USNH Board of Trustees approves move to transfer and enhance operating oversight and responsibility
February 21, 2008 – Concord, NH – After nearly a year of research and planning, the University System of New Hampshire (USNH) Board of Trustees unanimously voted today to transfer authority for day-to-day operations of New Hampshire Public Television (NHPTV) from the University of New Hampshire to NHPTV’s own Board of Governors as a wholly owned subsidiary of USNH. The move was made to provide NHPTV, in a rapidly changing media environment, with autonomy and agility as it fulfills its mission as New Hampshire’s statewide public television station NHPTV has been part of the University of New Hampshire (UNH) since 1960. Its broadcasting license is held, and will continue to be held, by the USNH Board of Trustees. Changes to formally establish NHPTV as a separate 501(c)(3) organization and make other structural moves to become more independent are in the planning stages and will occur over the course of 2008. The changes will not impact programming, station locations or operations. Once completed, NHPTV employees will be part of the non-profit organization instead of UNH or USNH employees. After months of work by committees that included representatives from the USNH Board and NHPTV Board, it was determined that NHPTV would be better able to address current and future opportunities under the direct management of its own board and as a non-profit organization. This change is coming just a year before February 19, 2009, the date when all American broadcasters are required to switch from analog to digital television broadcasting. This change will provide NHPTV with a second broadcast channel and additional programming and educational opportunities. “NHPTV is a vibrant organization,” CEO and General Manager Peter A. Frid noted. “This change is an opportunity for NHPTV to more nimbly adapt and respond to viewer needs and interests, and to provide targeted educational programs, partnerships and services to the greater New Hampshire community.” The study group that made the recommendation that was approved by the USNH Board today and the NHPTV Board this week was chaired by George Epstein, a member of the USNH Board and chair of the Financial Affairs Committee. Study group members included NHPTV Board member Mark Collin and USNH trustees Elizabeth Hoadley and John Moody. Their recommendation was made after a lengthy review process that involved the USNH chancellor and vice chancellor, the presidents of all four USNH institutions, and NHPTV’s general manager, among others. "As our committee looked at the education and entertainment mission of NHPTV, we concluded that the group with the greatest knowledge of and commitment to that mission was the NHPTV Board of Governors,” Epstein said. “Our recommendation for an organizational change that strengthened that Board's authority and granted it more independence in running the station's operations followed easily. This is the right structure for the Board of Governors to lead NHPTV toward new technologies and partnerships."As part of the change approved by the USNH Board, the NHPTV board will have control of NHPTV assets with some restrictions and USNH requirements. All appointees to the NHPTV Board will be approved by the USNH Board, and the NHPTV Board will include three USNH Trustees and two USNH management representatives. The USNH Board will approve the NHPTV annual budget, and continue to seek operating and capital appropriation support from the state as a portion of USNH requests. The NHPTV Board will have full delegated authority over the operations of NHPTV, including all employee matters. NHPTV has been a state and regional resource for education, cultural enrichment and citizenship since 1959. The state's only PBS member station and only locally owned and operated television station reaches about 500,000 families each week. NHPTV broadcasts more than 7,000 hours of programming a year, including award-winning locally produced television shows and acclaimed PBS series and specials.
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