The recipient entity's physical address:
           3050 Valley Creek Drive Baton Rouge, LA 70808

The recipient entity's mailing address (if different):
           3050 Valley Creek Drive Baton Rouge, LA 70808

Type of Entity (for instance, a nonprofit corporation):  Non-Profit Corporation

If the entity is a corporation, list the names of the incorporators:
          David Harelson, Catherine Braun, Matthew Pitts, Dr. Press Robinson, Pat Addison

The last four digits of the entity's taxpayer ID number:  6781

What is the dollar amount of the request?  $172,000

What type of request is this?  General Appropriation

Is this entity in good standing with the Secretary of State?  Yes

Provide the name of each member of the recipient entity's governing board and officers:
           Mike Adams 5536 Valley Forge Ave Baton Rouge LA 70808
Len Apcar LSU 211 Journalism Baton Rouge LA 70803
Barbara Carey 8146 One Calais Avenue Baton Rouge LA 70809
Mary Kay Carleton 7648 Picardy Ave, Ste 100 Baton Rouge LA 70808
Luke Coussan 10334 Springdale Ave Baton Rouge LA 70810
Andree Cullens 12345 Perkins Road Bldg. 1Baton Rouge LA 70810
Marcel Dupre 7020 Menlo Drive Baton Rouge LA 70808
Liz Hampton 165 Croydon Ave Baton Rouge LA 70806
Joshua Hollins 37428 South Park Ave Prairieville LA 70769
Liz Mangham 543 Spanish Town Rd. Baton Rouge LA 70802
Robyn Merrick 9425 Pecan Tree Drive Baton Rouge LA 70810
Kenneth Noojin 11163 Preservation Way Baton Rouge LA 70810
Julie Payer 733 Wiltz Drive Baton Rouge LA 70806
Lance Porter LSU 211 Journalism Baton Rouge LA 70803
Ross Reilly 16560 Old Perkins Road Baton Rouge LA 70810
Mukul Verma 1051 Camelia Baton Rouge LA 70806

Provide a summary of the project or program:
           WRKF is a non-profit, non-commercial public radio station covering a 60-mile radius around Baton Rouge, reaching audiences in East Baton Rouge, West Baton Rouge, Ascension, Livingston, East Feliciana, West Feliciana, Pointe Coupee, Iberville, Lafayette, St. Landry, St. Martin, Iberia, St. Mary, Assumption, St. James, St John, Tangipahoa, St. Helena, parishes through a 28,000-Watt signal. For over 40 years, WRKF has provided emergency alerting and 24/7 news coverage before, during, and after emergencies. WRKF provides an essential public service to local communities, particularly during power outages, which could be enhanced through additional funding and capital support. In partnership with its New Orleans public radio partner since 2017, public radio’s reach extends to St. Tammany, St. Charles, Lafourche, Terrebonne, Jefferson, Orleans, St. Bernard, and Plaquemines parishes.
WRKF is requesting a General Appropriation of $172,000 to implement a pilot program for the 2022 hurricane season to enhance the ability of the station to surge news coverage before, during, and after emergencies.
When power outages occur and cell phone towers are damaged, other sources of news become inaccessible. Radio remains a reliable source of news and information during power outages, particularly when evacuations are required and Louisiana residents must get their news from the car. This appropriation would be used to implement a hurricane coverage pilot program that allows the station to quickly scale news-gathering activities to where and when emergencies occur. It would support the hiring of five (5) freelance journalists who could surge to affected areas to cover disasters in the state and provide the public with greater access to news from state and local emergency officials. For the hurricane season (June 1 through November 30, 2022), WRKF would lease two safe houses: one in Baton Rouge, and one in New Orleans, to which journalists and production staff could evacuate during and after a hurricane. This would provide a safe location from which to continue working to cover the emergency situation. Further, the funds could be used during preparation for the hurricane season to develop needed reporting relationships with state and local emergency officials across the state and provide training to further develop the station’s coverage planning and execution when emergencies occur. This project will enhance the depth and quality of news and information provided to Louisiana residents during critical times. Estimated cost: $172.000:

What is the budget relative to the project for which funding is requested?:
          Salaries. . . . . . . . . . . . . $0
          Professional Services. . . $130,000
          Contracts . . . . . . . . . . . $42,000
          Acquisitions . . . . . . . . . $0
          Major Repairs . . . . . . . $0
          Operating Services. . . . $0
          Other Charges. . . . . . . $0

Does your organization have any outstanding audit issues or findings?  No

If 'Yes' is your organization working with the appropriate governmental agencies to resolve those issues or findings?
          Not Applicable

What is the entity's public purpose, sought to be achieved through the use of state monies?
          For more than 40 years, WRKF has provided news and information in its public service mission to the Baton Rouge community and East Baton Rouge, West Baton Rouge, Ascension, Livingston, East Feliciana, West Feliciana, Pointe Coupee, Iberville, Lafayette, St. Landry, St. Martin, Iberia, St. Mary, Assumption, St. James, St John, Tangipahoa, St. Helena parishes as a nonprofit, noncommercial public radio station. Through its partnership with New Orleans Public Radio since 1917, WRKF reaches St. Tammany, St. Charles, Lafourche, Terrebonne, Jefferson, Orleans, St. Bernard, and Plaquemines parishes. As a public broadcasting entity, the station serves a unique role in emergency alerting, as one of the national interconnected public radio stations linked to FEMA’s emergency alerting system.
Hurricane Ida further demonstrated the public purpose of WRKF’s broadcasting before, during, and after the hurricane. WRKF partnered with other public radio stations in the state to provide on-air reporting when power outages occurred, and station fuel resources were scarce. At times, WRKF Baton Rouge Public Radio and New Orleans Public Radio were taking shifts in broadcasting during the extended power outage to ensure that both stations could remain on the air for their local communities and provide access to state and local press conferences and emergency updates.
This project enhances WRKF’s mission as a public radio station to provide an indispensable public service to Louisiana residents during emergencies, by ensuring that the station can surge reporting resources to critical areas during emergencies to provide local communities with reliable public safety information.

What are the goals and objectives for achieving such purpose?
          WRKF and public radio stations across Louisiana provide access to free, reliable, trustworthy news and information. Public radio stations receive no state funding for their programming or operations. The goal of this request is to enhance WRKF’s public service to Baton Rouge and surrounding parishes in providing resilient broadcasting of vital news and information during emergencies, particularly when power outages occur and other sources of news are inaccessible. The objective is to improve public safety in the state by supporting dependable, immediate access to information that residents can rely upon to keep themselves and their families safe and informed during critical emergencies. This funding would be used to increase its capacity for reporting on emergencies in South Louisiana and reach residents with important updates, and improved news coverage of local emergencies that can quickly scale to new locations as needed. WRKF seeks to provide service during emergencies to Louisianans using the battery-operated radios, which the Governor’s Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness recommends in its Louisiana Emergency Preparedness Guide.

What is the proposed length of time estimated by the entity to accomplish the purpose?
           one (1) year

If any elected or appointed state official or an immediate family member of such an official is an officer, director, trustee, or employee of the recipient entity who receives compensation or holds any ownership interest therein:
     (a) If an elected or appointed state official, the name and address of the official and the office held by such person:
                 Michael Adams, 5536 Valley Forge Ave., Baton Rouge, LA 70808: member, Democratic State Central Committee
    
     (b) If an immediate family member of an elected or appointed state official, the name and address of such person; the name, address, and office of the official to whom the person is related; and the nature of the relationship:
                 Not applicable

     (c) The percentage of the official's or immediate family member's ownership interest in the recipient entity, if any:
                 Zero (0)

     (d) The position, if any, held by the official or immediate family member in the recipient entity:
                  Member, Public Radio Inc. DBA WRKF board of directors

If the recipient entity has a contract with any elected or appointed state official or an immediate family member of such an official or with the state or any political subdivision of the state:
(a) If the contract is with an elected or appointed state official, provide the name and address of the official and the office held by such person: 
               Not applicable

(b) If the contract is with an immediate family member of an elected or appointed state official:
          Provide the name and address of such person:
               Not applicable

          Provide the name, address, and office of the official to whom the person is related:
                Not applicable

          What is the nature of the relationship?  Not applicable

(c) If the contract is with the state or a political subdivision of the state, provide the name and address of the state entity or political subdivision of the state:
                 Not applicable

(d) The nature of the contract, including a description of the goods or services provided or to be provided pursuant to the contract:
               Not applicable


Contact Information
name:  Paul Maassen 
                                       address:  3050 Valley Creek Drive, Baton Rouge, LA 70808
                                       phone:  504-444-2249
                                       fax:  225-408-1017
                                       e-mail:  paul@wrkf.org
                                       relationship to entity:  President and General Manager