American Public Media Group Announces Record Audience Numbers

American Public Media Group announced record listenership during Fall 2016, based on data from Nielsen Audio. This was the second consecutive record-breaking survey period for weekly audience.American Public Media’s national programs reached a new record-high 20.6 million weekly listeners, a 10 percent increase over the previous year. Coverage of the 2016 election drove much of the increase, as news programs, such as the Marketplace portfolio, which saw an eight percent increase in weekly listeners up to more than 14 million over the previous survey period. BBC World Service also saw increases in weekly listenership, up to 7.8 million during Fall 2016.“This is a clear demonstration that people are hungry for fact-based, independent journalism,” said Dave Kansas, executive vice president and chief operating officer. “These results also underscore the importance of public media, which continues to deliver quality news and cultural programming to audiences across the country – in communities large and small.“We’re incredibly pleased with these results, and at the same time, more motivated than ever to double down on the type of programs we know our audiences want and need,” Kansas said.Programs produced by Minnesota Public Radio’s national programming division, American Public Media®, reach more than 20 million listeners via 1,000 radio stations nationwide each week.  APM is one of the largest producers and distributors of public radio programming in the world, with a portfolio that includes A Prairie Home Companion®, BBC World Service, Marketplace®, and the leading classical music programming in the nation.  APM also offers a diverse array of podcasts featuring the best in food, culture, entertainment, business and investigative journalism. YourClassical, APM’s lifestyle classical music stream, packages classical music in an unconventional and innovative way with streams suited for life’s biggest moments and everyday situations. For more information on American Public Media Group, visit americanpublicmediagroup.org.Source: Data are copyright Nielsen Audio. Data are estimates only.###

American Public Media Group Appoints Amy Skoczlas Cole to Lead New Water Initiative

Media contact: Jen Keavy651-290-1271American Public Media Group has appointed strategic water and sustainability expert Amy Skoczlas Cole as managing director of its new national water initiative. The role will play an integral role in shaping and executing a national initiative for Minnesota Public Radio and American Public Media that is designed to measurably raise Americans’ engagement with critical water issues, their implications and possible solutions.Cole’s work will help APMG serve as a convener, partner and global catalyst in building awareness and engagement to help Americans better understand the value of its most precious natural resource and the vital role it plays in their day-to-day well-being and lifestyle. APMG has secured more than a million dollars in philanthropic funding to launch this initiative.“Our goal with the national water initiative is to serve current and new audiences in different ways, by growing a new media model based on partnerships that will help shape and inform on-air programming, digital content and live events,” said David Kansas, executive vice president and chief operating officer at American Public Media Group. “Amy is a respected expert on water and its integral relationship to nearly every aspect of our lives. Her deep, multi-faceted experience will be invaluable as we embark on this enterprise.”For more than two decades, Cole has worked at the intersection of the economy, environment, and society in a variety of roles at Fortune 500 companies, nonprofits and foundations on both coasts and in Minnesota. Previously, she served as Pentair’s first-ever vice president of corporate social responsibility.  There, she designed a shared value program of work to secure safe water, abundant energy, and affordable food for society today and into the future. She also oversaw the company’s sustainability efforts and served as the executive director of The Pentair Foundation, and led Pentair’s signature Project Safe Water. Prior to moving to Minnesota, Cole was eBay’s first sustainability executive, where she led efforts to engage eBay’s more than 100 million users in more sustainable choices at scale.More recently, Cole founded a strategic advisory firm focused on re-imagining the systems that deliver clean water, sustainable food, and renewable energy to society. There, she collaborated with Safe Water Network, Environmental Initiative, The Nature Conservancy, The McKnight Foundation, Ceres, and Conservation Strategy Fund.“Water plays an often invisible, but essential, role in our economy, our health and well-being, our food and energy systems, and our recreational and spiritual pursuits,” said Cole. “American Public Media Group is uniquely positioned to engage people in seeing and experiencing the value of water to society. I am so pleased to be leading this effort to build a broad constituency for water stewardship.”Cole started her career at Conservation International, (CI), where she was a founding Vice President of CI’s Center for Environmental Leadership in Business. There, she was on the front lines of creating the earliest partnerships between corporations and sustainable development groups, and she worked to build the corporate sustainability sector over a decade plus.She also is the founding chair of the Minnesota Sustainable Growth Coalition, an initiative created with Minnesota Fortune 500 companies, driving next generation sustainability leadership for the region and business community.Cole is a frequent speaker and presenter, and is the author of numerous articles on the role of markets in sustainable development, including co-editor of “Footprints in the Jungle,” published by Oxford University Press. She holds a B.A. in public policy from Vanderbilt University and an M.B.A. from George Washington University. Cole currently serves on the board of directors of the Great Plains Institute for Sustainable Development and the expert advisory council for the University of Minnesota Institute on the Environment’s Ensia magazine. She lives in Excelsior, Minn., by beautiful Lake Minnetonka, with her husband, two children and dog.

New York Times Magazine Columnist Francis Lam Named New Host of The Splendid Table

Media contact: Jen Keavy651-290-1271jkeavy@americanpublicmedia.orgNew York Times Magazine Columnist Francis Lam Named New Host of The Splendid TableLam to host first show March 10 as long-time host Lynne Rossetto Kasper retires later this yearSt. Paul, Minn., Feb. 7, 2017—American Public Media today announced that award-winning New York Times Magazine columnist and Top Chef Masters judge Francis Lam will become the new host of The Splendid Table. After 21 seasons, Lynne Rossetto Kasper is retiring at the end of 2017 and will continue to contribute to the program throughout the year until her retirement. Lam will host his first show March 10.“The tough part of knowing you want to launch a new life is figuring out the ideal person to take over your chair,” said Rossetto Kasper. “In the first five minutes of talking with Francis, I was a fan.” She added, “Besides being a gifted cook and storyteller, he has a delicious sense of humor about food and himself. He instinctively connects with people. Francis is a gem for the next stage of The Splendid Table.”“I am honored to be the new host of The Splendid Table,” said Lam. “I have always admired Lynne—her knowledge, her turn of phrase, her constant curiosity—but what I admire most is her warmth and generosity of spirit and how that comes through in interviews and listener calls. No one can ever fill her shoes, but I hope to build on the wonderful foundation she has laid for the show and continue the conversation.”A regular contributor and frequent guest host on The Splendid Table since 2010, Lam is the former Eat columnist for The New York Times Magazine and is Editor-at-Large at Clarkson Potter, a division within Penguin Random House that is a leader in cookbook publishing. In his tenure at Clarkson Potter, he has been the editor behind some of the most creative and best-selling cookbooks and has worked with acclaimed authors, some of the country’s hottest restaurateurs and chefs, as well as celebrities Chrissy Teigen and Questlove. For two seasons, Lam was a regular judge on Bravo’s hit show, Top Chef Masters, a spinoff of Top Chef, where world-renowned chefs competed against each other in weekly challenges.“We’re thrilled to welcome Francis as our new host,” said Sally Swift, co-creator and managing producer of The Splendid Table. “He is a consummate host—warm, friendly, engaging and curious with serious hands-on culinary chops. Listeners have always had a meaningful connection with the work he’s done with us over the years, and we’re excited to work with him on the next chapter of the show.”In 2016, Lam won a James Bear­­d Award and two International Association of Culinary Professionals (IACP) Food Writing Awards for his column in The New York Times Magazine. Over the past decade, his writing has been recognized with numerous awards from both organizations, including a James Beard Award in 2014 and IACP Bert Greene Awards for Food Journalism in 2010 and 2014.Previously, Lam was features editor at Gilt Taste, which was awarded six IACP awards and four James Beard award nominations in its first two years. He also worked as a senior writer at Salon.com and a contributing editor at Gourmet magazine. He’s written for numerous publications, including Bon Appetít, Food & Wine, Lucky Peach, Saveur, Men’s Journal, and the Financial Times.“As a writer, I’ve always said, I eat food because I love food, and I cook food because I love food, but I write about food because I love people,” said Lam. “Food has always been part of our shared experience and bringing people together through storytelling about food is what excites me most about my new role.”The oldest of three children, Lam grew up in the suburbs of New Jersey, where he says his parents commuted to Chinatown every day, so that “their kids could live in a house with a lawn.” His career and life have taken him from Portland, Ore., to Biloxi, Miss., with stints in Michigan, Wyoming, Maine, as well as Hong Kong. A music aficionado, Lam is a self-proclaimed karaoke expert and admits that football is his “one, true, complicated love” and that “if you can talk food and football, you can have a conversation with anyone in America.”Lam graduated first in his class at the Culinary Institute of America and holds a bachelor’s degree in Asian Studies and Creative Writing from the University of Michigan. He lives with his family in New York City. About The Splendid TableNow in its twenty-first season, The Splendid Table is the show for life’s appetites. A culinary, culture and lifestyle program that celebrates the intersection of food and life, it can be heard on more than 400 public radio stations nationwide, on demand at splendidtable.org and via podcast at iTunes or any podcast app. The show is produced and distributed by American Public Media and has been listed on numerous “best of” podcast lists including a recent nod by the Huffington Post’s Food Editor as the top food podcast to listen to in 2016. The show also was featured on CNN as one of the top five food podcasts of 2016. Find The Splendid Table on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and Tumblr.About American Public MediaAmerican Public Media is one of the largest producers and distributors of public radio programming in the world, with a portfolio that includes A Prairie Home Companion®, BBC World Service, Marketplace®, and the leading classical music programming in the nation. APM also offers a diverse array of podcasts featuring the best in food, culture, entertainment, business and investigative journalism. YourClassical, APM’s lifestyle classical music stream, packages classical music in an unconventional and innovative way with streams suited for life’s biggest moments and everyday situations. For more information about American Public Media, visit americanpublicmedia.org.Source: Data are copyright Nielsen Audio. Data are estimates only.

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AMERICAN PUBLIC MEDIA ANNOUNCES SECOND SEASON OF “IN THE DARK”

February 1, 2017 – St. Paul, Minn. – Following the success of the first season of APM Reports’ “In the Dark” podcast, American Public Media today announced that the team behind season one has begun work on a second season. The subject and timing of season two have not yet been announced.The first season of “In the Dark” provided the most comprehensive reporting on the 27-year investigation of the Jacob Wetterling disappearance. The reporting, led by award-winning journalist Madeleine Baran and done over a period of nine months, revealed how law enforcement mishandled one of the most notorious child abductions and the far-reaching implications of the case.With 5.5 million downloads, the first season of the podcast topped the iTunes charts for weeks as well as numerous “Best Podcast” lists of 2016. In addition to the podcast audience, a five-episode series of adapted “In the Dark” episodes is running on approximately 150 public radio stations across the country – including stations in Chicago, Boston, Minneapolis-St. Paul, Dallas, San Diego, Charlotte, N.C., and Cleveland.  The combined full-week audience for these stations is more than 5 million. *“We’re investing in more journalists and resources in fact-based journalism than any time in our history,” said Dave Kansas, American Public Media, executive vice president and chief content officer. “In the Dark is an example of the type of investigative journalism that is as important as ever. We’re looking forward to seeing and hearing what the team uncovers for the next season.”Updates from the team over the next year will be shared with listeners via the APM Reports email newsletter.APM Reports, formed in November 2015, is a collection of investigative journalists and documentary producers, editors, researchers and digital producers dedicated to producing high quality reporting on issues that are often hidden from public view.*(Source: Nielsen Audio, Persons 12+). 

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AMERICAN PUBLIC MEDIA TO BUILD ON DEMAND PORTFOLIO WITH HIRE OF NATHAN TOBEY AS DIRECTOR

St. Paul, Minn., Jan.24, 2017 — American Public Media announced Nathan Tobey as its new director of On Demand and National Cultural programming. In his new role, Tobey will lead APM’s podcast and On Demand strategy, new content development and current podcast portfolio, which includes Terrible, Thanks For Asking, In The Dark, The Hilarious World of Depression, Brains On!, The Mash-Up Americans and Too Beautiful To Live. He’ll also manage production teams for two national weekly radio (and podcast) shows, The Splendid Table and The Dinner Party Download.“We couldn’t be happier to have Nate on board at APM,” said Mike Reszler, vice president, innovation and digital strategy at American Public Media Group. “Nate brings his passion for quality journalism along with a deep understanding of audience insights and experience in reinventing audio storytelling for the digital age. He’s already proven to be a leader in the on demand space and we’re thrilled he’s here to help us continue to grow and expand our audiences.”Most recently at WGBH in Boston, Tobey was recognized with both the Alfred I. duPont and Edward R. Murrow awards for the documentary series, GroundTruth, one of the first podcasts dedicated to in-depth international field reporting. Additionally, he created and launched the hit podcast Masterpiece Studio for WGBH/PBS, which began by covering Downton Abbey’s final season.Tobey brings extensive experience in audience development and digital strategy. He spent four years at FRONTLINE (PBS) building the next generation of the series' audience and community. He's also served as a strategy consultant to a range of public media makers, including the PBS Black Culture Connection and the New England Center for Investigative Reporting.“APM built its success through innovation,” Tobey said. “I’m excited to work every day to help create the conditions – freedom, curiosity, teamwork, structure and collaboration – which nourish and renew that culture of innovation for the on demand age. That, more than anything, is how I can help APM stay ahead of the curve.”About American Public MediaAmerican Public Media is one of the largest producers and distributors of public radio programming in the world, with a portfolio that includes A Prairie Home Companion®, BBC World Service, Marketplace®, and the leading classical music programming in the nation.  APM also offers a diverse array of podcasts featuring the best in food, culture, entertainment, business and investigative journalism. YourClassical, APM’s lifestyle classical music stream, packages classical music in an unconventional and innovative way with streams suited for life’s biggest moments and everyday situations. For more information on American Public Media Group, visit americanpublicmediagroup.org.

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Marketplace Launches “Make Me Smart with Kai and Molly”

Media Contact: Mark Larson, mark.larson@fleishman.comNew podcast features Marketplace hosts Kai Ryssdal and Molly Wood who use their expertise to connect the dots on topics they know best, and get help from listeners and experts about the ones they want to know better.LOS ANGELES — January 23, 2017 — Today Marketplace announced “Make Me Smart with Kai and Molly,” a new podcast featuring hosts Kai Ryssdal and Molly Wood, dedicated to getting smart about the economy, tech, culture, and how those things affect each other and our everyday lives.“Our ultimate goal at Marketplace is to raise the economic intelligence of the country,” said Ryssdal. “Right now it’s especially important that we work together to identify and understand what’s truly newsworthy. This is exactly what Make Me Smart does.”The goal of the podcast is to focus on analyzing and understanding, not on headlines and talking points. It’s meant to be an ongoing conversation with other experts and the combined expertise of the listening audience.“Make Me Smart is really a passion project for both of us,” said Wood. “It’s taking what Kai and I already do at Marketplace and putting it into a new format that allows us to go beyond what we can do on air. This podcast will let us press pause on what’s newsworthy and dive even deeper into the topics that people not only want, but need to hear about.”The format of the podcast will allow the hosts to combine their expertise with insights from influential leaders, big thinkers and everyday doers in the economy. Together, they’ll dig deeper and combine facts and experts with experiences and discussion to transform information into insight.The first podcast episode will be available January 24, 2017, followed by new episodes released every Tuesday. Listeners are encouraged to participate actively by contributing to topics and sharing their own experiences through video conversations and additional digital elements throughout the week.  Ryssdal and Wood will kick off Make Me Smart with a Facebook Live chat on Monday, January 23, 2017 at 10:30 a.m. PT, via the main Marketplace page, and will make these a regular weekly occurrence on Monday mornings.Listeners can subscribe on iTunes or their favorite podcast app and explore more content and submit suggestions at marketplace.org/makemesmart.About MarketplaceThe Marketplace® portfolio of programs are produced and distributed by American Public Media®, one of the largest producers and distributors of public radio programming in the world.  Marketplace®, Marketplace Weekend®, Marketplace Morning Report® and Marketplace Tech® are currently broadcast by nearly 800 public radio stations nationwide and heard by more than 13 million weekly listeners.  Marketplace® has the largest broadcast audience of any business news program, on radio or television, in the country.  Marketplace® programs also have a robust digital audience, with more than 4 million podcast downloads and stream requests every month, on apps like iTunes, Slacker and TuneIn.  Marketplace® programs are noted for their timely, relevant and accessible coverage of business, economics and finance, focusing on the latest national and international business news, the global economy and wider events linked to the financial markets.  For more information on Marketplace® programs, visit marketplace.org.  For more information on American Public Media, visit americanpublicmedia.org.Source: Data are copyright Nielsen Audio and StreamGuys. Data are estimates only.

“Can it save us?” Asks Codebreaker Season Two

Questions and decoding are back in podcastfrom Marketplace in partnership with Business Insider

Marketplace, in partnership with Business Insider, launched season two of its successful podcast, Codebreaker.

Hosted by Marketplace Tech’s Ben Brock Johnson, Codebreaker is a unique seasonal podcast that is binge-able like your favorite Netflix show. Crack the secret code in each episode to unlock the next episode (otherwise, listeners can wait for episodes to drop each week).Codebreaker’s lens for viewing the intersection of tech, culture and life is radio journalism inspired by The Twilight Zone and Black Mirror. The show “deciphers our complicated feelings about technology by asking straight forward questions with a sense of humor, a sense of awe, and hey—sometimes, a sense of dread.” This season Codebreaker has one question in mind: Can it Save Us? Through original reporting, interviews and stories, listeners will hear about our relationship technology at the bleeding edge."For our second season of Codebreaker, we are upping the ante with a fundamental question that feels even more relevant after last week,” says Ben Brock Johnson. “Can it save us? This season our codes are harder to crack, our subjects are even more compelling--from real life cyborgs and virtual reality therapists to a refugee who survived a deadly journey with the help of WhatsApp. We are really excited to present these important and thought-provoking stories. Listen, subscribe, and if you can, crack our codes!"Listeners who like a little twist in their podcast consumption are encouraged to listen extra hard for a code. Codes can be entered at  http://www.codebreaker.codes/ to unlock subsequent episodes. However, each new episode will still be available for download every Wednesday for regular listeners.“I’m so appreciative of the decoders from season one who wrote us and gave us feedback,” adds Johnson. “It’s been a fun way to connect with our listeners and build a community.”About Marketplace The Marketplace® portfolio of programs are produced and distributed by American Public Media®, one of the largest producers and distributors of public radio programming in the world.  Marketplace®, Marketplace Weekend®, Marketplace Morning Report® and Marketplace Tech® are currently broadcast by nearly 800 public radio stations nationwide and heard by more than 13 million weekly listeners.  Marketplace® has the largest broadcast audience of any business news program, on radio or television, in the country.  Marketplace® programs also have a robust digital audience, with almost 5 million podcast downloads and audio requests every month, on apps like iTunes, Slacker and TuneIn.  Marketplace® programs are noted for their timely, relevant and accessible coverage of business, economics and personal finance, focusing on the latest national and international business news, the global economy and wider events linked to the financial markets.  For more information on Marketplace® programs, visit marketplace.org.  For more information on American Public Media, visit americanpublicmedia.org.Source: Data are copyright Nielsen Audio and StreamGuys. Data are estimates only.About Business InsiderBusiness Insider, the largest business news site in the US and one of the fastest-growing news brands in the world, features a unique combination of reporting, video, photography and analysis. Business Insider – which includes Business Insider, twelve sites around the world, and INSIDER lifestyle brand – reaches more than 100 million unique visitors globally each month. Founded in 2007, Business Insider pioneered a digital-native approach to business news aimed at the next generation of business leaders. The company offers a subscription research service, Business Insider Intelligence (BII), that provides in-depth insight, data and analysis of the digital landscape, including e-commerce, mobile, the “Internet of Things”, and Fintech. Each year, the company hosts hosts a leading technology conference in New York: IGNITION. Business Insider Inc. is a company of Axel Springer SE.

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#MPRlife Inclusion Journey Update: Gender Pronouns and Coffee Breaks

Submitted by Rachel Dennis (she/her)We welcome, talk to and refer to a lot of people around here – in person, on the phone, on air, and in writing. They are our colleagues, candidates, vendors, sources, members, board members and guests, etc. And they don’t all go by “he” or “she.”In the last six months or so, the EQualizers Employee Resource Group has been forming and exploring the question, “How do we create a safer space for folks who are transgender and gender-nonconforming?”On Monday the EQs invited Alex Nelson from RECLAIM! to talk with us about gender identity. We covered terminology, statistics, and building sensitivity through the thoughtful use of language.One of the things about language is that there are folks out there that don’t use pronouns limited to just “he” or “she.” And we’re interacting with them whether we know it or not. One way we can create a safer space for people to be themselves is to mark ourselves as people (and as an organization) who get and respect that. Maybe it’s by offering our pronouns when we introduce ourselves which creates an opportunity for another to do the same, or by removing binary language from things like our employee handbook. For most of us, it’ll take some new language and some new habits, and Alex emphasized the effectiveness of practicing until we get the hang of it. Practice is good.On Wednesday, October 25 the EQs hosted a Traveling Coffee Break* in the lobby at HQ and started practicing with a wider group. Some of us wore nametags that volunteered the pronouns we go by or prompted colleagues to ask us about it. Some of us shared our take-aways from Monday’s training session - like trying to remember the difference between gender orientation, expression, and identity (what you know, what you show, and what you claim). And naturally, some of us focused on the coffee and delicious treats and the chance to be with colleagues away from our desks.*An MPR tradition: various employee groups or departments host coffee breaks on a semi-regular basis. They could be located anywhere in the St. Paul HQ, thus the 'traveling' moniker.  more from the Inside APMG Blog

Baking – and raising money – for the future of journalism

Submitted by Marianne Combs, Arts Reporter and Producer, MPR NewsI love a good bake sale – especially when it’s for a cause I can really get behind - and October's bake sale at MPR will go down as one of my all-time favorites.Each year MPR participates in a fundraising campaign for ThreeSixty Journalism, a program run by the University of St. Thomas that teaches ethnically diverse high school students how to tell their stories, and attempts to instill in them a love of journalism. As a media organization that recognizes the importance of a multicultural workforce, we know it’s critical to help foster talent at an early age.Last week our in-house fundraising campaign culminated in a bake sale with contributions from some of the best bakers in the newsroom. Digital Producer Nancy Yang created a “Purple Rain” cake in honor of Prince; reporters Solveig Wastvedt and Peter Cox each whipped up batches of pumpkin muffins and ginger snaps, and editor Meg Martin turned out fudge and biscotti. Even our Executive Director of News and Programming Nancy Cassutt brought in some Rice Krispies treats.And our co-workers responded in kind with amazing generosity. By the end of the day we had raised $4,400 for the ThreeSixty Journalism program. That’s a record for us, and it placed us once again as the top media donor - outgiving the Star Tribune, KARE 11 and several other local media sponsors.There’s another reason this bake sale was particularly important. In past years the fundraising campaign was run by our beloved colleague Toni Randolph, who died last summer. Toni was a mentor to many budding reporters, and a champion for diversity. We felt it was important not just to match what she raised in past years, but to go even further, in her honor.So it was particularly gratifying for me last Friday to attend the ThreeSixty Journalism fundraising and awards dinner, where I got to meet some of the amazing high school seniors that benefit from the program. They are smart, enthusiastic, motivated young men and women, and I have no doubt they will go far.I’m already looking forward to next year’s bake sale, and to breaking more records, as we take our commitment to diversity in journalism forward.Toni would be thrilled.more from the Inside APMG Blog   

#MNTechDiversity Update

In June we announced our alignment with the MN Tech Diversity Pledge movement launched by Clockwork, a Twin Cities interactive firm led by Nancy Lyons.We promised to update you on our inclusion journey via this blog. Inclusion and diversity goals are embedded in APMG's strategic plan - both in terms of staffing and audience. So much activity is happening that contributes to these goals, it's actually a challenge to track it. That's one of the things Amanda Williams has on her plate, in the newly-created role of Culture & Inclusion Director.Amanda joined APMG in September and immediately got to work building our relationships with the MN Tech Diversity partner organizations such as Clockwork, BrandLab and Penumbra Theater. In her words:I attended the inaugural MN Tech Diversity meetup on October 11^th, a gathering of companies who have pledged to put resources, energy and attention to attracting and retaining talent from communities underrepresented in the Twin Cities tech sector.  It was fun, informative, and inspiring.  As a new employee at APMG responsible for culture and inclusion, I was happy to see the enthusiasm and genuine commitment of all of the partner companies making the MN Tech Diversity Pledge.  I look forward to this continued collaboration as we work toward a more inclusive culture here at APMG.We're excited to have Amanda on board! This new role is a commitment to further the inclusion goals we've set forth as an organization, building on the momentum of many other activities, initiatives and the commitment of leadership. more from the Inside APMG Blog

BBC World Service and American Public Media announce extension of BBC distribution partnership in the U.S.

Media contact: Angie Andresen651-290-1373BBC World Service and American Public Media (APM) have announced the extension of their agreement for the distribution of BBC World Service English radio programming to U.S. public radio. The partnership is renewed until mid 2022.American Public Media began distributing BBC World Service in 2012. The partnership will continue to focus on delivering the BBC’s award winning global journalism, breaking news and programming to public radio stations across the U.S.“APM is proud to be a partner to BBC World Service in ensuring Americans have the highest quality international news,” said Jon McTaggart, CEO American Public Media Group. “We’re energized by the increased support for BBC World Service programming from stations and their audiences, and we’re excited to continue our work to grow BBC’s reach and impact in the U.S. across platforms.”“We know from our audience feedback in the U.S. that listeners feel an increased need for global news, and value the BBC’s international perspective on events both within and outside America,” said Mary Hockaday, Controller of BBC World Service English.  “I’m delighted that we are continuing our successful partnership with APM to serve public radio stations in the U.S. with news and programming that offers a trusted and distinctive complement to the local and national news landscape.”In the U.S., nearly 600 local public radio stations broadcast BBC content - mainly news and current affairs programming, including its daily flagship global program Newshour. The public radio audience for BBC World Service English broadcasts via APM in the U.S. has seen significant growth of 70 percent during the past 4 years (Spring 2012 to Spring 2016*).BBC and APM also introduced BBC Topline in 2014, the daily 90-second audio snapshot of the world’s most important unfolding stories, curated for U.S. audiences and made to complement public radio stations’ morning drive clock. BBC Topline currently broadcasts on more than 100 stations in the U.S.

• Source: Nielsen

KPCC Places 3rd, Marketplace debuts in top 10 at AAJA Trivia Bowl

We have exciting news to report – Team KPCC finished in 3^rd Place out of 24 teams at the 2016 Asian-American Journalists Association Trivia Bowl! Team Marketplace made a strong debut by breaking into the Top 10.  Just ahead of KPCC in the top 2 spots were the two teams from the Los Angeles Times. The Trivia Bowl tests knowledge on current events, science, history, geography, California, sports, pop culture, literature, and arts & entertainment. These were tough questions and obscure facts. APGMThe Trivia Bowl is the signature fundraising event of the AAJA, supporting students who pursue the journalism profession; providing increased training to Asian American and Pacific Islander journalists so they can be effective leaders for positive change in the industry with a commitment to diversity in the newsroom, and forging stronger ties within the AAPI communities.We’d like to recognize the following KPCC team members for their hard-fought achievement:Ben BergmanKevin FergusonJames KimSachi KobayashiRoy LennMary MarcusAaron MendelsonBecca MurrayQuincy SurasmithMaura Walz   Thank you to those from Marketplace for coming out and building a foundation for future participation.Kristina LopezJeni HatfieldDonna TamMeggan EllingboeKatie LongRaghu ManavalanMichelle MencioHayley HershmanMarcus Galamay more from the Inside APMG Blog

The Splendid Table expands collaboration with America’s Test Kitchen

Media contact: Jen Keavy651-290-1271jkeavy@americanpublicmedia.orgThe Splendid Table today announced an expansion of its collaboration with America’s Test Kitchen, the most popular how-to-cook show on television. The combined resources of these two trusted brands promises to deliver the highest quality food and cooking content to radio listeners.Beginning in January, The Splendid Table (TST) will air weekly America’s Test Kitchen (ATK) segments on its podcast and public radio show. America’s Test Kitchen co-host Bridget Lancaster and other ATK personnel will join Splendid Table host Lynne Rossetto Kasper each week to share its practical, hands-on culinary expertise. In addition to the regular weekly segment, Bridget Lancaster will be on hand to help field listeners’ questions on The Splendid Table’s annual Thanksgiving Day special, “Turkey Confidential.” Details and airtimes will be available at splendidtable.org in November. As part of the relationship, America’s Test Kitchen will also provide digital content, such as how-to videos and product reviews, that will appear on The Splendid Table’s website.“America’s Test Kitchen is our dream partner,” said Sally Swift, managing producer and co-creator of The Splendid Table.  “Their team’s deep expertise and commitment to quality food, recipe development, culinary science and product reviews dovetails beautifully with our 20 plus year commitment as the show for people who love to eat. We are thrilled to be able to share more of ATK‘s expertise and resources for home cooks with our audience.”Both highly regarded culinary resources in their own right, the two programs’ alliance offer home cooks the best of both worlds—hands-on practical tips and foolproof recipes along with the historical, cultural and social aspects of food that come together every time people sit down to enjoy a meal.“The Splendid Table is trusted by millions of radio listeners and we are thrilled to join forces with such a talented team,” said Jack Bishop, chief creative officer of America’s Test Kitchen. “Our brands share the same mission—to empower home cooks with reliable information. We are so excited to work together with The Splendid Table to inform and inspire home cooks.”The two legacy culinary media outlets began collaborating earlier this year, featuring monthly segments on food science with Molly Birnbaum, executive editor of Cook’s Science at America’s Test Kitchen. Those segments will continue to air, as well.About The Splendid TableNow in its twentieth season, The Splendid Table is the show for life’s appetites. A culinary, culture and lifestyle program that celebrates the intersection of food and life, it can be heard on more than 400 public radio stations nationwide. The show is produced and distributed by American Public Media and has been listed on numerous “best of” podcast lists including a recent nod by the Huffington Post’s Food Editor as the top food podcast to listen to in 2016.Lynne Rossetto Kasper has won numerous awards as host of The Splendid Table, including the IACP Lifetime Achievement Award (2016), two James Beard Foundation Awards (1998, 2008) for Best National Radio Show on Food, five Clarion Awards (2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2014) from Women in Communication, and a Gracie Allen Award in 2000 for Best Syndicated Talk Show. Lynne is a respected authority on food, having published multiple bestselling books: The Splendid Table; The Italian Country Table; a series of quarterly e-books, Eating In with Lynne Rossetto Kasper, as well as the best-selling The Splendid Table's How To Eat Supper, How To Eat Weekends and A Summertime Grilling Guide, which were co-authored with founding producer Sally Swift.Find The Splendid Table on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and Tumblr.About America’s Test KitchenAmerica's Test Kitchen began with a single magazine title, Cook's Illustrated, which debuted in 1992. The America's Test Kitchen television show was launched in 2001, after which the company added Cook's Country magazine, a second television program, an online cooking school, three websites that offer recipes and online video, and a robust book program that publishes a dozen new titles a year, which regularly land on bestseller lists. Learn more at https://www.americastestkitchen.com/.Bridget Lancaster is the executive editor for new media, television, and radio at America’s Test Kitchen and co-host of America’s Test Kitchen and Cook’s Country from America’s Test Kitchen television shows. She joined the Cook’s Illustrated team in 1998 and is an original cast member of both television shows, as well as a co-host for America’s Test Kitchen Radio. Bridget currently serves as the lead instructor for the America’s Test Kitchen Online Cooking School and helps develop and produce courses for the school. Her earlier career led her to cook in restaurant kitchens in the South and Northeast, concentrating on pastry.The Splendid Table and America’s Test Kitchen are grateful to Bob’s Red Mill for many years of generous support for both shows on public radio.  Bob’s Red Mill is the premiere sponsor of The Splendid Table episodes featuring America’s Test Kitchen.

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Slice of #MPRlife: Pop Up Concert Edition

 Sometimes things like this happen when you work at MPR...  more from the Inside APMG Blog            

Two Choral Supergroups, One Magical Concert

Submitted by Brian Newhouse, Host, Managing Director, Classical ProgrammingOn Monday, October 3, I was thrilled to host the first-ever joint concert between two choral supergroups: Cantus (based in Mpls) and Chanticleer (based in San Francisco). Classical MPR broadcast the sold-out concert live from Orchestra Hall in Minneapolis on a number of platforms including a Facebook live stream.This was exciting for several reasons:

• They’d never done this before, as they are essentially competitors. (Imagine if Infiniti and Lexus decided to make a really cool car together – in our backyard!)
• The groups were inspired to collaborate after a chance encounter last February. They happened to find themselves touring in the same area and agreed to go into a bar and sing together; a grainy five-minute iPhone video of that night went wildly viral, drawing nearly one million views in 24 hours.
• Orchestra Hall was sold out for the October 3rd concert; so Classical MPR was the only way anyone else could enjoy this concert.
• With huge credit to our colleagues managing the broadcast and technical details, we fed video/audio of the concert directly into Facebook Live, via our Choral Stream page. This was in addition to our live radio broadcast on Classical MPR and the classicalmpr.org stream.
• We asked both choirs to share Choral Stream links to their networks of fans around the country, and the world.
• And we created an audience engagement piece to support our connections goals, too.

 It was such an honor for me to host this historic event, but what was especially cool was watching the Facebook Live action while I tried to keep one eye on what was going on, onstage! We averaged 1500 viewers at any time during the concert. And about 20,000 people viewed the live feed for some length of time, and another 15,000 have watched the on-demand video excerpts. (Sadly, we’re going to have to take the videos down due to the rights agreements we abide by.)It was so gratifying to see comments stream in during the concert from Australia, Japan, Germany, the UK, and dozens of States here in the US. The very best thing, though, were how heartfelt the comments were, one after another, that thanked Classical MPR for offering this service to those who couldn’t make it to Minneapolis.https://youtu.be/oJGckjXoS40   

Talking the talk: Can the parlance of public media drive inclusivity?

by Eric Garcia McKinleyEngagement and Inclusion Senior Research Analyst/ACLS Public FellowI am now eight weeks into my new job in public media. The position is exactly as new to American Public Media Group as I am: Senior Research Analyst for Engagement and Inclusion (read more about it here). My general assignment is to develop a method for tracking the demographics of sources on which MPR News relies, and to help devise strategies for making news coverage and programming more distinct, diverse, and inclusive.The work will entail thinking about the broad range of experiences that inform perspectives. I’ll start with some of the things that influence the way I see the world: I am a cisgender straight male in my mid 30s. I am Latino, but I am also white. I don’t speak Spanish. I grew up Catholic, but I’m an atheist. And yet, “Catholic” remains part of my identity. I have a PhD in European history from the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign with an emphasis on German and Jewish history (I do speak German, and German Catholics were a part of my research). Politically, I’m liberal with a preference for the word progressive. Identity is complex, and while it can’t be reduced to a set of demographic information, the pieces help. Analyzing demographics is just one way I can help MPR News gain a better understanding of itself and its audiences.Before getting to that though I have to learn not just what journalists do, but how they do it. So for the past several weeks, I’ve attended daily news huddles, shadowed reporters, and gone into the studios to observe live radio production in action. I attended two tapings of Counter Stories, and I wrote a blog post about about one of them. I was continually reminded of the importance of language when it comes to matters of inclusion.Every industry and organization has its own vocabulary that makes sense to insiders but might sound strange to outsiders, and public media is no different. But words are more than just industrial quirks. Language can influence action.One of the first new words I learned was “vox.” I asked someone what it meant, and I learned that it was a news story reliant upon a reporter’s voice. I later learned that the shorthand was “vcr,” for the alternative “voicer.” Someone in the newsroom later sent me a “radio glossary” with more new words.One word excluded from the list, probably because it’s not a technical term like “voicer,” is “talker.” I always understood the term to mean long-winded, as in “They’re real talkers over there so clear your schedule.” And Seinfeld taught me, years ago, that people can also be “close talkers” and “low talkers.” In public media, people are often divided into “good talkers” and “bad talkers”—judgments regarding whether or not someone can authoritatively speak in clear and concise sentences in a manner that demonstrates investment in the topic, is easy to understand, and is pleasant to hear (at least, that’s a synthesis of what my colleagues have told me). It’s not that “bad talkers” never make it on the air, but they have to hold a powerful position to get there. A politician can be a bad talker and still get air-time. Given the medium of radio, there’s a clear rationale behind the good talker/bad talker dichotomy. Still, I’ve wondered if there isn’t something of a “talker tyranny” that filters out engaging and diverse guests and content. I don’t yet know the nature of it or how to get around it, but I’m thinking about it.I’m also thinking about how the meaning of words changes. Language evolves. I learned that lesson while writing a dissertation that parsed the meaning of terms like religion, confession, and race over the course of 60 years of German history as part of the process of defining who did and did not belong within the German national body, as well as who decided. Likewise, the definition of terms like diversity and inclusion continually are debated.Understanding and respecting the history and context of words and how they affect people differently is one way to combat microaggressions—words and actions that may unintentionally reinforce stereotypes but are no less exclusionary because of it. As I write this, MPR employees are participating in workshops about microaggressions and unconscious bias. These trainings should occur in every workplace, but they’re particularly necessary in an industry where the choice of words shapes public dialogue, influences attitudes, and drives behavior.What else it will it take for MPR News to be more relevant to more people, especially those often marginalized in media? How will the sound and language of public media need to change? For instance, what effect would replacing “good talker” with “inclusive talker” have on the voices and perspectives journalists choose to amplify? This is some of what I hope to learn in collaboration with my colleagues and the broader community.I’ll be posting here about this process, and I invite you to be part of it. Submit your thoughts, ideas and questions here or email them to emckinley@mpr.org

Intern Highlight: Ellen Bartyzal

submitted by Sarah EldredMeet Ellen Bartyzal, a senior at the College of Saint Benedict in St. Joseph, Minnesota. Ellen was one of the two Eichten News Fellows this summer at Minnesota Public Radio. She applied for the program because she knew former Eichten Fellow, and they had “nothing but good things to say about their summers at MPR.”From Ellen: I have learned so much at this internship! I’ve learned about interviewing, reporting and writing concisely for radio. I’ve also learned a lot of technical skills through recording interviews and sound with state-of-the-art recording equipment and then editing and mixing that sound into a story. I’ve learned about voicing pieces for radio and how challenging it can be to find your voice and express that in your stories. I learned these things from all of the work that I did day-to-day, but I learned so much more from just observing others in the newsroom.Give Ellen's story a listen. We think she's found her voice!The Gary Eichten News Fellowship is a partnership between MPR and two affiliated schools: the College of St. Benedict and St. John’s University. One student from each school works full time from June to August in the newsroom learning how to write, report and produce for radio, calling on news sources, editing and assisting with other production tasks.Ellen shared these insights about working in the newsroom while reporters covered the Allina nurses strike:

They [reporters] need to be sure to report on the facts, but also be aware that some sources mayhave their own agenda. I saw the high standards that MPR holds for what is accurate and fair. I had a greater appreciation for this organization after seeing the great lengths that Lorna Benson  (Ellen's supervisor) went through to gain all of the facts and make an educated decision regarding the story.

more from the Inside APMG Blog

Intern Highlight: Sarah Menendez

Sarah Menendez, now a production assistant at Marketplace, shares her experiences as a digital intern in the summer of 2016:When I graduated from UC Irvine in 2015, I left with two degrees and a strong sense that I wanted to work in public media. After studying journalism and political science for four years and spending a large portion of my time working at the college paper, I cultivated an understanding that our work as journalists should seek to educate our audiences in a way that is accessible and engaging. That’s why I gravitated to Marketplace. Before I even started working here, I was a fan. I loved the way complicated and important concepts were explained in a way that felt friendly and accessible to me. It made me feel smart.So, needless to say, I was very excited when I got the job as a Digital Intern for Marketplace.Working on the digital team enabled me to look at radio in a new light and understand the importance of creating a space for our program to thrive in the digital world. Throughout my months as an intern, I felt like I was constantly developing my skill set and actively putting it to work every day.I learned a LOT. I learned how to make a great radio feature shine on the web, I made graphics, produced videos and ventured into new social media and publish platforms for our content. During my internship, I worked on many projects including the Price of Profits series, our Puerto Rico coverage and helped shape our Medium page into a space for reporters to reflect on their work. I’m happy to have been a part of these projects — no matter how big or small of a role I played in them.I’m forever grateful for the amazing digital team here that always empowered me to share my ideas encouraged me to seek out my interests — even if those interests take the form of a Janet Yellen fashion blog. Thank you, Nishat, Donna, Tony, Janet and Rounak. Although we are a small team, we are mighty and I’m so happy I get to continue working here as a Production Assistant for the next couple months!more from the Inside APMG Blog

The CEO and the TSA: An Unlikely Moment of Gratitude

Here at APMG we're used to getting emails like this from our CEO Jon McTaggart. Those of us who've been around a while might even take them for granted. It's just part of the culture. But I'm reminded today that it's one of those things that makes us pretty unique... this culture of gratitude is demonstrated from the top-down, bottom-up, sideways, to-and-from our members, within and even beyond our communities. Read on to see what I mean:The email continues:He said, “I hear you a couple of times a year.”  Could it be that he recognizes my name from my brief “thank you” messages after the MPR on-air Member drives?Then he said two of the nicest things I’ve ever heard from a TSA agent.  “I’m a member,” he said. “Thank you for what you do.”  He was thanking me!  As he waived me through the check point, my heart swelled with pride.  I gave him my best morning smile and said, “Thank you, so much, for listening and for your membership support!”There are nearly a million listeners to Minnesota Public Radio, more than 19 million listeners to our American Public Media programs, and even more when we add our digital and social services and live programs.  This morning’s brief encounter is another proof point that…what we do really matters.I share the heartfelt gratitude of this TSA agent as a proxy for every listener and user whose lives we will touch today.  Thank You for all your great work, today and every day.    more from the Inside APMG Blog

APM Reports and The Washington Post Partner on New Podcast, Historically Black

Podcast will curate stories about African- American history with special guest hosts Keegan Michael-Key, Roxane Gay, Issa Rae, Heben Nigatu and Tracy Clayton

September 16, 2016--- The Washington Post and APM Reports today release an audio teaser of Historically Black, a new podcast series launching on Monday, September 19. Based on The Post’s Historically Black Tumblr project, a user-generated “people’s museum” of objects representing black history, the podcast will showcase some of the project’s most compelling and powerful objects vividly discussed through interviews, archival radio and music curated by APM Reports and The Post in eight short episodes hosted by four celebrities.Celebrity guest hosts will include actor and comedian Keegan Michael-Key; feminist writer and professor Roxane Gay; creator of “The Misadventures of Awkward Black Girl” web series Issa Rae; and Another Round podcast hosts Heben Nigatu and Tracy Clayton who will host two episodes each. The Post will feature the podcast as part of its multi-platform coverage of the opening of the Smithsonian Museum of African-American History and Culture. APM Reports will oversee the podcast production and distribution.“Oral storytelling is an important part of our African-American culture and partnering with The Washington Post to give audio to their social project made perfect sense” says Jonathan Blakley, interim director of APM On Demand. “Through combining forces, we will be able to add more depth and share more widely these important stories and histories that have contributed to our collective knowledge.”Entries submitted to the Historically Black Tumblr page were considered for inclusion for the podcast. People are still encouraged to continue submitting to the Tumblr page, however they will not be considered for podcast episodes. Previously submitted objects include a photo Duchess Harris discovered of her grandmother working for NASA (then NACA) as a “computer” in the 1940s; the photo of the Million Man March that hung in Kamille Washington’s den during her childhood; a copy of Michelle Lee’s great -great grandfather’s poll tax exemption document, and more.“As part of The Post’s coverage of the Smithsonian’s new African American museum, we wanted to find an interesting and totally unique way to engage our readers locally and across the country,” said Jessica Stahl, editor for search, social and communities at The Washington Post. “Launching the Historically Black Tumblr was a great success—people were submitting their most personal objects and stories—so in partnership with APM Reports listeners will now be able to hear the voices behind these intimate stories. We are excited to share the future episodes.”About the HostsAs an actor, writer, and creator, Keegan-Michael Key has become one of the most creative and in-demand faces in Hollywood. With his extraordinarily diverse skill set and wide-ranging talent in both comedy and drama, Key redefines what it means to be a chameleon and multi-hyphenate in the worlds of film, television, and theater.Key is the co-creator and co-star of Comedy Central’s “Key & Peele” with Jordan Peele. The show has become a TV and viral sensation, with 12 total Emmy® nominations and over 700 million online hits. In 2016, the show was recognized with seven nominations and Key was once again nominated in the category of Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series. The show won a 2014 Peabody Award and an American Comedy Award for “Best Alternative Comedy Series.” Even though, the show concluded its five season run in September 2015, Key and Peele still collaborate together. They are currently developing “Substitute Teacher” and collaborating on Police Academy in which they will star and producer.Key can currently be seen in Mike Birbiglia's critically acclaimed “Don't Think Twice”. He returns to the voice-over animated world this September, with “Storks”. This December, Key stars in “Why Him?”, in which he stars alongside James Franco, Bryan Cranston, Zoey Deutch, and Megan Mullally.Roxane Gay’s writing appears in Best American Mystery Stories 2014, Best American Short Stories 2012, Best Sex Writing 2012, A Public Space, McSweeney’s, Tin House, Oxford American, American Short Fiction, Virginia Quarterly Review, and many others. She is a contributing opinion writer for The New York Times. She is the author of the books Ayiti, An Untamed State, the New York Times bestselling Bad Feminist, and Difficult Women and Hunger forthcoming in 2017. She is also the author of World of Wakanda for Marvel.With her own unique flare and infectious sense of humor, Issa Rae's content has garnered over 23 million views and 200,000 YouTube subscribers (and counting). In addition to making Glamour Magazine's "35 Under 35", Forbes' "30 Under 30" and Entertainment Weekly's "Breaking Big" lists, Issa's hit series The Misadventures of Awkward Black Girl was the recipient of the coveted Shorty Award for Best Web Show. Issa's first book, a collection of short stories, is a New York Times Best Seller and her latest project, Insecure, a half-hour comedy show for HBO, premieres Fall 2016.  Issa has received national attention with major media outlets including The New York Times, CNN, ELLE, Seventeen, Rolling Stone,BuzzFeed, Fast Company, MSNBC, Essence, Fader, Variety and more.Tracy Clayton is a writer, humorist, and co-host of the nationally recognized podcast Another Round which has had guests such as Lin-Manuel Miranda and Hillary Clinton. She is also the 2016-2017 Ida B. Wells Media Expert-in-Residence for the Anna Julia Cooper Center at Wake Forest University.Heben Nigatu is a writer for The Late Show with Stephen Colbert and co-host of the nationally recognized podcast Another Round. Heben is a member of Forbes' 30 under 30 2016 class.About APM Reports APM Reports, formed in November 2015, is a collection of investigative journalists and documentary producers, editors, researchers and digital producers dedicated to producing high quality reporting on issues that are often hidden from public view.About The Washington PostThe Washington Post is an award-winning news leader whose mission is to connect, inform, and enlighten local, national and global readers with trustworthy reporting, in-depth analysis and engaging opinions. It combines world-class journalism with the latest technology and tools so readers can interact with The Post anytime, anywhere.

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