Balance on the unspooling wire

While we talk about the future of the station–on air and on multiple digital platforms–there’s a sense of balance that must always apply. Every day there are conversations and mini-think tank meetings at the station as we begin to  imagine how to make our service to you better, how to address unmet or emerging needs.

So, my eyes and ears are open to other conversations about the future of media–and public media in particular. Here’s a link to an article in today’s NY Times that may be more relevant–right now–for those living in cities, but I’d guess many of you already relate to the need for balance between the real and virtual worlds.

Earlier this week, in a conversation with Cali Brooks at her Adirondack Community Trust (ACT) offices in Lake Placid, and Dan and Carol Luthringshauser, long-time friends of NCPR, we talked about the station’s traditional broadcast services and its increasing investment in digital services. Dan’s concern was that we not neglect our radio work, the work that has made us who and what we are, in favor of work on new platforms.

That’s one of the key issues we talk about inside the NCPR studios…all the time.

Here’s the interesting thing: as we expand outward via radio signal and digital platforms, we know we face a daily challenge to keep the quality of all of our work as high as ever, but I would argue that all of our work on all platforms continues to improve. When things are working right, there’s a symbiosis between what’s happening on air and what’s happening on the digital platforms–the stories are more three-dimensional for the radio listener and the digital audience.

Don’t get me wrong. This is not easy, but it’s where we all know we have to go. So, the recently announced Knight Foundation grant to support ACT’s collaboration with NCPR is designed to help us find ways to build up quality at the same time we build out our reach on all platforms.

And, Dan is right. The virtual world is not the real world. Radio is not the same as digital platforms. There is a difference. Our challenge is to figure out how to make good stuff better because we have an amazing array of 21st century tools at our disposal.

We will be asking you to help us in very REAL ways to make the most of all of this. You can start now by sharing any thoughts and suggestions you have with a comment on this entry…be a part of the staff conversation. Thanks.