Thursday, July 21, 2016

INDIANA STATIONS ARE COLLABORATING • MPR SENDS “SINGING TELEGRAMS” • STEVE NELSON JOINS NPR



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.

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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.
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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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