The following memo went to A-Reps today from NPR:
To: A-Reps
Fr: Paul G. Haaga, Acting President & CEO, NPR
Re: Embargoed Until 12 noon ET: Bringing Public Radio to New Audiences
We are moving forward on our pledge to build a transformative local/national public radio presence in the digital environment, and bring NPR and Member Station content to audiences however they choose to listen. Following an approval by the NPR Board of Directors, NPR today becomes the first provider of news/talk content on iTunes Radio.
Our goal with this channel is to build it into a local/national listening experience, with a mix of national and local program offerings, along with membership and sponsorship opportunities that will grow visibility and support for Member Stations across the country.
It’s important to state that this is a multi-phased effort. We know you will have a lot of questions about this initiative, and there is information later in this note about how to connect up with us to get them all answered. In brief here, let me explain the phases.
Phase 1: Initially, iTunes Radio will feature an NPR-branded “tile” that links to a 24-hour NPR channel streaming hourly national newscasts, Morning Edition and All Things Considered and other news and cultural programming. We will not promote the channel in the shows or on the air during this phase, but NPR News may cover this development, as a news story, at their discretion. There is no revenue during Phase 1 for either NPR or Member Stations. Although NPR has contractual rights to pursue corporate underwriting immediately, we have elected not to do so and have removed most sponsorship messaging from the stream, including credits in the newsmagazines. (Some will remain. Those are largely credits around the newscasts, which we are working to remove in the weeks following launch.) Going forward, corporate sponsorship will be pursued as Member Station streams are introduced.
Phase 2: The channel will grow over the next 2-4 months to include Member Station streams. Starting tomorrow, Member Stations that carry Morning Edition and All Things Considered will have an opportunity to submit to Apple links to their own live streams for inclusion in iTunes Radio (music-only stations are not included). Apple will require that the streams conform to an “HLS” format, not currently in use across public radio. NPR estimates that it will take individual stations anywhere from a few days to a few months to convert their streams. (NPR Digital Services is committed to helping stations whose streams it hosts.) After a station submits a stream, Apple will have 30 days to review it for technical quality. Station streams initially will be accessible through a search field on iTunes Radio. Apple has committed to work with NPR to provide greater visibility for station streams and auto-localization capabilities after launch.
Phase 3: Upon the release of an upgrade to iTunes Radio – currently expected before the end of the year – the 24-hour NPR stream would be removed and the NPR-branded “tile” would link to localized, station-branded streams, similar or identical to those featured in the app that will become the next generation of the Infinite Player (MPX), which is being developed with Member Stations and is slated to launch later this year.
Phase 4: As audience builds on this platform (iTunes Radio currently reaches 8 percent of the population over age 12), we would expect to see the digital equivalent of CUME and AQH to grow and for revenue to follow.
If we are unable to secure auto-localization, local underwriting and station membership capabilities by the end of the calendar year, we will end this agreement with Apple.
To sample the stream on your iPhone after 12 noon ET today, launch iTunes Radio by tapping the 'Music' icon on your iPhone and look for the NPR channel. You can also access iTunes Radio on your desktop computer, on Apple TV or other platforms upon which iTunes appears.
We want to hear your feedback, comments and questions. We will be hosting two conversations this week:
Monday 3/24 Interconnect from 2:30-3:30pmET. Live streaming links will be found on the homepage of NPR Stations in advance of the Interconnect. ContentDepot subscription "Interconnect: Digital Strategy Update" will be posted shortly. Feel free to email questions to programservices@npr.org or call in to the Interconnect to ask a question or make a comment at 866-751-9555.
Thurs 3/27 Webinar from 2:30-3:30pm ET. Please register here:
https://www3.gotomeeting.com/register/397696526
We recognize that this is a sudden announcement but we were held to extremely strict confidentiality by Apple and will make many more opportunities to talk this over with you beyond this week, including at the continuing fly-ins.
In the meantime, please see the detailed materials available on the Member Station site and feel free to contact us directly. We hope to hear from you at the Interconnect later today, where we’ll describe what brought us to this moment and what we expect in the future.
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