Local that Works is an annual contest that spotlights innovative and replicable content, engagement and revenue initiatives at public radio and TV stations, and nonprofit news organizations in the U.S.

Explore the LTW database of 350+ projects. Entries from the 2020 contest will be added to this database this fall.

Tips on using the database: If viewing this on a computer, all projects are listed in the left column. Click on a project name and its longer profile will appear in the right column. If viewing on mobile, clicking on a project name will load the full listing on your screen.

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To see previous Local that Works contest winners, finalists and semi-finalists, click on green, purple or orange tags and our judges’ favorite projects will show up in the left column.

72 results found.

Amplifier

WFAE 90.7 FM (Charlotte's NPR News Source)

Amplifier is a podcast that shines a light on Charlotte’s local music scene. More than 500 musicians have submitted their songs and shared their experiences. Amplifier launched with 20 episodes in 20 days, and is now a biweekly podcast featuring award-winning jazz singers to emerging pop acts, DIY venue owners to established record producers and beyond. Amplifier was named Charlotte Magazine’s “Best Podcast”, and received a Webby Award for innovation in music/arts podcasting.

ART IS

Twin Cities PBS/KTCA

Twin Cities PBS (TPT)’s groundbreaking multi-platform arts program, ART IS, elevates renowned Minnesota artists of color who pick three up-and-coming artists – across any genre – and develop a series of media and public events. Over a 9-month period, TPT and artists co-create powerful short digital films that provide context and visibility for the artists’ work, enhanced by a series of public events in TPT’s studios that engage local audiences in new ways and help sustain and evolve our vibrant local artistic community.

Bluegrass Monday

KASU, 91.9 FM and kasu.org, public radio

On the fourth Monday night of each month, KASU presents “Bluegrass Monday,” a concert series in its 17th year, bringing professional bluegrass musicians to Paragould, Arkansas, for affordable, family-friendly concerts. Admission is always free. KASU feels presenting these concerts not only promotes its radio broadcasts of bluegrass music, but the concerts also help to promote the culture of the region that includes the nearby Ozark Mountains. All concerts are recorded for broadcast on KASU at a later date.

Donate a Recorder

WDAV 89.9 Classical Public Radio

Donate a Recorder is a “give back” initiative that tackles a genuine need in our region while embracing the mission of WDAV – to build a community focused on classical music. Donate a Recorder combines fundraising, education, musical discovery and community engagement all in one initiative. When people make a membership gift on air or in renewal mailings, instead of receiving a CD, coffee mug, or baseball cap, they can choose the “Donate a Recorder” option as a benefit at the $100 level.

Eye on the Arts

WYIN / Lakeshore Public Media

“Eye on the Arts” is a half hour TV series that showcases a diverse range of local artists, artistic organizations, events and stories, demonstrating the power of arts in people’s lives. The series draws attention to regional artists and cultural programs across the entire Chicagoland area, including many of Northwest Indiana’s under-served populations, people who often feel that the arts are inaccessible. “Eye on the Arts” also retains a radio presence through weekly segments on Lakeshore Public Radio.

Framed by WDET (2019 Winner)

WDET, Detroit’s NPR Station

WDET’s mission is to be the authentic voice of Detroit. Framed by WDET is a multimedia series that integrates photography and audio storytelling to present the authentic stories of Detroit’s ethnic and cultural communities on the radio, online, in a photobook, and at pop-up exhibitions in more than 20 art spaces in the Detroit region and beyond. Produced in collaboration with a community of Detroit-based photographers and storytellers, Framed empowers local residents to contribute to and inform the station’s programming. Read Current’s story about Framed.

Freestyle Friday 2.0: Outta Da Basement

WRTI

From February through July 2019, WRTI invited residents of its North Philadelphia neighborhood to the station’s studios for Freestyle Friday – weekly performances, recording sessions with local rappers, training on music production software, and screenings of an Emmy-nominated documentary called “Quest,” a film that inspired this initiative These engagement events serve to bridge the community and the campus and heal a volatile relationship through the power of music.

Joe Bee Xiong: War to Peace

WPT, Wisconsin Public Television

Launched in February 2019 as part of Wisconsin Hometown Stories: Eau Claire, “Joe Bee Xiong: War to Peace” explores Hmong-American history with student-focused educational resources created to help fill the Hmong history gap in Wisconsin classrooms. This project includes an animation illustrated in the artistic style of a traditional Hmong story cloth, narrated in both Hmong and English and downloadable, printable and electronic biographies written at three reading levels in English and Hmong.

Local Music Month

KKXT / North Texas Public Broadcasting

Triple A radio station KXT’s Local Music Month introduces listeners to homegrown, regional acts by recognizing those artists who make North Texas so unique During Local Music Month (October), KXT highlights local music on the air and hosts a free Local Music Showcase, featuring a diverse lineup of live music from bands in Dallas, Fort Worth, and Denton. In 2018, over 800 people attended this celebration of the music scene in North Texas.

Amplifier

Organization: WFAE 90.7 FM (Charlotte's NPR News Source)

Year Submitted: 2019

Type of Organization: Public Radio

Contact: Joni Deutsch
jdeutsch@wfae.org

Project Link: https://www.wfae.org/amplifier