Everything was handled professionally and the knowledge and expertise of the staff were evident and extremely helpful. The interviews of the board and senior staff beforehand helped to instill confidence in Tom and really set the tone for the entire process.

  • Tracy McFerrin Foster
  • Board Chair, Kansas City Public Television
  • Vice President, Hall Family Foundation

A consistent comment from our search committee members was the high quality of the semi-finalists...and the outstanding research and preparation provided by your professional team.

  • Geoffrey Simon
  • Search Chair
  • WEDU-TV, Tampa, FL

Strategy & Assessment

Strategy Into the Great Wide-Open

Livingston Associates leverages its three decades of hands-on leadership in public media and its expertise in strategic planning, in a range of services from facilitating strategic meetings and retreats to assessments, reports and proposals, and full strategic plans. Strategy clients have included National Public Radio, The News Hour, Alaska Public Media, the Association of Public Land-Grant Universities and large and small local public media organizations nationwide.

Our philosophy and practice of Strategic Planning is that the process is as much the product as the written document. Our planning work results in a work-force that is

  • More aware of the customers and the competitive environment;
  • More strategically focused;
  • More aligned with the direction of the organization.

We do this in part by creating an open, safe environment, and appropriately involve all stakeholders in the process.

After its Livingston Associates assisted Strategic Planning process:

  • Alaska Public Media was successful in building a model for collaboration and consolidtion of some core services and in engaging funders to supoort the work;
  • WYEP (Pittsburgh) went on to build and occupy a wonderful new facility;
  • Northern Public Radio (DeKalb, IL) created a manifesto for the incoming President of the organization's University (the licensee), regarding the purpose of the station as an asset to the University. The document was signed onto by Vice-Presidents of the University, who participated in the planning process. They reorganized its Community Advisory Board, which took on a fundraising support role, and conducted the organizations first Capital Campaign;
  • KUNI (Northern Iowa) executed a major format change that resulted in two aligned services, with dramatically higher audiences and member revenues;
  • The new manager at Boise State Public Radio used the planning process (as well as Meyers-Briggs training and other teambuilding services we provided) to build alignment and cohesion in the staff. The planning process resulted in adoption of major strategic initiatives, including completely repurposing its AM service.