the proposal and vote on it in December.

Board members also agreed to come up with names for the Hall of Fame and Newsperson of the Year Award and a date for the 2009 banquet. Each member will submit two HOF and one Newsperson of the Year candidate at the December meeting to be voted on.

There will be one final contest day in November. The date for the December meeting will be announced late next month.