Before anything can be defined and proposals offered, it must first be determined who "we" is and what the mission statement and ultimate function of the organization is. After framework is decided, officers and a board chosen, the next step is to file a charter and/or register as a non-profit organization. First meeting should be by invite of those who have expressed an interest in becoming a part of something, new and bold or those whose contributions would be invaluable.. There is where the blueprint for architecture begins. I think that the primaries (Doug, Brian and myself -- possibly Jerry D) should put together a list of people to contact based on an agreed criteria for qualification. Certainly, having the financial and institutional support of RAB is attractive but we must be very clear and cautious to always remain independent of outside influences. The support that any organization or individuals would lend to this effort would go for independent, unbiased investigation, study, and recommendation for ideas and policy to positively improve the condition of broadcasting and start building models for the future of terrestrial and new media platforms. That said, absolutely no corporate bodies or their employees could contribute to the monetary funding of the "tank". They could however, reap the benefits of it's recommendations and information.

The RAB might be interested...like any other venture, I suspect they'd want some particulars: services provided, how, by whom, how much, etc. If "No Sale", we could easily offer our services a la carte. A few bux for promotion...a web site...post some "samples"...blast out some e-mails trupeting our Merciful Arrival...stand back and wait for the stampede! There may be an Agency/Agencies who would retain us... We don't HAVE to be "Radio Specific". Talent isn't restricted to one or two dimensions... First things first: Let's get organized. You could create a place for a "Sign In" sheet for whomever wants to join us. We can arrange for an on-line meet-up when all the crew is on board.

A true Think Tank needs to be funded, as political and policy think tanks are, because for those "thinking" it's a full-time job. So, Brian, back to you. Will any of your friends at the RAB pony up? Who else would support the concept with actual dollars? It's a great idea, but like many of the good ideas in Radio, who believes in it enough to pay for it?

Excellent analysis - Excellent post. "A THINK TANK or a confederacy of contributing radio minds whose mission is to provide new ideas to revolutionize radio. I'd be more than enthusiastic to lend a hand or even chair the effort." Count me in. There is no higher high achieved from the by-products of spontaneous combustion inside a lab of creative thinkers. "Find a need and fill it". Radio is the target-rich environment. C'mon Doug! We've talked about this a gazillion times. Let's put a Team together....set up a web site meet-up...drop a couple ping-pong balls onto a hundred loaded mousetraps! Whaddaya say?

If I could find (another) unique place like the one that she described, who hired people that were given the encouragement for experimentation and the development of new ideas, I would be indispensable.It is that kind of environment that activates that drive Nothing is as utopian as it seems though So many people have grown up in a culture of the best man wins, teams work if you are the leader, ideas can be openly shared as long as I can deliver the winning one, and the target is money or power. I know immensely creative people who don't have a lick of common sense and don't respond to direction. I have worked with people who have threatened to leave their jobs unless they were given a title (so they could wield authority over those who live to create and operate on that plane where the sheer enjoyment of doing the job in it's most artists form is the ultimate satisfaction. I have seen a few broadcasting companies present themselves as the unique biosphere where this environment exists and thrives, but I have yet to actually see evidence that it exists in today's very self-indulgent, downward spiraling condition. When you read the horrid stories of the awful ways people are treated by most of these large communications companies, you don't have to wonder if a person with indispensable qualities would survive the torture. These guys are operating salt mine systems. There is only one way. Creative ways to mine salt are threatening to the kinds of people who value order and control more than people. The only place I see an attempt made at building a culture of indispensable people, the innovators, the visionaries, the free-thinkers and entrepreneurs, is the internet. And even they must face the very imminent threat of and invasion by the same people who have ripped the soul from radio. I made a suggestion to you before and i will present it once again. A THINK TANK or a confederacy of contributing radio minds whose mission is to provide new ideas to revolutionize radio. I'd be more than enthusiastic to lend a hand or even chair the effort. Currently, Jerry Del Colliano is the only person I know that is doing anything like this but imagine if you could provide this kind of brain trust on merely a donation or membership basis, to the broadcast community. Lao Tzu said it, The Journey of a thousand miles begins with one step.