While multiple collaborative news efforts such as American Public Media’s Public Insight Network (PIN) are beginning to find success, more coordination among them is needed to increase their impact, notes Andrew Haeg, product manager for PIN, in a column on MediaShift. “A cacophony of instruments is tuning and testing separately,” he writes, “waiting for a conductor to tap the podium, and begin.” “The technology, networks and willingness to collaborate are in place to make this kind of coordinated journalistic project real,” he notes. “And if we’re really focused on public service, the only way to understand the dangers of an increasingly complex and interconnected world, is to become more complex and interconnected ourselves.”

A long line of enthusiastic fans waited to greet Sherlock star Benedict Cumberbatch (right) at a special screening May 2 in New York City of the Masterpiece Mystery! show that premiered Sunday (to double the average PBS primetime rating). The crowd got to see a sneak peek of the program and participate in a Q&A with Cumberbatch; Steven Moffat, co-creator; Sue Vertue, producer; and Series Executive Producer Rebecca Eaton. Hosting were WNET and PBS. Also in the audience was Beth Hoppe, PBS programming v.p., who told Current, “It was a really young crowd — like, 17 to 27 .

PBS is pleased with the progress of WUCF-TV in Orlando, created by University of Central Florida and Brevard Community College as a new primary member station after the announcement in April 2011 that WMFE-TV would be sold. PBS spokesperson Anne Bentley told the Orlando Sentinel that the station “accomplished a tremendous feat” by serving the community “with remarkable speed and agility.” “We did not take over a station. We created one from scratch,” University of Central Florida President John Hitt said recently. “We inherited no cameras, no equipment and no crew.” WUCF set a $225,000 goal for its most recent pledge drive and hit $215,000, according to Grant Heston, the UCF associate vice president who oversees the station.

This year the Association of Music Personnel in Public Radio (AMPPR) will hold its annual conference in conjunction with the Public Radio Program Directors conference in Las Vegas, Sept. 11–14. “The idea of meeting with PRPD has been floated for several years,” wrote David Duff, AMPPR’s president, in a post on the group’s website. “The two organizations began exploring the possibilities last year, and have agreed to work together to develop a strong and robust music track for this year’s conference.” AMPPR will survey its members for feedback on which topics should be covered at the conference. Members of AMPPR will not need to become PRPD members to attend.

“Research says cute cat videos make people happy,” according to Chicago’s WBEZ. And happy people donate to public broadcasting stations. So guess what? For your enjoyment, videos of cats posing as pubradio personalities. Don’t miss Terry Gross’s wig. UPDATE: Justin Kaufmann, executive producer of WBEZ’s Midday Talk, tells Current that the videos have been up about three weeks now, with new additions weekly. The idea bubbled up in brainstorming session that included the web team and development staff; filmmaker Steve Delahoyde directed and edited. “He came up with the plan on how to efficiently wrangle and film cats,” Kaufmann said.

By a vote of 53-28, the Oklahoma House of Representatives on Thursday (May 3) approved funding the Oklahoma Educational Television Authority for at least another two years, reports The Oklahoman. All nay votes were cast by Republicans, the newspaper noted, “several of whom mentioned a no vote would help their conservative rating that is compiled by different groups.” The measure now goes to Gov. Mary Fallin for approval. Earlier this year, two bills had been introduced to zero-out OETA funding.

WNYC’s Radiolab has signed with CAA (Creative Artists Agency), according to Variety. CAA, based in Los Angeles, is one of the premier talent agencies, with clients such as George Clooney, Brad Pitt, Oprah Winfrey and Steven Spielberg. Variety said the move was an indication of “the Peabody Award-winning show’s further push into the mainstream.” The report said CAA aims to expand Radiolab’s brand with film and television projects, tours and sponsorships.

From noon today until 6 p.m. tomorrow, public radio’s Radiolab is teaming up with listeners and radio producers in New York and around the world for an experiment in rapid-fire audio creativity. The show is working with Longshot Radio to create and solicit stories about the challenges of the creative process, in connection with the 99% Conference, an event where speakers of all kinds will discuss how to put ideas into action. (Radiolab’s Jad Abumrad and Jonah Lehrer, a science writer and frequent contributor to the show, are featured speakers.) As Radiolab explains on its blog, “we’re interested in gathering stories about creativity’s most dramatic (translation: roughest) moments, and how those moment often (okay, every now and then) lead to creative success.”

Pondering media impact? Sparkwise, a free cloud-based measurement tool from Berkeley, Calif.-based design agency Tomorrow Partners, “provides you with a blueprint of exactly where your online presence has the most impact, where you should promote your projects, and areas where you may be deficient in attracting your audience,” according to the Center for Social Media. Users create widgets to aggregate and analyze metrics and data including website traffic, Google mentions, Tweets, Facebook likes, YouTube and Vimeo views. It’s designed for filmmakers, activists, journalists, funders, programmers, community organizers and change agents. Editor’s note: This post originally reported that Sparkwise was a collaboration between Tomorrow Partners and BAVC (Bay Area Video Coalition).

WUIS, a public radio station operated by the University of Illinois Springfield, will transition from classical to news and talk in July, reports the Illinois Times. The shift follows the retirement of Karl Scroggin at the end of March, who had hosted the weekday Classics since 1984. The station has already started streaming a 24-hour classical digital channel with live announcers. “We recognize classical radio is one of those things that’s slowly going away, but we’re still willing to make an effort to get it to people who want it,” General Manager Bill Wheelhouse said.

These bylaws were approved,  Nov. 15, 1988, when AIR was incorporated as a nonprofit in New York. ARTICLE ONE: MEMBERSHIP Section 1. Membership A.I.R. shall be a membership organization. There shall be three categories of membership: a. Organizational Membership – shall be open to organizations providing radio/audio programs and services (including but not limited to, production, presentation, research, distribution, exhibition, or education). b. Individual Membership – shall be open to individuals only. c. Affiliate Membership – shall be open to all other organizations, foundations, and corporations who are interested in the field of radio/audio production. I. Membership shall be automatically conferred upon payment of dues.

The Public Television Affinity Group Coalition adopted its statement of Mission and Principles in February 2004. RESOLUTION Whereas, representatives and staff of the Major Market Group, The National Educational Telecommunications Association, the Organization of State Broadcasting Executives, the Program Resource Group and the Small Station Association have been working in cooperation with staff of the Association of Public Television Stations, the Corporation for Public Broadcasting and the Public Broadcasting Service; and, Whereas, these licensee representatives have drafted and recommended for acceptance by all public television entities a statement of our shared vision; now therefore be it Resolved, that we, the licensee members of the Public Broadcasting Service, do hereby request that the PBS Board of Directors consider acceptance of this statement as a representation of member interests and as a guide for strategic planning and operations.

Joaquin Alvarado, who departed as senior v.p. for digital innovation for American Public Media in March, is joining the Center for Investigative Reporting as its first chief strategy officer, the nonprofit news organization announced today (May 2). Alvarado will work to expand membership, engage diverse audiences and increase revenue for the San Francisco-based center, the nation’s oldest nonprofit investigative reporting organization. Alvarado also will take a leadership role in the center’s new YouTube investigative channel. “When I joined the board of CIR last year, I said that CIR exemplifies a truly networked newsroom with some of the most talented reporters and producers working today,” Alvarado said in a statement.

PBS and WNET are hosting an online question and answer session tonight (May 2), after a special screening of Sherlock: Season 2 from Masterpiece, live from New York City. Appearing will be actor Benedict Cumberbatch; Steven Moffat, co-creator; Sue Vertue, producer; and Rebecca Eaton, series executive producer, with opening remarks by Stephen Segaller, WNET programming v.p. Watch online at this link, beginning at 8:15 p.m. Eastern. The broadcast debut of Sherlock’s second season is Sunday.

A three-part, six hour documentary series, Latino Americans, will air on PBS in fall 2013, chronicling the lives of Latinos in the United States from the 1800s until today. The production, more than four years in the making, is a collaboration among WETA in Washington, D.C.; Latino Public Broadcasting; and Bosch and Co., a Miami-based production company specializing in films by and about Latinos. There will be a Spanish version of the series, a companion book by PBS NewsHour Senior Correspondent Ray Suarez, bilingual online educational resources and a national outreach campaign. Project staff members have been working with the Latino Americans Content Advisory Panel, organized in 2008, to develop the series narrative.