Jacobs Offers "Stationalized" iPod App

The iPhone offers may easy ways to listen to radio wherever you are, and the latest is a station specific button app developed by Jacobs Media. They call it the Stationalized iPhone App, customizable with sttsion artwork and directly pointing to the station mp3 stream. According to an article on their website:

Our app also allows you to include up to five channels on iPhones, including your HD channels.

You can also place a link on the main page of your website. One click takes the iPhone owner directly to your streaming app, bypassing the iTunes Store main page and App Store menu of apps by category. A couple of clicks and they can stream your station on their iPhone.

The app is available for a one-time cost of $1,000.
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No. Cal. College Plans Public Radio Station

Lassen Community College in Susanville, CA has acquired a permit to construct the college’s first radio station, a non-commercial, full-power FM public radio station. One of the project's organizers said the station will broadcast "an eclectic mix of music, educational programming, talk radio, and news."

The college is located in northeastern California. It is northwest of Reno.
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HD Gets Low Price, High Quality Entry

Sony's new XDR-F1HD HD tuner is winning as much praise for its low price as it is for its top notch performance. The price -- between $76 to $89 -- will not put a huge dent in holiday shopping budgets.

One blogger gushed: "... it's true, the little Sony is no baloney. Analog FM stations came in like gangbusters, clean as a whistle, and HD stations, like my favorite jazz station WBGO had "CD quality" sound."

Need a second opinion? How about "... it just might be the best ever made."
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McGuinn new PD at The Current

Jim McGuinn, founder and program director for Y-Rock On XPN, WXPN's web and HD based music channel, has been named program director for 89.3 The Current in St. Paul. He assumes his new duties in mid-January.

McGuinn has spent 15 years at alternative radio outlets in Albany, NY; St. Louis; and Philadelphia. He began his radio career in the mid-1980s at WPGU, University of Illinois, Champaign-Urbana, while earning his bachelor's degree in marketing.

Steve Nelson, program director for 89.3 The Current since it launched in 2005, will become program director for Minnesota Public Radio News.

In other Twin Cities news, MPR has announced a new program -- Radio Heartland -- to replace The Morning Show, which has its last broadcast Dec. 11.

Infinite Mind Host Drug Industry Ties Probed

The New York Times today reports that Dr. Frederick Goodwin, host of the public radio show The Infinite Mind has earned more than $1 million by delivering what the newspaper called "marketing lectures for drug makers."

The Infinite Mind is produced by Lichtenstein Creative Media in Cambridge, MA. Goodwin said the company knew of his work with drug companies, but Bill Lichtenstein said we was not.

Goodwin is the latest health care professional to be have their ties to the pharmaceutical industry made public by Sen. Charles Grassley (R-Iowa).

National Public Radio has said it is dropping The Infinite Mind from its satellite radio service.

The Wall Street Journal's take on the story.

Ellcessor is New Manager in Motown

Public radio veteran J. Mikel Ellcessor, 44, is the new general manager at Detroit Public Radio, WDET-FM (101.9).

Ellcessor takes over on Dec. 15. He most recently served as the executive director of Radio for Milwaukee. He previously served as senior director of programming operations and distribution at WNYC, New York.

WDET, operated by Wayne State University, has been without a permanent general manager for two years.
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Funding Cuts Anticipated by Some Pubcasters

A new survey by the University Station Alliance finds that almost half (42 percent) of public radio station managers have heard or expect to hear from their university, college, school system or state licensees that they will reduce funding to the stations. But, the majority (67 percent) say it will not cause them to change programming.

However, some (29 percent) expect staffing reductions while others (25 percent) will see reduced equipment purchases.

On the other side of the ledger 27 percent said they expected no changes in the amount of audience support; 33 percent anticipate less audience support; 49 percent anticipate reductions in business support, and 23 percent anticipate reductions in foundation support.
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Too Much News?

The current issue of The Columbia Journalism Review suggests that when it comes to news delivery, consumers are no longer getting measured sips in the morning, at noon, at dinner time and before they go to bed. Instead they are being shoved under Niagara Falls and held there all day to drink.

There is more news being delivered than ever before, but people are struggling to keep up and make sense of it all. Because of this, they may actually turn away from news.

Bree Nordensen suggests a solution in the CJR:

"... if news organizations decide to rethink their role and give consumers the context and coherence they want and need in an age of overload, they may just achieve the financial stability they’ve been scrambling for, even as they recapture their public-service mission before it slips away."

Nielsen Enters Radio Ratings Fray

The New York Times is reporting that the TV ratings giant Nielsen Company is going to compete with Arbitron in the radio ratings business.

Commercial radio broadcaster Cumulus Media will use Nielsen’s data for 50 of its small and medium-sized markets in the third quarter next year. Clear Channel Radio will use Nielsen measurements for 17 of the markets.

Nielsen already measures radio audiences in other countries. It will use paper diaries to collect data at first, then move to electronics.

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Is The New Sirius XM The Beginning Of Satellite's End?

That's the title of Mark Fishers' lastest blog posting on washingtonpost.com, reacting to the new combined Satcaster's consolidation of programming:

I woke up one morning this week to find that five of the eight preset stations on my XM radio were gone--silence where distinctive music programs had been.

Throughout the many months in which the nation's two satellite radio companies fought for federal permission to complete the merger that they had once promised would never happen, Sirius chief executive Mel Karmazin said XM and Sirius would retain separate brands and programming for 15 years. Now, less than four months after winning government approval to merge, Sirius and XM have essentially blended their programming into one set of channels.

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Maker's Quest Finalists

AIR has announced 30 finalists in their Public Radio Makers Quest 2.0. They were selected from nearly 500 nominators and nominees! The 12-15 winners will be selected from this list will receive grants of $20,000 to 40,000 to "bring their projects to fruition." Where does it go from here?:

They’ve been invited to propose how they’ll help excite public radio, and lead the industry and listeners through the shift to new platforms. They have until December 1 to give it their best shot. Final decisions will be announced in early March.

A Day to Listen

The fine folks at StoryCorps are asking Americans to take a break from Black Friday -- Nov. 28, the day after Thanksgiving -- and just listen.

Actually, what they really want is for all of us to take about an hour and listen to a friend, a relative, anyone we love and record the conversation. Then they hope you will share it with friends or keep it as a family heirloom. That's the goal of their first ever National Day of Listening.

StoryCorps has created a "how to" guide available at their website as well as a YouTube video.
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Vivian Schiller Watch: Day Three

Paidcontent.com caught up with NPR's new CEO Vivian Schiller and got her outlook on a variety of issues. The website interview included why Schiller was willing to leave The New York Times to join National Public Radio:

"Schiller admitted to getting teary when she met with Arthur Sulzberger to tell him she was leaving. 'I wouldn’t have left the New York Times to go just anywhere.' But she was drawn to NPR’s news operation with 36 bureaus, including 18 overseas, what she calls 'a powerhouse' organization and 'constellation of stations.' Plus, 'if all of that were not enough, my family lives here.' She avoids comparisons between the two media organizations. 'Really, it’s a different paradigm. I’m reluctant to draw too many parallels.'”

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KWMU Getting New Home Off-Campus

KWMU will soon be moving off the campus of the University of Missouri-St. Louis and relocating to St. Louis' downtown arts and entertainment area, Grand Center on Olive Street.

The station's new home will be built near the city's public broadcasting station, KETC Channel 9, which is donating property for the radio station. The new location will also be home to some UMSL academic programs.

KWMU's new facility will be a three-story, 27,000 square foot structure. It reportedly will cost $12 million.

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Public Radio Audience Largest Ever in Spring 08

Last week's Radio Research Consortium report indicates that in Spring 2008 the public radio audience has "fully recovered" from a 2003-06 decline. Some highlights of CPB-supported audience:

1. Weekly Cume reached a new high of 28,744,600.
2. AQH Share hit a new record at 5.2.
3. The 11.3 Cume Rating was just "a hair" below the 2003 average (which rounds out to the same 11.3)
4. Only the 1,752,800 AQH Persons did not reach or exceed the 2003 record. The 2008 level was second best by just 4,700.

Today's Inside Radio newsletter reports that "RRC president Joanne Church says excitement over the election helped drive the increase."
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The End of Objectivity?

I've been part of several conversations around this issue lately, so this Editor & Publisher article seems timely.
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News Director's Guide Now Available

An exciting new resource for public radio news stations, The Public Radio News Directors Guide (PRNDG) is now available online. The guide was jointly developed by the Public Radio News Directors, Inc. and NPR Local News Initiative.

Public Radio's first comprehensive collection of News best practices was written by veteran news director and former PRNDI President Mike Marcotte. The guide is arranged in six chapters:

• Your Job -- the roles and responsibilities of news directors;
• Your Team -- the hiring and performance of the news team;
• Your News -- the editorial planning and production process;
• Your Audience -- the needs and preferences of listeners;
• Your Medium -- the emerging multi-platform environment;
  
• Your World -- the greater public broadcasting system.

Sure to become a central resource for news departments as well as PD's, the guide includes a "field kit" section composed of individual case studies, work samples, reusable templates, links to outside resources, and do-it-yourself tutorials.

Vivian Schiller Watch: Day Two

We thought we might save you some Googling by posting some of what a wide variety of media are saying about the appointment of Vivian Schiller as the new NPR President and CEO:

• Paidcontent.org;
  
• The Washington Post;
• CEO World;
• The Moderate Voice;
• Read Write Web;
• You Tube video of her from New York Observer;
• The New York Times;
• Media Week;
• Forbes;
• Editor & Publisher;
• Web Pro News;
• Gawker, with her going-away email to staff;
• Media Bistro:
• Paid Content;
• Axcess News.
  

NPR Hires New CEO

The NPR Board announced today that it has hired Vivian Schiller as the next Chief Executive Officer. Ms. Schiller is currently Senior Vice President and General Manager of NYTimes.com. She will assume her new position on January 5, 2009.

Here is the press release from NPR:

Washington, D.C. – November 11, 2008 – The National Public Radio (“NPR”) Board of Directors announced today that it has named Vivian Schiller, 47, as President and Chief Executive Officer, effective January 5, 2009. Ms. Schiller joins NPR from The New York Times Company where she is Senior Vice President and General Manager of NYTimes.com. She succeeds Dennis L. Haarsager, who has served as interim CEO since March.

Ms. Schiller has more than 20 years of experience in the media industry. During her tenure at The New York Times, she led the day-to-day operations of NYTimes.com, the largest newspaper website on the Internet, overseeing product, technology, marketing, classifieds, strategic planning and business development. Before joining NYTimes.com, Ms. Schiller spent four years as Senior Vice President and General Manager of the Discovery Times Channel, a joint venture of The New York Times and Discovery Communications. Under her leadership, Discovery Times Channel tripled its distribution while achieving critical acclaim for its award winning journalistic programming.

Previously, Ms. Schiller served as Senior Vice President of CNN Productions, where she led CNN’s long-form programming efforts. Documentaries and series produced under her auspices earned multiple honors, including two Peabody, two DuPont and five Emmy awards. Ms. Schiller began her career as a simultaneous Russian interpreter in the former Soviet Union, which led her to documentary production work for Turner Broadcasting.

Howard Stevenson, Board Chairman, said, “Vivian is a talented and proven leader with superb skills and broad experience in the media industry. Her roots in the news business, as well as her inclusive management style and operational expertise make her an ideal fit for NPR. These are crucial assets for partnering with our member stations and generous donors who care about and support excellence. Vivian has generated quality programming and superior results at every step of her career, and we look forward to continuing the important work of extending NPR’s reach under her leadership.”

Stevenson continued, “On behalf of the Board, I would like to thank Dennis Haarsager for his dedication and effective leadership as interim CEO. Dennis has been instrumental in guiding the continued success and strong performance of the company during a period of transition.”

Dave Edwards, Vice-Chair of the Board and Co-Chair of the Search Committee, said, “During a rigorous eight-month search process, the Board met with many highly qualified candidates, and we unanimously concluded that Vivian is the right leader for NPR at this time. As a visionary executive, she will work closely with independently operated member stations to maintain the relationship with an audience of over 26 million listeners throughout the United States. Vivian possesses the editorial judgment and sensibility to harness the intellectual firepower and diversity of public radio.”

Carol Cartwright, Board Member and Co-Chair of the Search Committee, said, “We are at an important phase in NPR’s development, especially as the media world continues to manage through profound changes. Vivian understands the importance of radio as the foundational strength of NPR, and has the right skills and strengths to successfully navigate the company through a multiplatform world where the traditional broadcast business and content businesses on the Internet are central to long-term success.”

Vivian Schiller said, “NPR is among the nation’s most vital and trusted news organizations, unique in its original programming and distinctive voice. I couldn’t be more honored and excited about the opportunity to join such an important institution and its many talented and dedicated people. I look forward to working with the stellar management team, station managers and associates across the country to build on NPR’s solid foundation and grow its audience base of listeners and users.”

Photo, Michael Banabib

Iowa's Cindy Browne Dies

Former Iowa Public Radio Executive Director Cindy Browne died Sunday of cancer.

She joined the newly formed IPR as its first ED in September 2005 and left earlier this year. Previously, Browne was president of Leader Evolution LLC, a consulting practice focused on supporting public broadcasters and other nonprofits.

Browne also served as executive vice president for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting and as vice president for programming and vice president and general manager at Twin Cities Public Television.

"Morning Becomes Eclectic" Host Exiting

KCRW, Santa Monica, Music Director Nic Harcourt will step down Nov. 30. He announced his departure on Morning Becomes Eclectic, KCRW's signature music program which he has hosted for 10 years.

Harcourt will continue with KCRW, hosting a three-hour music program on Sunday evenings.

In a statement from the station, Harcourt said:

"As a parent of two young children, I believe it’s time for me to explore new career opportunities and expand upon my other activities in movie, television, voiceover work, advertising and the Internet."

KCRW hopes to name a new Music Director in the next few weeks.

News Source or Collectible?

Newspapers around the country report vastly increased press runs when announcing the results of last week's presidential election. At a time when newspapers are seeing ad revenues and readership sag, people seemed to want to hold on to history being made.

This is one example of increased press runs from NPR's Vox Politics blog:

"We printed an extra 50,000 yesterday afternoon. They were distributed to over 3,000 locations and are being sold in front of our building. People are walking away with bundles, not just one or two copies.
-- Detroit Free Press"

Luke Burbank's Six Steps To Younger Listeners

Jeff Hansen (KUOW), Luke Burbank(KIRO), Arvid Hokanson (KUOW)

Luke Burbank, former host of the Bryant Park Project spoke at the Western States Public Radio Conference in Seattle November 6, 2008. His topic, as requested by the conference organizers was to talk about how to attract more young people to radio. He provided these 6 suggestions:

1 - You have to hire young people to host and produce programming. And pick the ones that do not sound like you. It’s better if they sound weird and different than you.

2 - Be aware of content shelf life because young people listen at their convenience, not at yours. You have to realize that most young people consume content as a podcast or from a web site. Too Beautiful to Live (TBTL) does not expire after each broadcast. The shows work just as well if not better as podcasts because they are not time-sensitive. Nobody Tivos or podcasts Wolf Blitzer because everything he says is obsolete just a few seconds after he says it. But everybody Tivos Colbert because it isn’t. Information and breaking news is the cheapest and easiest type of content for them to get. They don’t need us for that.

3 - We have to get off the news mountaintop. Don’t talk down – be at eye-level.

4 - Let hosts be themselves – APHC and Car Talk work because of the personality of the hosts.

5 - Make it interactive – young listeners or web users like to have their say and when you do they will become your P1’s. When a listener posts a comment they feel like they are a part of the show. They have good ideas and they will become evangelists for your station. Also, young people are way less hung up on high audio quality. Kids are listening to sub-standard audio on cell-phones, so don’t worry when they upload poor quality audio, or if your guest is on the phone instead of ISDN.

6 - Be of good courage. Your regular listeners will absolutely lose their shit if you do this because if you do it right it will sound like nails on a chalkboard to them. But that will mean you are doing the right thing if you want to attract young people.

And finally this note: One of the lessons for Luke from the Bryant Park Project was that the show was overstaffed, overly-expensive, and over-supervised. The show had 15 producers and was costing millions of dollars to produce – so expectations were high and there was a lot at stake. His current show, Too Beautiful To Live, a 3-hour daily talk show, has 2 full-time staffers – Luke and his producer. It airs in the evening and the staff has near total freedom to experiment.

Alex Chadwick Exits Day to Day

Today's Day to Day broadcast is Alex Chadwick's last.

Chadwick started at NPR in 1977 and became part of the team that launched Morning Edition. He also hosted All Things Considered and Weekend Edition. One of Chadwick's most well known assignments was Radio Expeditions, which aired on Morning Edition.

In an NPR blog posting about his departure, Chadwick says, "Bye to fans of the show....thanks for following us on the radio and the blog. Next week.....new adventures. Stay tuned."

The show ended with Green Onions by Booker T. and the MGs play as Chadwick said his goodbyes and explained he will be doing some reporting for the show.

Critic Started Out in Radio

John Leonard, book critic for Fresh Air on WHYY, Philadelphia, died Wednesday from complications of lung cancer.

In a replay of an earlier interview with Fresh Air's Terry Gross, recounted his early years in the media and said he got his start as a program director for Pacifica in Berkeley, CA. But, while there he wrote and sold his first novel so quit and moved to the woods of New Hampshire.

Ramsey: Good News & Bad

Mark Ramsey, CEO of Hear 2.0 and Mercury Media Research, reported on an RRC report showing that Spring data (P12+, Monday through Sunday 6 a.m. to midnight) shows CPB-stations set a record AQH share of 5.2 percent. And, he said he expects that to carry through the fall.

But, Ramsey drops the other shoe with a thud: while the number of Americans listening to radio (92.5 percent) fell only one-tenth of 1 percent, time spent listening dropped by 45 minutes from the same period a year ago.

Congressional Candidates Protest at KQED

Three of the four candidates seeking the seat in Congress now held by Nancy Pelosi and/or their supporters protested inside and outside KQED, San Francisco last week. They were complaining Pelosi, who was being interviewed on The Forum, was receiving preferential treatment. They also complained Pelosi refused to debate the other candidates.