PBS Station Products & Innovation Blog

Digital Future Scholars Annual Meeting Takeaways: Teresa Peltier (WSKG)

2012-05-25T11:35:00.002-04:00

By Josie Keller, PBS Interactive

Teresa Peltier, New Media & PR Specialist at WSKG, attended this year's PBS Annual Meeting in Denver, CO as one of four PBS Interactive Digital Future Scholarship winners. See her takeaways from the various sessions in this video blog.

…Since I’ve returned, I’ve spent a lot of time daydreaming, and sometimes it’s just about sunshine and bison burgers, but more so it’s about all of the wonderful things I saw and learned at Annual Meeting…there’s nothing more powerful than seeing the really incredible, incredible content that’s coming from PBS this year...

What Stuck Out to Teresa?

Half the Sky, Presented by ITVS and CPB (1:03)

…I am exceptionally proud to be at a station that’s going to air this this year, and it’s going to be consequential. It’s going to be influential on anyone who watches it…the number of people crying in that room as we watched video clips was kind of staggering, and I just can’t wait for it to come out -- to see the full film. I think everybody’s going to be blown away -- in the public media system and beyond…

The Digital Future with Jason Seiken and Create, Prevail and Thrive: PBS in Tomorrow’s Media Landscape with Jim Collins (1:51)

…I loved their pedal to the medal attitude. They really set the stage for what the media landscape is now, and especially how PBS fits into that. But more than that, it wasn’t any sort of attempt at scaring us, it was an attempt at calling us to action. To letting us know that this is our chance, we are positioned very well to make a really big impact, and to really move forward in an exciting and different way than we have before. Again, as somebody who’s in digital, I know that this is somewhere that my team and I are going to absolutely thrive, and I can’t wait to bring some of those skills to my group…

Future Proof: Get Ready for What’s Next (3:14)

...what Jim Collins says is that you should take lessons from your station -- what's worked and hasn't worked, and obviously from the whole great PBS, greater system, whether it's national or local stations, to see what they've been doing, what precedents have been set, and how you can incorporate that into success at your station. So I'm hoping that as we move forward in this fiscal year, really defining our digital strategy, that we keep collaboration in mind, and it's not just something that's randomly thrown into our work flow or unintentionally incorporated. We don't want to just imply collaboration, we have to intentionally incorporate collaboration into our digital strategy...

Big Think on What’s Next in #PubMedia (4:13)

…My biggest takeaway and I think the biggest elephant in the room, often, no matter which department you’re in, is the big bad word, consolidation. I find that it doesn’t come up very often when I meet with other people from the system or other stations…but I think it’s something that we need to talk about more as a system and I was really encouraged by the fact that it was brought up at Big Think…

What were your Annual Meeting takeaways? Let us know in the comments section below or tweet us @SPI_PBS or Teresa @tpea.

Digital Future Scholars Annual Meeting Takeaways: Nathan Gibbs (KPBS)

2012-05-23T15:23:00.000-04:00

By Josie Keller, PBS Interactive

Nathan Gibbs, Interactive Product Specialist at KPBS, attended this year's PBS Annual Meeting in Denver, CO as one of four PBS Interactive Digital Future Scholarship winners. Check out this video blog of his takeaways from the various sessions.

"I really want to thank PBS Interactive and Amazon for the opportunity. It was really a fun and fantastic week. This happened at the end of the fiscal year for us, so my department didn’t quite have the travel budget to send me, so ultimately this was the only way that I was going to be able to go. For what I got out of it, and how great it was, this was a really big deal."

What stuck out to Nathan?

Big Think on What’s Next in #PubMedia (2:16)

...I was able to lead one of the tables that we had during the session, and you know it was just really nice to be able to get that raw perspective from these different stations, and also to be able to throw in my own ideas and be able to get that rich discussion going…I think for me that was probably the best session because I was able to interact as a part of it. It seemed to be pretty productive...

Create, Prevail and Thrive: PBS in Tomorrow’s Media Landscape with Jim Collins (2:42)

...there were a lot of practical things that I took home. One of them comes from a presentation that Jim Collins made. He gave us a new way of thinking about our work in terms of agile development or moving quickly. But also in terms of how we frame failure and success, in the sense of failing forward...I think that actually helped in...the Big Think session because we were able to use that metaphor in terms of how to approach failure...

News You Can Use: Election Tools for On-Air and Online with Hari Sreenivasan (4:35)

...He showed us some really impressive maps that they’ve produced, and they’re all embeddable. They’re things that we can use at the station level. Here at KPBS we really have a huge news presence in the community, and these maps will be a big bonus to us in terms of how we can serve our community...

Primetime Programming Preview (5:51)

...Just seeing what kind of powerful storytelling was being done, and the really important stories that only PBS can show. Really kind of just brought me back to the core, brought me back to the basics of why I work in public media...

“It was fantastic meeting the PBS team, PBS Interactive group… to share ideas with station leaders about the types of solutions that they’re coming up with for the same sort of problems and challenges that we face as a station as well.” -- @nathangibbs

What were your Annual Meeting takeaways? Let us know in the comments section below.

Amplifying Your Local Station's Social Media Reach

2012-05-21T10:01:00.001-04:00

By Josie Keller, PBS Interactive

In a world of limitless entertainment options, how do you choose which are deserving of your time? Are you more likely to watch a show, see a movie, eat at a restaurant, or buy a product that a friend has tried and loved? Of course you are! This post will describe how member stations can best use this knowledge to their advantage.

“Amplification is the concept of taking a positive action – a purchase, a light-touch interaction or full-on review – saving it and then sharing it far and wide.” It’s the buzz word behind the success of popular social purchasing sites such as LivingSocial and Groupon. The theory is that consumers are more likely to purchase a product recommended by friends than one which they hear about through other outlets.

The same is true for #pubmedia. While increased viewership may be the end goal for your local station, the purpose of any station’s social media presence should be to encourage amplification on the web – to get people talking about your shows.

Why?

When your content spreads into networks beyond your own, your measure of influence grows exponentially. The beauty of social sharing is the ability for your station to reach new and varied audiences through the shares, likes, replies, and retweets of your followers.

How can your station achieve this?

McKinsey Quarterly explains, “’Amplification’ involves designing your marketing activities to have an inherently social motivator that spurs broader engagement and sharing.’

Yes, absolutely promote your showtimes and video links, but do so in a manner that excites your audience and encourages them to share with friends. Rather than simply making video available to viewers, focus your social media efforts on generating conversations and building up excitement about your local station, your shows, and your community events.

Social media is a great platform to address viewers on both personal and social levels, connecting them to the station and to each other. People love talking about their favorite shows and events – all you have to do is put your station brand at the forefront, get the conversation started, and continue to engage and respond to your growing audience.

What is your station doing to increase amplification probability? Please post comments and questions below.

The Weekly Debrief, 18 May 2012

2012-05-18T14:46:00.000-04:00

By Josie Keller, PBS Interactive

Welcome to the Weekly PBS Interactive Station Products & Innovation Debrief, designed to give PBS stations a rundown of product updates and opportunities announced this week on our blog.

Thank you to everyone who took part in this week's 2012 PBS Annual Meeting. We will provide a full run down next week, but in the meantime, take a look at the photos and Twitter buzz from all three days at the Meeting.

Congratulations to this year’s PBS Digital Future Scholarship winners: Julianne Lamsek (KCTS 9), Teresa Peltier (WSKG), Kathy Smith (WGTE) , and Nathan Gibbs (KPBS). The winners attended the PBS Annual Meeting in Denver this week. Get an inside look at the winners and their expectations for the meeting.

A guest speaker at the Annual Meeting Half the Sky general session displays her crafts in this week's Wordless Wednesday.

Tumblr, previously recognized for its ad-less slate, now plans to include advertising links on its dashboard. We explore how this will change the blog platform and how member stations can best utilize Tumblr, given these changes.

Follow the links below to keep reading:

Wordless Wednesday: 2012 PBS Annual Meeting

2012-05-16T14:48:00.000-04:00

By Josie Keller, PBS Interactive

The baskets and jewelry in these images are made by women at a refugee center for abused women in Kenya. One of the artisans was a guest speaker at a moving PBS Annual Meeting session on the upcoming program Half the Sky.

Stay up to date on the 2012 @PBSAnnualMtg through Thursday by following #PBSam & #PBSinvent.

Meet the 2012 PBS Interactive Digital Future Scholars

2012-05-15T10:00:00.000-04:00

by Joy Loving, PBS Interactive

Congratulations to this year’s PBS Digital Future Scholarship winners: Julianne Lamsek, Teresa Peltier, Kathy Smith, and Nathan Gibbs. Each recipient was nominated by their local PBS Member Station.

The scholarship winners are attending the PBS Annual Meeting in Denver, CO this week. Continue reading to learn more about the Digital Future Scholars and their expectations for the meeting.

Julianne Lamsek, Technology Director for KCTS 9:

“I am grateful to PBS and its sponsors for the opportunity to attend PBS Annual Meeting this year. I am most looking forward to participating in the session: Big Think on What’s Next in #PubMedia. This session will provide an excellent opportunity for attendees to discuss and learn how stations can evolve their digital strategies to grow their audiences and remain relevant to the communities they serve.”

Teresa Peltier, New Media & PR Specialist, WSKG:

"I am very excited about the Big Think on What’s Next in #PubMedia session from PBS Interactive! We had a very robust conversation around the same topic at this past December's PBS [Station and Producers] Summit 2.0, and I am very eager to get perspectives from throughout the system. I also have a secret, undying crush on Alfie Boe, so I expect that will be epic."

Kathy Smith, Director of Early Learning and Outreach, WGTE:

“I look forward to meeting and reuniting with Ready to Learn and outreach professionals who share my passion and energy for school readiness and lifelong learning. One of my favorite parts of the meeting is getting a peek at what's in the pipeline. That session always starts the wheels turning about projects and potential partners!”

Nathan Gibbs, Interactive Product Specialist, KPBS:

"I'm looking forward to brainstorming how public television can expand its reach through new forms of digital video delivery and presentation."

If you have questions or comments for the Digital Future scholars, please leave them in the comments box below. You can follow all of the @PBSAnnualMTG action using #PBSam.

The Weekly Debrief, 11 May 2012

2012-05-11T14:47:00.000-04:00

By Josie Keller, PBS Interactive

Welcome to the Weekly PBS Interactive Station Products & Innovation Debrief, designed to give PBS stations a rundown of product updates and opportunities announced this week on our blog.

The importance of communication: This was the theme for this year’s PBS TechCon, held in February 2012. In this interview, Kevin Ruppenthal, from PBS’ Technology Strategy department, answers questions about this year’s conference and what stations can look forward to next year.

If you are headed to PBS Annual Meeting next week, be sure to check out the PBS Interactive’s concurrent sessions. Alternatively, take part in the discussion using #PBSam on Twitter. The @SPI_PBS team will also be posting educational tidbits over the course of next week.

For the past several months the SPI team has been working on improving our station services documentation solution, infamously known as Station Remote Control (SRC). We found a solution that is crisp, clean, easy-to-navigate and sustainable: The PBS Interactive Station Guide.

As the SPI team continues the process of COVE 2.0 and Mobile Publishing training, we wanted to show stations how much they can do with their updated video content. This post provides an overview of the benefits of using social media to promote your local station and video content.

Take a look at the lunchtime (mis)adventures of PBS Interactive.

A few months ago, we updated you on a project called Bento. Now, read the latest on where we stand and what’s to come with the project.

Follow the links below to keep reading:

2012 PBS Annual Meeting: Digital Future Preview

2012-05-11T10:30:00.000-04:00

by Kelsey Savage, PBS Interactive

If you are headed to PBS Annual Meeting, be sure to check out the Interactive Team's concurrent sessions. Alternatively, take part in the discussion using #PBSam on Twitter. The @SPI_PBS team will also be posting educational tidbits over the course of next week.

Introducing: PBS Interactive Station Guide

2012-05-10T10:30:00.000-04:00

By Jen Carter, PBS Interactive

View a short clip to learn more about this guide

For the past several months the SPI team has been working on improving our station services documentation solution, infamously known as Station Remote Control (SRC). We spent time talking with stations and listening to their experiences using the site. Some of the major issues included confusing navigation, outdated technology that caused usability problems, and most importantly a digital wasteland of documentation (a common pitfall of most documentation-based sites).

With all of these complaints in mind, we took time to really dig into the documentation archives and collaborate with other departments. During this uprooting exercise we began shopping around for a platform that would best serve Member Stations. While making a decision, we took into account user experience, editorial and Web best practices. The solution had to be one that was crisp, clean, easy-to-navigate and sustainable.

Once the solution was chosen and the bulk of the work was completed over the last several months. This work has resulted in a new and improved documentation site for station products and services. Thanks to the suggestions from #localPBS, as a result of call outs in our newsletter, use of our blogand other various social media outreach; and from within the halls of PBS, we made a final move towards completion of this first phase, we picked a name. Now, without further ado...we are proud to present the:

PBS Interactive Station Guide

Keeping in mind that this is still a work in progress. What do you think of the guide? Comment below or reach out to us directly and share your feedback.

Wordless Wednesday: Good Stuff Eatery

2012-05-09T13:00:00.000-04:00

Happy Days Aren't Always Here...

Has this ever happened to you at your station, #localPBS? Commiserate or comment below.

Making the Most of Your COVE 2.0 and Mobile Video Content

2012-05-08T13:07:00.000-04:00

By Josie Keller, Station Products & IInnovation

You’ve attended the COVE 2.0 Admin Release webinar and completed (or scheduled) your COVE 2.0 and Mobile Publishing training. You’ve uploaded your content and published to your local website and PBS.org through Merlin.

Now what?

This post provides an overview of the benefits of using social media to promote your local station and video content.

Americans now spend nearly 25% of their time online browsing social media platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Tumblr, and LinkedIn each day. The number one thing that any social media guru will tell you about breaking into this market is that followers don’t want sales pitches; they want relevant, engaging content.

HERE’S THE GOOD NEWS: You already have the content!

When it comes to video on social media platforms, most social media “tips and tricks” stress the issue of developing useful and interesting content. Luckily for PBS stations, video is your specialty: content problem solved.

According to Forrester, video content is 50% more likely to appear on the first page of Google search results than text-only content. Additionally, since most videos are not SEO-friendly, optimization can further increase these chances.

MORE GOOD NEWS: PBS Interactive’s Merlin helps optimize COVE content for search engines.

You can further improve SEO of your video content by establishing good editorial tagging practices. Tagging is an essential step if you want your content to be easily discovered and search engine optimized.

For tips and best practices on Tagging and Topic Taxonomy, visit the PBS Station Products & Innovation Guide

Awesome content + search optimization = your station ahead of the social marketing game. This means you can focus on engaging your online community and amplifying brand awareness to inform, inspire, and educate through your social networks.

Questions or comments, please post below. For more information on social media strategy and best practices for #localPBS stations, follow us on Twitter @SPI_PBS

Kevin Ruppenthal Talks TechCon 2012

2012-05-07T11:00:00.000-04:00

By Joy Loving and Jennifer Carter, PBS Interactive

We recently sat down with Kevin Ruppenthal, who works with PBS Technology & Operations in the Technology Strategy department, to talk about his experience at this year’s PBS Technology Conference (TechCon). The conference took place April 11-13^th in Las Vegas, NV. Kevin helped facilitate areas of the event and gave an in-depth look at the role of stations at this year’s conference, and topics that are of most interest to stations.

Was there an overall message or theme associated with this year's TechCon?

The theme we were going for this year was connecting stations to other stations.

Certainly we have email, we have Connect – we have the tools—[but] sometimes it’s just a matter of saying to someone, “Look, I’ve got this problem… have any of you faced this?” One of the ways we addressed this was with a Birds of a Feather Networking Lunch, where people could sign up to discuss topics important to them that maybe weren’t covered by an entire session. One topic that I helped out with was a table for first-timers to sit at, and the topic was: “It’s my first time at TechCon, what do I need to know?”

How was this year's TechCon different from years past?

Something we’re really proud of is that 40% of our speakers this year were from member stations. We’re starting to get them involved in the call for papers and getting them thinking about presenting and communicating what they’re doing with their fellow stations. I’ve been involved with this conference since 2004, and this year’s roster had the most speakers from stations we’ve ever had. The rest are naturally going to be from PBS staff, as well as some experts from the industry.

What were some of the main topics up for discussion during the sessions? Anything station related?

While the conference was going on, the NEA story broke about the drop in their funding of PBS programs. Funding is always a concern for stations, especially in terms of technology and upcoming refreshes that they may need to do. Sessions about doing things such as live and/or automated production on a budget were very popular, and early feedback indicates more sessions along these lines would be desirable.

Any thoughts for next year’s TechCon?

I’d like to see even more station speakers than the 41% we had this year; that sharing of solutions is a trend we want to continue. Between the feedback forms onsite and the post-conference survey, we have a ton of input to sift through, and that’ll guide us as we begin planning TechCon for 2013, which is already underway. The Call for Papers will open around Labor Day of this year.

Did you attend TechCon this year? What was your experience like? Please leave comments below - we'd love to hear your thoughts!

Tumblr to Include Advertising Incentive

2012-04-27T11:38:00.000-04:00

By Joy Loving, PBS Interactive

Because of its collaborative environment and visual structure, Tumblr has become one of the fastest growing blog platforms in recent years. The Blog Herald is reporting that Tumblr, previously known for its ad-less slate, will add advertising links to its dashboard starting on May 2, 2012. A few questions come to mind: Will its new monetization blur the lines between Tumblr and other ad-inclusive blog platforms such as Blogger and WordPress? Will Tumblr still remain a more personable platform, despite the monetary incentive? How can member stations best utilize Tumblr, given these changes?

Most people don’t start a blog to earn a profit. Rather, blog writing is like having an open-diary to share your thoughts and interests with the world. Tumblr is a great canvas for this. If you notice anything about Tumblr blogs in general, you may see that a majority of them are just shared images, videos and quotes, similar to Pinterest. Tumblr users have the ability to share and repost from other bloggers on the site, making viewership a communal effort.

Station blogs should be designed to capitalize on this sense of community, giving visitors an inside look at their local station. This is a way of encouraging blog readers to tune into station programming, events, and other offerings. If your blog leads to more membership support, that is a plus! Using a blog host such as Tumblr is a creative and sure-fire way for your local station to intrigue readers.

Tumblr gives bloggers a chance to create a space without necessarily defining a “niche”. The posts usually found on Tumblr show that the bloggers are "human”. They aren't making posts to overtly sell you a product or promote an event - these bloggers make posts to give you a glimpse into their personal worlds. For stations, using a blog like this could give you an edge over more formulaic broadcasting blogs.

KLRU and Mountain Lake PBS both have intriguing Tumblr pages full of engaging images. Does your local station have a Tumblr blog? Share it with us! Please leave all comments in the section provided.

**This post was updated on 14 May 2012.

Getting to know...Josie Keller

2012-04-26T09:51:00.000-04:00

Josie Keller is the newest SPI team member who will be working closely with station communications as the COVE 2.0 and mobile rollout start to ramp up. Be on the look out for any communiques from Josie in the next few months.

1. What do you do at PBS Interactive?

I’ll be supporting the COVE 2.0 and Local Mobile rollout to stations: providing customer support for member station inquiries, communicating with stations via the Weekly Update, blog posts and Twitter, and pitching in wherever the SPI team needs me!

2. How did you get involved with Public Media?

I have a bachelor’s degree in Chinese and Sociology/Anthropology. NPR is my preferred news source (followed closely by the Daily Show). I grew up watching Mr. Rogers, The Magic School Bus, and Wishbone (The list continues…) on PBS. I have professional interests/experience in marketing, event planning, and social media. Given that mixed bag, somehow I was lucky enough to end up here.

3. How will the Interactive Landscape change over the next few years?

I will defer to Google’s Project Glass on this one.

4. If the Internet didn’t exist, what job would you have?

In my dream world, I would be a chef/restaurant owner...or perhaps a renowned food critic. In fact, I’d love to be either of those even WITH the Internet in existence. My grandma taught me how to bake all the “secret” family recipes when I was younger. My love of baking matured into a wider appreciation for good food (and good wine). For now, I satisfy myself with a weekly “family dinner” where we take turns hosting and choosing the food profile for the evening. Perhaps when I make my millions, I’ll retire to Napa Valley and open a French-Asian fusion restaurant on a vineyard.

5. What is your favorite gadget and why?

I feel pretty unoriginal saying it, but I have to go with the iPhone. The thing is so incredible, not even a recession can hold it back!

6. If you could have dinner with any three people from history, who would they be and why?

Elizabeth Haines: My great great grandmother was one of the first women to own a department store in the U.S. After her husband died on a buying trip to Philadelphia, Elizabeth packed up and moved to D.C. with her children to open her own department store. The building is located across the street from the current Eastern Market Metro station and still displays the Haines sign. I would love to sit down with such a strong, independent woman from my family to hear about her experiences in the 1800s and see what advice she would offer today’s young professional women.

Nelson Mandela: The epitome of vision, passion, and action, and a sports fan on top of that.

Thornton W. Burgess: American author, naturalist and conservationist, probably best known as the author of The Adventures of Peter Cottontail. I read countless numbers of his stories as a child and feel that anyone with such a vivid imagination would have a lot to add to the dinner conversation.

Introducing PBS Food's Extracts

2012-04-16T15:27:00.014-04:00

By Ashley Carufel, PBS Food

The PBS Food team has exciting launch news that will benefit PBS stations. Recently, the PBS Food team launched the new "Extracts" newsletter. The newsletter will be delivered each Friday, and highlights the best content from the PBS Food page:

Three main features that promote blog posts, articles and broadcast programs,
Five recipes from our recipe database, which include many recipes from participating local PBS stations,
"Eat Local" spotlight which highlights content from one of our local stations (detailed below),
Kitchen wisdom quote from Julia Child.

Eat Local:

We recognize that the PBS Food page has not driven as much traffic so far to the station websites as we hoped, so the PBS Food team wanted to let you know about an opportunity in our newsletter to drive traffic directly to your content.

The Eat Local module in the newsletter highlights what the stations are doing in terms of food and cooking content. Due to technical limitations, we cannot dynamically fill the module with a localized experience. Instead, the newsletter will highlight one station each week, which submit content for the slot. Since the newsletter is sent to a national audience, local tune-in information and community events will not be promoted.

Here are some examples of language that fits the angle of our local module:

April means crab season is back! No one knows crabs better than Maryland Public Television. Watch “Eatin’ Crabcakes: The Best I Ever Had” online to find out what makes a perfect crab cake.
Let KCTS 9 show you the best restaurants and chefs in the Seattle area in Check, Please! Northwest – their new restaurant review show featuring critiques from real local diners, not professional critics.
Thanksgiving is right around the corner! Join Rocky Mountain PBS for a holiday live chat with cooking show hosts Sara Moulton, Katie Brown, Christy Rost and more for cooking tips and discussion. (NOTE: Time-sensitive posts will receive priority.)
Want to learn how to eat healthy? Check out some Delaware Valley chefs who are teaming up with WHYY and people suffering from obesity, high cholesterol, hypertension or diabetes, to cook delicious meals with a healthy twist.

Additionally, the newsletter will have a permanent link at the bottom of the module that reads “More: Find food shows in your area” that links to this list of food programs.

So far, we have 20 local stations partnering with PBS Food. If your station would like to partake in this opportunity, please send Ashley Carufel language, a link and whether the content is time-sensitive. Extracts will go out every Friday, but the module will be scheduled in advance, so submitting content early is the best way to get your content included.

Not signed up for the PBS Food Extracts Newsletter? You can subscribe via the form here.

Contact Ashley or the the SPI team with any additional questions.

How Interactive Media Can Aid Art Accessibility (via Art21)

2012-04-13T10:46:00.003-04:00

by Kelsey Savage, PBS Interactive
Contemporary art is often criticized for being reserved for those with high brow interests and inaccessible to a wider audience. PBS Arts programming was crafted to respond to this dilemma and promote art appreciation nationwide.

The idea is that, with just the click of a button, our living rooms can be transformed into Broadway stages, black box theaters and music halls. Art21, a key fixture in the PBS Arts line-up, focuses on making art easily accessible by giving viewers an intimate look into the artist’s creative process. Now, through an experimental online project, the Art21 team is working on making contemporary art even more transparent and understandable.

The first episode of the season, Change, is currently available to stream online before its television debut and profiles three trailblazing artists: Catherine Opie, El Anatsui, and Ai Weiwei. In conjunction with this advanced screening, Art21 is also allowing viewers to submit questions to Opie and Anatsui. Their responses will be posted on the Art21 website. Jonathan Munar, Manager of Digital Media and Strategy at Art21, explains “the Q&A format also extends on the part of our mission that focuses on ‘access’… by providing a direct line of communication to the artists”. Viewers no longer have to passively have information presented to them. Instead, they can engage with the artist. Munar continues that “the Q&A format naturally lends itself to stimulating critical reflection and conversation about contemporary art and artists. We paired the episode with the Q&A because we wanted the episode to seed the conversation. We wanted to give viewers the opportunity to immediately respond to the themes, ideas, and processes covered in the episode.”

By streaming Change online before the scheduled on-air broadcast date, the Art21 Team was able to gain a lot of word-of-mouth promotion from social media sites, predictably from Twitter and Facebook. This kind of viral buzz would have been virtually impossible with just an episode teaser. Munar notes that “while our audience seems to really love that they could watch an episode immediately—by way of many tweets, re-tweets, and Facebook “likes”—trying to draw questions has been a bit more of a challenge.” It seems that people like the option of engaging with artists, yet very few people actually take the time to participate.

For future ventures, Munar has some suggestions for how to stimulate online contributions. First, content should be kept short and sweet. He recommends breaking the episode into segments using COVE chapterization. This will allow online viewers to skip to a specific artist's section instead of having to scroll through the hour long video. Another idea was to have a more real-time approach, like a live chat. Munar suspects the "asynchronous style" that Art21 used meant that viewers were less likely to be satisfied if they did not see immediate results.

Be sure to watch the premier of Art21 on April 13th. Questions for El Anatsui can be submitted up until April 18th at 11:59 EST using the hashtag #art21preview. We’re looking forward to seeing some of the engaging and challenging questions that viewers were able to pose to Anatsui and Opie.

FYI Corner: Checking in on Bento

2012-04-11T10:00:00.001-04:00

By Jen Carter, Station Products & Innovation

A few months ago, we updated you on a project called Bento. Bento is meant to develop a product link for creating station Web sites, managing online content, and leveraging Merlin and COVE data in ways that will benefit PBS Member Stations. PBS Interactive and an Alpha Test Group (ATG) made up of six stations (WSKG; WTTW; Eight, Arizona PBS; The Nine Network; KEDT, and Rocky Mountain PBS) have been collaborating on this project for the past several months via an alpha process.

Throughout this alpha process, we have reached out to Stationland in an attempt to bolster a stronger product. Thank you to the Station Advisory Council (SAC), ATG, and everyone who participated in our webinar series and systemwide survey. The feedback from these #pubmedia outlets have been paramount in the development and implementation of a Web site solution that best serves the needs of stations.

Where we stand:

We have reached and continue to expand and improve on the following deliverables:

Creation of plugins and templates for use on station Web sites;
Creation and full vetting of a CMS solution for station implementation;
Development of scalable options compatible with the wide scope of stations within the system;
Integration with the Merlin admin tool;
Rollout of product documentation (detailed below).

Our goal in the release of Bento is to capitalize on lessons learned from the COVE deployment process. As such, one of the key elements for Bento will be documentation that reinforces the rapid deployment rollout of Bento to stations. Bento documentation will outline:

How to use the Bento tool
Updates to Merlin admin tool resources, including the addition of COVE and Bento
Updates to our existing Web, editorial, design, and digital strategy best practices

Looking ahead:

As Bento continues its transition from the alpha portion to the system rollout phase, PBS Interactive and the ATG have begun discussing and evaluating how to best prepare stations for Bento. This initial process will help determine the rapid rollout schedule to the system.

Other areas of focus, over the next few months, will include:

Outlining scalability and technical support to be shared with stations during deployment.
Continued development and enhancement of audience and backend features. New features will be based on collaborative work done with the alpha stations as they prepare to launch their new sites and pages, as well as work done by other stations looking to implement Bento in the near future.
Our mission is to ensure the sustainability and success of Bento.

To help get stations moving we will be hosting several webinars and Q&A to help stations prepare for Bento (check back for updates).

Keeping in the loop:

Interested in learning more about Bento, providing feedback, or just want to stay in the know? Send us an email or leave a comment below and we’ll be sure to follow up.

Updated on May 10, 2012

WTIU Re-launches the FridayZone

2012-04-09T11:00:00.000-04:00

by Joy Loving, Station Products and Innovation

WTIU's Friday Zone site

In addition to winning one of the PBS KIDS GO! Grants with the Weather Zone, WTIU has re-launched their series the FridayZone. The WeatherZone project had been a spinoff from the FridayZone program. WTIU’s Station Manager, Phil Meyer talks to us about the re-launch of FridayZone, and what viewers can expect from the series, now entering its twelfth season.

The FridayZoneis a weekly children’s series that has been on the air since 1999. While the show is popular now, it began as a series of workshops held by WTIU as part of their Ready to Learn initiative. “Our Outreach Coordinator developed a proposal to translate those workshops into a TV series," explains Meyer. In reference to the future of the FridayZone, Meyer is optimistic for the series’ main audience. “We want kids who watch the show on Fridays to have a bunch of ideas about fun, educational things to do over the weekend and inspire them to be curious, inquisitive, and smart kids.”

WTIU's The Weather Zone

Each show is geared towards education children, between the ages of six and nine, on their surrounding environment, including six disciplines: Math, Science, the Environment, Performing Arts, Visual Arts and Indiana History. WTIU decided to redesign their FridayZone site to match the WeatherZone’s overall graphics and appeal. In addition to hosting the Weather Zone and other PBS KIDS games, the FridayZone site is a host to videos from show. Visitors to the site can watch clips on the science behind foods, parks, bikes, and other everyday items.

Says Phil Meyer, “Producing a weekly TV series is an expensive proposition. There's a reason why The FridayZone is one of the last — if not the last— local children's series.” The show was in need of a major revision, as Meyer explains, “The site had not been updated since 2007, when a cosmetic update was done with the new show logo. There was no structure for including photography (from FlickR), video (from YouTube), [or] any interaction.”

The design team behind the FridayZone included Indiana University Creative Services, with assistance from WTIU's Integrated Media Department, Director of Marketing and Producer of Children's Programming. Meyer describes a few of the challenges when working on the new FridayZone:

“When budgets are tight, some people look at what is spent on the show and wonder if that money could be spent elsewhere. But with the show in its 12th season, we're now seeing college students who work on the show who watched it when they were kids. The show has become a cornerstone of much of our fundraising and marketing, especially to foundations and legislators.”

Despite monetary concerns, Meyer says that the process of recreating the look of WTIU’s beloved children’s series was enjoyable. It brought together a talented team of creative people who worked to make the series more educational and fun for the audience. “The aesthetics of the site are taken from the show color palette, set design and animations. Getting complete shows from twelve seasons onto the site were a key deliverable as well.”

As for the future of the FridayZone, Meyer says that WTIU will be adding more online games and behind-the-scenes content. Resources for parents and teachers will also be added, such as activity sheets and an archive of all past FridayZone shows. “We are also trying to decide how (or if) social media will be included in the site,” says Meyer.

If you are living in the southern or central Indiana areas, you can catch the FridayZone every Friday at 4:30pm on WTIU and WFYI, and again on Saturdays at 10:00am on WTIU. For more information about the FridayZone and for links to other PBS Kids games, visit the FridayZoneweb page through Indiana Public Media.

Want to use WTIU’s Weather Zone on your station’s KIDS site? Visit Station Remote Control for module code and instructions.

The Weekly Debrief, 6 April 2012

2012-04-06T17:39:00.003-04:00

By Joy Loving, Station Products & Innovation

Welcome to the Weekly PBS Interactive Station Products & Innovation Debrief, which is designed to give PBS stations a rundown of product updates and opportunities announced this week on our blog.

Many thanks to everyone who submitted applications for the PBS Interactive Digital Future station scholarships, donated by our business partners, Amazon and Three Pillar Global. Stay tuned as we announce the winners no later than 5pm, Wednesday, April 11.

SAVE THE DATES

Prosper Roundtable Webinar: Three Station Representatives Talk about their plans for Prosper, Friday, April 13, 1:00-2:00 pm ET.
Anne Gleason (WTTW), Tim Eernisse (WGVU), and Shane Guiter (KLRU) will discuss, in roundtable format, plans for handling their station’s Prosper prospects and their accounting methods for monies received from the Prosper initiative.

To register for the webinar go to: https://www2.gotomeeting.com/register/993304402.

If you would like to submit questions in advance of the webinar, please email pbsi_stationservices@pbs.org.

COVE 2.0 Admin Release Webinar
Thursday, April 19, 2:00-3:00pm ET
Mark your calendars the upcoming COVE 2.0 Admin Release webinar. The walkthrough will include a demonstration of system upgrades, major new features and next steps to get your station on-boarded.

To register for the webinar go to: https://www2.gotomeeting.com/register/403630650

Initially, the new COVE 2.0 admin will be rolled out to all current COVE stations. However, we encourage all stations to attend to see what this new version has to offer. Send any questions you may have in advance of the webinar to pbsi_stationservices@pbs.org (Subject: COVE 2.0 Webinar Questions).

This Week's Blog Posts

In the March Madness spirit, PBS Food held their own hilarious #SandwichMadness contest via Twitter. Which sandwich did you vote for? Can you guess which sandwich won the battle?

Last week, Wisconsin Public Television’s David Dickinson wrote about experimenting with mobile giving; this week, David talks about the new COVE API implementation. WPT recently updated their homepage using the COVE API . To read about it and see the new homepage, follow the link below.

The DEI (The Development Exchange, Inc.), a CPB project to help stations develop sustainable and innovative fundraising techniques, recently released an updated version of their online marketing toolkit. This toolkit is available free of charge for non-DEI members on their website. More information is available by following the article link below.

This week, we introduced you to a new series by our intern, Joy Loving. In this first blog post, Joy lists her favorite social media sites and explains why you should check them out. What are some of your favorites?

Follow the links below to continue reading:

Journal of a SPI Intern: My Top Social Media Sites

As always, the SPI team appreciates all of your valuable comments and participation on our site this week and every week.

Journal of a SPI Intern: My Favorite Social Media Sites

2012-04-06T05:00:00.001-04:00

by Joy Loving, Station Products and Innovation

Welcome to a new SPI series, Journal of a SPI Intern. For the next few months, I will give insight into my duties as an intern, what it's like to work with the SPI team, and my suggestions for future SPI interns.

Working as a SPI intern has been a great learning experience. While the tasks I undertake are fun and exciting to work on, research is always required. The SPI Blog, for example, introduces readers to new social media innovations on almost a daily basis. To keep up-to-date with what’s going in public media and to hatch ideas for our blog, I regularly read a number of social media sites.

Occasionally, I run across a few sites that don’t live up to their names, but most often I come across some good, reputable resources that are worth sharing. Here are my favorites:

1) Contently‘s The Content Strategist

Why Contently/The Content Strategist? While applying to Contently, a free web-portfolio and job resource for freelance writers and publishers, I noticed a link to The Content Strategist blog page and decided to investigate. I’m definitely glad that I did, as the articles I’ve read on this blog so far have yet to disappoint.

Contently allows freelance writers to build free portfolios for potential employers to view online. It also gives these writers access to exclusive job banks and employers a means of finding quality writers. Not everyone can join however, as you have to be given permission to use Contently by submitting your email to the site. I recently received my invitation, and am steadfastly building my portfolio!

How did I find it? I found Contently via Open Culture’s (see #2) Twitter page, when they made an announcement that they were looking for new writers. A follower recommended Contently for good writers, so I took note.

What is the content like? The Content Strategist is pretty straightforward: posts on social media and marketing are given, along with details about case studies in public media. They even offer a free e-book on effective blogging that you can download after submitting your email.

Recommended read: “The Beginner’s Guide to Blogging & Content Strategy” This e-book will help those new to blogging and those looking to refresh their blogging strategies. You have to download it and have the option of subscribing to weekly emails from The Content Strategist.

2) Open Culture

Why Open Culture? Open Culture is not your typical social media web site. I started going on Open Culture to take advantage of the free languages courses they link to (Parlez-vous, Français? Not quite.), and was intrigued by the unique article and video posts they have.

How did I find it? Open Culture was included on a list of sites to visit to become more cultured and educated – for FREE. I’ve been hooked ever since and I’ve recommended it to countless people.

What is the content like? Open Culture has links to just about everything. Free movies, books, academic courses, and language lessons to name a few. If you are interested in taking open-curriculum courses at reputable schools, OC keeps links to these courses up-to-date. I mentioned the videos posted on the web page, because Open Culture is great at digging up videos that most people don’t find on a regular visit to YouTube.

Recommended read: Art in the Era of the Internet (and Why Open Education Matters). Well, what do you know? A PBS Off Book Series video made the cut on Open Culture! Watch the video and read the accompanying post as a reminder of why we need the Arts and how technology has changed the way we create.

3) Mashable

Why Mashable? Mashable.com is one of the most reviewed and referred to social media sites out there today. I’ve seen countless bloggers refer to it in their articles, and have even seen freelance employers list that applicants should be familiar with Mashable.

How did I find it? I found Mashable.com while looking for reviews of newsletter platforms. I found what I was looking for, ranked by user experience, price, etc., and more. I viewed Mashable a while ago for a different project, but had forgotten what a great resource it actually was.

What is the content like? You’ll find more than technological information on Mashable.com. The site is also a source for business, entertainment, and world news. If you’re seeking employment, Mashable also boasts a careers section, powered by Simply Hired, which lists opportunities exclusively shown on Mashable.com.

Recommended read: 8 Reasons why people aren’t following you back on Twitter. Here are some truthful reasons why the people you follow don’t return the favor – I found that I was guilty of at least two of these things.

Other social media sites worth giving a gander: Zuberance’s Zuber Rants and Shoutlet’s Blog. These two sites were recommended by Contently writers. Zuberance is geared towards professionals looking to further brand advocacy. Shoutlet is a social media software company but the blog is a worthy read if you’re looking for honest opinions on social media conferences and technologies. I have visited both blogs a few times, and can see them as useful resources for public media information.

These are the social media websites that I visit every day. Hopefully you will find them just as useful and entertaining as I have!

What are some of your favorite social media blogs or web sites? What makes them different from other social media sites you have visited? I’d love to hear what your top social media resources are, so please leave comments and suggestions in the space provided.

In addition to being a SPI intern, Joy Loving is a freelance writer in the Washington, DC area. She is the current DC Ethnic Community Examiner for Examiner.com and has written for George Mason University’s Not Just Letters Newsletter. You can check out Joy’s Contently profile here. You can also follow her on twitter: @yourjoyfriday.

The DEI toolkit just got even better

2012-04-05T14:30:00.006-04:00

Kelsey Savage, PBS interactive

DEI (The Development Exchange, Inc.) was originally conceived in 1974 as part of a Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB) project to help public radio stations develop sustainable and innovative fundraising techniques. Now, almost forty years later, DEI is still assisting public media players in cultivating successful development strategies.

Just recently, they released an updated version of their online marketing toolkit which, as Anna McDonald from DEI explains, “is a sponsorship resource, designed to help stations position and monetize their websites as part of their overall corporate sponsorship revenue-generating activities.”

This toolkit, which is available free of charge for non-DEI members on their website, provides scalable advice to public media stations looking to monetize their online presence and represents one of the many ways DEI is helping public media adjust to “rapid changes in the digital landscape”. McDonald notes that a lot of public media stations, in both television and radio, seem to be hesitant to develop online marketing strategy. The new toolkit “aims to respond to this reality by addressing some of the specific barriers to online sponsorship prevalent in public media”. In particular, McDonald states that the toolkit offers “more focused and prescriptive advice” with examples that are applicable to common problems that all stations face. DEI, along with PBS, NPR Digital Services and National Public Media, drafted real world inventory and packaging guidelines that can be tailored to each station’s size and needs.

Interested in checking out the toolkit? Login here with the username: PBS and password: sponsorship1.

We’d love to hear your thoughts on this tool. How will your station use this resource?

Diversifying Content: A Case Study on PBS Food's #SandwichMadness

2012-04-04T23:43:00.001-04:00

Kelsey Savage, PBS Interactive

While the month of March has been synonymous with college basketball, PBS Food recently set out to establish another, equally competitive, tradition-- Sandwich Madness. Senior Editor Matt Schoch had seen some parody March Madness brackets and wanted to insert PBS Food into the mix to capitalize on people’s excitement for the games. Given the popularity and versatility of the sandwich, the Food Team thought they would make the perfect edible contestants. They drafted a long list of sandwiches, and began the “surprising arduous task” of narrowing the field down to sixteen sandwiches. On March 12^th, the official start of the college bracket, PBS Food kicked off their contest with sandwiches that fell into four categories: classic, seafood, imported and meatless.

The Sandwich Madness contest and the PBS Food project overall, explains Web Producer Ashley Carufel, are an “ongoing experiment to interject PBS into subject matters where we would otherwise be irrelevant. The content verticals that PBS Interactive is working on are a great opportunity for PBS.org to experiment with new ways to leverage our content as well as our identity,” she continues. PBS Food’s Super Bowl coverage is another instance of this kind of brand experimentation. While some Facebook fans commented that they looked to PBS to get away from the Super Bowl, Carufel jokes that “the traffic to the food-focused Super Bowl content proved that people were eating it up (pun intended).”

To promote their content for Sandwich Madness, the Food Team relied heavily on select social media sites. The sandwich matchups were announced on the PBS Facebook fan page and, like a lot of the food content, generated buzz. From there, the Food Team used the hashtag #sandwichmadness to engage fans. Carufel notes they “monitored Twitter vigorously during the tournament’s run to retweet and respond to as many people as possible” from their account, @PBSFood. The team drummed up online participation by encouraging fans to declare a favorite sandwich. Some stations, like MPT and WHYY, even jumped to the defense of local favorites, the crab cake and cheesestake respectively.

Additionally, the team reached out to some of the food bloggers that they have a rapport with and asked them to hype the sandwich campaign. Many of those bloggers linked to the bracket from their personal Twitter and Facebook accounts. In the spirit of cross-promotion, one of the Fresh Tastes bloggers wrote a piece about their favorite sandwich, driving traffic across PBS Food.

Corned beef lovers will be happy to learn that the Reuben sandwich was recently crowned champion in this heated showdown. Over 22,000 votes were cast and almost 400 comments were left on the PBS Facebook fan page. Those are definitely some numbers we can stomach!

Playing With The New COVE API

2012-04-02T10:00:00.001-04:00

by David Dickinson, Online Manager at Wisconsin Public Television

WPT recently updated our homepage video player. The old player was pulling only local productions, displayed nothing if the user didn’t have Flash installed (looking at you, iOS) and consisted of a 21-step process including FTPing and editing an XML file. Yuck.

Moving forward, we hoped to make use of the COVE API to pull in national programs to promote. We also wanted to build a lightweight CMS to update the player, adding features such as scheduling to make it easier for the folks keeping content up to date.

We’ve been contracting backend work with a fantastic developer, Chester Lee. Chester was able to download and parse the COVE SMIL file to extract program info which we store in our database. We’re able to write descriptions for both local and national video, schedule new videos to appear at a given time, and more. The player itself is the JW player, modified to include playlist functionality and be more consistent with our design. It’s HTML5 compatible, so when COVE content supports it our iOS users will be able to watch video. Currently those users see a promotion for watching our content in the PBS iPad app, with a link to the app store.

You can check out a screenshot of the admin here: http://imgur.com/ofOKh

Please let me know if you’re interested in learning more or taking a peek at our code. Feel free to leave your comments below.

The Weekly Debrief, 30 March 2012

2012-03-30T18:16:00.001-04:00

By Joy Loving, Station Products & Innovation

Welcome to the Weekly PBS Interactive Station Products & Innovation Debrief, which is designed to give PBS stations a rundown of product updates and opportunities announced this week on our blog.

PBS Interactive is excited to announce that four station scholarships to this year’s Annual Meeting have been donated by our business partners, Amazon and Three Pillar Global. We know that limited (or non-existent) travel budgets can make it difficult to attend the PBS Annual Meeting, so we’re pleased to be able to offer this all-expense paid opportunity.

This opportunity is exclusively available to station digital media professionals. Anyone interested in a scholarship should complete the form located here: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/viewform?formkey=dHlidXgxb0RsaFpZeGEwdDJmWWtZb3c6MQindicating why you should be considered for a Digital Future Scholarship. Submissions are due by 5pm ET on Friday, April 6 to pbsi_stationservices@pbs.org or through the above form submission. Winners will be notified no later than 5pm, Wednesday, April 11.

The Annual Meeting is being held on May 14 - 17, 2012 at the Sheraton Denver Downtown Hotel in Denver, CO. The PBS Interactive Digital Future Scholarship will cover registration, 3 nights at the Sheraton, and round trip airfare from within the continental US. Details about the meeting can be found here.

Our partners understand that it’s very important that station digital media professionals have opportunities to share their knowledge and participate in events like Annual Meeting. Special thanks to Amazon and Three Pillar Global for their generous donations to make this scholarship fund possible.

Save the Date: Prosper Roundtable Webinar: Three Station Representatives Talk about their plans for Prosper, Friday, April 13, 1:00-2:00 pm ET. Anne Gleason (WTTW), Tim Eernisse (WGVU), and Shane Guiter (KLRU) will discuss, in roundtable format, plans for handling their station’s Prosper prospects and their accounting methods for monies received from the Prosper initiative.

To register for the webinar go to: https://www2.gotomeeting.com/register/993304402.

If you would like to submit questions in advance of the webinar, please email pbsi_stationservices@pbs.org.

This week members of the Station Advisory Council and PBS Interactive share their experiences from this year's IMA and SXSW:

Teresa Peltier of WSKG lists the ways that mobile applications and devices can best be used, heeding advice from this year’s iMA Conference. Is your station looking for ways to use mobile technology to reach your audience? Follow the link for Mobile: First or Next Step?
Libby Peterek of KLRU shares what she discovered about the appropriate use of analytics. As Libby puts it, “There are so many factors…that it is difficult to know where to start.” Fortunately, there are many solutions! Read on to see what Libby discovered about analytics at the iMA Conference.
Incorporating mobile giving applications is becoming a necessity for many businesses, as David Dickinson of WPT discovered at this year’s iMA conference. See what David learned about the effectiveness and drawbacks of mobile giving in this week’s article by clicking on Mobile Giving Experimentation.
Continuing our series of posts by iMA Conference attendees, Kristin Calhoun, Director of Station Products & Innovation reports on the “What's Your Digital Strategy Elevator Pitch?” session. Follow the link below to learn more.

Follow the links below to continue reading:

As always, the SPI team appreciates all of your valuable comments and participation on our site this week and every week.

Pitch Me!

2012-03-30T11:20:00.001-04:00

By Kristin Calhoun, Director of Station Products & Innovation

We’re all so needy. We all want more resources, more time, more money, more buy-in. And we’ve all had that moment, when you actually have the attention of someone who can give us something we need. These moments don’t come very often, but when they do, are you ready with your pitch?

At this year’s iMA conference, Mike Reszler of Minnesota Public Radio, David Dickinson of Wisconsin Public Television and I facilitated a session titled, “What's Your Digital Strategy Elevator Pitch?”

Our goal was to give the participants real world examples and tangible experience into what it takes to develop and deliver a good pitch.

We kicked off with a look at some award winning pitches like this one –

Link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r_Dgsf4iiZg&feature=related

Embed Code:

Note the time; she did that pitch in under a minute.

We then deconstructed her pitch, what were the core elements that made it successful?

1: She identified a problem. A problem that people on the street would have. An audience facing problem, not an internal one.

2: She explained her product and how her product solves the problem.

3: She described the target audience for her product.

4. And she closed with – This is what you’ll get for your investment (and a catchy tag line).

Now, the fun part. The participants broke into groups and in 20 minutes came up with their own pitches. My FAV part of this was when one group said, ‘we’re not sharing our idea until everyone in this room signs a NDA!’ It was so cool to see the ideas and energy in the room as everyone came up with their pitches. You can here the audio of the pitches here(sorry, no video).

Do you have examples of great elevator pitches? Have you been a part of a successful pitch? Did you ever see a really bad pitch? Do you like the show Shark Tank? (I do!)

We’d love to hear your stories..