Radio

Air America Media took another step towards becoming more than just a progressive radio network with the relaunch of its Web site this week.

Air America is upping its multimedia offerings with blogs that offer original and aggregated news content 24/7, streaming multimedia and OnDemand content, a clip library and social media tidbits like interactive chats with Air America show hosts and producers. The site now has six new channels: News, Politics, Economy, Entertainment, Lifestyle and Green, as well as a channel called "Really?" for the weirder news stories of the day.

continued...

The FCC has approved WNYC's purchase of classical radio station WQXR from The New York Times Co., the public radio giant announced this morning. The classical radio station will move to a new spot on the dial, 105.9 FM, precisely at 8 pm on October 8. The switchover from Univision, which currently broadcasts at that frequency, will occur live on stage at Carnegie Hall and will be simulcast on WNYC 93.9 FM. Univision will shift its programming to 93.6 96.3 FM.

Classical music fans must have been relieved earlier this year when WNYC, the nation's largest public radio station, emerged as a buyer for WQXR. They intend to transform the WQXR's operation into a member-supported station and have launched the $15 million Campaign to Preserve Classic Music Radio in New York City.

"WQXR will operate out of WNYC's new facilities on Varick Street in Hudson Square and the signal will continue to broadcast from the Empire State Building," says the press release.

Read the whole thing after the jump.

Earlier: WNYC Buys NYT's Classical Music Station

continued...

Public radio network NPR has officially appointed its former defense correspondent Guy Raz weekend host of afternoon news show "All Things Considered." After serving as guest host on the program for months, Raz will step into his new position officially this weekend.

"The news doesn't end on Friday," Raz said. "It continues through the weekend. We'll cover it, but we're also a place where you'll hear new voices, interesting music and compelling personal stories."

The Saturday and Sunday versions of the one-hour show draw 2.2 million listeners, NPR said.

continued...

Newspapers are dying, magazines are closing and more journalists are finding themselves without paying gigs every day. Everyone is wondering: what does the future hold for the media? We brought the questions to the front lines, asking leaders in the field to tell us: what's next?

We have discussed citizen journalism in this space before, but there is no denying the important role that social media and public involvement will play in the future of journalism. Andy Carvin, NPR's senior strategist for social media, has been working for the past few years to incorporate NPR's listeners' input into the public radio organization's reporting. We asked him how he makes it work, and what he's working on.

FishbowlNY: What do you do at NPR?

Andy Carvin: Part of my role is to come up with ways to have the public add to our shows. I very much come from the perspective that the community at large knows more about any given topic than any one reporter or organization does. Tapping into the community has been a great way to expand our coverage. For example, during the presidential debates we challenged listeners to find anything they thought sounded fishy and, if they could find any primary sources to prove their point, send it to us.

continued...

New York public radio station WNYC just announced that it has purchased classical music station WQXR from The New York Times, promising to maintain its classical format and transform it into a public radio station.

As part of the deal, Univision Radio Inc. will pay $33.5 million to swap its FCC broadcast license for 105.9 FM and transmitting equipment for the New York Times Co.'s license, equipment, and signal at 96.3 FM. Then WNYC will pay the Times Co. $11.5 million for 105.9 FM's FCC broadcast license, transmitting equipment, WQXR's call letters and Web site.

WNYC, the largest AM/FM radio station in the U.S., will maintain WQXR's 73-year history of broadcasting classical music, but will move the station to 105.9 FM. Univision will be moving its WCAA station to 96.3 FM, a move that Gary Stone, president and COO of Univision Radio said would give "the Hispanic population of New York and the surrounding area...more diversity in music, entertainment and news, while classical music will continue to have a home."

The $45 million deal, which is subject to FCC approval, is expected to close during the second half of the year and WQXR is expected to begin airing at its new spot on the dial in October.

continued...

Newspapers are dying, magazines are closing and more journalists are finding themselves without paying gigs every day. Everyone is wondering: what does the future hold for the media? We brought the questions to the front lines, asking leaders in the field to tell us: what's next?

"We're a progressive Web site that has its own radio network, and a radio network that has a Web site," he said.

FishbowlNY: Speaking on a media panel last week, you said that content providers need to find a target market for their content and that they should strive to become the "est" of something. What is Air America's "est"?

Bennett Zier: We are the most left of center-est or we're the left-est. Air America is a very well known brand and a brand that speaks to content that is left of center and progressive for listeners, viewers and readers. From our research we know that Air America has become synonymous with progressive media.

continued...

Sirius XM Radio announced yesterday that former talk show host and explosive "View" co-host Rosie O'Donnell will be hosting her own daily morning show on satellite radio come this fall.

The show, called "Rosie Radio," will be a two-hour weekday talk show featuring Rosie's unique take on the world -- "an eclectic mix of humor, pop culture and serious conversation," the satellite radio network said.

"Rosie Radio" will also have "an ensemble feel" thanks to a variety of guests who will be sitting in to talk with Rosie, including celebrities and average Joes. We doubt that Rosie's former "View" co-hosts Elisabeth Hasselbeck or Barbara Walters will be among the guests who join in the fun, although that would make for great ratings.

Full release after the jump

continued...

This morning, NPR debuted a new segment, Open Mic, on its "Morning Edition" show.

The premiere of the special series featured designer Jonathan Adler and his husband, Simon Doonan, who serves as creative director for high end department store Barneys. The couple took over the microphone for the seven-minute segment and interviewed each other about their fathers, in a kind of celebration of Father's Day this weekend.

"Simon and I both have lost our fathers and we thought it was a great opportunity to reflect on what they meant to us and especially what they meant to us in terms of creativity and being gay and all that stuff," said Adler (pictured at left with Doonan).

Later this month, the Open Mic will be taken over by "In the Heights" creator Lin-Manuel Miranda. The Tony-winning Broadway composer and performer will talk about how songs are written with composer John Kander, who won a Tony this year for the musical "Next to Normal."

And next month, Open Mic will feature author Neil Gaiman, who will discuss audiobooks.

Just last week, public radio station WNYC laid off four staffers and eliminated 11 other jobs in order to "meet [its] financial targets." But yesterday, the station posted ads for four new jobs. How can this be?

A closer look at the jobs reveals that two of them -- manager of development and major gifts research assistant -- will be heavily involved in fundraising, something the station desperately needs. The other two jobs are assistant producer positions at two WNYC shows. Although the station has been cutting back, these seems like essential positions that need to be filled, no matter the financial consequences.

An official statement from the station confirms our suspicions:

"The open positions at WNYC are not among those eliminated due to financial constraints, and the need will remain to fill positions that are vacated for other reasons."

Nielsen Co. has shuttered weekly radio and recording industry newspaper Radio & Records, a company spokesperson confirmed this morning.

A report about the pub's closure written by R&R Washington bureau chief Jeffrey Yorke was picked up by a few publications, including The Hollywood Reporter, which is also owned by Nielsen.

According to Yorke's account, publisher Howard Appelbaum called a "Town Hall Meeting" for R&R staff across the country, where he "told employees that it was a 'tough decision' but that the magazine's 'macro did not work' in this economic climate." Yorke reported that all jobs had been eliminated and that some of R&R's coverage would be moved over to Nielsen-owned Billboard. (Update: Billboard will run the radio airplay charts that R&R used to publish, but none of the editorial that the pub would have covered.)

Nielsen spokesperson Gary Holmes told FishbowlNY that less than 30 jobs had been eliminated. Those positions are "scattered around the country" with a majority in Los Angeles. R&R's current issue is the pub's last, Holmes said.

continued...