Quick Takes

Deep linked video increases exposure, bandwidth costs

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AOL and Microsoft video services are deep linking to public TV content, reports Dennis Haarsager via his Technology 360 blog, which allows users to access pubcasters’ video while bypassing their home pages (and sponsor messages). The search engines generate much more traffic than sites can attract on their own, but “the desire to control content we produce runs deep within the television industry, so it’s bound to stir things up as more people realize . . . how some video sites are accessing content,” Haarsager writes.

Quick Takes

Tomlinson to lose another broadcasting post?

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A Senate panel is tabling President Bush’s re-nomination of former CPB chair Kenneth Tomlinson to the Broadcasting Board of Governors in the wake of a damning probe into his actions as U.S. broadcast chief, Reuters reports (via the Washington Post). The BBG oversees government international programming like Voice of America, Radio Sawa and Radio and TV Marti. Tomlinson’s current term as BBG chair ends when Congress adjourns later this year, but President Bush could re-install him without opposition with a recess appointment. Elsewhere, a Bloomberg columnist wonders “Why do preachy Republicans behave so badly?”

Quick Takes

Will AIR help to rehab journalism’s image?

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Journalism thinkers hope WNET’s “AIR: America’s Investigative Reports” gives “the profession a badly needed image boost,” reports the New York Times. The weekly public affairs show, which debuts Friday, will showcase notable news investigations.

Quick Takes

Web projects rethinking investigative journalism

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Calling all citizen journalists: Jay Rosen, NYU journalism professor and media blogger, may have an assignment for you. His NewAssignment.net, an experimental project partially funded by Craigslist founder Craig Newmark, aims to use both media pros and amateurs to develop a new, collaborative form of investigative journalism. Have an idea for an investigation? Rosen is looking for suggestions. See also PBS.org’s Mark Glaser and other examples of collaborative civic journalism initiatives, such as the Sunlight Foundation’s “Exposing Earmarks” project.

Quick Takes

Tomlinson responds to allegations

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Kenneth Tomlinson responds to the report by State Department investigators on his activities as chairman of the Broadcasting Board of Governors: “I believe it will become clear that this investigation was inspired by partisan divisions,” he says.

Quick Takes

Tomlinson accused of missteps in other federal gig

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A State Department probe found that former CPB Chair Ken Tomlinson improperly gave a job to a friend in his continuing role as chair of the board that oversees Voice of America, the New York Times reported today. Investigators also allege that he supervised his horse racing stable from a government office. A two-page summary of the report said Tomlinson billed the government for more days of work than permitted, including days when he also billed hours to CPB. Three members of Congress, alerted by a whistleblower, asked for the probe in July.

Quick Takes

PBS pundit’s label revisited

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After the flap about misleading on-screen identification of “conservative commentator” Karen Czarnecki, Ombudsman Michael Getler and his readers offer PBS and producers of To the Contrary a few pointers on Journalism 101.

Quick Takes

Spectrum auction nets close to $13.5 billion

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The ongoing auction of reclaimed government spectrum for wireless services has shown the licenses to be even more valuable than some predicted, reports Broadcasting & Cable. With 1,004 of 1,122 licenses sold to high bidders such as Verizon and T-Mobile, the government has gained more than $13.4 billion for the treasury. An auction of reclaimed analog broadcast spectrum will happen in 2008.

Quick Takes

KOCE bill attacked as a “scandal”

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A former California Republican party official sees an “Orange County scandal” in a state legislature bill favoring pubTV station KOCE, which would “cheat” taxpayers and benefit the interests of the station’s wealthy board members by allowing a community college district to sell the station to a nonprofit operator rather than accept the high bid of a religious broadcaster. The bill [text in PDF] would create an exception to state surplus-property law. The community college district is appealing the May court decision that voided the station’s sale to a new pubTV licensee.

Quick Takes

Fred Jacobs on public radio’s success

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Consultant Fred Jacobs urges his audience of commercial radio execs to pay attention to public radio’s success: “How is Public Radio pulling this off – without marketing, without Harley giveaways, and without two guys in the morning talking about Mel Gibson? They’re about quality programming and a value system that comes through loud and clear day in and day out.”

Quick Takes

Where TV beats print’s price

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If you wanted some archival news, which would you buy? A video clip from ABC News @ $1.99 or an article from the New York Times archive @ $3.95? Noted in AdWeek and a World Association of Newspapers blog.

Quick Takes

Mirren wins Emmy for HBO miniseries

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Helen Mirren won a Primetime Emmy for her performance in Elizabeth I, an HBO/Channel 4 drama that also received the statuette for outstanding miniseries. Barry Manilow was PBS’s winner in last night’s live Emmy telecast, winning for his performance in a fundraising program.

Quick Takes

Lawsuit revives interest in Barney parodies

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The New York Times reports on a lawsuit filed last week that seeks to protect the First Amendment right to publish online parodies of Barney, the PBS Kids character that some adults love to hate.

Quick Takes

Critics don’t want ads on PBSKids.org

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Some children’s and consumer advocates aren’t happy about PBS’s plan to add banner ads to PBSKids.org beginning Oct. 1, reports the Los Angeles Times. “Children are basically inundated with marketing and the PBS website was in some ways a sanctuary,” said Susan Linn, a psychologist and co-founder of Campaign for a Commercial-Free Childhood in Boston. “This is just one more step in the commercialization of PBS and children’s programming.” Said a PBS spokesman: “This is going to be very smart and respectful, and anything that will appear online will be in the spirit of what is on PBS on air.”

Quick Takes

adn.com | alaska wire : Money woes change Anchorage public television, radio

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Alaska Public Media is laying off seven workers to offset a growing deficit, reports the Anchorage Daily News. The network’s president attributes the shortfall to declining state support and rising costs in programming and other areas. Alaska Public Media operates the Alaska Public Radio Network and TV and radio stations in Anchorage.

Quick Takes

WQED-FM revises approach to classical format

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WQED-FM in Pittsburgh is reducing the chatter during its classical music programming and making its selections more accessible to casual listeners, reports the city’s Post-Gazette. “We’ve recommitted to the classical music format — and to make sure every show we offer is speaking in a contemporary, welcoming, down-to-earth voice,” says Susan Lyons, executive director.

Quick Takes

LongmontFYI – NPR host wants science to be ‘sexy’

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Ira Flatow, host of NPR’s Talk of the Nation Science Friday, discussed media coverage of science at a biotech conference in Denver Wednesday. Check out the anecdote from Flatow’s days at CBS: “You want me to wear a white lab coat, don’t you?” Flatow has started a nonprofit, TalkingScience, to draw more attention to developments in science.

Quick Takes

‘The last sage’ — NPR’s Schorr nears 90, still musing on the news

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A Washington Jewish Week profile of NPR’s Daniel Schorr features details about Schorr’s early days rarely reported in other write-ups. “In preparation for his 1929 bar mitzvah ceremony, Schorr went to a local cheder (Jewish primary school) where his Hebrew prowess earned him a gold watch and a train ride to Philadelphia,” writes Paula Amann.