INDIANA ATC
COLLABORATION BEGINS ON-AIR TESTING
Mike Savage, GM at
WBAA in West Lafayette, Indiana sends word that the “testing phase” of Indiana
Public Broadcasting Stations (IPRS) regional All Things Considered collaboration has begun. We first reported
about this initiative on March 7, 2016 [link].
WFYI, Indianapolis
and WBAA AM/FM are the founding partners. (WFIU, Bloomington has dropped out of
the collaboration.) The plan is for a central ATC host/producer based at
WFYI. The two stations are using
fiber-optic connections to assemble regional ATC content. Both stations are “live” during ATC.
WBAA and WFYI are
smoothing out the bumps and getting comfortable with the program clocks. The testing
is in a “quiet phase” as the collaboration works to make it sound seamless to
listeners. Once the bugs are out, the
next step is to add more Indiana station partners.
Funding and support
for the Indiana ATC collaboration comes
from IPBS and participating stations. No Corporation for Public Broadcasting
(CPB) funding is involved at this time. For more information contact Mike
Savage at Savage4@purdue.edu.
_______________
MPR CLASSICAL LAUNCHES “A BRIDGE OF SONG”
Wende Persons,
Managing Director of Classical Music Rising (CMR) [link], reports in CMR’s
excellent newsletter that MPR Classical is having wonderful response to its “A Bridge of Song” outreach. According to
Facebook metrics, the project has already reached an estimated 545,000 viewers.
 |
| Brian Newhouse |
“A Bridge of Song” is the brainchild of MPR’s Brian Newhouse. It is sort of a 21st century
singing telegram. A “group sing” brings the Minneapolis community together in
solace, peace and hope as a response to the recent violence in Baton Rouge,
Minneapolis and Dallas. “A Bridge of Song” streamed live on MPR’s Facebook page
[link].
If you are interested
in receiving the CMR newsletter contact Wende at
wende@classicalmusicrising.org.
_______________
GREAT MOVE: NPR ADDS STEVE NELSON AS
DIRECTOR OF PROGRAMMING
NPR’s Programming
and Audience Development VP, Anya Grundmann, has announced that
public radio veteran Steve Nelson will join NPR as Director of
Programming. Grundman also announced Izzi Smith has been promoted to a new
position of Senior Director of Promotion and Audience Development, and N'Jeri
Eaton will join NPR in the newly created position of Senior Manager
for Program Acquisition.
I love it when NPR
hires folks with extensive station experience because they enhance NPR’s understanding
of what happens at stations. Nelson is one of the most versatile programmers in
the biz. I’ve been a fan of his work
since he was at REV-105, a Minneapolis commercial station that really had a
sense of purpose. There are alumni of
REV-105 in many places in the nation.
Press coverage of
Nelson usually focuses on his time as the founding PD of 89.3 The Current. But I feel his work at another MPR/APM
station deserves praise.
Nelson was PD of
NPR News station KNOW, the flagship of MPR’s regional news network. The station
never sounded more friendly and accessible than when Nelson was in charge. I don’t mean this as a criticism but MPR’s
news programming is often so perfect that it sounds “antiseptic.” Nelson brought out the human touch in MPR’s
announcers. He opened the gateway for
on-air listener voices. His promotional spots were fun and informative.
Please let me know
if you have story tips for SPARK! I can be reached directly at
publicradio@hotmail.com.
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