Annual General Meeting Covered Diverse Topics

The 2009 Annual General Meeting of Nostalgia Broadcasting Cooperative was held at the West End Cultural Centre on Sunday, November 8. There were 92 members in attendance.

Chairman of the Board, Ross Thompson (right) spoke about this year's various accomplishments, including, but not limited to, the Code of Practice, the booths and displays at various locations, social events, joining the Assiniboine Chamber of Commerce, and the new website. The 2010 job jar for CJNU will include the CRTC licence, upgrading communication, marketing tools, increasing membership, sponsor recognition, and other issues.

Nostalgia Broadcasting President Bill Stewart reported that the cooperative's total revenue grew by $24,000 to $114,000. Total Retained Earnings (surplus) grew by $28,000 to $70,000. He reported that the expenses increased due, in part, to the CRTC licence application. With a bank balance as at September 30, 2009 of $53,303.00, the cooperative is in a healthy financial position.

Sheila Down reported that the membership of the cooperative was currently 354 Individual Members, 216 Joint Members, and 16 Corporate/Organizations. She advised that there were 66 memberships (40 individual, 23 joint and 3 corporate) that have not been renewed as of the date of the AGM. Since November, 2008, in addition to the renewal fees, many members have provided additional contributions totaling $4,385.00.

Bruce Down (left), Chairman of the Nominating Committee, reported that a resignation from Board Member Ron Rochester had been received due to his relocation to Ontario. Bruce also told the members in attendance that incumbents Ross Thompson and Scott Best were up for re-election and that there had been two nominees - Gail Graham, a phone volunteer, and Neil Bardal, a valued sponsor - to fill the vacant position created by the resignation, but that during the week prior to this meeting, Bardal had to withdraw his name due to health issues. As there were three positions and three nominees, there was no need to hold an election with Scott Best, Gail Graham and Ross Thompson being elected to the Board by acclamation.

President Bill Stewart (left) then reported on the ongoing efforts to obtain a different type of licence for CJNU. The reasons for doing this are to get more power and to have permanent rights to a frequency. He reported that a complicating factor is that there are also two applicants from the Gimli/Winnipeg Beach area and another from Golden West in the Steinbach area.

Nostalgia Broadcasting has applied for 93.7 FM which could allow the station to increase our power to 500 watts. There is a possibility of arranging with NCI to co-site on their antenna atop 55 Nassau. CJNU's intervention of the Gimli/Winnipeg Beach applicants was in relation to the frequency they have requested and alternative frequencies are being examined by all parties.

President Stewart expressed the hope that by next year CJNU will have a licence, but the decision on whether or not to grant a licence to Nostalgia Broadcasting and its timing is entirely at the discretion of the CRTC. Our application should be posted on the CRTC website soon and, once that occurs, we will provide a link to it from this website.

Following a question and answer period, the meeting adjourned at approximately 4:40 p.m. and was followed by a reception for members.