WTIP Announces Strategic Framework Our 3-year blueprint as we build the future of WTIP

Grand Marais, March 22, 2024 —- By unanimous vote, WTIP’s 3-year Strategic Framework was approved at the March 21 meeting of the Board of Directors. Board members, staff and special guests were in attendance when the motion was passed.

Work on the Strategic Framework began in July 2023 when the board, staff, volunteers, musicians, and listening community engaged in a robust process of infor­mation-sharing to create the blueprint. WTIP was able to do this project with support from the National Federation of Community Broadcasters (NFCB) Community Counts Initiative.

Sally Kane, the recently retired NFCB executive director, was the keynote speaker at the meeting. She gave a brief history of public media go­ing back to 1967, noting that the educational purpose of non-commercial stations like WTIP was created in response to the growing commercial­ization of radio and other me­dia. “People love this medi­um, they value the local focus, and they want to support it,” she said.

Matthew Brown, WTIP ex­ecutive director recognized that “This project would not have been possible without the leadership of our volun­teer board president, Mary Somnis, our founders and our volunteer consultant in the management of change, Sha­ron Rodning-Bash. All board members and staff also spent many thoughtful hours on this. We received over 350 re­sponses to the surveys we sent and met in person with over 100 community members and stakeholders. We are proud of the result of this community engagement.”

The board and staff have already begun addressing the Measurable Outcomes iden­tified in the Implementation Plans for Capacity, Content, Engagement, and Resource Development. The Strategic Framework document can be found online at wtip.org.

WTIP North Shore Commu­nity Radio is the oldest com­munity radio station broad­casting on the North Shore of Lake Superior. Visitors and residents across 1,500 square miles of woods and waters come together through WTIP, a 501(c)(3) non-profit organi­zation that provides an arena for information gathering, discussion, and expression.