From Big Bird to Car Talk - Public...
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Thanks for supporting Alabama Public Radio! Let us know how we’re doing: From Big Bird to Car Talk ~ Pat Duggins If you ever bought a “Tickle Me Elmo,” then you know the work of National Public Radio’s new presi- dent and chief executive officer Gary Knell. Prior to accepting the front office job at NPR, Knell was head of Sesame Workshop which produces the long running children’s program Sesame Street with characters like Cookie Monster and Oscar the Grouch. He signed the licensing deal that led to “Tickle Me Elmo,” which was the nation’s top sell- ing toy in 1996. His demonstrated leadership and business acumen won Knell the opportunity to lead NPR following the turbulent departure of former CEO Vivian Schiller. Part of Knell’s job is interacting with statewide organizations like Alabama Public Radio and the other NPR affiliates which serve audiences with lo- cal and national programs. To that end, Knell arranged regional visits to speak with groups of general managers, fundraising per- sonnel, and news directors. APR’s Development Director Kathy Henslee and I were asked to repre- sent the station at the Atlanta meeting. Knell’s talk did much to outline his business philos- ophy and goals for NPR, honed by his years at Yale as well as the Sesame Workshop. He started off with some recommended reading. One of Knell’s favorite books is Good to Great by author Jim Collins, which discusses how well run companies can achieve long-term success. Obviously, NPR is well regarded, but Knell con- cedes these are challenging times. Support from the White House and Congress for public broadcasting appears lukewarm, which prompted Knell to hire a lobbying firm to press NPR’s case before lawmak- ers. Critics blanched at the idea, but Knell insists the $20,000 expenditure is modest compared to expenses elsewhere at the network. Knell also offered his insights on the way people “use public radio” and how that practice is chang- ing. Few young people read newspapers these days he contends. ere’s also compelling evidence that younger consumers are more likely to use a hand held electronic device to get their news. Both NPR and APR are taking specific steps to preserve public radio as we know it, while incorporating new tech- nologies in how we deliver news content. Finally, Knell specifically addressed the relationship between NPR and APR and the other member sta- tions. You may have heard Maggie Martin’s feature on the segregated cemetery in Montgomery on NPR, or stories on the Alabama’s immigration is- sue, the BCS college football championship, or last year’s tornadoes, provided by the APR news team for national broadcast. Stan Ingold is also working on a national version of his “Holy Smoke” feature, about a company that loads cremated remains into shotgun shells. Knell wants more of that participation, so look to hear more of what’s going on in Alabama on NPR. As a result of this closer collaboration, your membership support at APR will be of even greater value, not just here, but for news consumers nation- wide. Gary Knell & Pat Duggins at the Atlanta conference. Photo taken by Kathy Henslee, APR Development Director
Transcript of From Big Bird to Car Talk - Public...
Thanks for supporting Alabama Public Radio! Let us know how we’re doing:
From Big Bird to Car Talk~ Pat Duggins
If you ever bought a “Tickle Me Elmo,” then you know the work of National Public Radio’s new presi-dent and chief executive officer Gary Knell.
Prior to accepting the front office job at NPR, Knell was head of Sesame Workshop which produces the long running children’s program Sesame Street with characters like Cookie Monster and Oscar the Grouch. He signed the licensing deal that led to “Tickle Me Elmo,” which was the nation’s top sell-ing toy in 1996. His demonstrated leadership and business acumen won Knell the opportunity to lead NPR following the turbulent departure of former CEO Vivian Schiller.
Part of Knell’s job is interacting with statewide organizations like Alabama Public Radio and the other NPR affiliates which serve audiences with lo-cal and national programs.
To that end, Knell arranged regional visits to speak with groups of general managers, fundraising per-sonnel, and news directors. APR’s Development Director Kathy Henslee and I were asked to repre-sent the station at the Atlanta meeting.
Knell’s talk did much to outline his business philos-ophy and goals for NPR, honed by his years at Yale as well as the Sesame Workshop.
He started off with some recommended reading. One of Knell’s favorite books is Good to Great by author Jim Collins, which discusses how well run companies can achieve long-term success.
Obviously, NPR is well regarded, but Knell con-cedes these are challenging times. Support from the White House and Congress for public broadcasting appears lukewarm, which prompted Knell to hire a lobbying firm to press NPR’s case before lawmak-ers. Critics blanched at the idea, but Knell insists the $20,000 expenditure is modest compared to expenses elsewhere at the network.
Knell also offered his insights on the way people “use public radio” and how that practice is chang-ing. Few young people read newspapers these days he contends. There’s also compelling evidence that younger consumers are more likely to use a hand held electronic device to get their news. Both NPR and APR are taking specific steps to preserve public radio as we know it, while incorporating new tech-nologies in how we deliver news content.
Finally, Knell specifically addressed the relationship between NPR and APR and the other member sta-tions. You may have heard Maggie Martin’s feature on the segregated cemetery in Montgomery on NPR, or stories on the Alabama’s immigration is-sue, the BCS college football championship, or last year’s tornadoes, provided by the APR news team for national broadcast. Stan Ingold is also working on a national version of his “Holy Smoke” feature, about a company that loads cremated remains into shotgun shells.
Knell wants more of that participation, so look to hear more of what’s going on in Alabama on NPR. As a result of this closer collaboration, your membership support at APR will be of even greater value, not just here, but for news consumers nation-wide.
Gary Knell & Pat Duggins at the Atlanta conference. Photo taken by Kathy Henslee, APR Development Director
From The Director
Behind the Mic
Thank You!To all of our underwriters, APR would like to say, “Thank You for Your Support!”
To our listeners, we ask you to support our underwriters. Visit our underwriter’s list on the last page of this newsletter to see who is helping to support public radio in Alabama.
Ahhh…the smell of anticipation is in the air! Opposing teams are gathering to
plot and plan, to train and test, to gather their best resources and mobilize their manpower. Battle lines have been drawn. War cries are be-ing issued and each side is suiting up for a test of brains, brawn, and stamina.And no, we’re not talking about the Southeastern Conference but rather that other battle that is currently raging...the one known simply as “The Election.”In just a few short weeks Americans will be cast-ing their votes for the next President of the United States as well as filling Congressional, state and local positions.In Alabama we will also be voting on a consti-
tutional ammendment which will determine how money is allocated from the general fund.The next few months are going to be busy!Alabama Public Radio’s news team will be working
to bring you stories from local districts, covering the stories you won’t find elsewhere in the media.APR.org is going to be featuring that content as well as carrying updates on the national elections as part of our dedicated on-going coverage of the 2012 elections.On our website you’ll find a dedicated web page carrying nothing but election news stories. You’ll also find links to voter resources in Alabama as well as links to other sites to help you find infor-mation on the candidates, their political positions, and the unprecedented money being raised in this year’s election. In addition, as the conventions progress and as we get closer to the special election here in Alabama, we’ll have pages dedicated to breaking down the issues, helping you make an informed decision.Stay tuned...we’ve just gotten started!
~ Eva Lynch
Dear Alabama Public Radio Members,
We’re approaching the end of our fiscal year, an occasion that inspires reflection on the year that is ending and aspirations for the year ahead.
Over the last year, Alabama Public Radio has earned a record number of local, regional and national awards for its reporting on stories rang-ing from the long term impact of the 2010 Gulf oil spill and the storms of April 2011 to an unforget-table account of Alabama’s “coon dog cemetery.”
APR’s commitment to “live” hosted music has earned Music Director David Duff a continuing role as president of the Association of Music Per-sonnel in Public Radio. David says that’s a mixed blessing.
All of this is possible only with the support of you, listeners who have chosen to support APR with their financial contributions. I want to assure you that APR doesn’t take that support for granted. As budgets tighten for many not-for-profit organiza-tions, APR is no exception. Our Spring 2012 drive did not meet its goal and we’ve taken steps to cut expenses while looking for new sources of rev-enue.
Above all, we want to continue to do our best to bring you the best possible mix of news/informa-tion and music programming. We also want to continue to strengthen our use of new media. Our new website is up and running and we’re getting good feedback. In the future you can look forward to a new app for mobile phones and—soon—a special website for members only. All of this is done in the spirit of improving our service to members and listeners in the most efficient and cost effective manner possible.
Again, thank you for your support. Onward and upward!
When you go to a place that has its own brand of wine and its logo on the sugar packets, you know it’s a classy
joint...
Of course, the National Press Club in Washington, D. C. is also an internationally known mecca for media events. The Alabama Public Radio news team and I had the oppotunity to visit there to receive a national honor from the Society of Professional Journalists. APR’s breaking news coverage of last year’s Tuscaloosa tornado won the Sigma Delta Chi (SDX) award and bronze medallion.
Other recipients of SDX awards that night included NBC-TV, The Washington Post, and the New York Times, so Ryan
Vasquez, Maggie Martin, Stan Ingold and I were in glad company.
The Society allows news organizations fifteen minutes per entry to make their case for winning a Sigma Delta Chi, and Alabama Public Radio’s coverage of the tornado went for three months.
Needless to say, we had to boil things down.
Ultimately, we sent in Maggie Martin’s “Morning Edition” newscast which aired the morning after the tornado hit Tuscaloosa, killing over fifty people and damaging thousands of homes and businesses.
Our entry also included Ryan Vasquez’ feature on the hard-hit Alberta neighborhood, and Stan Ingold’s story on how the crime rate in Tuscaloosa spiked after the storm.
We rounded out the entry with the “sound portrait” I produced on the candlelight vigil to remember victims lost in the storm.
(A “sound portrait” is radiospeak for a story where the reporter - me, in this case - says nothing during the feature. There is just the sound of the event and the people in it to carry the narrative.)
Winning the award is a very humbling affirmation of the news team’s work, which already makes me proud every day!
Ultimately, all of our stories from that year were made possible with your support: the tornado and its after-math, Ryan’s coverage of the immigration issue, Stan’s story on the coondog cemetary, Maggie’s report on the battle to save the Fort Gaines Civil War battlefield from sinking into the Gulf, and my five-part series on the long term impact of the gulf oil spill (among many others.)
Thanks to you from all of us in the newsroom!
~ Pat Duggins ([email protected])
APR News Desk
APR continues to have a programming balanced between news/talk shows/ music. Thanks for your contibutions to the culture of Alabama.~ Robert in Vestavia, AL.
Your Financial FutureMarketplace has updated its “Future-Jobs-O-Matic” for 2012. To see where your career is headed or to search for a new one, visit Marketplace’s Sustain-ability Desk to get a glimpse at where your financial future may be headed.
Just click on the link at the left to be taken to the Marketplace story.
High Notes Monday - a Mozart Marathon!
This Labor Day, Alabama Public Radio will be airing a special Mozart marathon! Beginning at 9 a.m., we’ll carry four hours of the Mozart Festival from Salzburg. Recorded on location in Mozart’s home town of Salzburg, The Mozart Festival includes performances by some of the world’s leading soloists and orches-tras.
In addition, there will be backstage clips with performers, and first-hand features touring the priceless collection of Mozart’s manuscripts and personal possessions that are held by the Salz-burg Mozarteum Foundation. Performers you’ll hear include Emanuel Ax, Camerata Salzburg with Louis Langree, Metropoli-tan Opera star Mojca Erdmann, and more.
The Mozart Festival was produced by Wesley Horner, who launched Performance Today and From the Top, in addition to series and documentaries with notables such as Lena Horne, Lou Rawls and Ani di Franco. Post-production was done in co-operation with Houston Public Radio’s Grammy-nominated producer Todd Hulslander.
Join us Monday for four hours from one of the world’s most spectacular music events! And if you’d like a taste in advance of what you’ll hear, check out the sampler video on the “Classical Music with David Duff” page on the APR web site!
Inside the Mozart Marathon
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
The Mozart Festival series of radio programs is comprehensive coverage of one of the world’s most spectacular music events. Location-record-ed in Mozart’s hometown of Salzburg, Austria, The Mozart Festival includes performances by some of the world’s leading soloists and orches-tras, backstage clips with performers, and loca-tion-recorded features touring the Mozarteum Foundation’s priceless collections, including Mozart’s original manuscripts and personal pos-sessions.
Behind-the-scenes features take listeners to Mo-zart’s birthplace to examine an original edition of his father’s legendary textbook on violin playing;
to the Mozart family’s residence to hear Mozart’s own piano; and to the Mozarteum Foundation’s under-ground vaults for a first-hand look at some of Mozart’s earliest original manuscripts.
More information can by found by visiting the hyperlinks listed above. Enjoy!
Please remember APR in your estate plan-
ning! For more infor-mation, contact Kathy Henslee at 348-2687
Sustainers are a vital part of APR’s fi-
nancial health. Please consider joining today. For more information,
contact Jackie Howell at 348-6645.
L inks to APR Visit APR.org
Support APR
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To find out more about APR’s Music, News, and other special programming, click on the links to the right.
APR UnderwritersAPR would like to thank our underwriters who help support public radio in Alabama.
Allen Tomlinson Sims Advertising
First Southern Bank
Manna Grocery & Deli
Simon & Schuster
Unitarian UniversalistFellowship
Allison Horner State FarmInsurance
Friends ofWUAL Mediacom Snow Sleep
ClinicUnited Way ofWest Alabama
Arts Council of Tuscaloosa
God’s House
MeriwetherDentistry
Spirits WineCellar
UniversityOrthopaedicClinic
Bioactive Laboratories
Dr. BennieGoggans
Mobile Symphony Orchestra
Theater Tuscaloosa
UniversityPresbyterian
Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Alabama Google
MontgomerySymphony Orchestra
TownsendFord
USA PhysiciansGroup
Bryant Conference Center
GuitarGallery
No’AlaMagazine
TravellersInsurance
VineyardBrands
CarmeloCafe
Gulf CoastExploreum
Osher Lifelong Learning Program
Tuscaloosa Ear,Nose & ThroatCenter
Visit SouthWalton
Children’s Hospital of Alabama
Huntsville SymphonyOrchestra
OzMusic
TuscaloosaSymphonyOrchestra
Coalbed Methane Association
ImmanuelPresbyterian Church
RandolphSchool
U.A. College ofArts & Sciences
Counseling Ministries Professionals
Jamison-Money Farmer PC
RenaissanceGallery
U.A. College ofContinuing Studies
DCH Health System
Jim WalterResources
RosenHardwood, P.A.
U.A. ExecutiveM. B. A. Program
Discovering Alabama
Kabel Hearing Centers
Second BridgeInc.
U.A. Medical Center
El Rey Burrito Lounge
Kennedy-Douglas Trust
Selma/Dallas Co.Historic Preserva-ton Society
UNA Department of Music &Theatre
West AlabamaAids Outreach
