Press Release: WNYC® Radio Launches First Podcast NPR

[theFerf]

WNYC® Radio Launches First Podcast
Of a National Public Radio Program
NPR’s On the Media® Available for Podcast

WNYC’s “The Brian Lehrer Show”
and “The Leonard Lopate Show” To Follow

(January 6, 2005, New York, NY) – WNYC Radio today announced that NPR’s On the Media, which WNYC produces, is now available for podcasting. This is the first National Public Radio program to take advantage of this new technology.

NPR’s On the Media is WNYC’s critically-acclaimed national weekly program delivering thoughtful, original, and often humorous media analysis, hosted by Bob Garfield and Brooke Gladstone. The station plans to make two of its local programs – The Brian Lehrer Show and The Leonard Lopate Show – available for podcasts in the near future, as well.

“WNYC is thrilled to make NPR’s On the Media, a timely, relevant, and must-hear radio show, available through this cutting-edge technology,” said Phil Redo, Vice President Station Operations and Strategy. “WNYC is committed to utilizing new technologies to better serve our existing audience, while also reaching new ears. We believe podcasting is a simple, yet profound, way to expand our reach and make public radio ever more accessible.”

Podcasts are audio files that listeners subscribe to using a format called Real Simple Syndication (RSS). Distinct from fee-based services like audible.com, podcasts are free and can be saved to iPods (hence, the name) or any other MP3 player. When this technology is applied to radio programs it allows fans to listen to audio files of their favorite shows independent of their broadcast on terrestrial radio, live or on-demand internet streams. Detailed background can be found at http://www.ipodder.org/.

"We're thrilled that WNYC selected On the Media as its first podcast,” said OTM co-host Bob Garfield. “For one thing, we've been following the evolution of the blogosphere for years. Secondly, our show consumes blogs like some people consume doughnuts. But mainly, we know our listeners will ‘get it.’ Many will latch right on, which can only increase the show's impact on the debates surrounding media, politics and culture in our country and in our world.”



WNYC Radio, the flagship station of the American public radio system, has a consistent record of capitalizing on innovative technology to make its programs available to a wider variety of listeners around the world. WNYC was a pilot station during the recent testing of national High Definition radio standards. Live webstreams of both AM and FM signals are accessible via the station’s site, www.wnyc.org, and each month, 500,000 visitors use the service; 27% of them are international. On-demand archives at the site are substantial, and over 135,000 visitors access them each month. Additionally, select WNYC programming is heard on both XM and Sirius satellite radio.

NPR’s On the Media airs in New York on WNYC 93.9FM on Sundays at 10am and on AM 820 on Saturdays at 7 AM, Sundays at 3pm, and via live webstream at www.wnyc.org. It is also heard on 180 public radio stations around the country. New episodes can be downloaded for podcasts at www.onthemedia.org on the preceding Friday.

[Illinoise]

This is where I heard about podcasting! One week later, started a show.

On the Media is a great show, too. It's a big FU to the mainstream media. Ch-ch-check it out.