Plexus Helps the National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) in their Strategic Planning

Contact
Sebastian Schnettler

Date
November 15, 2003




Plexus Consulting Group, LLC
1620 Eye Street, NW
Suite 210
Washington, DC 20006
Phone:  202-785-8940
Fax:      202-785-8949
Email:   info@plexusconsulting.com

The following article is taken from the industry newsletter Communications Daily:

'Affirm, Redefine and Identify'

NAB TRYING TO DETERMINE 'WHERE DO WE GO FROM HERE'

The NAB is to begin a several months' process to "affirm, redefine and identify our strategic missions and goals" for the future and "our various constituencies that we serve," and to determine the steps necessary to be undertaken to achieve those goals, officials said. To that end, 22 broadcasters (including the group's Exec. Committee) are to convene in Washington Mon. and Tues., with facilitator Steven Worth of The Plexus Consulting Group, to make plans for further discussions over the next several months, said NAB Joint Board Chmn. Philip Lombardo of Citadel Communications and past Chmn. David Kennedy of Susquehanna Radio.

The Mon. meeting will consist of broadcasters only, while the NAB's 7 exec. vps will participate in the Tues. discussions. "The idea is to get everybody away from their offices," Kennedy told us. A plan is expected to be developed next week for future steps in the evaluation process to be presented to the NAB Jan. board meetings.

In a letter to meeting participants and the NAB radio and TV boards, Lombardo said "most organizations in the for-profit and nonprofit sectors undertake such exercises on a regular basis as part of prudent corporate governance." The last 2 times the NAB attempted such an evaluation were in 1994 and 1998. Both were conducted by the staff only and were "promptly pretty much ignored" by the board, one NAB director said.

Lombardo said the non-member TV networks were expected to be asked to "participate in the process on an anonymous basis" -- as will selected govt. officials. He said no single event or issue had promoted the NAB's self-evaluation and "all trade associations should periodically stand back and reflect." Other sources cited 2 issues as the major motivations for the planning process: (1) The longstanding and continuing "conflicts" between the radio and TV boards. (2) The defections of the Big 4 TV networks and their owned radio and TV stations. Several sources also told us the study in no way was a criticism of the leadership of NAB Pres. Edward Fritts.

Fritts told us that "it's been 5 years [since the last staff evaluation] and there has been a significant rotation of board members, so it's time to take another strategic look at the organization and the issues we face." The study is expected to be completed in time to make recommendations for the board's consideration in June, he said. -- Tack Nail