In this section:
FROM OUR PRESIDENT:
We recently submitted our annual report (pdf) to the Corporation for Public Broadcasting about OPB’s impact on the communities we serve. Putting this information together gave us the opportunity to reflect on all that we accomplished in the past year as we continued to serve as a leading source for news, information and intelligent entertainment in our region.
Throughout 2012, OPB provided unique, in-depth coverage of news and events from around the region, with an expanded focus on the environment, as well as arts and culture.
From in-depth stories on how national health care decisions impact Oregonians to our “Learning with Less” series on the challenges faced by parents, teachers and students in this era of budget cuts to Think Out Loud’s yearlong “Our Town” series which profiled communities in Oregon and southwest Washington, our local news reporters covered a variety of important stories with an emphasis on how they affect you and your communities.
We also focused on local environmental issues through EarthFix, our innovative public media partnership with six other public broadcasters, which brought you stories about the 40th anniversary of the Clean Water Act, climate change and more; Ecotrope, OPB’s daily blog on nature and the environment; and Oregon Field Guide, one of the most-watched local productions in the public broadcasting system. If you haven’t yet seen the special “Mount Hood: Climbing Oregon’s Highest Peak,” be sure to catch it online.
OPB’s coverage of local arts, culture and lifestyle grew as well. Check out the Arts & Life section of our website where you’ll find artist profiles, music performances, and stories about food, books, recreation and more, from a feature about the local wheelchair rugby team which headed to the Paralympic Games this past summer to author interviews to what local chefs cook at home. And Oregon Art Beat continued to showcase the artistic community of Oregon and southern Washington with a special on the burgeoning modern circus arts scene, a segment on the production of the TV show Portlandia and coverage of influential ceramic artist the lateBetty Feves. Plus, opbmusic brought you stellar in-studio performances from artists like Curtis Salgado, The Shins’ James Mercer and Sallie Ford & the Sound Outside.
In addition to covering what’s happening now, we also explored how our past helps us understand who we are through our Oregon Experienceseries, which brings our history alive through compelling documentaries, as well through hosting screenings and discussions in communities around the state. Approximately 700 people attended the screenings of our one-hour special on “Rajneeshpuram,” which generated intense interest, lively discussion and in many cases a desire to learn more.
I hope you’ll take a moment to download and browse through this report, as well as continue to engage with OPB through TV, radio, our website, oursmartphone apps and our monthly digital magazine for iPad.
As always, our goal is to provide more people with better access to trusted information.
Thank you for your support in making it happen.
Steven M. Bass
President and CEO
OUR MISSION
Oregon Public Broadcasting: giving voice to the community, connecting Oregon and its neighbors, illuminating a wider world.
OPB MANAGEMENT
Steve Bass, President & CEO (email)
Dan Metziga, Senior VP, Development (email)
Lynne Clendenin, VP, Programming (email
Dave Davis, VP, TV Production (email)
Mary Gardner, Director, TV Programming (email)
Jan Heskiss, Chief Financial Officer (email)
Morgan Holm, VP, News and Public Affairs (email)
Rebecca Morris, VP, Legal Affairs (email)
Lynne Pollard, VP, New Media (email)
Debbie Rotich, VP, HR and Administration (email)
OPB BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Chair: Elizabeth Schwartz
Vice Chair: Keith Mobley
Secretary/Treasurer: Jim Huston
Board Members:
- Betsy Cramer
- Bobbie Foster
- Avel Gordly
- Tinker Hatfield
- Michael Hay
- Dian Hilliard
- Linda Hoffman
- Pamela Jones
- Sydney Joyner
- Howard Lavine
- Gary Maffei
- Mitchell Moore
- Romy Mortensen
- Emily Powell
- Ron Saxton
- Howard Shapiro
- Jenny Ulum
- Al Vermeulen
- Fred Ziari
Ex-Officio: Steven M. Bass
CAB Chair: Jack McGowan
OPB Board Liaison: Rad Probst (email)
OPB COMMUNITY ADVISORY BOARD
Chair: Jack McGowan
Board Members:
- Beth Berselli
- Charlie Dolezal
- Charles Hudson
- Gian Morelli
- Dawn Rasmussen
- Jane Rosen
- Charlotte Rutherford
- Miguel Salinas
- Karen Wheeler
OPB Board Liaisons: Avel Gordly, Michael Hay
OPB Staff Liaison: Rad Probst
BOARD OF DIRECTORS MEETING SCHEDULE
All meetings are open to the public and held at OPB unless otherwise noted. The schedule below is subject to change. Please contact us to confirm meeting times and dates or to get more information.
- Tuesday, June 4, 2013, 11:45am
- Tuesday, September 10 - Wednesday, September 11, 2013, Board Retreat
- Tuesday, December 3, 2013, 11:45am
BOARD COMMITTEE MEETING SCHEDULE
The schedule below is subject to change. Committee meetings are often conducted in executive session and therefore may not always be open to the public. Please contact us for more information.
AUDIT COMMITTEE
- TBD
COMMUNITY ADVISORY BOARD
- TBD
FINANCE & INVESTMENT COMMITTEE
- Thursday, May 23, 2013, 12pm
- Friday, September 20, 2013, 12pm
- Friday, November 22, 2013, 12pm
GOVERNANCE COMMITTEE
- Monday, May 6, 2013, 11am
HUMAN RESOURCES COMMITTEE
- Thursday, May 16, 2013, 11:30am
STRATEGIC PLANNING COMMITTEE
- TBD
MILESTONES IN OPB HISTORY
1922
KFDJ-AM radio is created as part of a physics experiment at Oregon Agricultural College, now Oregon State University, in Corvallis.
1930s
KFDJ becomes KOAC, with studios in Covell Hall at Oregon State University.
1957
OPB’s first television station, KOAC-TV, goes on the air.
EARLY 1960s
Westinghouse Broadcasting Co. transfers ownership of its FM frequency to OPB and KOAP-FM (now KOPB) begins broadcasting.
1979
The Oregon Commission on Public Broadcasting is established. In 1981 OPB leaves the Department of Higher Education and becomes an independent state agency.
1988
OPB moves into its new facility on SW Macadam Avenue after its successful building campaign.
1989
Oregon Considered, OPB's own Pacific Northwest news magazine, is first broadcast.
EARLY 1990s
Membership exceeds 100,000.
1990
Oregon Field Guide begins production.
1993
OPB becomes a private, nonprofit corporation with ongoing financial support from the State of Oregon.
1997
OPB Radio's program format is refined to include more news and information.
OPB installs Oregon’s first digital transmitter, taking a critical first step in the digital television transition.
2000
Oregon Art Beat begins production.
2002
OPB's World of Learning Digital Campaign raises $22 million.
OPB loses all state funding.
2003
History Detectives season 1 premieres for PBS.
2005
OPB brings StoryCorps -- a national project inspiring Americans to record one another's stories in sound -- to Portland. Local residents visit the mobile StoryBooth to share their stories for broadcast on OPB Radio and preservation at the Library of Congress.
2006
Oregon Experience, OPB's local television series exploring key people, places and events in our state's history, premieres.
OPB, FRONTLINE and the Oregonian join forces to examine the methamphetamine epidemic through television specials (FRONTLINE: The Meth Epidemic, Meth: The Oregon Front), radio programs and online resources.
2007
OPB TV celebrates its 50th anniversary.
OPBnews.org -- an expanded news and information Web site -- launches.
OPB invites community members from around the Northwest to help cover the news by signing up for the Public Insight Network.
2008
opbmusic.org, an online music service encouraging conversation and connection between OPB and our community of local music fans, launches.
Think Out Loud, OPB's local online and daily radio broadcast, premieres.
KOPB-AM (1600) Eugene begins providing OPB Radio's news and information service.
OPB and its community partners begin a statewide, multiplatform campaign to increase awareness about the impact of invasive species, featuring The Silent Invasion: An Oregon Field Guide Special, aninvasive species online hotline and numerous outreach opportunities.
Time Team USA, a new archaeology program for PBS, begins production.
2009
OPB receives the duPont-Columbia University Award, one of the most prestigious national honors in the field of broadcast journalism, forThe Silent Invasion: An Oregon Field Guide Special. The documentary illustrates how invasive species are changing the environment in Oregon, and focuses on ways people can work together to make a difference to native fish and wildlife resources, Oregon's economy and quality of life. The program's premiere in April 2008 marked the kickoff of the ongoing "Stop the Invasion" campaign that encourages community partners and citizens to collaborate in their efforts to take action against invasive species.
OPB switches to all-digital broadcasting of its full-power television stations.
2010
OPB and its community partners share the voices, ideas and stories of rural Oregonians through the Rural Economy Project, which includes OPB Radio and news stories, along with extensive online resources.
OPB receives a $1.4 million two-year grant from CPB to direct a consortium of public broadcasting stations in the Northwest (with reporters in Portland, Seattle, Pullman, Boise and Medford (that will become the region's primary source of environmental coverage.
2011
OPB expands its multimedia arts coverage with the launch of Arts & Life on OPB.org.
OPB launches EarthFix, a public media partnership with reporters in Portland, Seattle, Pullman, Boise and Medford, to provide multimedia coverage of regional environmental issues.
Through a partnership with OPB, Literary Arts and the National Book Foundation, the finalists for the National Book Awards were announced live on public radio for the first time. The announcement was broadcast on Think Out Loud, as well as carried by a live video stream and blog. The initiative won first place in the Innovation Award (Online) category from the Society of Professional Journalists.
2012
OPB received a $1 million commitment from the James F. and Marion L. Miller Foundation in support of coverage of the arts, culture and history, with a special focus on developing younger and more diverse audiences.
OPB received a $750,000 commitment from the Robert D. and Marcia H. Randall Charitable Trust to support OPB's educational programming serving learners of all ages throughout Oregon and southwest Washington.
MORE INFORMATION ABOUT OPB
PDF DOWNLOADS
OPB Member Report (PDF)
CPB Annual Diversity Report, 2012 (PDF)
Annual EEO Report, 2012 (PDF)
Independent Auditor's Report and Financial Statements — FY12 (PDF)
CPB Annual Financial Report - Radio 2012 (PDF)
CPB Annual Financial Report - TV 2012 (PDF)
Local Content and Service Report - 2012 (PDF)
EMERGENCY ALERT SYSTEM
OPB has been designated the “State Primary” for the Emergency Alert System, initiating messages informing other broadcasters, viewers and listeners of a wide variety of emergencies including tsunamis, floods and Amber Alerts.
OPB PUBLIC FILES
Access OPB Public Files for Television
Main Studio Address for KOPB-TV, KEPB-TV, KOAB-TV, KOAC-TV and KTVR:
7140 SW Macadam Avenue, Portland, OR 97219
Phone: 503.244.9900
Email: publicfiles@opb.org
Accessibility Services:
Any person with disabilities who requires assistance with access to the OPB Public Files may call 503.244.9900 or email publicfiles@opb.orgwith inquiries.
WEBSITE CREDITS
Three multimedia icons used throughout our articles and main pages are available through the Creative Commons license: "Video Camera" symbol by Anas Ramadan, “Camera” symbol by Dave Tappy, and "Headphones" symbol, from Noun Project collection.
The "Android" icon on our news index page was designed by David Ferreira for WPZOOM, and is protected by the Creative Commons 3 license.
