WQED's annual meeting

At WQED Multimedia's annual board meeting last week, the PBS station's board of directors approved a $21.1 million budget for its 2008-09 fiscal year that begins Wednesday with a projected $76,000 in revenue over expenses.

That's on par with the current fiscal year's break-even budget. The current fiscal year is expected to end closer to $22.5 million in revenues/expenses with a positive $100,000 in revenue over expenses in the operating unrestricted budget line.

WQED president George Miles made note of the fact that, despite the current economic climate hitting media companies particularly hard, WQED will finish 2008 without any layoffs, although he noted that the staff has been charged with "hunkering down" to cut costs.

Miles himself will be sticking around WQED through 2011; the board gave him a two-year extension on his contract.

WQED executives reported their strategy for the company in recent years lines up identically with the pillars of PBS's plans for next year to emphasize local content, education and interactivity.

Upcoming locally-produced programs include:

"A Ride Along the Lincoln Highway" (8 p.m. Oct. 29): Rick Sebak's latest national production and his first show to have an original score (by local recording artist Buddy Nutt).

"On Q" (7:30 weeknights): A new season begins tonight with "Off Q" returning Friday.

"Black Horizons" (2 p.m. Sunday): A new season begins this weekend.

"Pittsburgh N'at with Dave & Dave... and Friends" (8 p.m. Nov. 6): A new Dave & Dave special themed to Pittsburgh's 250th anniversary.

"Gettysburg's New Battle: Saving the Stone Soldiers" (8 p.m. Nov. 13): An expanded version of a 2007 WQED documentary.

"Right Beside the River" (April 2009): Rick Sebak's latest local special will focus on river towns.

"Peter Matthiessen: No Boundaries" (2009): A one-hour documentary about the writer and environmental activist that will be narrated by actress Glenn Close.

WQED general manager Deb Acklin said no decision has been made on what to do with digital sub-channels for WQEX, which is being leased to Shop NBC through at least September 2009. She said WQED has the right to program digital sub-channels for WQEX, but because the license was changed from educational to commercial a few years ago, there's no provision that insures local cable companies will carry those digital subchannels. She's more eager to first add sub-channels to WQED-FM's HD radio.

Outgoing board chairman Jim Abraham bid farewell and was named a trustee emeritus. The board elected a new chairman, WQED board veteran Dick Stover, managing princpal of Birchmere Capital. Debra Caplan, senior vice president of Allegheny General Hospital, was elected vice chair.

New Board members elected to a three-year term are:

• Carole E. Bailey, Executive Services Consultant
• Neil Barclay, President and CEO, August Wilson Center for African American Culture
• Gregg Behr, President, The Grable Foundation
• Yvonne Campos, President, Campos, Inc.
• Alex Johnson, Ph.D., President, Community College of Allegheny County
• Dana E. Malin, Director, Benefits, American Eagle Outfitters
• Mickey McManus, President, CEO and Principal, MAYA Design
• Dee Jay Oshry, CFRE, Consultant in Fundraising
• Donna C. Peterman, Chief Communications Officer, The PNC Financial Series Group
• Tom R. Tabor, Senior Vice President and CIO, Information Services Group, Highmark, Inc

New Community Advisory Board members elected to a three-year term are:

·        Heather Arnet, Executive Director, Women and Girls Foundation

·        Jon E. Graf, Vice President and Part Owner, The Priory

·        Lisa Hoitsma, Director, Gateway to the Arts

·        McCrae M. Martino, Senior Program Officer, The Forbes Funds

·        Evans Moore

·        Rev. Kyoki Roberts, Buddhist Priest, Pittsburgh Zen Center

·        Sylvia Rhor Samaniego, Assistant Professor of Art History, Carlow University

·        Katherine Seelman, Associate Dean, Pittsburgh School of Health and Rehab Science

·        Ambassador Dan Simpson, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette