THIS IS THE FOURTH OF
A FIVE-PART SERIES ABOUT THE NEED FOR MORE PUBLIC RADIO TALK & INTERVIEW
PROGRAMS
 |
| Katherine Perkins |
What
distinguishes Iowa Public Radio (IPR) from NPR and other NPR News
stations? Two daily talk shows: Talk of Iowa and River to River.
Katherine
Perkins, Executive Producer of IPR’s talk shows says the two programs are
essential to the organization’s brand and identity. “You can hear NPR from lots
of different sources but these programs are available only from IPR. It is one
of our major pitch points."
INSIDE THE TWO PROGRAMS
Talk of Iowa is heard weekdays at 10:00am plus a
repeat play at 9:00pm. The host is Charity Nebbe, a native Iowan who left for
big-city lights and then returned in 2010.
Nebbe was the co-host and co-founder
of Chinwag Theater with Daniel
Pinkwater. She is also an author of children’s books and appears on Iowa Public
Television.
River to River is heard weekdays at Noon please a
repeat play at 10:00pm. Ben Kieffer is the host. Kieffer has hosted talk shows
on IPR since 2000. Another native Iowan, Kieffer gained his report chops when
he worked as a freelance reporter in Europe for more than a decade. He reported
on the fall of the Berlin Wall and the
Velvet Revolution in Prague.
River to River is the “newsier” of the two programs.
When Iowa’s legislature is in session, River
to River provides deep coverage of state issues and politics. Talk of Iowa specializes in cultural and
lifestyle topics. Parker considers both programs to be news: “There is an Iowa
thread in every story.
Both shows are
produced at WSUI/KSUI, IPR’s program hub in Iowa City. They share four production and editorial
staff. The programs are mostly live and originate from locations outside the
studios whenever possible.
SUSTAINABILITY WITH STRONG MANAGEMENT
SUPPORT
Iowa Public Radio is
a work-in-progress. Until 2004, WSUI in Iowa City, WOI in Ames and KUNI in
Cedar Falls were fierce competitors. They
were merged in a “shotgun wedding” and have been working out the details ever
since. Now IPR is humming as an almost statewide network. Talk of Iowa and River to
River have helped bring IPR together.
According to Perkins,
the essential metrics of both shows are solid: “Our two talk shows are highly tated programs. Pledging is going very, very well. We
have high fund drive goals and often surpass them. IPR knows the value
of what we do. We more than pay our own
way. And we provide a unique bridge to
Iowa businesses, educators and nonprofit organizations.”
INTANGIBLES ALSO MATTER
Talk of Iowa and
River to River often win national awards.
Under the rules of the Public Radio News Director’s (PRNDI) annual
awards, IPR competes with the biggest shops in public radio: WNYC, KQED, WBUR,
WAMU, etc. IPR programs have beaten
all of these stations in PRNDI’s Best Talk Show category.
{DISCLOSURE: I was a one of the judges.] Here are comments about IPR's winning entries in recent years:
2014 CATEGORY “A” SECOND PLACE
2013 CATEGORY “A” HONORABLE MENTION
2009 CATEGORY “A” SECOND PLACE
No comments:
Post a Comment