Omaha Community Broadcasting COVID-19 Radio Initiative: Omaha Community Broadcasting COVID-19 Radio Initiative

ID

299

OrgName

Omaha Community Broadcasting COVID-19 Radio Initiative

PhysicalAddress

2314 N 24th St. FL 2 Omaha, Ne. 68110

MailingAddress

Same

Website

www.957fmtheboss.com

SocialMediaAccounts

https://www.facebook.com/957thebossomaha/

Name

William King

Title

CEO

EmailAddress

william@957fmtheboss.com

Phone

+1 (402) 714-6482

Team

Yes

TeamExplanation

William King: General Manger, Darnel Cox: Program Director, Tre King: Asst. Program Director

OrganizationalChart

Check Upload

OtherCompletedProjects

Omaha Community Broadcasting (OCB) has been selected as a 2022 Heartland Challenge RFP grantee by the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation. OCB in collaboration with the Mountain Plains Minority Supplier Development Council (MPMSDC), will deliver Mountain Plains’ Minority Business Enterprise (MBE) University in Omaha, Nebraska. The (3) year grant will begin September 1, 2022, and will provide $360,000 dollars for training, and development for Nebraska minority entrepreneurs. As an aspirational goal, the grant funding is expected to help enroll at least forty-five (45) entrepreneurs in the MPMSDC’s MBE University program, including at least 80% of whom will identify as BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and People of Color). As a result of successfully completing the MBE University Program and the required criteria for certification, eligible participants will receive a certificate from the University of Nebraska and the Mountain Plains Minority Supplier Development Council.

ProposalTitle

Omaha Community Broadcasting COVID-19 Radio Initiative

TotalBudget

2792300.0

LB1024GrantFundingRequest

2792300.0

ProposalType

Combination of capital project and service/program

BriefProposalSummary

Since, the 2020 pandemic (OCB) radio station networks have continued to broadcast COVID-19 PSA’s, interviews, underwriting advertising campaigns, and have responded to the COVID-19 public health emergency and its negative impacts awareness deliverables on a daily basis that reaches 800K people in the Omaha metro areas. “The Office of Homeland Security Cybersecurity Infrastructure Security Agency, FCC & FEMA government agencies have declared that radio stations are a part of the National Security “Essential Critical Infrastructure” business, and a key source for the National Emergency Alert System.” Our proposal is for the upgrades of 95.7 The Boss & 1690am The One radio station broadcasting software systems, hardware equipment, transmitter sites, broadcast services, and increasing our staff from 2 to 13, to continue to meet our broadcasting obligations to QCT citizens and federal government.

Timeline

All our priorities will be completed within 45-60 days of funding.

PercentageCompletedByJuly2025

1.0

FundingGoals

Fundamental Change (i.e., a proposal that will continue to elevate North or South Omaha's presence and perception within the region, significantly improving the lives of area residents through physical development) Long-Lasting Economic Growth (i.e., a proposal that will foster gainful employment opportunities and financial investment in the area, leading to the creation of generational wealth and widespread economic vitality in North and South Omaha) Transformational (i.e., a proposal that will help energize, recharge, or spur significant and favorable advancements in North or South Omaha's function or appearance)

Community Needs

Multimodal Transportation (i.e., enable connectivity through driving, biking, taking transit, walking, and rolling) Other Infrastructure (i.e., develop or improve broadband, business districts, roadways, sewer, etc.) Policy (i.e., develop or improve context-sensitive education, finance, health, training, zoning, etc.) Quality of Life (i.e., create or enhance natural spaces, mixed uses, parks, safety, etc.) Sustainable Community (i.e., create or enhance housing, services, education, civic uses, recreation, etc.)

OtherExplanation

ProposalDescriptionAndNeedsAlignment

Omaha Community Broadcasting (OCB) created a “Community Access Radio” programming format to inform, cultivate, educate, and broadcasts local shows that are comprised of individuals, health organizations, non-profits, businesses, ministries, culture, and languages. We created localism by featuring community-based artists and talk shows that addressed critical topics that bridge our diverse perspectives and ideas. On 95.7 The Boss local radio, its formatted to advocate sustainable communities, multimodal transportation, infrastructure, quality of life and/or interview policy makers daily.

VisioningWorkshopFindingsAlignment

We’re a community based nonprofit radio station who’s mission is to address all community needs every second of the day. This is what we have done since our existence of internet station 1690am The One (2009) and terrestrial station 95.7 The Boss (2014) respectfully. Our goal is to provide accurate information so the community can make the best-informed decisions for their mental and physical health. We will continue to bring in politicians, health, and business professionals who oversee policies, that bring a clear assessment to the local community. Moreover, every Friday we broadcast Douglas County health department information for our current COVID-19 assessment levels and other local health concerns. Our radio station’s goal is to MODIFY and PRIORITIZE NORTH & SOUTH OMAHA strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats by developing awareness campaigns, solution-based decisions problem making, and conducting community interviews that’s focused on issues that does address all Workshop Findings.

PrioritiesAlignment

1. Be located in a Qualified Census Tract: We’re located at 2314 1/2 N 24th St. 68110 2. Provide services to program participants living in a Qualified Census Tract: Our radio station FM 95.7 broadcasts in all Qualified Census Tracts in Omaha, Nebraska. 3. Demonstrate the pandemic has had a significant health or economic impact on its program participants: Our broadcast partner representative with Douglas County Health Dept. have indicated that minority communities have significant health and economic issues due to COVID-19.

EconomicImpact

New permanent radio station employees

EconomicImpactPermanentJobsCreated

10 New Jobs

EconomicImpactTemporaryJobsCreated

3 Temporary Construction Jobs

EconomicImpactWageLevels

30K-75K per year.

EconomicImpactAlignProposedJobs

Impacted communities or households are those hindered in their ability to respond to the challenges of COVID-19 due to a lack of communication infrastructure thus impacting the ability to work from home, participate in online learning and/or access healthcare via Telehealth. Our radio station will provide immediate jobs and ongoing opportunity for businesses, educators, healthcare, contractors, and/or other workforce members.

CommunityBenefit

We’re more than music. We’re apart of the ‘National Early Warning Emergency Alert System’ which requires our radio station broadcast Message Alert to helps keep Omaha residents safe from severe weather, terror attacks, major transportation issues, environment accidents, health pandemics and acts of war. Our radio network reaches all North, South and West Omaha. Qualified Census Tracts populations are the targeted demographics however, our radio station reaches the total population of 800,000 Omaha people daily.

CommunityBenefitSustainability

Through our broadcast networks we interview community leaders, health experts, politicians, urban farmers, clergy, artists, and businesses that focuses on building economic opportunities that improves our natural resources and the quality of life locally.

BestPracticesInnovation

Omaha Community Broadcasting’s 95.7 FM The Boss and 1690am The One’s new “Community Access Radio”, format now drives the local economic growth in the Poorest communities by providing a community outreach communication network for the ‘Voice of the Voiceless’. OCB educational platform offers affordable economic underwriting advertisements and community interview opportunities to promote local products/services.

OutcomeMeasurement

Our radio listenership levels are the best way to indicate that our system is being used for school, health, transportation, remote work, and small business usages.

OutcomeMeasurementHow

Those outcomes will be measured by our Nielsen ratings, customer satisfaction evaluations, and social media subscribers will be measured by our sales team.

OutcomeMeasurementCoinvestment

Yes, the more paid advertisers we have as clients, the more residual monthly income we will receive every month per household.

Partnerships

No

PartnershipsOrgs

PartnershipsMOU

Displacement

No

DisplacementExplanation

PhysicalLocation

OCB office is located at 2314 1/2 N 24th St. Omaha, Ne. in QCT #11, however, our radio network will serve all QCT’s areas.

QualifiedCensusTract

Within one or more QCTs

AdditionalLocationDocuments

Check Uploads

PropertyZoning

No

ConnectedToUtilities

ConnectedToUtilitiesConnected

No

ConnectedToUtilitiesUpgradesNeeded

No

DesignEstimatingBidding

No

DesignEstimatingBiddingPackageDeveloped

No

DesignEstimatingBiddingCostsDetermined

GeneralContractor

No

GeneralContractorPublicCompetitiveBid

GeneralContractorPublicCompetitiveBidWhyNot

RequestRationale

1. To respond to the COVID-19 public health emergency or its negative impacts. 2. Upgrades of 95.7 The Boss & 1690am The One radio station broadcasting software systems, hardware equipment, transmitter sites, broadcast services and moving tower site. 3. Increasing permanent staff from 3 people to 13 people. 4. Purchasing a building for the radio station.

GrantFundsUsage

To respond to the COVID-19 public health emergency or its negative impacts; Since, March 2020 we created a Health show, created PSAs, interviewed, and broadcasted Covid-19 pandemic related information daily. The funding will be used for the same purposes however, we will be able to expand our coverage to the most vulnerable: 1. COVID-19 coverage that prioritizes the health care workers and change-makers on the front lines of the pandemic. 2. COVID-19 broadcasting through our radio mechanisms regarding local pandemic issues in Omaha. 3. COVID-19 emergency access to City, County & State health officials, politicians, hospitals, educators & employers. 4. COVID-19 ad development & broadcasting of awareness campaigns, focused on minority testing and vaccines. 5. COVID-19 National Security “Essential Critical Infrastructure” and National Emergency Alert System. 6. COVID-19 Douglas County Health Show focus on community mental and physical health. However, our main function is the safety of the Omaha people in all QCT’s. Also, MKC is a part of the COVID-19 “Essential Critical Infrastructure” National Security Emergency Alert System and Wireless Emergency Alert (WEA) system delivers critical warnings and information out to the public on broadcast radio and their wireless devices. Participation by wireless providers is voluntary, but those that offer the service must adhere to the technical and operational requirements established by the FCC. Authorized public safety officials send the alerts through FEMA's Integrated Public Alert and Warning System (IPAWS) to wireless providers, which then push the alerts from cell towers to mobile devices in the affected area.

ProposalFinancialSustainability

Yes

ProposalFinancialSustainabilityOperations

Our Board of Directors monitors all funding and will have oversight of these potential funds. We have policies and procedure administrators that have check and balances at all levels of our nonprofit. These funds will be administered by our Board of Directors with the guidance of our law and accounting firms. Currently, we plan on using two different banking institutions and banking accounts to administer theses grant dollars to guarantee the separation of grant funding dollars.

FundingSources

NONE

FundingSourcesPendingDecisions

NONE

FundingSourcesCannotContinue

NONE

Scalability

YES, we can add fewer equipment upgrades and staff members.

ScalabilityComponents

FinancialCommitment

Although, our revenues dropped to zero in March 2020, our radio stations have consistently broadcasted FREE COVID-19 public service awareness campaigns, created a health segments, interviewed businesses and political leaders daily on our 2 radio stations that reaches over 800,000 plus population in our metro area. We plan to commit that same dedication financially through my personal and board of directors personal/business fundraising opportunities.

ARPAComplianceAcknowledgment

1.0

ARPAReportingMonitoringProcessAck

1.0

LB1024FundingSourcesAck

1.0

PublicInformation

1.0

FileUploads

Additional Location Documents (see application for list) Data table of uses (breakdown of how the requested funds will be used for your proposal) Documentation of site control (proof of ownership, option, purchase contract, or long-term lease agreement) Organizational Chart Plans and detailed descriptions, including pictures and a map of the site location/surrounding area Proposal Budget/Sources and Uses Request Rationale Documentation