Bylaws of Public Radio for the Front
Range
Amended May 8, 2003
Article I: Name and Purpose
Public Radio for the
Front Range, Incorporated, dba KRFC
(here in referred to as the
"Corporation")
is a community access radio entity created by and for
its members to provide
diverse and innovative programming which reflects the concerns and interests of
the communities it serves.
The Corporation is
organized as a private, non-governmental Corporation under the laws of the
State of Colorado to furnish non-profit and non-commercial broadcast services
to the extended Northern Colorado Front Range area and to provide high quality
educational, cultural and public affairs programs.
To that end, the
Corporation is empowered to obtain and hold appropriate authorization from the
Federal Communications Commission; to construct, operate and maintain
non-commercial, educational broadcast stations used primarily for transmitting
cultural, public affairs, educational and entertainment programs pursuant to
the rules and regulations of federal broadcast stations, to obtain and to hold
by contribution, deed or lease real or personal property and funds to be used
in connection with the operation of broadcast stations; and to solicit and
accept in trust or otherwise, money and property to be used for these purposes;
and to carry out and perform all powers granted by the Colorado Nonprofit
Corporation Act and to engage in any or all other matters to effectuate the
within purposes.
The Corporation shall
maintain a principal office at the broadcast studios of the radio station
operated by the Corporation in the County of Larimer. The Corporation may also have offices at such other places,
either within or without the County of Larimer, as the Board of Directors shall
determine. The registered office of the
Corporation, required by the Colorado Corporation code to be maintained in the
State of Colorado, may be, but need not be, identical with the principal office
in the State of Colorado, and the address of the registered office may be
changed from time to time by the Board of Directors.
Article III: General
Membership, Voting
Section 1: Membership.
The members of the
Corporation shall be known as “members”.
Members consist of those who have paid annual dues or who perform a
number of volunteer hours in an amount to be determined by the Corporation's
Board of Directors and who are held to be in good standing by the Board of
Directors.
Members shall not conduct
any activity that is detrimental to the welfare of the Corporation. Such conduct shall result in membership
revocation as deemed by the Board of Directors. No member shall have any right, title, or interest in any of the
property or assets of the Corporation.
The various categories of
membership shall be determined by the Board of Directors.
Memberships are not
transferable.
Section 2: Voting.
Members in good standing
of the Corporation are entitled, either in person or by absentee ballot, to one
vote. In order to be eligible to vote
on an issue, members shall be in good standing as of the original date of
general announcement of the annual or special meeting called to discuss the
issue. A majority vote by the entire membership is binding on any
issue of the Corporation, except when it is contrary to the Corporation's
Articles of Incorporation or Federal Communications Commission regulations, or
when such vote materially alters the Mission Statement.
Article IV: Meetings of
the Corporation
Section 1: Annual
Meetings.
There shall be an annual
meeting of the Corporation held every September or at such other month as the
Board of Directors decides, on a date to be determined by the Board of
Directors. At such meetings, members
shall vote to approve or disapprove the slate of newly elected Directors, presented
by the Board of Directors as detailed in Article V, Section 4. In addition, the Board of Directors may
bring issues up for discussion that have been included in the meeting agenda. Members, by petition of 5% of the total
membership, may bring issues up for discussion to include in the meeting
agenda. The Board of Directors may vote
on issues brought up for discussion during the meeting. By direction of the Board of Directors, or
by majority vote of the members present at the meeting, issues discussed at the
annual meeting may be put before the entire membership for vote.
Section 2: Notice of
Meetings.
The President or
Secretary of the Board of Directors shall give or cause to be given notice of
the time, place and purpose of holding each annual or special meeting by
surface mailing (or by other means as requested by individual members) such
notice at least twenty one (21) calendar days prior to such meeting to each
member at their respective addresses as they appear in the records of the
Corporation.
Section 3: Quorums,
Majority Vote.
A quorum shall consist of
ten percent of the membership, either voting by absentee ballot or in person.
A majority shall consist
of a majority of those members voting in person or by absentee ballot in an
annual or special meeting election.
Section 4: Special
Meetings.
Special meetings of the
membership may be called by the majority vote of the Board of Directors or upon
the written request of five percent of the members. The Board of Directors shall call a special meeting to consider
specific subjects. Notice for any
special meeting is to be given in the same manner as for the annual
meeting. Only business specified in the
notice of the meeting shall be transacted at any special meeting of the
Corporation.
The Board of Directors
may vote on issues brought up for discussion during the special meeting. By direction of the Board of Directors, or
by majority vote of the members present at the meeting, issues discussed at the
special meeting may be put before the entire membership for vote.
Article V: Board of
Directors
Section 1: General.
The affairs of the
Corporation shall be controlled and managed by a Board of Directors (here in
referred to as the “Directors”), consisting of a minimum of five and a maximum of
nine elected persons and the station manager as a non-voting member. The
Directors shall manage the business and property, provide for the operation of
the broadcast facilities, make all decisions of policy, employ and appoint
employees, agents and representatives to carry out the purposes of the
Corporation, and shall do all other things in the management of the business,
property, and affairs of the Corporation necessary to carry out its
purposes. Nothing contained herein
shall prevent the Directors from delegating responsibilities, as the Directors
may deem appropriate, and which will not negatively impact the Corporation’s
purposes or existence. Directors shall
be entitled to receive reimbursement of expenses incurred for their services to
the Board of Directors in such amounts and on such terms as the Directors shall
determine from time to time, but shall receive no compensation for serving as
members of the Board of Directors.
Nothing contained herein shall preclude a Director from receiving compensation
from the corporation for the services rendered to the Corporation in some other
capacity.
Section 2:
Qualifications.
All Directors must be
members of the Corporation before they begin their terms. Directors may not be the spouse, relative or relative
by common law marriage of the station manager.
Other qualifications for
Directors include: 1. Endorsement of
the Corporation’s mission and sharing the values it represents. 2. Ongoing commitment to communicate, listen
and work toward group consensus in a way respectful to others. 3. Signing a letter of agreement spelling
out the duties and responsibilities of Directors. 4. Residency within the broadcast coverage area.
Section 3: Duties of the
Board of Directors.
The Board of Directors
shall: 1. Hold meetings quarterly or
more frequently. 2. Determine policy
for the Corporation. 3. Appoint
committees on particular subjects. 4.
Audit bills and disburse the funds of the Corporation (with the ability to
delegate this function to specified agents).
5. Devise and carry into execution (or delegate others to carry into
execution) such other measures as it deems proper and expedient to support the
mission of the Corporation and to best protect the interests and welfare of the
members.
All duties described in
this document not specifically assigned are the responsibility of the Board of
Directors.
Section 4: Election of
Directors and Terms.
Directors shall serve
three year terms. Once a year, the
nominating committee shall prepare a slate of names of proposed Director(s)
together with background biographical material, which will be presented to the
Directors and the members at least 3 weeks before the annual Member's meeting.
To be elected, a
candidate must receive at least 2/3 of the votes cast by secret ballot at a
meeting of the Board of Directors. In
order to vote, Directors must be present at the meeting (no proxies). If one or more proposed candidates are not
elected by the Directors, the nominating committee shall present a new
candidate or candidates. Their name(s)
and biographical material shall be presented to the Directors and the members a
reasonable time before the Board meeting at which the candidate(s) will be
considered. If the second round of a
proposed Director or Directors fails to be elected by the Directors, then at
the regular annual members' meeting, a quorum of the members shall vote at the
meeting or by absentee ballot to elect the proposed new Director(s) by simple
majority. If the members do not elect
one or more candidates proposed by the nominating committee, then the members
are charged with nominating proposed Directors for the position or positions
not yet filled. The Directors shall
schedule another public meeting. The
candidates' names and biographical material shall be presented to the members a
reasonable time before the next public meeting at which the candidate(s) will
be elected. A quorum of members shall
vote at the meeting or by absentee ballot to elect the proposed Directors by
simple majority. If a quorum of members
is not achieved, then the Board of Directors shall nominate and elect new
Directors to fill the vacancy or vacancies.
Newly elected Directors
shall be presented to the members at the annual meeting for approval as a
slate. Members may vote at the meeting
or by absentee ballot to approve or disapprove the slate. Members not voting shall be counted as
casting votes of approval. If a minimum
of 25% of the total membership votes to disapprove the slate, then the slate is
rejected by the members. The nominating
committee is then charged with presenting a new group of proposed Directors for
election by the Board of Directors, and approval by the members.
If two sequential slates
of newly elected Directors are disapproved by the members, then the members are
charged with nominating proposed Directors.
The Directors shall schedule another public meeting. The candidates' names and biographical
materials shall be presented to the members a reasonable time before the next
public meeting at which the candidate(s) will be elected. A quorum of members shall vote at the
meeting or by absentee ballot to elect the proposed Directors by simple
majority. If a quorum of members is not
achieved, then the Board of Directors shall nominate and elect new Directors to
fill the vacancy or vacancies. Newly
elected Directors shall be presented to the members at another special meeting
for approval as a slate. Members may
vote at the meeting or by absentee ballot to approve or disapprove the
slate. Members not voting shall be
counted as casting votes of approval.
If a minimum of 25% of the total membership votes to disapprove the
slate, then the slate is rejected by the members.
Newly elected Directors
shall assume their directorships 2 months following the election.
Section 5: Nominating
Committee and Nominations.
The nominating committee
is composed of 9 members. Two members
are Directors. Four members are
randomly selected from staff and volunteers, two from each group. Three members are randomly selected from the
membership, who are neither board members, staff, nor volunteers.
The Nominating Committee
shall solicit candidates and prepare the slate of names of proposed Directors
together with background biographical material.
Section 6: Continuance in
Office.
After the expiration of
the term for which he/she was elected, a Director who is not re-elected and
whose successor has not been elected shall, unless he/she sooner resigns, dies,
becomes incapacitated or is removed, continue to hold office until his
successor is elected.
Section 7: Resignation.
A Director may resign at
any time by giving written notice to the Board of Directors. Any resignation
shall take effect at the time received unless another time is specified in such
notice. Unless otherwise specified in such notice, the acceptance of a
resignation shall not be necessary to make it effective.
Section 8: Removal.
A Director may be removed
by vote of at least two-thirds (2/3) of the full Board of Directors. The action shall take place at a meeting of
the Board of Directors, written notice of 7 days having been given to all
Directors that removal of a specified Director shall be an order of business at
such meeting.
Section 9: Vacancy.
If a vacancy occurs on
the Board or among Directors by reason of resignation, death, incapacity or
removal of a Director before the expiration of his/her term, the Board of
Directors shall appoint an interim Director who shall serve until the next
annual election. At this time, a permanent Director shall be elected to serve
out the remainder of the term.
Section 10: Meetings of
the Board of Directors.
Meetings shall be held
quarterly or more frequently at a regular time and place established by the
Board of Directors.
Meetings are open to the
press and public. Executive sessions
are defined as Board meetings which are closed to the press and public; and are
attended only by Directors, who can include or exclude staff, and may include
any person the Board of Directors wishes to invite. Use of executive sessions is confined to three areas: personnel
issues, legal issues and negotiations.
Special Board meetings to
consider specific issues may be called at any time by the Board of Directors.
Any item for discussion
may be added to a meeting agenda by member petition. One hundred member signatures are required.
Section 11: Quorum.
Two thirds (2/3) of the
Board of Directors, rounded down to the nearest whole number, shall constitute
a quorum for the transaction of business.
Section 12: Voting.
Each Director present
shall have one vote. Directors shall
not vote by proxy. A majority vote is
the majority of those Directors present.
Section 13: Conflict of
Interest.
No Director shall vote on
a matter in which she/he has a conflict of interest. Rulings on a Director’s conflict of interest in any matter
pending before the Board of Directors shall be made by the legal counsel to the
Corporation or by majority vote of the Board of Directors. Where a conflict is possible, the Director
shall abstain from voting on the matter in question.
Section 14: Station
Manager.
The Station Manager shall
have the responsibility and authority for day-to-day administration of the
business of the station under the general supervision of the Board of
Directors. The Station Manager's duties
shall be governed by the provisions of his or her contract of employment with
the Board of Directors. The Station
Manager shall serve as a non-voting member of the Board of Directors.
Article VI: Officers
Section 1: Designation,
Election and Removal of Officers.
The principal officers of
the Corporation shall be a President, Vice-President, Secretary and Treasurer,
all of whom shall be elected annually by and from the Board of Directors at
their first meeting following the annual membership meeting. Officers may succeed themselves.
Directors may resign from
officer positions but may remain as Directors.
Resignations must be in writing and filed with the secretary of the
Corporation. Any officer may be removed
by the Board of Directors whenever, in the judgment of the majority of the
Board, the interests of the Corporation will be served thereby.
Section 2: President.
The President shall be
the principal executive officer of the Corporation and, subject to the approval
of the Board of Directors, shall direct, supervise, coordinate and have general
control over the affairs of the Corporation, and shall have the powers
generally attributable to the chief executive officer of a corporation.
Section 3:
Vice-President.
The Vice-President shall
perform the duties of the President in the case of the President's absence or
inability to act.
Section 4: Secretary
The Secretary, under the
direction of the Board of Directors,
shall maintain the Corporate records, prepare and serve the Corporate notices,
keep the minutes of all meetings of general membership and of the Board of
Directors and sign such instruments as require the signature of the Secretary.
Section 5: Treasurer.
The Treasurer, under the
direction of the Board of Directors, shall oversee the financial books and
records of the Corporation, the deposit of Corporate funds, and make
appropriate payments, maintain proper records of moneys received and spent,
submit to the Board annual statements of accounts and be responsible for filing
federal, state and local reports and taxes.
The treasurer shall audit all fundraising activities and membership
drives. The Treasurer may be required
to sign legal documents on behalf of the Corporation.
Article VII: Finances
Section 1: Audit.
A financial audit, to be
conducted by an outside certified public accountant, shall be conducted when
authorized by majority vote of the Board of Directors.
Section 2: Contracts,
Loans.
Contracts. The Board of Directors may authorize any
officer or agent to enter into any contract or execute and deliver any
instrument in the name and on behalf of the Corporation, and such authority may
be general or confined to specific instances.
Loans. The Board of Directors of the Corporation
may effect loans and advances at any time for the Corporation from any bank,
trust company or other institution or from any person, firm or other entity,
and for such loans and advances may make, execute and deliver promissory notes
or other evidences of indebtedness of the Corporation.
Article VIII: Liability
and Indemnification
Section1: Liability and
Indemnification.
In the absence of fraud
or bad faith, the Directors of the Corporation shall not be personally liable
for its debts, obligations or liabilities; and the Corporation shall indemnify
any Director or former Director of the Corporation against expenses actually
and necessarily incurred by such person in connection with the defense of any
action, suit or proceeding in which said person is made a party of by reason of
being or having been such Director, except in relation to such matters as to
which he/she shall be adjudged in such action, suit or proceeding to be liable
for gross negligence, intentional action, or misconduct in the performance of a
duty. Such indemnification shall not be
deemed exclusive of any other rights to which such Directors may be entitled
under any Bylaw, agreement, vote of the Board of Directors or otherwise.
Section 2: Insurance.
The Corporation may purchase and maintain on
behalf of any member, any insurance deemed necessary. The Board
of Directors and Station Manager shall review insurance coverage annually.
Article IX: Community
Advisory Board
Section 1: Creation and
Appointments.
There shall be a
Community Advisory Board as required by the Federal Communications Commission.
The Community Advisory
Board shall be appointed by and report to the Board of Directors of the
Corporation and members shall serve for periods of one year and may be
re-appointed. Appointments to the Community Advisory Board shall be made
without regard to race, creed, color, national origin, age, sex, marital status
or sexual preference.
The Community Advisory
Board shall be open to all members of the community and shall endeavor to
reasonably represent the diverse needs and interests of the community being
served. There shall be a limit of
thirty (30) persons on said Board. No
individual member of the public or representative of any particular
organization or group has a legal right to membership on the Community Advisory
Board.
Section 2: Function of
the Community Advisory Board.
The Community Advisory
Board shall submit an annual report to the Board of Directors outlining
important programming, community interests and problems. The report shall outline recommended direction
in programming and opinions on the art of radio. The Community Advisory Board shall be solely advisory and no
recommendations by the Community Advisory Board are required to be implemented.
Article X: Amendment of
Bylaws
These Bylaws may be amended,
repealed, or altered in whole or in part by at least a two thirds majority vote
of the entire Board of Directors. In
order to vote, Directors must be present at the meeting. All changes to the Bylaws shall be presented
to the members at the annual meeting or at a special meeting called by the
Directors. Information regarding the
changes to the Bylaws shall be presented to the members a reasonable time
before the public meeting at which the changes will be ratified. Members may vote at the meeting or by
absentee ballot to approve or disapprove the changes. Members not voting shall be counted as casting votes of
approval. If a minimum of 25% of the
total membership votes to disapprove the changes, then the changes are rejected
by the members.
Article
XI: Amendment of the Mission Statement
Proposed amendments of
the Corporation's Mission Statement shall be made by at least two thirds vote
of the entire Board of Directors. In
order to vote, Directors must be present at the meeting. All proposed amendments of the Mission
Statement shall be presented to the members at the annual meeting or a special
meeting called by the Directors.
Information regarding the changes shall be presented to the members a
reasonable time before the public meeting at which the changes will be
ratified. Members may vote at the
meeting or by absentee ballot to approve or disapprove the changes. Ratification of changes to the Mission
Statement requires a vote of approval by two thirds of the entire
membership. If the proposed amendments
of the Corporation's Mission Statement receive unanimous approval by the Board
of Directors, and with 21 days' advance notice, no petition protesting the
changes signed by at least 50 members is received by the Corporation, then the
proposed changes are accepted without a vote by the members.
Article XII: Dissolution
of the Corporation
In case of dissolution of
the Corporation, the assets will pay off all indebtedness and all
creditors. No part of the net income or
assets of this organization shall inure to the benefit of any individual. Any remaining moneys shall be given to
not-for-profit organization(s) in Larimer County. Upon the dissolution or winding up of the Corporation its assets
remaining after payment, or provision for payment, of all debts and liabilities
of this Corporation, shall be distributed to a nonprofit fund, foundation or
corporation which is organized and operated exclusively for charitable and
educational purposes meeting the requirements for exemption provided by Section
214 of the Revenue and Taxation Code and which has established its tax exempt
status under Section 501 © (3) of the Internal Revenue Code. This determination will be made by the Board
at its final meeting.
Article XIII: Sale of the
License to Broadcast
Sale of the license to
broadcast shall be decided by unanimous vote of the entire Board of
Directors. The license to broadcast
shall be disposed of in a manner keeping with the intent of the Corporation's
original mission statement (see Appendix 1).
Article XIV: Policy of
Non-discrimination
The
Corporation shall be non-profit and nonsectarian. There shall be no discrimination in membership, employment or
services due to race, color, gender, age, lifestyle, religion, national origin,
sexual orientation, marital status or disability. This
policy applies to all relationships, including those with vendors, contractors,
outside organizations and the general public.
Article XV: Corporation
Exempt Activities and Non-liability
Section 1: Exempt
activities.
Notwithstanding any other
provision of these bylaws, no member, trustee, officer, employee or
representative of this corporation shall take any action or carry on any
activity by or on behalf of the corporation not permitted to be taken or
carried on by an organization exempt under Section 501 ©(3) of the Internal
Revenue Code and its regulation as they now exist or they may hereafter be
amended, or by an organization, contributions to which are deductible under
section 170©(2) of such Code and regulation as they now exist or as they may
hereafter be amended.
Section 2: Non-liability
of members, Officers and Directors.
The members, officers and
directors of this Corporation shall not be individually liable for the
Corporation debts or other liabilities, and private property of such
individuals shall be exempt from corporation debts or liabilities.
Appendix 1: PRFR Mission Statement
Public Radio for the
Front Range, dba KRFC, is a locally owned, independent, community,
non-commercial radio station that is listener supported and democratically
managed. PRFR offers a channel for
community building and cultural enrichment in Fort Collins and beyond. Volunteers and staff will provide creative
programming and service by:
-Focusing
on our community. Through radio
excellence we will create a unique community resource, one that promotes
connections and fosters a sense of belonging.
We will maintain a local focus for sharing music, arts, culture, news
and opinions. We will serve the people of our community by providing outlets
for their creative skills and energies.
-Serving the interests of a diverse group of
listeners. PRFR seeks to entertain,
stimulate and challenge listeners with wide-ranging music programming, local
news, issues and public affairs.
-Striving to be a forum for many voices, by providing an
outlet for the expression of a wide spectrum of ideas; targeting those
typically lacking media access.
PRFR is committed to
respect for personal dignity. While
debate is a necessary and healthy part of the discourse in broadcasting and
station management, bigotry and personal attacks will not be tolerated.