TAB Board Nominations Process Opens June 2

posted on 5.30.2023

- New Electronic Process, Several Open Seats

TAB’s annual Board of Directors election opens June 2 with a call for nominations to fill four open seats left vacant by term limits, retirements or resignations, as well as several others held by incumbents who plan to seek re-election. Nominations are due June 19. Final election results will be announced at the TAB Show in Austin Aug. 2-3.

New to the process this year is utilization of the eBallot elections software program used by many membership associations. The service is fully auditable and secure, incorporating protections to ensure integrity of the vote, including one-to-one voting and voter authentication.

The program is easy to use and will be far more efficient for members and TAB staff alike.

Nomination Lists, Voting Process

The eBallot link for TAB’s Board elections will include lists of members eligible to serve. Pursuant to a survey conducted in April, some members have asked not to be listed because they aren’t able to serve at this time. In other cases, member station GMs have selected a key colleague to be eligible for nomination in their place.

Members already serving on the Board whose terms extend beyond 2023 are not included in the nomination lists.

Member GMs can nominate only in their own market category, such as Large Market Radio or Other Market TV, but also are asked to weigh in on the Associate seat.  TV GMs are asked to nominate in their market category, as well as the TV At-Large seat.

Members cast one vote for each license they manage, e.g., a GM running three stations gets three votes in their market category.

Open Radio Seats

Radio members have an opportunity to fill four open seats, including two in the Large Market Radio category, plus one each in the Medium and Small Market Radio categories.  The market categories are broken out as follows:

• Large Market Radio: Austin, Dallas-Fort Worth, Houston and San Antonio
• Medium Market Radio: Amarillo, Beaumont-Port Arthur, Bryan-College Station, Corpus Christi, El Paso, Killeen-Temple, Laredo, Lubbock, McAllen-Brownsville-Harlingen, Odessa-Midland, Tyler-Longview, Waco
• Small Market Radio: All other markets

In a rare occurrence, two Large Market Radio seats are open because of term limits now that Brian Purdy with Audacy in Dallas and Christine Escobar with TelevisaUnivision in Austin are completing their second consecutive three year terms.  

The Medium Market Radio seat was left vacant by the retirement of Carleen Dark with Townsquare Media’s Tyler cluster. The Small Market Radio was left vacant by a resignation.

Open TV & Non-Commercial Seats

TV members have just one open seat in the Large Market TV category which includes Austin, DFW, Houston and San Antonio. It was left vacant by the retirement of Robert Sarabia from Telemundo’s KVDA-TV San Antonio.

Non-Commercial members will have an opportunity to select a new representative as the current director, Jeff Rosenberg with Texas Public Radio in San Antonio, has announced he does not plan to run for re-election.

Anticipated Candidates

Directors running for re-election include:

• Small Market Radio: John Butler, KWJB AM/FM Canton and KMOO-FM Mineola
• Other Market TV: Mike Lee, KYLE/KWKT Waco, Bryan-College Station
• TV At-Large: Cindy Gilstrap, KLBK/KAMC Lubbock
• Associate: Carey Martin, Texas Farm Bureau Network
• Retired/Pioneer (Golden Mic Club): Mary Mike Hatcher, Bryan Broadcasting

Members who have indicated to TAB their interest in running:

• Large Market Radio: Sarah Frazier, Audacy Houston; Glenn Coleman, TelevisaUnivision Houston, Gerry Schlegel, 95.9 The Ranch Dallas-Fort Worth
• TV Large: D’Artagnan Bebel, KRIV/KTXH (FOX) Houston; Jeff Zimmerman, TelevisaUnivision Dallas-Fort Worth
• Non-Commercial: Terry Foxx, KUT/KUTX Austin

CURRENT TAB BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Important Information About Serving on the TAB Board

• Nominations: Members interested in serving may nominate themselves.
• Board Meetings: The Board meets four times per year (mix of in-person meetings at the TAB Building in Austin and virtual meetings).  
• Responsibilities: Advise TAB staff on member services and legislative policy, provide fiduciary oversight for the organization, and assist with all major organizational efforts, including the PEP program, advocacy efforts in Austin and DC, and membership recruitment.
• Compensation: Board members are not compensated or reimbursed for traveling to meetings, nor do they receive complimentary admission to TAB events.

Questions? Contact TAB’s Oscar Rodriguez or call (512) 322-9944.

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