Quick Takes
NPR compiles Cronkite’s radio essays online
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From 2001 to 2005, newsman Walter Cronkite, who died last week, contributed occasional essays to NPR. Now listeners can hear those once again on an NPR tribute page featuring the pieces.
Quick Takes
Blogger angry over Monsanto underwriting on Marketplace
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American Public Media’s Marketplace should dump Monsanto sponsorship, writes blogger Delores M. Bernal on News Junkie Post. Bernal contends the firm produces and sells “dangerous poisonous chemicals” and allowing Monsanto to underwrite the popular news show “is irresponsible and it goes totally against what the purpose of listener-supported radio is all about!” She’s calling on listeners to contact APM to demand it “put the interest of readers first.”
System/Policy
Los Angeles: Radio Bilingüe has target but no channel
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With backing from CPB, Radio Bilingüe is beginning to develop and test programming for a new multiplatform public media outlet to launch in Los Angeles next year, though the project still has not nailed down a radio frequency.
Quick Takes
Norfolk’s WHRO to open new Williamsburg studio
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WHRO, a dual-licensee in Norfolk, Va., covering the Hampton Roads area, is opening a satellite studio in Williamsburg. The studio, in operation on Aug. 3, will cost more than $1 million for equipment, licensing fees and repeaters. The two-story building has a small studio, a conference room for community groups, and office space.
Development
Austin City Limits rides its brand downtown
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Austin City Limits is a hot commodity based on a cool brand built over 33 years on PBS. In two years it moves its entire production site downtown in the Texas capital city to a cornerstone 2,500-seat theater in a $300 million redevelopment.
Programs/Content
Smartphone apps for web listening grow in variety
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NPR is working on three or four web audio players for different brands of smartphones. And the company behind the Public Radio Bookmark gadget is positioning its new iPhone player as the one that puts stations first.
Quick Takes
Monday NewsHour to feature Lehrer’s Obama interview
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Jim Lehrer will interview President Barack Obama Monday afternoon at the White House, according to NewsHour. Their conversation, touching on healthcare reform, the economy and the war in Afghanistan, will be seen on that evening’s show.
Quick Takes
“Spurious signals” trouble Colorado’s KUNC
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KUNC in Greeley, Colo., is dealing with “an unauthorized, local signal that has been sending out brief, spurious signals” and disrupting the NPR member’s Denver transmission, according to a letter to annoyed listeners from g.m. Neil Best. Station engineers continue to search for the source; meanwhile, the station is switching to satellite delivery service.
Quick Takes
No prison time for former NPR staffer charged in child porn case
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Former NPR science editor David Malakoff, who pleaded guilty in March to a felony child pornography possession charge, will not go to prison, a U.S. District Court judge decided Thursday. Instead, Judge Ellen Huvelle sentenced him to five years’ probation, 600 hours of community service and registration as a sex offender for 25 years. Evidence was found that he had illicit materials on his NPR computer between April and June of 2008; he resigned from NPR that June. Malakoff said he was raped as a boy and was attempting to relive the experience. Huvelle also ordered Malakoff to write a letter to the subject of one of the pornographic videos that showed a young girl being raped by her father.
Quick Takes
Emmy nominations include 26 for pubcasting
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Public broadcasters scored 26 nods in primetime Emmys announced today, including American Masters and American Experience competing for Outstanding Nonfiction Series. New theme music by John Williams for Great Performances, which debuted March 25, also is on the list for Outstanding Original Main Title Theme Music. Entire list is here (PDF).
Quick Takes
WTTW 2009 pledge drives don’t meet budget plans
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A report to WTTW’s board of trustees and staff in Chicago revealed that the three pledge drives during the fiscal year ending June 30 were 11 percent below what had been budgeted, according to Chicago Sun-Times media and marketing columnist Lewis Lazare.
Quick Takes
Web analytics director at PBS details Web research techniques
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A Google Analytics blog post provides a peek inside PBS’s Web development strategy. Amy Sample, PBS Interactive web analytics director, discusses how analysis of users’ video viewing behavior on PBS.org and PBSKIDS.org led to the development of the PBS Video and PBS Kids Go! sites. Future research includes working to gauge impact of online content on TV viewing, and tracking online donations.
Quick Takes
Former NPR staffer faces sentence on child-porn charges
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The sentencing process began yesterday for former NPR science correspondent and editor David Malakoff, who pleaded guilty in March to a felony child porn possession charge after evidence was found that he possessed illicit material on his NPR computer between April and June 2008. A young woman whose rape at 10 years old was the subject of one of the videos on Malakoff’s computer is working with the prosecution. Malakoff resigned from NPR that June. He could receive more than eight years in prison and will be sentenced Thursday. A biography of Malakoff is here (scroll down).
Quick Takes
WNYC acquires Times Co.’s classical WQXR
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A three-party radio deal announced today in New York will bring WQXR, a classical music station operated by the New York Times Company, under the ownership of WNYC. The agreement involves a frequency swap with Spanish-language broadcaster Univision, which will take over the 96.3 FM frequency where WQXR now broadcasts classical music. Pending FCC approval, WQXR will move to a weaker signal on 105.9 FM and program classical music as a service of WNYC. The Times Company will receive $45 million from the sale, $11.5 million of which will be paid by WNYC for the WQXR license, transmission equipment, call letters and website. With the announcement, WNYC launched a $15 million Campaign to Preserve Classical Music Radio in New York City to finance the purchase and ongoing operations of its new station.
Quick Takes
Atop Emmy news and doc nominations list: PBS with 41
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PBS dominated the News & Documentary Emmy Award nominations (PDF) announced today, with 41 nods. Closest competitors are CBS with 23, and 13 each for ABC and HBO/Cinemax. POV scored 10 nominations; Frontline, seven; and Nova, four. One strong category: Outstanding Continuing Coverage of a News Story/Long Form, with PBS taking four of five spots. Winners will be announced Sept.
Quick Takes
FCC pondering broadcast journalism
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Outgoing acting FCC chair Michael Copps, in an interview with Multicast News, reveals the commission is working on a notice of inquiry on the future of broadcast journalism. A broad discussion on the state of journalism in America “is something to take a little while. You are going to need to assemble the best brains, and people from different sectors of the communications world and let them come and reason together and see if they can help us chart a path to a media future,” Copps said.
Quick Takes
Radio Bilingue to develop new pubmedia service for Los Angeles
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CPB has awarded a $2 million grant to Radio Bilingue to design and develop a multiplatform English language program service for young Latinos in Los Angeles. Radio Bilingue, which produces and distributes Spanish-language news and cultural programming airing on stations in the U.S. and Mexico, will take several months to develop programming before launching the new service in 2010. “Los Angeles sits at the juncture of diversity and new media and this is an opportunity to create a national model for public media innovation,” said CPB President Patricia Harrison in a news release. “This service, developed by Radio Bilingue, will serve and represent a new community of listeners through fresh and innovative content.” No word yet on a broadcast outlet: CPB’s announcement highlights the search for a chief content officer and research firm to test and design programming and marketing concepts for the venture.
Quick Takes
Movie-making kids getting their big break on KCSM
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KCSM in San Mateo, no longer a PBS member station due to financial woes, “plans to fill the PBS void” by airing more local shows including its Spotlight! series, in which high-school filmmakers create three- to five-minute flicks, according to The Daily Journal. Some of the aspiring movie mavens are as young as 14. They’re mentored by a staff of pros including producers, screenwriters and special-effects experts and get to premiere their work on KCSM.
Quick Takes
Electric Company heads to weekday feed
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PBS is expanding its weekly feed of The Electric Company to each weekday starting Sept. 7, reports Variety. The show, which kicked off in January, is currently the top performer on the PBS Kids Go! Block this year, and has streamed more than 10 million videos at its website.
Quick Takes
PBS Sotomayor coverage will also run in Spanish
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PBS and impreMedia will stream NewsHour’s feed of Senate confirmation hearings for Judge Sonia Sotomayor this week, translated into Spanish. The feed will run on impreMedia’s website, according to a joint statement issued today. Arturo Duran, CEO of impreMedia Digital, noted in the statement that this is the first time in the Supreme Court’s history that a potential justice grew up speaking Spanish.