Wordless Wednesday: Julie Moore

Look out...Julie Moore, Director, Product Management – Audience Facing, goes Jersey Shore

SPI Files: Jayme Swain - Sr. Director, Strategic Growth, PBS Interactive

by Joy Loving, Station Products and Innovation

In this week's SPI Files, meet Jayme Swain, our Senior Director of Strategic Growth. Jayme is a former sports journalist who has been with PBS Interactive for a few years. Read on to find out more about Jayme, and see how she answered our quick-fire questions!

Who are you and what do you do at PBS Interactive?

Hi, I’m Jayme Swain, and I’m the senior director of strategic growth at PBSi. Our team’s goals are to better engage the current PBS.org audience and bring new audiences to our content – wherever it lives.

How long have you been at PBS?

4 years.

Before PBS, what did you do?

I’ve been a bit of a nomad. I began my career in television with CNN in Atlanta. I then pursued my dream as a sports journalist, working for FoxSports.com and MSGNetwork.com in NYC. But then the bubble burst! So I packed up my bags and moved to Washington D.C., where I did a second tour-of-duty at CNN to produce live shots. However, I missed the burgeoning digital world so I moved back into web production and product development at U.S. News & World Report and RevolutionHealth.com – a start-up by Steve Case.

If you didn't work in public media, what would you be doing?

I’d probably be a swim coach and train full-time for triathlons.

Explain PBS Interactive in Twitter-style, 140 characters or less.

Enthusiastic team of geeks who are devoted to innovating and experimenting to keep PBS and stations relevant and engaging in the digital age.

We are excited about the upcoming Film Festival! What can you tell us about it?

To reach new audiences, we feel it’s important to high lightsome of the amazing content that exists in public media that doesn’t make it on-air. Working with ITVS, POV and the National Minority Consortia, we hatched an idea to host PBS’s first Online Film Festival, showcasing 20 short films over 5 weeks (starting today - February 27). People can find the film festival both on PBS.org and YouTube, and they are encouraged to vote for their favorite film.We consider this a proof-of-concept with the goal of gathering best-practices and learnings for a much larger film festival for March 2013. Stay tuned!

What is the next big thing for you and your team in PBS Interactive?

A vacation after the film festival?! Once we come up for air, we’re continuing to strategize about how to present original content to our audience and how to better integrate local and national content -- both web-only and broadcast --across all of our platforms.

What do you see as the future for public media and how does PBS Interactive fit into that vision? Emerging digital platforms offer public media an awesome opportunity to reach new audiences anywhere, any time and engage them in a way television can’t do. To me, it’s a very exciting time for PBS Interactive to be on the forefront of experimenting with emerging technologies and working in tandem with stations and producers to define what public media can be in this new era.

And – just for fun – a few quick-fire questions:

iPhone or Android? Android

Dogs or cats? Dogs

Blog platform of choice? None, I’m not a blogger

Elmo or Grover? Elmo

I am currently listening to… Mumford and Sons

I am currently reading… Just finished Unbroken by Laura Hillenbrand and am looking for book suggestions.

I’m currently watching (TV, film, etc)… Downton Abbey and a lot of college hoops (Go Hoos!).

Most overused phrase: Sadly it’s a curse word not fit for this blog :).

The Existence of Writers in a Tech-Savvy World

by Joy Loving, Stations Products and Innovation

Our technological world progresses every hour, minute, and second:  smartphone applications, webinars, streaming online content, social networking, e-reading and so on. For the writer, these innovations in public media make it necessary for us to evolve, not only in our craft but in our thinking. As a writer myself, and current graduate student studying professional writing and rhetoric, I sometimes question how I can keep up with these changes. What perspective can I give that has not already been provided?


While the interest in reading things in print is steadily waning among the new generation, some ask, “What will happen to the average writer?” In today’s world, the idea of the “average” writer has changed. It seems like almost everyone these days has a blog. The Internet has made finding topics to write about easier, but also more competitive. If you’ve heard about a new media innovation and wish to write about it, you’d better believe someone else has already had this idea before you and produced it. 


Writing is as integral a part of social media as heat is to cooking; the two simply will forever go hand-in-hand. And even though the advances in our society today point to a decline in literacy, writers will always be present. 

These days our written formats may have become simpler (blogging, marketing, copywriting, etc.), but the fact remains that we as people still require effective and clear information. People will always require entertainment; we will always seek education. And at the very core of each of these necessities is the orator and power of the pen (or QWERTY keyboard). So will the existence of true, content writers go extinct? I don’t think so – they’ll simply be disguised behind new media faces. 

Watch Us Surprise You: The PBS Online Film Festival

by Anaïs Cayo, New Media Content Editor, PBS Interactive

On February 27th, PBS will launch its first-ever Online Film Festival in partnership with CAAM, ITVS, LPB, NAPT, NBPC, PIC and POV.

For five weeks, we’ll premiere 20 short films from a selection of the best of public media on PBS.org and YouTube.

Why a film festival?
In the coming year, we plan to highlight web original content from across public media in new and exciting ways. We thought a film festival was a great way to celebrate a collection of short films from our partners, get the audience involved and experiment with a festival format.

The films were chosen because they all have “surprising” qualities to them- the characters and stories are unexpected for public media films; that is why we have chosen “Watch Us Surprise You” as our tagline. These are stories that only PBS can tell.

Watch Sizzle Reel on PBS. See more from PBS Online Film Festival.

What Kind of Films Can You Expect to See?
The 20 films range from 3-20 minutes in length. You’ll watch strong women and girls take charge, join millennials in action, discover true stories, examine who we are, and uncover the little more off-beat.

We have a great selection of films – both documentary and fiction -- from our producing partners, all dedicated to presenting each group's unique stories in the digital age.

Where Can We Watch?
You can now watch all the nominated short films on PBS.org as well as PBS official YouTube Channel!

All these films will be embeddable so we encourage you to share these virally.

How Can Fans Vote?
Please encourage your friends and fans to vote on PBS.org or on YouTube. On PBS’ YouTube channel, you’ll be able to “thumbs up” each film.

On PBS.org, click the Facebook "like" button on the video player on each film's page.

We will hand-count all votes that way to determine a People’s Choice award-winner for the first-annual PBS Online Film Festival!

What Social Media Promotion Can You Expect?
YouTube: We will be taking over the PBS YouTube channel (complete with a film festival skin) for the first few weeks of the festival. We will also be debuting the PBS YouTube redesign with this festival.

Facebook: PBS will have a special Facebook tab on its fanpage to highlight the film festival.

Twitter: @PBS will be tweeting every week throughout the festival to promote the films and user voting. Please use #PBSolff

Tumblr: Make sure to “reblog” pbstv on tumblr. We will be posting all the videos for each category every week. We’ll post one a day to keep interest until the following category.

Badges: We have commissioned graphic “badges” for each film to be used in promotion of the festival by the filmmaker, partners, and you! There’ll be more to come on where you can pick them up soon.

SXSW: We have made postcards to be handed out at SXSW (which is during the second week of the festival). If you’re at SXSW, make sure you get your hands on one!

The 2012 iMA and SXSW Conferences are Approaching: Will You be There?

by Joy Loving, Station Products and Innovation

The iMA conference and SXSW are fast approaching! Will you be in attendance this year? The iMA conference will be held March 7-8, 2012, while SXSW events will take place March 9-18, 2012; both events will be held in Austin Texas.

iMA’s presentations this year promise to be just as exciting as last year’s, with plenty of exhibitions for those of us in Public Media. Here are a few of the events that we at PBS are excited to see:

• Advanced Analytics: Concrete Case Studies to Improve Your Digital Effectiveness
• Drupal Developers Unite! Inaugural Pub Media Drupal Developers' Clinic
• Django Jam Session: Developers' Clinic
• HTML5 for Media Makers
• Connecting the Innovators in Pub Media

The re-launch of the SXSW Interactive sessions will certainly be a great attraction this year, as well. Here are few events that may be of interest to you and others in public media:

• Popping Your Bubble: Stories of the Digital Divide
• Driving the Change: Public Media goes Transmedia
• Hyper Local Public TV Station Models – Content 3.0
• Social Media Boundaries: Personal/Personnel Policy

For further descriptions of these sessions and information about the conference schedule, be sure to visit iMA and SXSW’s websites. We hope to see you there!

The Weekly Debrief, 17 Feb 2012

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.


Skipping ahead to next week, in observance of Presidents’ Day, PBS offices will be closed on Monday, February 20th, 2012. We will reopen on Tuesday, February 21, 2012.

This week we spotlight Square, a combination mobile app and credit card reader from Twitter architect, Jack Dorsey. Stations like KLRU and KCPT are already experimenting with it and seeing success.

Also this week, SPI team member Amy Baroch sheds light on Pinterest and how stations can use this popular social networking site to its advantage. Amy also shares tips to better understand and enjoy Pinterest for new users. 

The PBS NewsHour is looking for segments from stations to feature on a broadcast spot. The ideal segment should run about 6:30 in length. In addition to filling the broadcast spot, the station will be featured and published on The PBS NewsHour website. Submissions should be e-mailed to Teresa Gorman at tcgorman88@gmail.com.

This week we introduce you to the producer liaison for the Station Advisory Council, Dennis Palmieri. Dennis is the Managing Director of Communications and Media Strategy at ITVS. In this interview, Dennis gives us a look at the upcoming season of Independent Lens and OVEE, the new Online Video Engagement Experience in the works at ITVS. 

Tracey Wynne from PBS Parents brought in a yummy treat for Valentine’s Day. Check out the Wordless Wednesday link below to see what Tracey brought in for us.

Follow the links below to continue reading: 

• Square: Donations Made Easy
• FYI Corner: Pinning it all on Pinterest
• The SPI Files: Dennis Palmieri, ITVS
• Wordless Wednesday: Valentine’s Day Memories

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

Square: Donations Made Easy

by Kelsey Savage, PBS Interactive

Last week, David Wilder, the Associate Creative Director of Broadcast & New Media Design, wrote a piece about how technology could allow PBS to turn micro donations into a bigger asset. Thanks to devices like Square, he pointed out, PBS stations can swipe a credit card literally anywhere with an internet connection and a smart phone. With no implementation costs or contract fees, an easy to use design and email receipt tracking, it seems like a no-brainer for all stations to have one of these devices handy at all community events.

Square is run by Jack Dorsey, of Twitter fame and being hailed by tech gurus as an innovative and practical device, particularly for organizations that rely on a grassroots fundraising methods (read: viewers like you). In fact, Wilder points out that both the Romney and Obama campaigns are working to adapt Square’s payment system for the upcoming presidential election. While this donation format might not generate contributions in the four or five figure range, they can certainly add up over time. As a recent college graduate who rarely carries around cash or a checkbook and has not established a charitable giving portfolio, on-the-spot electronic donations are highly appealing to me. And while ten or twenty dollars might not mean a lot now, it seems worthwhile to try to become part of a donor’s annual giving routine while they are young.

A few #localpbs stations are already experimenting with Square and are singing its praises. Libby Peterek, Director of Web Services at KLRU, says that they have been using Square services to sell Austin City Limits merchandise and that it has been “wildly successful”. Tamra Wilson, also from KLRU, notes that since it “allows for purchases to be made using ATM and credit cards it offers great flexibility - as the deposits are made directly it really helps with accounting”. The only challenge that Wilson has found so far is making sure that she always has a steady wireless connection.

KCPT's promotions and outreach coordinator, Lindsey Foat, also commented that her station has been using Square with iPads to take donations and that it is particularly useful when “someone wants to become a member right there on the spot”.

It’s already hard to enough to get people to open up their wallets; we might as well try to make donating as simple and accessible as possible. Square seems like the perfect tool for that.

Read David’s full blog post on his neat blog, it’s wilder.

Wordless Wednesday: Valentine's Day Memories

The cookies Tracey Wynne (PBS Parents) brought in yesterday.

FYI Corner: Pinning it all on Pinterest

by Amy Baroch, Station Products & Innovation

Just when I thought that I couldn’t have room in my heart for another social network - I have fallen in love. And this love is different than anything I’ve ever felt. From the lovely bright logo and visually beautiful layout, to the ease and simplicity of sharing, to the way I can get lost and find myself coming up for air an hour later having discovered so many new things. So here I pin my heart on my sleeve and open my arms to Pinterest.

By now you’ve probably heard about this new social network taking the internet by storm. Currently an invite-only network, Pinterest has grown exponentially since it’s launch last year and just last week, CNN Money reported that “Pinterest is now driving more referral traffic on the web than Google+, YouTube, Reddit, and LinkedIn — combined.” That is pretty amazing!

What exactly is Pinterest? Most simplistically, Pinterest let’s users create virtual bulletin boards containing links, videos, and photos of anything they find interesting. And this means ANYTHING. From wedding plans, to super bowl party recipes, to horror movies, to home décor ideas, users pin and repin and share their interests online. It’s this kind of sharing that has quickly made a huge impact on social commerce.

Pinterest’s demographic skews mostly 18-44 year old females but with nearly 4 million users and it’s rapid growth, Pinterest is attracting users of all ages and gender across the internet. PBS TeacherLine, PBS NewsHour, Sesame Street, and PBS Parents all have active Pinterest accounts. --> PBS Food recently launched an account and already has nearly 250 followers across 7 boards! Since January, Pinterest is PBS Food's fifth highest source of referral traffic – only exceeded by StumbleUpon, Facebook, and their food bloggers personal websites. The traffic has been growing as well, which the team has not seen with the PBS Food Twitter or Tumblr accounts.

Says PBS Food Web Producer, Ashley Carufel, "Since Pinterest is largely a lifestyle social network, PBS Food is a natural fit. We discovered in our research that the reported gender, age, education and salary demographics of Pinterest users were rather close to our own demographics; therefore, we felt Pinterest was a great opportunity to reach an audience who would arguably be interested in our content. We want to identify websites/platforms where our users already are, engage them on those platforms, and draw them back to PBS.org."


Local station WNET/Thirteen in New York City has a Pinterest account for their Kids Club that hosts several boards reaching out to their community beyond what kids can watch on TV or do online. Boards like NYC Culture for Kids and Just for Moms are ways to engage their fans in new ways.

As with any social network, there are guidelines to follow so that users get the best out of the experience. Something we always talk about here at PBS is that stations and producers shouldn’t do something if they can’t do it well. Stations don’t need to be everywhere – so Pinterest may not be for you. However, if you do decided to give it a try, Pinterest’s “Pin Etiquette” is very helpful. Especially rule #3: Avoid Self Promotion. “Pinterst is designed to curate and share things you love. If there’s a photo or project you’re proud of, pin away! However, try not to use Pinterest purely as tool for self-promotion.” Use Twitter or Facebook for that. And by the way, you can link Pinterest to your Twitter and Facebook accounts.

To see what content from your own station web site people are pinning, you can go to pinterest.com/source/pbs.org (supplement in your own root url for pbs.org).

What do you think about Pinterest? Are you or your station using it? If so, let us know in comments below. Interested in starting a new account but need an invitation? We can help with that too – just contact us and we’ll set you up.

The SPI Files: Dennis Palmieri, ITVS

by Amy Baroch, Station Products & Innovation

Last week in our special "new members of the SAC" SPI Files series, we caught up with WSKG's Teresa Peltier. This week we are talking to our new producer liaison, Dennis Palmieri from ITVS.

Who are you and what do you do at ITVS?
I'm Dennis Palmieri, and I'm Managing Director of Communications and Media Strategy at ITVS. In that capacity, I lead a dynamic Communications Department of 13 talented people who work across three units (Publicity & Marketing, Engagement & Education, and Interactive). Together, we work to promote the Emmy Award-winning PBS series Independent Lens and other PTV programming produced by ITVS (including the WORLD series Global Voices), we lead the largest and most successful engagement program anywhere in television--Community Cinema, which brings community screenings to more than 100 cities and towns each month, and our online and social media efforts include 5 in-depth websites, and an lead role in innovating new digital platforms for public media.

How long have you been at ITVS?
I have been at ITVS for 7 years (wow!, time flies!!)

Before ITVS, what did you do?
Prior to coming to ITVS, I worked in communications and advocacy for other large non-profit organizations, including serving as Director of Communications for the Hispanic Scholarship Fund (the nation's largest provider of college scholarships to Latino students) and spent 6 years working for Amnesty International, the world's largest human rights organization, as a legislative advocate and organizer, public relations officer, and later as Deputy Director for the Western U.S.

If you didn't work in public media, what would you be doing?
Probably either working in advocacy for human and civil rights issues, or one day pursuing my dream of having an organic foods business!

Explain ITVS in Twitter-style, 140 characters or less.
ITVS is the largest public funder of indie docs, produces the PBS series Independent Lens, and leads in engagement and digital innovation.

We are excited about the upcoming season of Independent Lens and the Community Cinema program. What can you tell us about it?
We have a really incredible line-up this year. For openers, we are just about to dive into Black History Month with 3 fantastic films (More Than a Month, Daisy Bates: First Lady of Little Rock (see a clip below), and The Black Power Mix Tape) which are all being broadcast this month. The first two of these films are both part of this year's Community Cinema slate (we had screenings throughout January and there are more this month). This powerful line-up is preceded by the 5-part Have You Heard from Johannesburg, the definitive documentary on the history of the Anti-Apartheid movement.

Watch A Civil Rights Hero Who Put Her Life on the Line on PBS. See more from Independent Lens.

Later in the season, we'll be offering three films in particular that will get people talking: Hell and Back Again (nominated for a Best Doc Oscar this year) is an incredible story of a veteran of the war in Afghanistan and includes some of the most riveting war footage I've ever seen from Director Danfung Dennis; Revenge of the Electric Car will have everyone lining up to get their Tesla on order (both HABA and CAR are Community Cinema Films for April and May); and Being Elmo may be the run-away hit of the season, giving audiences a chance to meet the man behind the Muppet!

The Weekly Debrief, 10 Feb 2012

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.

This week we talked to WTIU’s Scott Witzke about the creation of the Weather Zone and how this can be used on your station site to reach your community. Stay tuned in the coming weeks for more interviews with PBS KIDS GO! Grant winners. 

In this week’s SPI Files, get to know another new SAC member Teresa Peltier,  WSKG’s New Media and PR Specialist.  Follow the link below to check out our  interview with Teresa. 


The PBS SPI team is commemorating Black History Month by showcasing some #localPBS stations' sites hosting events and offering information honoring Black History Month. Check out WXXI’s feature on Grammy-awarding winning pianist and violinist Terrance Williams and Kelly Hall-Tompkins. KACV is also recognizing Black History Month with their “Our Voices” interviews. Read more about PBS and Black History Month in this week's FYI Corner. 

Winners of the Bento Survey have been announced! Overall, we had had 117 responses. We'll share the results very soon! Congratulations to the winners of the Station Bento survey prize package:

Julianne Lamsek – KCTS 9

Tim Dungan – SOPTV

The WPNE (WPT) Online Team – lead by David Dickinson

Melinda Stamp – WNMU

Nathan Gibbs – KPBS 

The PBS Facebook page reached 1 million fans recently. Take a look at this delicious  commemoration of this milestone. Has your station conducted a similar Facebook Like campaign? Would you like to start one?  Contact us and let us know pbsi_stationservices@pbs.org. And as always, feel free to post any pictures of your Wednesdays.   

 

Follow the links below to continue reading: 

• PBS KIDS GO! Web Development Grant Winner– WTIU, The Weather Zone
• The SPI Files: Teresa Peltier, WSKG 
• FYI Corner: Commemorating Black History Month
• Wordless Wednesday: PBS Facebook Campaign

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

PBS KIDS STEM Video Game Challenge

by Kelsey Savage, PBS Interactive

As a kid, my typical Sunday morning featured chocolate chip pancakes that were drenched in maple syrup and a marathon viewing session of my favorite PBS shows, like Arthur, Zoom and The Magic School Bus. But after I had memorized every episode of those shows, my parents turned to computer games to keep me occupied. In particular, I remember spending hours with the zany Mrs. Frizzle, her students and their anthropomorphic bus. While I viewed my time in front of the computer as fun and playful, I was totally oblivious to the fact that I was also absorbing lots of information about the human body, outer space, geography and the environment. Besides that, the game’s interactive nature taught me decision-making and problem-solving skills.

It seems that, as technology becomes a larger part of the learning experience, video games like the ones that shaped my childhood are being incorporated into more and more classrooms. David Lowenstein, Senior Director of Ready to Learn at PBS, explained that when video games are properly designed, they can be “highly-effective teaching tools, especially when coupled with resources that help educators integrate the games in to formal and informal learning environments.” Now, the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB) and PBS KIDS Ready to Learn Initiative is encouraging people of all ages to build games that develop early math skills for children ages 4-8, in conjunction with President Obama’s Education to Innovate Campaign and the 2012 National STEM Video Game Challenge. The Challenge, as David explains, is to “incentivize educators and students to create video games using free on-line game-making platforms like Gamestar Mechanic,” particularly around subjects in the science, technology, engineering and mathematic (STEM) realm.

As part of this effort, CPB and PBS KIDS will be hosting a webinar for teachers on Thursday, February 16, 2012 from 4:00-5:00pm EST that will demonstrate how to enter the PBS KIDS Stream of the National STEM Video Game Challenge using GameStar Mechanic to make their own educational game for children age 4-8, even without knowledge of computer coding. Besides this, PBS KIDS has a lot of relevant material available for game-makers online—like examples of successful early education math games and information about the contest.

Already, Lowenstein says, “lots of cool content has been generated through Gamestar Mechanic including games about pollution and world peace.” Twelve PBS affiliated stations (Twin Cities Public Television, WBGU, WCNY, WHRO, WKAR, KLRU, WQED, WUSF, WVPT, WXEL, WXXI, and UNC-TV) have garnered attention for this initiative through on air and community promotions. Lowenstein notes that “the response has been fantastic, although we’d love to see more students and educators submitting games to the PBS KIDS stream.” The contest ends March 12, so be sure to encourage your constituents and local educators to see what kinds of math games they can develop for a younger generation.

PBS KIDS GO! 2011 Grant Winner: The Weather Zone, WTIU

By Joy Loving, Station Products and Innovation

Welcome back to our series of interviews with 2011’s PBS KIDS GO! Grant winners. Each of these stations created modules for children that could be adapted by other PBS stations and fill a gap in content that is not currently represented by PBS. Stay tuned as we continue to introduce you to this year’s winners and their customizable products available to stations.

Scott Witzke is WTIU’s Director of Marketing and Internal Affairs. In this interview, he provides an inside look at his experience with the PBS KIDS GO! competition and gives advice to future competitors.

Indiana University’s WTIU has produced The Friday Zone for over 13 years. This award winning program offers PBS KIDS audiences videos and interactive games that enable them to learn about different things, from introducing them to different types of music to learning green-living tips.

In 2011, WTIU created The Weather Zone. Says WTIU’s Scott Witzke: “We felt that The Weather Zone was a natural connection. We just upgraded our web site and this game is the perfect conversation piece in our community.”

The Weather Zone teaches children ages 6 to 10 the importance of determining weather conditions and provides users a chance to discover and play with local weather. Children are educated on the differences between humidity, temperature, and pressure. This module encourages children, parents, and teachers to interact to learn more about the science behind weather.

All participating stations in the PBS KIDS GO! grant competition were given the opportunity to work with grant mentees, previous winners of the grant. WTIU worked with WFYI of Indianapolis. Witzke describes WFYI as “wonderful and a pleasure to work with.” A major part of the completion was creating a module that could be easily adapted by other PBS stations. According to Witzke, customizing the game is simple. “All [stations] have to do is upload their logo. The game asks for individuals to enter a zip code so at localizes effortlessly.” So far, fellow station KACV in Amarillo, Texas has customized the Weather Zone module for their site.

KACV's Local Weather Zone

Witzke adds that the most enjoyable part of the creative process was coming up with the various graphics included in the Weather Zone. The most difficult part was making the game understandable for the station’s targeted audience.“The most difficult thing was taking a subject as complicated as weather and breaking it down into terms that a 6-10 year old would understand. There's a big difference in knowledge between a 6 and a 10 year old.”

When asked what advice he would give other PBS stations who wish to improve their PBS KIDS presence, Witzke replied “Go out on limb sometimes. You might be excited by what you see.”

The Weather Zone code and implementation instructions can be found on Station Remote Control (station login required). Also included with module code and instructions is a toolkit for additional Weather Zone promotion and teaching guides.

If you have any questions for Scott or WTIU, please feel free to leave a comment below.

Wordless Wednesday: PBS Facebook Campaign

A little treat for reaching 1 million fans on the PBS Facebook page

FYI Corner: Commemorating Black History Month

The PBS SPI team would like to commemorate Black History Month by showcasing features being presented by #localpbs stations and on PBS.org.

WXXI’s Homework Hotline normally devotes its time to helping kids live on-air with their homework. This month, however, the program will “showcase segments that profile community leaders, business professionals and artists that are shattering boundaries and making a difference in their chosen fields and communities.”

One of these segments features an interview and duet with Grammy award-winning pianist Terrance Williams, and concert violinist Kelly Hall-Tompkins. Watch the video below to learn how education affected the lives of Williams and Hall-Tompkins, and their advice for aspiring artists.

KACV is recognizing Black History Month with their very own “Our Voices” interviews. KACV interviewed residents of Amarillo about their experiences during the Civil Rights Movement. To hear stories from Reverend W.F Roberts, who recalls living in Louisiana during the Civil Rights era., or Pearlene Martin, the first female president of the Amarillo NAACP. To view the rest of the videos and more about the program click here.

The SPI Files: Teresa Peltier, WSKG

by Amy Baroch, Station Products & Innovation

The next installment of our Meet the SAC SPI Files features another one of our favorite #localpbs #pubmedia people. You may know Teresa from our Station Bento webinar series a few weeks ago or from her work with our Mobile Working Group. Here you can learn a little bit more about Teresa and what she does with WSKG in Binghamton, NY. Teresa is seen left with her dog, Ernie.

Who are you and what do you do at WSKG?
I’m Teresa Peltier, New Media and PR Specialist at WSKG. I oversee WSKG’s digital endeavors, including our website, social media, news blog and anything else exciting and emerging in the new media world. I also do quite a bit of graphic design, branding, fundraising and events work.

How long have you been with WSKG?
I’ve been with WSKG since May 2009.

Before WSKG, what did you do?
WSKG is my first (and best) job! But if we’re being technical, I was a circulation desk attendant at the Physical Sciences Library while a student at Cornell University. Due to budget tightening, that library closed right before I graduated; it was a sad day.

If you didn't work in public media, what would you be doing?
I would probably be a tattoo artist, foot model or aspiring future President of the U.S. Or a pirate. Or a cowgirl.

Explain WSKG in Twitter-style, 140 characters or less.
Classic and current public radio, television and web; on-air and online 24/7 in NY’s Southern Tier and Northern PA

You are currently one of our star Alpha Group Station members for the Station Bento project. You’ve also been involved with our Mobile Working Group and contributed to the SPI blog. How do you juggle the priorities you have at your station and serving all of #pubmedia?
I’ve invented a time turner like Hermione Granger’s. JK.

Time-management is easily one of the most worthwhile skills I acquired at college. I keep a notebook with daily to-do lists (which my colleagues often ridicule for it’s persnickety organization and layout, but it really helps keep me focused), and I do my best to prioritize projects with the help of my boss, Caroline Basso, almost daily. Many of my projects overlap, so it’s easy to combine certain tasks. For example, rethinking and redesigning WSKG’s website has gone hand-in-hand with much of the work done for the Station Bento project. Of course, keeping in mind the mission and vision of the station and of #pubmedia helps orient every project and creates a unified, underlying current in each task I take on.

And on the weekends, relaxing is the only thing on the to-do list which keeps me fresh during the workweek!

Editor's note: WSKG's fabulous redesigned site launched on February 1st.

We are intrigued by WSKG's Masquerade event coming up on February 25th. We are intrigued. Can you tell us more about this community event?
Yes! Masquerade is a gala fundraising event for WSKG. All proceeds will benefit the station, and in return, we will wine and dine our amazing supporters for an evening. We’ll feature wine, beer and liquor selections from local breweries and wineries, plus music by a local Dixieland and Bayou Gumbo concert band “The DixieKats.”

The Weekly Debrief, 3 February 2012

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.

This week, we give an update on Preparing for Disaster.  Recently PBS Hawaii experienced a studio fire prompting the station to raise money for its recovery. This emergency and PBS Hawaii’s response to it was a catalyst for other stations to create disaster preparedness plans and training for employees, including how to use social media to quickly communicate with the public.

Also this week, the SPI Files continue with interviews of the Station Advisory Council’s new members. This week, we introduce David Dickinson of Wisconsin Public Television. In this interview, David describes WPT’s work with mobile applications and future projects. Follow the link below to read the complete interview. 

In this week's Station Spotlight, there’s a competition brewing this Sunday between Downton Abbey and Super Bowl XLVL! WHYY created a social media campaign to promote Sunday night’s show, sparking conversation among fans of the hit series.  

The monthly localization report for PBS.org traffic associated with your individual station is now available for January on the Localization Statistics page in Station Remote Control. 

Follow the links below to continue reading: 

• FYI Corner: Preparing for Disaster - Fires, Hackers, Oh My!
• The SPI Files: David Dickinson, Online Manager at WPT
• Station Spotlight: WHYY's #choosedowntonabbey Campaign
• Station Localization Stats for January, Now Available (station login required)

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

Station Spotlight: WHYY's #choosedownton campaign

By Kelsey Savage, PBS Interactive

With just a few days left until the weekend, the water cooler talk around our office has been decidedly focused on one issue—Sunday’s head-to-head between our beloved Downton Abbey and the Super Bowl XLVI.

WHYY is now taking this debate onto the internet and even adding a little bit of tongue-in-cheek humor to the argument. Their #choosedownton campaign, which started last Sunday, takes place on a variety of different social media platforms over the course of this week. While Tony Sadowski, Promotion Producer at WHYY, admits that even though Super Bowl XLVI will inevitably have more viewership, “the idea of "humble, little" PBS taking a swing at the juggernaut that is the Super Bowl really made me smile. In many ways, it is the literal polar opposite of what public television stands for.” He notes that a fair chunk of Super Bowl tune-ins come from viewers who are not regular football fans and just claim to watching it for the commercials. “Why not make a play for the sweet spot of that Venn diagram - people who aren't really emotionally invested in the game, but are into Downton?”, Sadowski questions.



In fact, much of WHYY’s campaign is about finding ways to engage new audiences that are tuning into PBS for the first time thanks to the popular Masterpiece program. By making humorous YouTube videos, Sadowski hopes to “let newcomers know that PBS isn't all stiff and buttoned-up. We have more to offer than just this series. We're not just cool once or twice a year!” Another campaign goal is just to inform PBS viewers that Downton will still be airing at 9pm, even though it might feel like the rest of television has taken a temporary pause. Lastly, Sadowski and the WHYY team are also trying to raise awareness about online streaming options for folks who decide not to watch the show live.

This is just one example of WHYY Promotions’ general shift towards a “more energetic and playful tone in our promotional efforts”. Sadowski argues that “in so many ways, public media are often trend-setters. One way to "grow down" our audience without dumbing down the content is to better sell the "coolness factor" to people who haven't been paying much attention to our TV or radio efforts, but would probably like what we have to offer.” To him, the internet is a perfect testing ground for this attitude shift because of its young, experimental and social nature. It’s also relatively inexpensive. Yet, he is also careful to note that using the internet as a promotional tool means that the content has to stand out on its own (and hopefully not for being notoriously bad). For example, he explains, “you can’t force ‘cool’ online - you can’t tell people something’s viral”.

So far, this social media effort has received positive results. Within minutes of adding their first #choosedownton post to Facebook, WHYY had users making comments like “Not even a question for me! It’s Downton all the way!” On Twitter, a handful of other PBS affiliated stations, like @WyomingPBS and @WGTEPublic, have adopted the sassy hashtag. Of course, the crux of this campaign will take place on the big day. We can’t wait to see how the internet reacts to this satirical and creative push for Downton Abbey viewership.

Wordless Wednesday: PBS Board Meeting Set Up

View of the PBS Board meeting set up