Quick Takes

Bowling Green’s WKYU first pubstation to go green with LED lighting

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WKYU in Bowling Green, Ky., said in a statement today that it is the first PBS affiliate in the country to use a revolutionary light emitting diode (LED) lighting system, which will reduce energy consumption by 97 percent. The equipment is so new — manufacturing began in 2009 — that one commercial station is the only other TV facility using it. WKYU’s old lights were around 40 years old and “regularly malfunctioned,” according to the station. Those were incandescent tungsten, manufactured in the 1960s and ’70s, with specialized bulbs expensive to replace. “The control panel looked like a huge old telephone switchboard, with knobs on retractable cords that plugged into a patch panel above,” the station noted.

Quick Takes

Most Americans pleased with home broadband speed, says FCC study

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The Federal Communications Commission today (June 1) released a survey showing that 91 percent of respondents were either “very satisfied” or “somewhat satisfied” with their home broadband speed. The telephone survey of 3,005 Americans (PDF) in April and May also showed that 80 percent did not know the broadband speed to their home computer.

Quick Takes

Get tips on public insight journalism at NCME/APM webinar

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“Public Insight Journalism = New Voices, New Stories” is the subject of tomorrow’s (June 2) webinar from the National Center for Media Engagement and American Public Media. Speakers will give pointers on PIJ, developed by Minnesota Public Radio. Thousands of Minnesotans make up the Public Insight Network to assist MPR in its reporting. Learn why public insight journalism is an important method for engaging communities, how to use it, and the benefits that stations have gleaned from it. The hourlong webinar starts at 2 p.m. Wednesday, click here to register.

Programs/Content

With RFP, PBS pursues ‘Explorer Archetype’ in productions

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From PBS’s June 2010 request for primetime series proposals to be funded by the CPB/PBS Diversity and Innovation Fund. See also Current feature on the Explorer Archetype. The Explorer Archetype
Research shows the most successful brands embody a single archetype. To define and fully leverage PBS’s brand, we are employing Archetypal Branding, a proven strategy in which an organization aligns all activities behind a single unifying concept. We believe adopting this strategy will help us increase audience engagement, raise money and build brand loyalty.