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planning tools and provocations

Public Television’s Affinity Group Coalition Planning ProjectOctober 2006

Jim PagliariniKate SandweissBrian Edstrom

Supported by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting

imagine A3 add value

create

kool kids

access

a brand is about relationship...

streamingECONOMIC ENGINES

podcasting

tools for your station

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Table of Contents

HowToUseThisReport �

ACallToAction 4

HowPeopleUseMedia 5

OneWayToSegmentAudiences 7

ScenarioPlanning �0

AnExerciseinVision-Imagine ��

FiveStrategicAreasofFocus �3

The Case �4

Content and Services �5

Financial �9

Organization �4

The Brand �5

APPENDICES

StrategicPlanning�0� �9

StrategicPlanningSteps 30

ComponentsofaStrategicPlan 3�

PublicTelevisionSystemPlanningCycles

APTS 33

CPB 34

PBS 35

AffinityGroupCoalitionPlanningResources 36

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September, 2006

In 2005, the Affinity Group Coalition (AGC)reflected on the rapid changes in our industry and the need for stations to more

proactively identify their collective and individual futures. Out of those discussions developed the Affinity Group Coalition

Planning Project. This year-long project was intended to kick-start a station-centric dialogue about the future of the individual

public television station.

The AGC invited Jim Pagliarini to lead this project. Jim, who has worked for 30 years in both small and large public television

stations, was granted part-time leave as President and CEO of Twin Cities Public Television in order to head the initiative.

Along with a small team of associates, his charge was to help frame key issues and questions about the future of the individual

television station, and then to develop a common language and set of planning tools for stations to use to discuss their

individual futures. The goal of the project was to provide tools that would help strengthen the future of both individual stations

and our national coalition of stations.

The discussions we’ve held have been robust, and many of the responses to our queries and challenges have demonstrated the

remarkable vitality and ingenuity of our colleagues. We complete this project with terrific optimism that public television

stations are “up to the task” of taking advantage of what one colleague called, “the most exciting changes in our industry in

thirty years!”

We hope that many of you will approach the future with equal optimism, determined to be agents, not casualties of change.

The work of defining our stations’ futures and adapting to the technological and demographic changes in our industry is ongoing

and will long outlive this project. Helping us ensure that the work done and the information gathered this past year is broadly

and easily accessible, Skip Hinton and Maryanne Schuessler at NETA helped develop the AGC website. Many thanks to them,

as well as to those who’ve so generously contributed ideas and insights to this project, including the AGC Steering Committee,

many General Managers, and especially Loren Mayor and Andy Russell at CPB .

We realize that the planning tools the AGC Planning Project developed are far from comprehensive and can’t possibly serve all

the planning needs of each station. But, we hope that they will provide a useful set of “Tools to Think By” and will provoke

productive conversations within your station and with your public television colleagues.

Our adventures in public television continue – we hope this report provides some sustenance en route!

Sincerely,

Jim Pagliarini, President and CEO, tpt, St. Paul, MN

Kate Sandweiss, Principal Consultant, Sandweiss and Associates, Minneapolis, MN

Brian Edstrom, Planning Associate, tpt

Willard D. (“Wick”) Rowland, Jr., President and CEO, Colorado Public Television,

KBDI-TV/12, Denver, CO; and AGC Chair 2005-2006

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PTV-AGC.ORG

This printed report

is designed to be a

reference and portal

to richer information.

When you access this

document online at

www.ptv-agc.org,

embedded links

printed in bold will

take you to more tools

and resources.

How to Use This Report

Thisdocumentputsintooneplaceanumberofresourcesthatwehopewillhelppublic

televisionstationsdotheirstrategicplanning.Andplanwemust!

Weareatacriticalandexcitingpointinpublictelevision’shistory-apointofgreat

opportunity.Giventhechangeshappeningbothwithinpublictelevisionandwithout,we

recommendthat�007beayearduringwhicheverypublictelevisionstationformally

revisitsitsstrategicplan.

Thiscollectionofplanningtoolsandinformationcanhelpyouinthatjourney-regardless

ofwhereyourstationcurrentlymaybe.Wehavetargetedourworkatwhatweimagineto

beatypicalstation(knowingfullwellthatnosuchthingexists)!

Asyoureadthroughthisreport,selectthosetoolsandexercisesthatresonatemostfor

youandyourstation.Youcanpickandchoose,asthesetoolsarenotintendedtobea

step-by-stepcookbookforplanning,andnotallwillbeappropriateforeachstation.You

canintegratetheexercisesyoufindmosthelpfulintoyourexistingplanningprocess,or

youcanchoosesometohelpcraftanewplanningprocess.

Thisreportisorganizedintothreesections.Thefirstsectionpresentsasetoftoolsto

stimulateyourthinkingandplanning.Muchoftheinformationinthissectionfocuseson

thecurrentexternalenvironment-newtechnologies,waysconsumersapproachtelevision,

andthetelevisionbusinessingeneral.Thissectionwillhavealimitedlife.Soweencourage

youtotakeadvantageoftheseresourceswhiletheyarefresh.

Thesecondsection,FiveStrategicAreasofFocus,presentsaframeworkandlanguagefor

planningthatisintendedtohavealongerlife.Thisframeworkprovidesonewayto

organizeandunderstandtheoverwhelmingamountofinformationthatwemustallabsorb

inordertothinkcoherentlyaboutthebusinessofpublictelevisionandtomakesmart

strategicdecisions.Thecommonlanguageweintroduceherewillhelpstationstalkamong

themselvesinasharper,morefocusedandproductiveway.Asyouwillsee,somestrategic

areasaremorefullyexploredthanothers.Thispastyear,wefocusedonstations’Content

andServiceStrategies,thecoreofwhatwedoeveryday.Itisatopicofpressingconcernas

wedeterminehowbesttousetheincreasedbandwidthmadeavailablethroughthedigital

conversion.Thereisplentyofroomforcontinueddialogue,research,andbrainstorming

forallofusinthecomingyearsintheotherstrategicareasaswell.Indeed,ourcollective

challengeiscontinuallytoidentifyandfocusourstations’,ourAffinityGroups’,

andournationalorganizations’energiesonthosestrategicareasthatmost

needourattention.

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Finally,theAppendixfeaturesthreesectionstohelpwiththelogisticsofstationplanning.

Thefirstsectionisanoverviewofkeystepsinstrategicplanning,andasampletableof

contentsfromastrategicplan–aformof“StrategicPlanning�0�.”Theseareintendedto

provideasimplereminderofprocessandcontentissuestoconsiderasyoudevelopyour

individualstation’splans.Thesecondisasummaryofkeydatesintheplanningcyclesof

APTS,CPBandPBS.Withthiscalendar,youcanknowwhenyourstation’sandyour

AffinityGroup’sinputtothenationalorganizationsismosteffective,aswellaswhen

regularstudies,suchasPBS’EnvironmentalScan,areavailableforyourstation’s

planningprocesses.Andfinally,weincludealistingofthewealthofresources

availabletoyouontheAGCWebsite.

4rethink

retool

reaffirm

refreshA Call to Action

Onefacthasbeenreinforcedconsistentlythroughoutthispastyear:thetimeisripeforeachpublictelevisionstationinthiscountry,andforoursystemofpublicbroadcasting,tosetasharpercourseforitsfuture.Ifyourstationhasnotreviewedandrefresheditsstrategicplanrecently,youshould.Why?

While some things remain hazy in the media landscape, much has become clearer.

•Fromthecompletionofdigitalcablesystems,totelephonecompaniesenteringthevideobusiness,toeverincreasingbroadbandpenetration,the highways of information into people’s homes are nearly all paved.

•Viewersareadoptingnewtechnologiesatratesthatareconsequentialforourbusiness.FromVODtopodcastingtopeerreview, tools that give more control, choice, and power to the consumer are proliferating.

•Frommodelslikethe“longtail”(sellinglessformore),to$.99downloadservices,togivingawaycontentforfreewhilesellingads,new economic models are emerging that need to be tested.

•Thecessation of analog broadcasting in 2009 will shake the world oftoday’stypical, loyalmemberandviewerofpublictelevision. Eachofthesedevelopmentsisrattlingandchallengingthecurrentparadigmofhowpublictelevisionstationsservetheircommunitiesandhowtheyfindtheresourcestodoso.Enoughisknowntodaytoplacesomestrategicbetsonourfuture.

There has been great and encouraging change within public broadcasting itself during 2006, making the time right for aligning station priorities with “national” priorities.

•BothCPBandPBShavenewleaderswhoarecommittedtoplacingthestationatthecenteroftheirorganizations’workandstrategicplanning.In order for APTS, CPB, and PBS to support our vision of the future, we must be able to clearly articulate it.

•FromAPTS’workondatacastingandcableandtelephonecompanies’carriageagreements,toCPB’sprimetimeresearchandMajorGivingInitiative,public television’s national organizations have collected substantial information and created useful tools that are ready to be used by stations in their planning.

•AffinityGroupsandtheAffinityGroupCoalitionarecoalescingasproductiveforumsforstationstoshareideasandbrainstormsolutionstocommonissues.• Andpublictelevisionstationsthemselvesareimaginingfuturesandpilotingnew ideas that are beginning to be shared so that stations can learn from each other.

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tools

How People Use Media

Onewaytocomprehendallofthechangesoccurringinthemediaenvironmentistolookatthemthroughtheeyesofthosewhousemedia.Howarepeoplegettingtheirmediatoday?Howdotheyfindcontent,andtowhomdotheyturnforadviceonwhattheymightwatch?Arethepeopleyouwanttoserveexperiencingmediaby“leaningback,”passivelyreceivingitontheircouches,oraretheyactively“leaningforward,”andseekingitoutontheircomputersandipods?

Themodelonthefollowingpage,developedbyCPB,isasimple,butrichwaytothinkaboutthesequestions.Publictelevisionplaysaroleineachoftheseareas.

Tools to Take to Your Station:Considerthefollowingquestionstounderstandhowpeopleinyourcommunityusemedia:

•Access:Howwillpeopleaccesswhatyouhavetoofferinthefuture?

•Findandevaluate:Howmightyourrolebechangingasthe“trustedcuratorandeditor?”

•Experience:Forhowlongwillyoubeprogrammingchannelsforrealtimeviewing?HowwillyoubrandanduseVOD?

•Create:Whatisyourproductionstrategy?Whatistheuniquevaluethatyouoffertoyourviewers?

Note:AmoredetailedpresentationofrecenttechnologicalchangesinthemediaenvironmentisavailableinaTech

BriefingPowerPointpreparedbyCPBatthe www.ptv-agc.orgwebsite.

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Access:Peopletodayhaveahugeamountofcontroloverhowandwheretheyaccessmediacontent.Moreandmoreoptionsarebecomingavailablethroughcableandsatelliteconnections,andincreasingbroadbanduseallowsconsumerstoaccessstreamingvideooncountlessvideodistributionplatformsontheweb,aswellasthroughInternetProtocolTelevision(IPTV).

Find and Evaluate:Todaymanyconsumersincorporatepeerreviewandtaggingresourcesintotheirmediachoices,turningtootherconsumerswithsimilarintereststotellthemwhichcontentisworthwatching.Withcurrenttechnologyleadingtoa“democratization”oftheeditorandcuratorrole,weaspublictelevisionstationsmayneedtofindanewwaytostayintheforefrontasthepublic’strustedcurator,guide,andsourceofhighqualitycontent.

Experience:Manyconsumersnowhaveacertainexpectationthattime-shiftingandplace-shiftingdeviceswillallowthemtoexperiencecontentwhenandwheretheywantit.VideoonDemand,DigitalVideoRecorders,andportablemediadevicesaregrowinginpopularityandintroducingnewchallenges—andnewopportunities—intoourcontentcreationanddistributionstrategies.

Create:Finally,theadventofinexpensive,highqualitydigitalcamerasandeditingsoftwaremakesiteasierforconsumerstocreateandsharetheirowncontent.Thenumberof“prosumers”—peoplewhobothproduceandconsumecontent—isontherise,andonlineprosumerdistributionplatformsaregrowinginpopularity.Newopportunitiesforustoengageourlocalaudienceassourcesofhighqualitycontentareemerging.

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One Way to Segment Our Audiences

Thereisnoquestionthatthewaypeopleusemediaischanging.Publictelevisionstations

faceanumberofchallengesinourresponsetothesechanges.First,wemustarriveatthe

rightbalancebetweenreachingouttothoseaudiencememberswhoareembracingnew

technologiesandservingthosewhomaintainmoretraditionalviewinghabits.Second,we

needtounderstandwhatkindsofcontentandservicestranslateeffectivelytonewmedia

andhowpeopleusethem.Finally,weneedtocontinuetofuelourcurrenteconomicen-

gines,whileweexperimentwithnewones.

Weneedawaytothinkaboutthedifferentaudiencesweserve.Arecentarticlepublished

byIBM,called “The End of Television as We Know It”givesusonemodelandsome

specificstrategies.Thearticlespeaksdirectlytohowamediaorganizationcancontinueto

servea“legacy”audiencewhilealsowelcomingconsumerswhowantmoreinvolvement

withtheirmedia.

Lookingathowconsumersusemedia,IBMsegmentedtoday’stelevisionaudienceinto

threecategories:

The Massive Passivesarethoseviewerswhowatchtelevisionmuchastheyhavealways

watchedtelevision.Thisgroupremainsthelargestofthethree,andwilllikelycontinueto

representalargeproportionofthepublictelevisionviewingaudienceinthefuture.

The Gadgetiers aretech-savvypeoplewhoarejumpingonallofthenewtechnological

opportunitiesavailabletothem,sothattheycanhaveahighlevelofcontrolovertheir

mediaconsumption.Theyareveryopentodiverseplatformsthroughwhichtheycan

accesscontent.Thisgroupwilllikelygrowslightlyoverthenextsixyears.

The Kool Kids aremembersofyoungergenerationsgrowingupaccustomedtohaving

ahighdegreeofcontroloverwhenandwheretheywatchvideocontent.Theyarevery

opentousingmultipledistributionplatformsandnewtechnologytoaccessthatcontent,

andexpectthoseoptionstobeavailabletothem.

We cannot abandon

our “core” public

television audiences.

At the same time,

we must embrace a

new generation of

people who are the

future of public

television. It is HOW

they will use us that

will differ, not why.

�

Thetablebelowillustrateshoweachgroupcurrentlyusesmediadifferentlyandofferssomestrategiestoconsiderforreachingouttoeachgroup.TheMassivePassivesstillexperiencemediainthetraditional,“leanback”modeofflippingthroughprogrammingthatismadeavailabletothem.Ontheotherhand,the“leanforward”GadgetiersandKoolKidswantamorePC-likeexperience—theyexpecttohavemorecontroloverwhen,where,andhowtheyexperiencemedia.

TheIBMarticlesuggeststhatpublictelevisionmayneeddivergentstrategiestoservedivergentaudiences.Knowingclearlywhomyouareservingandhowtheyprefertouseyourcontentandservicesiscriticaltoyoursuccess.

Massive Passives

Lean back consumers

Suppliers will need divergent strategies for divergent consumers.

Gadgetiers Kool Kids

Screens TVTV

BBC World NewsGood Morning AmericaWorld Cup SoccerMonday Night Football

Appointment TVPrime-time

30-second spotsProgram-integratedmessages

Traditional Applicationsfor each device

Best BuyReitangruppenWal-Mart

Bundled TV channelsBundled “triple plays”

TV on cell phone, PSP

Ring tones of AliasLost video blogGame Tap

P2P downloadOn replay via DVROn demand to mobile device

Social networking linksInstant Message (IM)advertisementsShort-form content

Constant social connectionacross devicesInstant messaging andcommunities on TV screen

My SpaceFacebookHi5

Bundled channels (parents)A la carte mobile VOD

Lean forward consumers

HDTVTV on PC

The Office preview episodesDaily Show interactiveCNET news segments

On demandOn replay via DVROn own time

Click-throughsLong-form/short-form contentProgram-integrated messages

Multi-purpose devicesCell phone programming of DVRsand other convenience-orientedservices

BitTorrentGoogleDel.icio.usBic-Camera Yurakucho

A la carte niche channelsOn demand season’s passby program

Contentpreferences

Contentconsumption

Advertising

Communicationapplications

Servicepackages

Marketingoutlets

Reprintedwithpermissionfrom“The End of TV as We Know It: A Future Industry Perspective,”

IBMInstituteforBusinessValueStudy;March,�006;ibm.com/services/us/index.wss/ibvstudy/imc/a�0�3�7�.

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tools

Giventhismethodofaudiencesegmentation,theauthorsoftheIBMpaperpresentsixstrategies.Herearefourthatareparticularlyrelevanttopublictelevision:

Segment:Investindivergentstrategies.Developabimodalstrategytoservethetwomainaudiencesofthosewhowilltendtobemoretraditionalintheirmediause,andthosewhowillwantmorecontrolanddifferentwaystoaccesscontent.

Innovate:Innovatebusinessmodels,pricing,distributionstrategiesandpackaging.Takesomeriskstodaytoavoidlosingyourpositioninthelongrun.

Experiment: Don’tsitback,trythings.Develop,try,refine,androll-outnewideasandstrategies.

Reorganize: Reassessyourorganization.Identifythecorecompetenciesneededformaintainingyourcompetitiveadvantageinthefuture.Isolatenon-corebusinesscomponentsforoutsourcing,partnering,orconsolidating.

Tools to Take to Your Station: Segment,Innovate,Experiment,andReorganize.Howwouldyouimplement

thesestrategiesatyourstation?

�0

tools

Scenario Planning

Inthesummerof�005,CPBretainedGlobal Business Network (GBN),aconsultingfirmfromtheBayArea,toleadthepublictelevisionsystemthroughaprocesscalled“ScenarioPlanning.”Unlikemostplanningprocessesthatstartbythinkingaboutastation’simmediateenvironmentandwhatithassomecontrolover,Scenario Planningstartedbylookingatmajorexternalforceswhichagivenstationhasnoabilitytoaffect–liketheeconomy,politicalclimate,technology,andthemediabusinessenvironment.Participantsthendecidedwhichoftheseexternalfactorsmighthavethegreatestimpactonlocalpublictelevisionstations.

Outof��0externalfactorsthatwereconsidered,twouncertaintieswerechosenasparticularlyrelevanttothefutureofallstations.Thefirstwaswhetherornotconsumerswouldwanttheirmediaexperiencesbuiltprimarilyaroundgeography.Theseconduncertaintyconsideredwhethercontentwouldreachconsumersvianewintermediariesortraditionalintermediaries.

Whenyouplotthesetwouncertaintiesonanxandyaxis,fourpossiblefuturesbegintoemerge.Outofthesepossiblefuturescamefourscenarios–storiesaboutwhatthosefuturesmightlooklike.

Tools to Take to Your Station: Fromveryrichconversationsaboutthesescenariosatthe�005RoundRobins,

wecreatedaplanningtooltohelpGeneralManagerstaketheirownstaffandBoardthroughthescenarioplanning

process.AScenario Planning PowerPoint presentation,alongwithanaccompanyingUser’s Guide,isavailable

ontheAGCwebsite.AnumberofGeneralManagershaveusedthispresentation,andhavefoundittobeauseful

tooltoincorporateintotheirownstaffandBoardretreats.

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tools

An Exercise in Vision - Imagine

Inaseparateexerciseaimedatfocusingonthe“longview”moreconcretely,andfromthestations’perspective,weaskedahandfulofstationpresidentstoimaginewhattheirstationwouldlookandfeellikein�0��.Theyimaginedthefutureoftheirstationsfromthreedifferentvantagepoints:fromthelivingroomofalocalfamily;fromtheBoardroomofamajorfoundationintheircommunity;andfrominsidetheirownstation.

Posted on the AGC Website are several examples of these statements, which were written by station leaders coming from a variety of licensee-types, affinity groups, station sizes, and geographical locations.Takealookatwhatothershavewritten.Youwillfindthemrichinthought,light-heartedattimes,andwonderfullycreative.

Thisexerciseisawaytolettheimaginationrunfreeandshareideasbetweenandwithinstations.Althougheachparticipanthassubmittedauniqueperspectiveandsetof“stories,”therearecommonthemesandvisionsthatemerge.Commonthemesforhowstationswillhavedevelopedbytheyear�0��include:

Distribution Strategies Will Allow Viewers More Control•Contentandservicesondemandwereapartofnearlyeveryone’sfuture.•ContentandAudiencesegmentationwasatheme.Avarietyofdifferent“channels”willbeavailablefromstations(Family/Kids,NPS,Local).•Distributionstrategieswillalsogiveour“users”morewaystointeractwithourcontent.Wewillallowthemtotimeshift,placeshift,anduseourcontenttocreatetheirowncontent,whichtheyinturnmaydistributetoothers.

Stations Envision Being Truly “More Than Television”•Manystationsimaginedhousingadigitalarchiveoftheirownandotherpeople’scontent.•Stationswillprovideinteractivewebservices:forums,blogs,discussionboards,etc.•Stationswillincreasecommunitypartnerships.•Morecommunityevents,workshops,anddiscussionswilloccurwithinthestation.•Stationswillengagecommunitymembersaslocalexperts/sourcesofcontent.

Tools to Take to Your Station: TheImaginingExercisecanbeausefultechniquetousewithyourstaff

andBoardinanumberofways.Youcanuseittopaintapictureofwhereyouimagineyourstationwillbe

ifyourstrategicplanisfollowedsuccessfully.Goingonestepfurther,youcanuseittohelpdevelopyour

station’svisionstatementandcasestatement.Or,youcanuseittosparkdiscussionbyassigningthistaskto

stafforBoardmemberstoexplorewheretheyseethestationin�0��.InstructionsforcompletinganImagining

Exerciseareavailableonwww.ptv-agc.org.

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Comments from Imagining Statements

Iarriveat�amforworkandenjoyseeingthefirstmorningmeetingscomingtoanend.Staffandcommunityvolunteersarehuddledoverthenextgreatprogramconcept,coffeecupsinhand,discussingtheothercommunityorganizationsthatshouldpartnerinthenewprogram.Staffandvolunteersoutlinetheorganizationsthey’llapproachandthepotentialcorporatefunders,thenpairuptomakecalls.– JoAnn Urofsky, WUSF

Thebuildingremindsyoumoreofacommunitycenterthanapublictelevisionstation…Inaformerstudiothereisaworkshoptakingplaceonmedialiteracy…AperformanceoftheVermontYouthOrchestraisgoingoninanotherlocation…AlocalHealthInsureristapingsomecommercials…AgroupofvisitingdignitariesfromRussiaaretouringthesta-tion…whilethelocalyogaclassisunderwayinanotherpartofthebuilding.– John King, VPT

Asinmostcommunities,ourstationshavebecomeaggregatorsforcontentfromcommunitynon-profit,educationandgovernmentpartnersandforcontentproducedbythepublic(hey,let’scallitpublictelevision).– Dennis Haarsager, KWSU

Thestationisattheintersectionofamajorlandgrantuniversityandtheworld.Most importantinthatworldarethecommunitiesofPennsylvania:rural,urban,rich,poorandallcolorsandgenders.Theyaresendingoutandbeamingin,theyaretalkingandlistening,recordingandbroadcasting.Theirbaseistheacademicintegritythatpermeatesalltheydo,butitisnottheivorytowerintegritywheretherealworldisviewedaskance.Rather,theyaredenizensofanacademicutopiawhereideasandpeoplemeet,clash,discuss,resolveandhavelunch.Itistheuniversityofthemindandofthecommunity.

– Ted Krichels, WPSU

[Fromtheperspectiveofalocalfoundationofficer]Ihavebecomeabelieverinthepowerofpublictelevision.Ourcommunitydeservesthebenefitsthatcomefromafullyfundedoperationthathasonlyourregion’sadvancementasitsgoal.Itsvaluesofeducation,diversity,integrity,engagement,excellenceandcreativityareourvalues,anditsproductiveapplicationoftechnologytowardsthesevaluesmustbeendorsedbyus…– Randy Feldman, WYES

Thelocalstationswillcontinueprovidingaccesstotheworldviaaplethoraofdeliverymethods,buttheywillbeuniqueintheirabilitytoinformtheircommunity,showcasethearts,andgivevoicetothosewhowouldnototherwisebeheard.Ifthissoundsfamiliar,itisbecauseitiswhatwedoandwhyweexist.Perhapsby�0��thatwillbebetterrecognized,appreciatedandsupported.Wecanonlyhope.– Chet Tomczyk, WTVP

Imaginethatintheyear�0��…

You are sitting, unseen,in the living room of a family that is an avid user of programs and services yourstation provides. What types of content does the family value and how do they access that content? What values conveyed by the station have led each person to be a viewer/supporter of the station?

You are the proverbial fly on the wall in the Board room of a major foundation in your community, and the President is going to address the Board to convince them to give you a major, multi-year grant—what is she saying?

You walk through the doors of your station. Describe how it looks and feels. What types of activities occur at the station? Who might you see?

�3

Five Strategic Areas of Focus

TheImaginingExercisegivesusthefreedomtothinkcreativelyandwithoutboundariesaboutthefuture.Itcreatesastoryandavisionaboutwherewewantourstationstobe.Thissectionpresentsastructurewhichenablesustoorganizeourideasandthinkingabouthowwewillgetfromwherewearetodaytothosefuturesthatweimagine.

Thesefivestrategicareasoffocusgrewoutofconversationsduringthe�005RoundRobinmeetings.AfteraverylongdayofusingtheScenarioPlanningworktoexpandourthinking, weaskedpeopletopauseandtelluswhattheyviewedasthe“CriticalFew.”Thatis,giventhehundredsofchallengesandopportunitiesweface,whatarethecriticalfewissuesonwhichwemustfocusinthenextfewyears?The“CriticalFew”fellintofivebroadareasofstrategicfocus.

YourCaseisthehighest-levelexpressionofyourreasontobe,yourvaluepropositiontothecommunityyouserve.ItinformsyourContent and Servicesstrategy,whichisfueledbyyourFinancialstrategy.UnderstandingyourContentandServicesstrategyandyourFinancialstrategywillleadyoutoaninternalOrganizational strategy.Whoarethepeopleyouneedwithinyourorganizationinordertoexcel?Howdoyouorganizethem?YourBrandstrategyidentifieswhatkindofexperienceyouwantthe“customer”tohavewhencomingincontactwithyou.

Case(Mission - Vision - Values)

Content /Services

Financial

Organizational Brand

Thisframeworkisjustoneofwhatmaybeanumberofwaystoorganizeandunderstandthetsunamiofinformationthatwashesacrossourdeskseachday.Weofferitasawaytofocusourthinking;todeveloptheverybeststrategiestoassurethatourstationsthrive;andtoprovideoursystemwithacommonlanguagewithwhichtocommunicate,supporteachothers’work,andsetpriorities.

Notsurprisingly,goodworkisbeingdoneinmanyoftheseareasbyindividualstations,APTS,CPB,andPBS.Ourhopeisthatbyadoptingthisstrategicframeworkforfuturediscussions,wecanbetteralignourworkasasystemandstimulateproductiveconversations,on-goingactivity,anddecisionsthatmorefullydevelopeachofthestrategicareas.

�4

Strategic Focus Area 1: The Case

Itistimetore-stateourcase,ourreasonforbeing,andthereasonswhywedeserveaninvestmentfromthepublic.Whatistheuniquevaluepropositionweofferourcommunities?Whatdifferentiatesus?Arethestorieswetoldourcommunities�0yearsagoaboutwhyweareessentialstillrelevanttoday?

The Major Giving Initiative

EstablishingacompellingcaseisatthecoreoftheCPBworkontheMajorGivingInitiative.TheMGI websiteprovidesexamplesofhowtoapproachcreatingacasestatementandexamplesofhowsomestationshavearticulatedtheircases.

TheMGIsitepointsoutthatthethreemostcriticalelementsofthestation’scaseareitsmission,vision,andvalues.

Missioniswhyyouexist.Itisnotwhatyoudo,butthegreaterpurposethattheorganizationserves.Itconcernswhattheorganizationistoday.

Visioniswhatanorganizationcanbecomeinthefutureand,equallyimportant,howtheorganizationwillaffectitscommunitywhenitsucceedsinrealizingthatvision.

Valuesarethebeliefsandpracticesthatguidetheorganization’sworkinthecommunity.Articulatingyourcaseiscriticalfoundationalworkindescribingwhoyouare.Clearlyitneedstobegenuineandtobeverifiablebyanyoneobservingwhatyoudo.Yourstation’scaseisatthecoreoftherelationshipyouhavewithyourcommunity,funders,andthepeopleyouserve.

Ourcaseshouldinspireandaimhigh.Butultimatelyourvaluetoindividualsandtoourcommunitywillbejudgedonthebasisofwhatwedoandhowwedoit.ItisthroughourContentandServicesthatwedeliveronourcase.

The BBC’s Case

AnothergoodresourcetostimulatethinkingabouthowtoarticulateacaseistheBBC.Everytenyears,theBBCmustrenewitscharterandrefreshitscase,toexplainwhyitwarrantscontinuedpublicinvestment.

Inthepaper,“Building Public Value: Renewing the BBC for a Digital World,”theBBC’svaluepropositionisexpressedinfiveareas.Notsurprisingly,itsoundsverymuchlikethewaywemightexpresspublictelevision’svalue.

• Democratic value:theBBCsupportsciviclifeandnationaldebatebyprovidingtrustedandimpartialnewsandinformationthathelpscitizensmakesenseoftheworldandencouragesthemtoengagewithit.

• Cultural and creative value:theBBCenrichestheUK’sculturallifebybringingtalentandaudiencestogethertobreaknewground,tocelebrateourculturalheritage,tobroadenthenationalconversation.

• Educational value: byofferingaudiencesofeveryageaworldofformalandinformaleducationalopportunityineverymedium,theBBChelpsbuildasocietystronginknowledgeandskills.

• Social and community value: byenablingtheUK’smanycommunitiestoseewhattheyholdincommonandhowtheydiffer,theBBCseekstobuildsocialcohesionandtolerancethroughgreaterunderstanding.

• Global value: theBBCsupportstheUK’sglobalrolebybeingtheworld’smosttrustedproviderofinternationalnewsandinformation,andbyshowcasingthebestofBritishculturetoaglobalaudience.

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tools

Strategic Focus 2 – Content and Services

Contentisourcorebusiness.Itisaninfinitelymorecomplexandcompetitivebusinesstodaythanitwasevenadecadeago.OneusefultooltoorganizethinkingandplanningaboutourbusinessistheContentValueChain.Forourpurposes,itdefinesrolesoractivitiesthatastationundertakestoserve(bringvalue)toitscommunityandviewers.

Public Television Content Value Chain

Create–Publictelevisionstationsproducelocalandnationaltelevisionshowsandwebcontent.WealsoplayaroleasinvestorsincontentcreationthroughtheNPS.

AddValue–Weacquirecontent,andourprogrammersscheduleitattimeswhenwethinkitwillbebestforviewers.Weorganizeinformationaboutourcontentinprogramguidestohelpviewersaccesscontent.Wecreateeducationalandoutreachmaterialsaroundourchildren’sprogramming.

Distribute–WedistributeourcontentthroughtheWEB,transmitters,andtranslators.

Mostofpublictelevisionstations’content-relatedbusinesscanbeplacedsomewherealongthiscontinuum.Whetherexplicitornot,stationshavebuiltstrategiesandappliedresourcestoeachoftheseareas.

Tools to Take to Your Station: Thissimplewaytothinkaboutourworkprovidesawaytolookbothwithinandoutsideofourorganization.TheContentValueChaincanhelpyou:

Understandwhereyourresourcesarebeingdirectedtoday.Doaquickcalculationtore-classifyyouroperatingexpensesandcapitalpurchases.Howmuchofyourfinancial,human,andcapitalresourcesarebeingdirectedintoeachoftheseareas?

Understandwhichactivitiesarebringingresourcestothestation.Gothroughyoursourcesofrevenueandthinkaboutwhichofyourrevenuesourcesareassociatedwithwhichbroadcategoryofactivity.

Mapyourcompetitionandpotentialpartners,andunderstandtheexternalenvironment.Withinyourcreate,addvalue,anddistributionactivities,withwhomcouldyoucooperateorpartner?Withwhomdoyoucompete?

Mapyourstrategiesbasedonhowthepeopleyouserve,orwishtoserve,usemedia.Usingthedescriptionofhowpeopleusemediaoutlinedearlier,youcandevelopstrategiestargetedtodifferentsegmentsofyouraudienceordecidewheretoplaceyourbetsforthefuture.Ifyouunderstandhowthepeopleyouserveaccess,findandevaluate,experience,andcreatemedia,thisinformationsuggestsspecificstrategiesalongthevaluechain.

�6

Local Stations’ Content and Service Strategies

Duringthecourseoftheplanningproject,wehavebeeninterestedtolearnaboutthespecificcontentstrategiesthatlocalstationshavedeveloped—howindividualstationsreachouttotheiraudiencesinuniquewaysbycreating,distributing,oraddingvaluetocontent.

Aswecontinuetodevelopandimprovelocalservicestrategiesatourownstations,weallcanlearnfromthemanyinnovativelocalserviceinitiativesalreadytakingplace.Examplesoftheseinitiatives,ineachcategory,areavailableatwww.ptv-agc.org/LocalServices.htmAdditionalgoodresourcesandideasforstationsareavailablefromtheNationalCenterforOutreachatwww.nationaloutreach.org.

Althoughneedsofspecificlicenseesandspecificcommunitiesdiffer,asdothemeansandresourcesindividualstationshavetoaddressthem,weshareacommongoalinourapproachtolocalservices—thatofbuildingcivic,social,andeducationalcapitalinthecommunitiesweserve.Underthebroadumbrellaofthislargergoal,stationsarepursuinganumberofcommonstrategiestoprovidelocalservicestotheirsurroundingcommunities.

Thecommonlocalservicestrategiesweidentifiedare:

Supporting the Mission of the Licensee or a Major Public InstitutionInthisarea,publictelevisionstationsareusingtheiruniqueassetstoforwardthemissionofamajorpublicinstitution.Stationsincreasepublicaccessto,andamplifytheimpactofthoseinstitutions,whethertheyareuniversities,hospitals,orstateagencies.

Providing Local Public Affairs and/or Nightly NewsAlthoughsomecommunitiesmayhaveexistingsourcesforlocalnewsandpublicaffairsprograms,manycommunitieshaveatruevoidinthisareathatpublictelevisionstationsalonefill.

Focusing on One Important Community IssueInthisarea,stationsareconveningaudiencesandpartnersaroundoneimportantissueinordertofosterdiscussionsandactionaboutamajorneedorproblemaffectingthecommunity.Inothercases,stationsarepartneringwithanexistingcollaborationthathasformedtoaddressanissue.Thestationaddsvaluetothecollaborationbyprovidingthemeansformakingthecollaboration’sworkbetterknownandunderstood.

Developing Broad Community PartnershipsSeveralstationsareundertakinginitiativesthathelptoforwardthemissionsandincreasepublicaccesstoalargenumberofdiversenonprofitgroupsthataddressspecificcommunityneedsorinterests.Stationsareusingtheiruniqueassetstohelpincreasethereachoftheirnonprofitpartners;andthosepartnersarelikewisebringingtheiruniqueexpertisetoexistinganddevelopingworkoccurringatthestations.

Adding Local Value to National ContentFinally,manystationscentertheirlocalserviceinitiativesonaddinglocalperspectivesandinformationaboutlocalresourcestoexisting,nationallysharedcontent.AllstationshaveanincredibleopportunitytofindwaystocreativelytailorandaddlocalvaluetothemanyrichresourcesalreadyavailablewithinthePTVsystem.

Regardless of what

the future of public

television looks like,

individual stations

are likely to have

a unique advantage

from residing physically

within the communities

they serve and

maintaining the

public’s trust in the

quality and integrity

of the programs and

services they provide.

�7

��

AnotherwaytothinkaboutandorganizethelocalservicestrategiesofstationsistousetheContentValueChain.Belowaresomeexamplesofhowindividualpublictelevisionstationshavedevelopedservicesalongthevaluechaincontinuum.Additionalinformationabouteachinitativecanbefoundonlinethroughlinksembeddedintheelectronicversionofthisreport.

Wesawmanystationsdevelopingcontentproductionpartnerships.Thesepartnersbring

notonlycontentexpertisetotheeffort,butfinancialresourcesaswell.The Minnesota

Collaborative,WTVS’s work,andWHYY’s Civic Spaceinitiativesareexamples,and

KQED’s Gallery Crawlisanexampleofaweb-onlycreationstrategy.

WGBH’s Forumisastrategytoaddvaluetoothers’contentbypackaging,promoting,

andbroadlydistributingit.Theyworkwithleadinginstitutionsandaggregatelecturesfor

distributionontheweb.WNEO/WEAO: Ohio Standards-based Multimedia

Curriculum Productionsaddsvaluetotheirownandothers’contentforteachers.

VODforlocalcontent,WEBstreaminganddownloading,podcasts,andRSSfeedsareall

emergingfrompublictelevisionstationsasnewdistributionstrategiesforcontent.

The New Jersey Network,amongothers,hasadistributionstrategytouseitsspectrum

foremergencycommunications.Andeverystationwillbegrapplingwithitsmulti-cast

distributionstrategyinpreparationfor�009.

A3

add valuecreate

kool kids

TOOLS FOR YOUR STATION

streaming$

�9

Strategic Focus Area 3 – Financial

Acompletefinancialstrategytakesintoaccountboththewayanorganizationacquirestheresourcestodoitsworkandalsohowitchoosestoinvestandallocatethoseresourcestoachieveitsmission.Thissectionfocusesontheformer.Itsuggestsonemodeltounder-standtheanswerstothefollowingquestions:What is the financial model, or economic engine that drives your station’s work today? What will that engine be in 5-10 years?

AusefultooltoapproachthesequestionsisfoundinJimCollins’monograph,Good to Great and the Social Sectors.Todemonstratethewidevariationoffinancialmodelsthatdrivetheworkoforganizationsinthesocialsector,heplacessomeleadingnon-profitor-ganizationsinatwo-by-twomatrix.Oneaxisrepresents“charitabledonationsandprivategrants.”Theotherrepresents“businessrevenue(fee for service, contracts, products, etc.).”Thefigurebelowshowswheresomeleadingpublicsectororganizationsfallwithinthisconstruct.

Economic Engine in the Social Sectors: 4 Quadrants

BOYS & GIRLSCLUBS

CHARTERSCHOOLS

K-12 PUBLICSCHOOLS

NASA

EPANYPD

I

AMERICANCANCERSOCIETY

SPECIALOLYMPICS

SMALL LOCALCHURCH NATURE

CONSERVANCY

TEACHFOR AMERICA

IIMEGA

CHURCH

GIRL SCOUTSLOCAL COUNCIL

NYCOPERA

SHARE OURSTRENGTH

HARVARDCOLLEGE

III

PRIVATESCHOOLS

MAYO CLINIC REDCROSS

GOODWILLINDUSTRIES

IV

UCBERKELEY

NORTHWESTERNMEMORIALHOSPITAL

HIGHCharitable donations

& private grants

HIGHCharitable donations

& private grants

LOWBusiness revenue

LOWCharitable donations

& private grants

HIGHBusiness revenue

HIGHBusiness revenue

LOWBusiness revenue

LOWCharitable donations

& private grants

Foracompleteexplanationofthismatrix,pleaseseepage��of“Good to Great and the

Social Sectors”byJimCollins

�0

Applying the Model to the System, the Station, and to PTV Services Applyingthisthinkingtopublictelevisionoffersafreshwayofunderstandingourcurrentfinancialmodels.Lookatthetableonthefollowingpage.Itpointsout,quitedramatically,thatdifferenteconomicenginesdrivedifferenttypesofstations.Anditpointsoutthatinaggregate,publictelevisionisaremarkable“public–private”partnership.Italsosuggeststhatagreatdealofcross-fertilizationcanoccurbetweendifferenttypesoflicensees.Canacommunitystationlearnfromastatelicenseehowtobuildaneweconomicengine,andviceversa?

Thismodelcanbeveryusefuleventounderstandasingleactivityorserviceundertakenbyastation.Withinapublictelevisionstationtodaytherearediscreteeconomicenginesforthedifferentservicesweprovidetoourcommunities.Formany,theprimarybroadcastserviceisdrivenbycharitablecontributions.Educationalservicesmayrelyonfee-for-servicemodelsortax-basedsupport.Outreachmayrelyuponprivategrants.

Forexample,whenTwinCitiesPublicTelevisiondevelopeditsMinnesotaCollaborativeandChannelPlan,achoicewasmadetofundthatactivitybychargingafeetocommunitypartners.Afinancialgoalwassetthat75%oftheresourcesforthatactivityweretobedrawnfromfeesand�5%fromprivatefoundationgrants.

WHYYinPhiladelphiaembarkeduponasimilarcommunitypartnershipmodel.Theysetafinancialstrategythatwastobedrivenbythepartnerscomingtogethertofundraisejointlyandthenleveragingthepartnershipstoincreasememberincome.

��

toolsTools to take to Your Station:Asyoulookaheadfiveyears,placeallofthewaysthatyouwillbecreating

anddeliveringcontentintodiscretecategories.Forexample,yourstationseesthreeopportunitiesforcontent

creation.Theymightbe:

•Creatingprofessionaldevelopmentmaterialsforteachers;

•Creatingtownmeetingsforageneralaudienceonpressingissuesfacingyourcommunity;

•Creatingabroadarrayoflocalcontentthroughcommunitypartnerships.

WherewouldeachofthesebeplacedontheCollinsmatrix?

I

Minnesota Channel

IIWHYY Partnership Program

Community LicensedPublic Television Station

Public TV System

Institutional and State LicensedPublic Television Station

III

IV

HIGHCharitable donations

& private grants

HIGHCharitable donations

& private grants

LOWBusiness revenue

LOWCharitable donations

& private grants

HIGHBusiness revenue

HIGHBusiness revenue

LOWBusiness revenue

LOWCharitable donations

& private grants

INSTITUTIONAL LICENSEES 70% 26% 4%

STATE LICENSEES 76% 20% 4%

COMMUNITY LICENSEES 25% 59% 16%

SYSTEM IN AGGREGATE 44% 45% 11%

PUBLIC(CPB, Federal, State,and Local, Collegesand Universities)

CHARITABLE(Individuals, Business,Foundation)

OTHER

(Source: 2005 SABS Revenue Analysis)

Hereiswheredifferenttypesoflicensees,thesystem,andastationservicewouldfallontheCollinsMatrix.

��

Broadcast

VOD

Streaming

Podcast

Download to Own

DVD

Day

of

Bro

adca

st

One

Wee

k

One

Mon

th

One

Yea

r

Inde

fini

tely

FreeSubscriptionPayPerUse

Retail

Public Affairs

GENRE

FORMAT

REVENUEOPPORTUNITY

WINDOW

New Economic Engines and Models

Perhapsoneofthemostcriticalareasinwhichtoapplystrategicthinkingtooureconomicmodelisintheareaof“newmedia.”Asconsumersusemediadifferentlyandaspublictelevisionstationsbegintodistributecontentacrossdifferentplatforms,newmodelsofsupportwillneedtoemerge.TheDigitalRightsWorkingGrouphascreatedonesuchmodelforincreasing“businessrevenue.”

Inthisexample,thegroupproposesafinancialmodelthatisdrivenbythemodeofcontentdistribution,thetypeofcontent,andthetimeframewithinwhichitisused.

Whatisinterestingaboutthismodelisthatwhilecontemplatingfeesorsubscriptions,itstaystruetoourpublictelevisionvalueofmakingourcontentavailabletopeopleforfreeaswell.TheDigitalRightsWorkingGroup’sworkcanbeexploredatwww.ptv-agc.org.

�3

toolsTools to take to Your Station:Usingtheexerciseabove,inwhichyouidentifiedwhereontheCollinsmatrix

youwouldplacenewcontentorservicestrategies,identifywhatnewskillsetsyourstaffmightneedtosuccessfully

developoremployeachstrategy.

Economic Engine in the Social Sectors: 4 Quadrants Skill Sets

Finally,asyouthinkaboutthismodel,recognizethateachoftheseeconomicenginesrequiresverydifferentskillsetsandstrategies.Collinssummarizestheskillsetsneededineachofthesequadrantsasfollows:

Blend of charitable & Business revenueMajor Gifts

I

Business revenueHeavy Government Funding

Business Acumen and Fundraising Skills

Political Skills and Public Engagement Skills

Mostly Business Skills Resembling For-Profit Businesses

II

Personal Relationships and Excellent Fundraising Skills

III

IV

Adapted from Good to Great and the Social Sectors (Copyright © 2005 by Jim Collins.)

�4

tools

Strategic Focus Area 4 – Organization

Fromtimetotimesuccessfulbusinessesreorganizeorre-engineerthemselvesinresponsetochangingcustomerneedsandexpectations,newtechnologiesoroperationalmodels,orbecauseoffinancialimperatives.Whilesuchchangesdonotemergeasapriorityatalltimesforpublictelevisionstations,theydotoday,forseveralreasons:

•Thewaypeopleusemediaischanging.•WehavenewtoolstoCreate,AddValue,andDistributeourcontent.•Ourcommunitiesandworkforcesarebecomingmorediverse.•Weareintransitionfrombeingpublictelevisionorganizationstobecomingpublicmediaorganizations.•Newrevenueopportunitieswillrequirenewsetsofskills.•Asignificantnumberoftheseniorstaffinourpublictelevisionstations,whohavespenttheircareersinpublictelevision,arenowapproachingretirementage.

Weseechangeshappeningthroughoutthesystem.Stations,andindeedPBS,havehiredChiefContentOfficers,whoareresponsibleforintegratingandleveragingcontentservicesandstrategies.ChiefEngineershavebecomeChiefTechnologists.“IT”skillsareneededtodaynotonlyintheofficeenvironment,butacrossallaspectsofthestation—fromvideo-editingtomastercontrol.

Developmentand Marketing

Director

ProgramManager

Director ofAdministration

LocalProductionManager

ChiefEngineer

Directorof ITV

PTV Station 1970-1995

President and General Manager

Tools to Take to Your Station: Belowisthewayatypicalsmalltomid-sizedpublictelevisionstation’sseniormanagementteammighthavelookedpre-webandpre-dawnofthedigitalage.

•Today,ifyouweretodesignaseniormanagementteamaround6keypeople,whatpositionswouldtheyhold?

Whatskillsandexperiencewouldtheyhave?Whatwouldbetheirscopeofresponsibility?

•Howwouldyoustructureapublicmediacompanydifferentlythanapublictelevisionstation?

•Isyourstationdeliberatelyandintentionallydevelopinganewgenerationofleadership?Isitonethatwillreflect

thediversepeoples,needs,andinterestsofthecommunitiesyouareheretoserve?

Does Form follow

Function? Or can

Function follow

Form? Sometimes

re-structuring

and realigning an

organization can

break old habits,

open new lines of

communications,

and force people

into new ways of

thinking.

�5

Strategic Focus Area 5: The Brand

Whowehire,howweinteractwithoneanother,andmostimportantly,howweinteractwiththepeopleweserve,arecriticalpieces,notonlyofrealizingourmissionandvision,butalsoofexpressingourBrandStrategy.Thiscomponentisthefifth,andmostnuancedstrategyinthestrategicframeworkweproposehere.

Whatis“Brand?”Onedefinitionis:thatperception(emotion)maintainedbyourstake-holdersandconstituentsdescribingtheexperiencerelatedtotheirinteractionswithus.

AsKarlSpeak,ofBeyondMarketingThought.comdescribesit,thebrandbuildsoutfromthecoreofwhoweareandwhatwedoandfurtherdefinesourrelationshipandourpromisetoourviewersanddonors.PBSandpublictelevisionstationshavedevelopedenormousbrandequityovertheyears.Ourbrandisperhapsthegreatestassetwecollectivelyown.Itistimethatweholdamirroruptothatbrandtotestitsintegrityandrelevanceintoday’senvironment.

ABrandisnot: •Amarketingprogram •Alogo •Anadvertisingcampaign •Atagline

Atitscore,abrandisabouttherelationshipwiththosewhoareimportanttous:viewers,donors,partners,ourlicensee,legislators,andpeopleinourmarketplace.

Whatdefinesthatrelationship?Thinkaboutapersonyouknow.Thatpersonhas,ineffect,a“brand.”Thatbrandisdefinedby:

• What that person does:Joeworksinpublictelevision,isthefatherof3andplaysthepiano.•How he does it:Joeisthefirstonetostandupatameetingtomakeapoint.Hebelievesinstrictlydisciplininghischildrenandisahighlyskilledpianoplayer•And by his style, manner, or personality:WhenJoestandsuptomakehispointhealwaysopenswithakindcommentaboutthegoodthinkinghehasjustheard–thenhechallengesit.Heneverspankshischildrenanddisciplinesthembytakingawayprivileges.Heplayshonky-tonkstylepiano.

Clearlyapersonisinfinitelymorecomplex.ButwiththesefewperspectivesonJoeyoubegintoformanimpression.Allthreeoftheseelementsinteracttodefineyourpotentialrelationshiptohimand,tosomeextent,yourexpectationsaboutthatperson.Hewouldhaveadifferent“brand”ifhewasaclassicalpianovirtuoso,spankedhischildren,andwasrudewhenhechallengedpeople.

Thesameistrueforpublictelevisionstations.Animageofwhoweareandwhatwestandforiscreatedinthemindsofourviewersandsupporters.Itisshapedbywhatwedo,howwedoit,andourstyleofdoingit.

What Makes a

Brand Strong?

A strong Brand is:

DISTINCTIVE

Stands out from

the crowd.

RELEVANT

Satisfies a

credible need.

CONSISTENT

Delivers a

dependable value

and does it with a

dependable style.

�6

Therightcolumnisanexampleofhowonestationbegantosharpenitsbrandstrategyusingtheframeworkoutlinedinthefigurebelow.

View #1(Defines those elements that differentiate the station from other media outlets)

Competencies (What We Do)•On-airbroadcasting•Localproduction•Nationalprogramproduction•Webandotherdigitalmediaproducts•Communityoutreach

Standards (How We Do It)•Intelligent,sophisticatedprogramming thatstimulatesthemind•Thorough,in-depthcoverageofthesubjectmatter•Coversabroadrangeofsubjectmatter•Drivenbyabeliefindoingtherightthing•Outreachthatenhanceslearning•Creativeprogrammingthatentertainstheviewer•Highqualityproduction

Style (How We Relate with our Marketplace)•Passionate•Quickwitted•Criticalthinking

toolsTools to take to Your Station:Howwouldyouarticulateyourcompetencies,standards,andstyle?Howdo

theymeetthetestofaneffectivebrand?Askafewpeopleonstafftoimaginethatyourstationisaperson.Have

themwriteapagedescribingthatpersontoyou.

�7

CPB Primetime Audience Research and Brand

TheCPBprimetimeaudienceresearchworkidentifiedviewers’beliefs,feelingsandbehaviorsaboutpublictelevision.Thisresearchhandedusrichinformationaboutviewers’perceptionsofourwork,anddescribestheirexperienceswithpublictelevision.

Asindividualstations,wehavethegreatopportunitytobuildonthisnational“brandequity,”aswellastomoresharplyfocusandidentifyourdistinctivelocalbrand.

UN

IQU

ENES

S

ENG

AG

EMEN

T

VA

RIE

TY

BA

LAN

CE

INT

ELLI

GEN

CE

SupportingPrinciples

QUALITY

Overarching Principle

Foundational Principle

TRUST

PBSisagreatresourceforunderstandingandimplementingabrandstrategy.“BeMore”isastrategicmarketplacepositioningthatcommunicatestheuniqueattributesandconsumerbenefitsofPBSandmemberstations’collectiveprogrammingandlocalservices.“BeMore”wascarefullydevelopedtoensurethatitdifferentiatesoursysteminthemarketplaceandisflexibleenoughtobeexecutedinawidevarietyofways.Researchshowsthatawarenessof“BeMore”increasesthelikelihoodofwatchingandsupportinglocalPBSstations..

To learn more about

how “Be More” was

developed, how to

put it to work in your

market, or for a

summary of the re-

search, please visit

PBS Connect and

follow this path:

PBS Connect

PBS Resources

Brand Management & Promotion

“Be More” Resources

��

Appendices

�9

Appendix 1: Strategic Planning 101

Strategicplanningis,inpart,aprocessthatengageskeystakeholdersinathoughtful,disciplinedapproachtoenvisioningandplanningforthefuture.Itbuildsconsensusandsupportfromthesestakeholders(including: management; staff; board; community advisors) throughtheprocessusedtodevelopit,aswellasthroughitsoutcomes.

Thestrategicplanisadocumentthatcanbeclearlyunderstoodanddigestedbypeoplejoiningthestationcommunityasnewemployees,boardmembers,communityadvisors,communitypartners,orfunders.(Detailed action plans are typically developed for staff and board only.)

Strategicplanningrequirestimeandenergy,buttheeffortspayoffwithapowerfulmanagementtoolthatprovidesimproved:

Perspectiveabouttheexternalandinternalissuesthatmustbeconsideredandkeptontheradarscreen.

Focusonthecriticalissuesbymanagement,staff,andtheboard.

Efficiencyindetermining,throughonecomprehensiveprocess,thestation’sandstakeholders’ “CriticalFew”strategiesandgoals.

Clarity forstaffandboardabouttheirrolesandresponsibilitiesinachievingthosegoals.

Strategic planning

results in a document

that identifies:

Wherethestation

isnow;

Whereitwantstobe

incomingyears;

Howitwillgetthere.

30

Strategic Planning Steps

Therearemanywaystoapproachandaccomplishstrategicplanning.Whilemanystationshavedonestrategicplanningforyears,othersmayfindithelpfultoreviewsomeofthebasicstepslistedhere.

I. Ready, Set, Prepare...for successful planning(Note: This is a key step in clarifying participants’ expectations and responsibilities upfront, and can help avoid potential pitfalls later in the process.) a.Determinewhy,andforwhomyou’replanning. b.Identifylengthoftimeforwhichyou’replanning,e.g.threeyears. c.Identifybeginning,ending,andkeymeetingdatesfortheplanningprocess. d.Determinewhowillbeinvolvedindevelopingtheplanonbothanon-goingand asneededbasis.Securetheiragreementforfullparticipationthroughthe implementationphase.HavingaGMandBoardChairwhochampionthe processiscriticaltotheultimatesuccessoftheplan,asisbroadengagementof staffandkeystakeholdersatappropriatepoints. e.Identifyinformationneededtomakeinformeddecisionsandwhoisresponsible forcollectingit(e.g. competitive data, community input, financial and demo- graphic trends, SABS trends, technological updates). f.Identifyanyissuesthatare“offthetable”andnotupforreviewanddiscussion. Andjustasimportantly,identifyanymandatesfromthelicenseeandissuesthat mustbeaddressed. g.Identifylessonslearnedfromanypreviousplanningefforts. h.Determinewhethertherearefinancialororganizationalcrisesthatwouldmake itdifficulttofocusonandimplementastrategicplan. i.Agreeonthelevelofdetailandbasicformatofthefinalproduct(e.g. 5-10 page strategic plan for sharing with external stakeholders but a detailed one- year action plan for internal use only). j.Confirmwithkeyplayersthat,basedonanswerstothestepsabove,thestation isreadyforstrategicplanning. k.Determineifanoutsidefacilitatorwouldbehelpful.Ifso,selectafacilitator.

II. Imagine and Articulate the Big Picture a.Develop,reaffirmorreviseyourstation’svision,mission,andvaluesstatements toprovideaframeworkfortheplanningeffortsandstrategicplan.Startwith the“ImaginingExercise,”ifitishelpful,availableatwww.ptv-agc.org.

III. Assess the Environment a.Identifykeyexternalindustrytrendsandcompetitiveissues,aswellaschanging communitydemographicsandissuesthatwillaffectstationoperations. b.Identifykeyinternalstation(and licensee)trendsandissuesincludingfinancial, organizational,programmingandservices,technical. c.Identifythestation’sstrengths,weaknesses,opportunitiesandthreats,andthe implicationsandinterplayofthesegiventheenvironmentaltrends. d.Gathercommunityinputonthestation’scurrenteffectiveness/impactandideas forthefuture(Take a look at CPB’s Primetime Audience Research as a start). e.Determinewhetheranyadditionalinformationordataneedstobecollected (see section I.e. above).

3�

IV. Identify the Critical Few a.Identifyandagreeonthe“CriticalFew”issuesthestationmustaddressinthe strategicplan. b.Identifywhatthestationwantstoachieveinthe“CriticalFew”(your goals),by when,andhowsuccesswillbemeasured.

V. Write the Strategic Plan a.Draftandrevisetheplanbasedonpreviouslyagreedcriteria,reviewprocesses, anddiscussionsaboutwhohasthefinalword. b.Developamulti-yearbudgetthathelpsensurestationwillachieveits“CriticalFew.” c.Agreeuponcriteriaforfuturemodificationsandupdatestotheplan. d.Approveplanandbudget.

VI. Write a One-Year Action Plan a.Developanactionplanthatlinkstoandsupportsthestrategicplan.Specify whoisresponsibleforwhat,bywhen,andhowsuccesswillbemeasured. b.Developaone-yearbudgettosupporttheactionplanandstrategicplan.

VII. Implement Plans a.Reviseworkobjectivesandjobdescriptionstosupporttheactionandstrategicplans. b.Evaluatethestrategicplanningprocessnotingchangestobemadenexttime. c.Communicatethestrategicplantostakeholders,asappropriate(e.g., ensure that all staff and board members are given copies of the plan and that future staff and board receive copies when they go through a station orientation). d.Determineandimplementregularmonitoringmechanismstoensurestrategic andactionplansareachieved.Thiscanbeintegratedintoregularlyscheduled staffandboardmeetings. e.Determinepracticesforandscheduleannualactionplanupdatesandperiodic revisionstothestrategicplan.

3�

Components of a Strategic Plan

ThissampleTableofContentsprovidesanexampleofwhatmightbeincludedinatypical

StrategicPlan.

INTRODUCTION (Explains - Where we are.)

ExecutiveSummary �

HistoryofStation,Ownership �

EnvironmentalTrends 3

(Can include external issues affecting station such as changing demographics, technological changes, competition, major changes in funding patterns)

CurrentStrategiesandAudience 4-6

ContentPartnersandFunders 7

PlanningApproach(Includes who was involved) 7

Acknowledgements �

STRATEGIC PLAN(Explains - Where we want to be. How we will get there. This is the focus of your planning discussions.)

Vision 9

Mission 9

Values 9

SummaryofPriorities(Critical Few; Goals, High level �0-�6

strategies for achieving the Goals)

Case Strategy

Content and Service Strategy (Local and National; Audience)

Financial Strategy

Organizational Strategy

Brand Strategy

APPENDICES(Internal documents)

OneYearActionPlan-Howwewillgetthere. �7-�5

Strengths,Weaknesses,Opportunities,Threats �6-�7

BudgetProjections-Howwewillgetthere ��-30

BoardMembers(Part of external documents) 3�

33

Appendix 2: Public Television System Planning Cycles

APTS: APTS’planningcalendarisdrivenbytheannualappropriationscycleinCongress.

Planning Cycle

•October�:Federalgovernment’sfiscalyearbegins

•Mid-January:APTSBoarddiscusseslegislativefundingrequeststosubmittoCongress.

•EarlyFebruary:CapitolHillDay.Importanttimeforstationinput.APTSbeginstolobby

fornewfiscalyearrequests,andcontinuesuntilthebilliscompleted.

•February–April:HouseandSenateconsiderbudgettoestablishspendingauthorities;

determineauthorityforCPBadvancedfunding.

•May–June:Congressionalappropriationsoversighthearings.

•May–September30:HouseandSenateworktocompleteappropriationsbills.

•June:Stationmembershiprenewal.

•July�:APTS’fiscalyearbegins.

•November:APTSBoardRetreat.

Station Input

•Ongoinginputisgatheredfrommemberstationsviaregularmonthlycalls,onlinevoting,

andthecollectingofstoriesaboutwhatstationsaredoing.APTSinformationissharedback

withstationsviamonthlycalls,PowerPointandaudiopresentations.MarkErstlingisthe

“goto”personfortheAffinityGroupsandAGC.

•EarlyFebruary:CapitolHillDay–importanttimeforstationinput.

•Usefulinputfromstationsincludes:

oStoriesandanecdotesabouttheimpactofPTVonlocalcommunities.

oDataontheimpactoflocalinitiatives:titles;thenumberofhoursoflocal

programsandevents;thenumberofpeoplewatchingorattendingevents;

thenumberofstudentsorteachersthatbenefitfromaprogramorevent;

peer-reviewedevaluations.

Issues on the Horizon

•NoChildLeftBehind(NCLB)Reauthorizationin�007.APTSseekingatleast$40Mto

continueprogramssuchasReadytoLearn,ReadytoTeach,andStarSchools.

oAPTSneedsabase-lineofeducationalservicesprovidedwithinthesystem,

includinginformationontypesofservicesprovided,proofofperformance,

stories,etc.

•Data-casting:Understandwhichstationsaredoingdata-casting,andwhatbusiness

modelsarebeingused.

•Educationalwebportals:Understandsystemusageandneedsofeducationcommunity.

34

CPB:CPBhastwoplanningcycles,onefortheannualCPBbudget,theotherforfundingrequestsfromtheOfficeofManagementandBudget.CPBbeganastrategicplanningprocessinJuly�006.

Planning Cycles

OMB Budget Cycle:Everyyear,CPBsubmitstwofundingrequeststoOMB.Thefirst isarequestforfundsthatCongressallocatesannually(e.g., digital funds, interconnection funds).ThesecondisarequestforthegeneralappropriationthatCongresstraditionallyforwardfundsbytwoyears.BecausetheCongressionalbudgetingprocessislengthy,CPBmustprovideOMBwithprojectionsforthreeyearsinthefuture.•August-September:DatacollectedforOMBrequest.•Mid-September:CPBsendsitsrequestforboth“oneyear”andadvancefundingtoOMB.•EarlyDecember:OMBsharesadraftofitsproposedbudgetwithCPBandprovidesaoneweekwindowforCPBtomakeanappeal.•February(firstMonday):President’sbudgetsubmittedandannounced.•Summer–earlyFall:Federalbudgetannounced.

CPB Budget Cycle•October�:CPBFiscalyearbegins.•October–November:PrioritiesforthenextfiscalyeararediscussedatRoundRobins.•LateSpring:CPBrefinesandprioritizes6%discretionaryfundsforPTVsystemsupportinthenextfiscalyear.•July:CPBBoardapprovesbudgetforthenextfiscalyear.

Station Input•CPBgetsinputfromtheAGCandAffinityGroups,andconvenesadvisorypanelsonspecialissues,currentlyincluding:DigitalRights,PublicAwareness,LocalServiceInitiatives,andNationalProgrammingAudienceResearch.OngoingfeedbackissolicitedontheCSGpolicyandprogrammingdecisionsthroughregularformalconsultations.•RoundRobinsareanimportanttimeforsettingthenextyear’sagendaandspendingpriorities.•StoriesanddataareneededbySeptemberaboutstations’financialneedsandprioritiesasCPBdevelopsacaseforOMBappropriationrequest.•SABSdatacollectedinFebruary.

Issues on the Horizon •CSGReview•Buildingstationcapacity•Supportinginnovativecontent•Strengtheningeducationalservices•Reachingunderservedaudiences•Developingalternativeplatforms•Buildingpublicawareness

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PBS: �006isthethirdyearofPBS’currentstrategicplan.

Planning Cycle •Mid-LateOctober:PBSBoardMeetingandRetreat.Newboardmembersbroughtonboard.Strategicplanningcommitteestartswork,DraftofEnvironmentalScanavailable.•October–November:RoundRobinswithstationmanagers.•February:Firstdraftofbudget.•February:MembersMeeting.Previewhighlightsofstrategicplanandbudget.StationshaveopportunitytopetitionissuestoPBS.•March:StrategicplanandbudgettoPBSBoard•March–June:Strategicplanandbudgetfinalizedandtakentosystemfordiscussion.•May:Concurrencesoughtonstrategicplanandbudget.•June:PBSBoardvotesonfinalstrategicplanandbudget.•July�:BeginningofPBSfiscalyear.•July/August:NominationofnewPBSBoardmembers.

Station Input:AffinityGroupsandAGChaveprovidedausefulwaytogetquickfeedback.PBSalsocollectsinputdirectlyfromindividualstationsandAffinityGroupsdirectly.PBSseeksinformationonthefollowing:•FinancialHealth:Whatparticularissuesdostationsface?Membershipsituation?CorporateUnderwritingsituation?•CommunityService:Wheredoeseducationfitin?Whatgapsneedfilling?•NationalSchedule:Isitfittingstationneeds?•ManagementIssues:Howarestationsdealingwithstaffingneeds?•Long-termStrategies:Whatarestations’aspirationsdrivingforward?Howdostationswanttoserveaudiencesonavastrangeofplatforms?•TechnicalIssues:Wherearestations?

Issues on the Horizon •DigitalServiceissues oDigitalkidsservices oVODdealswithVODandMSOproviders•PTV/PBSEducationstrategy•PledgeTaskForce•Legislativeissues•PBSFoundationfundraising•Buildingpublicawareness

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Appendix 3: Affinity Group Coalition Planning Resources

Westronglyencourageyoutotakeadvantageoftherichsetofresourcescompiledandpostedat www.ptv-agc.org.

Belowisapartiallistingofthematerialsthatyouwillfindatthesite:

Reading List–Collectssomeofthemostinterestingandprovocativearticleswecameacrossaboutchangesinthemediaindustry.Therearesomeexcellentresourcesforhelpingyou,yourstaff,andyourboardunderstandthechangingenvironmentinwhichourstationsoperate.

Planning Tools for General Managers–Includesmanyofthetoolsandexercisesreferencedinthisreport,plusastationplanning-retreatagenda,exercises,andPowerPointpresentationthatyoucanadaptforyourstafforboardretreats.

Ideas from fellow General Managers –DescriptionsofLocal Service Initiativesprovideinsightintohowstationshaveleveragedtheirassetstoprovideuniqueservicestotheircommunities.Thesedescriptionscanstimulateyourthinkingaboutnewinitiatives,orhelpyouthinkaboutdifferentapproachestoyourcurrentlocalservicework.“Imagining Statements”articulateourcolleagues’viewsoftheirstation’sfuturefromtheperspectiveofastationmanager,viewerandfunder.Thesenarrativesprovideafresh,funandimaginativearticulationofthefutureoftheindividualpublictelevisionstation.

Industry Studies-Environmentalscans,technologyoverviews,andaudienceresearchconductedbynationalorganizationsthatcaninformyourstrategicplanningprocess.

Smart List 2006 –Strategiesof45companiesthatareadaptingtoandplacingbetsondifferentpotentialfuturesinthedigitalage.

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Graphic Design

Jayne StaufferJon Van Amber

Denise Fick

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