(Weekend Edition)...
They may be National Public Radio, depend on grants and public donations to survive but no website is as thoroughly complete as NPR's. They'll find any NPR station you're looking for, offer newsletters, podcasts, mobile, RSS feeds, widgets and more and then tell you what and how to get it. It's not the flashiest but is the most complete website you'll find. Not only do they have the most functional website in radio, they also lead the medium in new media growth. Five years ago, NPR entered the digital age with podcasts. According to the head of NPR Digital Media, Robert Spier, the lessons NPR learned provided the jumping off point for later content dissemination and engagement via the mobile web and mobile application. "We started podcasting at the right moment - we couldn't have timed it better"...
NPR didn't stop there. They built off the success of podcasting, moved into mobile technology to reach out to their current audience while attracting new listeners. They launched NPR Mobile in the summer of 2007 in an experimental partnership with ten member stations. NPR has since diversified its mobile strategy with apps. The NPR iPhone app had 1 million downloads in its first month. All the apps are free to users. Digital media like NPR's core operations are funded through underwriters and donations. Some of the local stations choose to charge but the nation-wide service is free...
It's ironic that Radio Advertising Bureau President Jeff Haley just told the BIA/Kelsey Digital Strategies for Broadcasting conference "Explode your brand, explode your content into as many places as possible. To me, this is a very exciting time in radio. We are coming back from the abyss." You mean like NPR has already done Jeff???
10 Timeline Memories:
1.1927] Touchdown: Charles A. Lindbergh lands his “Spirit of St. Louis” near Paris completing the first solo flight across the Atlantic (5/21)…
2.1934] They're young, they're in love and they kill people: Bonnie Parker and Clyde Barrow are shot and killed in an ambush set up by former Texas Ranger Frank Hamer (5/23)...
3.1960] Musical call letters: WRCA changes call letters back to WNBC (5/23). To whoever was responsible: Thank you. On October 7, 1988, WNBC signs off forever...
4.1968] Buried at sea: The nuclear powered submarine USS Scorpion with 99 men aboard is heard from for the last time. The remains of the sub are later found on the ocean floor 400 miles southwest of the Azores (5/21)…
5.1977] Rounding second and heading for third: Seattle Slew wins The Preakness Stakes and will become the first of two consecutive Triple Crown winners (Affirmed, the last Triple Crown winner, wins in 1978) when he wins the Belmont Stakes in June (5/21)...
6.1979] Guilty as charged: Former San Francisco City Supervisor Dan White is convicted of voluntary manslaughter in the shooting deaths of mayor George Moscone and supervisor Harvey Milk. Believe it or not, White uses the “Twinkie” defense, claiming that junk food fueled his rampage (5/21)…
7.1980] Wedding Bells: Marlo Thomas and Phil Donahue swap "I Do's" (5/22). They're still happily married...
8.1990] Just a dream, just a dream: Bob Newhart closes out his “Newhart” series by waking up Emily (his TV wife played by Suzanne Pleshette) and realizing that his new series about his life as an innkeeper was a dream. It’s the final first-run episode of the series that ran 8 seasons (5/21)…
9.1992] One more for the road: Johnny Carson hosts his final "Tonight Show" with Bette Midler singing to him (5/22). Johnny started hosting the show on October 2, 1962...
10.2002] Once was lost, now is found: The remains of Chandra Levy are found in a Washington (DC) park (5/22). California Congressman Gary Condit is questioned because of his personal relationship with the intern but is never charged with the crime...
Music Memories:
•1955] Recorded on this date: Chess Records new artist Chuck Berry records his 1st single, "Ida Red". During the session Leonard Chess changes the title to "Maybelline" (5/21)...
•1961] #1 on this date: "Mother-In-Law" - Ernie K-Doe (5/22)...1966] "When A Man Loves A Woman" - Percy Sledge (although Michael Bolton tops the charts in 1991 with his version, Percy's is still the best (5/22)...1972] "Oh Girl" - Chi-Lites (Paul Young would cover this song years later with a very good version but there's nothing like the original one (5/22)...
•1966] Released on this date: "Paperback Writer/Rain" - Beatles (5/23)...1971] "Ram" LP - Paul McCartney (5/21)...
•2002] Celebrate good times, c'mon: American Bandstand celebrates its 50th anniversary (5/23)...
"Happy Birthday...happy birthday": (5/21) Lisa (Cuddy on "House") Edelstein (44), Mr. T, a.k.a. Lawrence Tero Tureaud (58), Al Franken (59), Leo Sayer (62), Marcie Blane (66), Ronnie Isley (69) the lead singer of the Isley Brothers & Ara Parseghian (87)...(5/22) Naomi Campbell (40), Mike Breen (49), Bernie Taupin (60), Bernard Shaw (70), Richard Benjamin (72), Peter Nero (76), Charles Aznavour (86) and Judith Crist (88)...(5/23) Jewel (Kilcher) (36), Drew Carey (52), Mitch Albom (52), Buck Showalter (54), Marvelous Marvin Hagler (58), General aka Norman Johnson (67), Joan Collins (77), Barbara Barrie (79) and Betty Garrett (91)...
Timeline Countdown: 10 days until Memorial Day, 15 days until the Belmont Stakes, 30 days until Father's Day & 31 days until summer...
