Wordless Wednesday: 2012 PBS Annual Meeting

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

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

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:

• Kevin Ruppenthal Talks TechCon 2012
• 2012 PBS Annual Meeting: Digital Future Preview 
• Introducing: PBS Interactive Station Guide 
• Making the Most of Your COVE 2.0 and Mobile Video Content 
• Wordless Wednesday: Good Stuff Eatery
• Update -- FYI Corner: Checking in on Bento

2012 PBS Annual Meeting: Digital Future Preview

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

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 blog and 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.