Consultant to Review CPB Funding to Enhance Public Media in Underserved Audiences

The Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB) seeks an individual or organization to help maximize the impact of a program focused on support for the needs and interests of underserved audiences. Specifically, the successful applicant will review the five CPB-funded entities which make up the national minority consortia (NMC) to assess their impact on the public media system and the efficiency of their operations, with a goal of providing the best possible content and services to the American people. In order to evaluate the effectiveness of the NMC's current model of operation and provide recommendations to increase the efficiency and impact of the NMC, the selected applicant will analyze financial, operational, programming and related data provided by CPB and the NMC for the period beginning October 1, 2009 through September 30, 2013 (i.e., FY 2010 through FY 2013) as well as information obtained from the selected applicant's site visits to each member of the NMC (collectively, Data). In addition, the selected applicant will telephonically, or in person where possible, interview public media leaders at stations and institutions and independent producers about the role and effectiveness of the NMC in serving underserved audiences ("Input"). After analyzing the Data and Input, the selected applicant will provide CPB with recommendations on how CPB might more effectively use the more than six million dollars in federal funds directed to the NMC each year to encourage the development of producers and content by, for and about underserved audiences. The term for the agreement is expected to be a period of approximately eight (8) months, commencing upon execution of the agreement.