The Association of Independents in Radio, Inc. (AIR) today launched the beta site for Localore, a new MQ2-inspired initiative designed to fuel public media’s innovation capacity. Gates are open for producers, stations to sign on.

Through Localore, AIR will recruit talented radio, TV, film, and online producers to lead 10 station-based projects blending approaches to broadcast and digital platforms. The range of radio and television stations signed on to Localore crisscrosses from Vermont to Alabama, Ohio to Arizona, Pittsburgh to the Pacific Northwest. Big stations in major markets have begun to throw their hats into the ring alongside small rural stations, public television dual licensees, and Native American stations out west. Launch stations will be announced at an event on September 22nd at the PRPD’s Public Media Programming Conference in Baltimore.

Radio and television stations interested in taking on a Localore project are encouraged to “raise their hands” and demonstrate their preparedness for incubating Localore innovation by signing on to the Station Runway. There, prospective incubator stations will present three to five minutes of media (slide show, video, or audio piece) showcasing their creative culture, their distinctive community, and their vision for engaging a new community of public media citizens.

Localore producers are invited to submit proposals between today’s launch date — September 15th — and November 10th at Localore.net. A second round of vetting in December will call on producers, matched with incubator stations, to submit final proposals. Projects will launch between March and June 2012, with a time frame of execution anticipated at nine to 12 months.

AIR has assembled its own multiplatform, collaborative production team to lead Localore, including Executive Editor Noland Walker, a Peabody- and Emmy Award-winning producer/director of PBS and independent documentaries, and author/journalist Jessica Clark, who led the Future of Public Media project at American University’s Center for Social Media from 2007 to 2011. She serves as AIR’s Media Strategist.

In many ways, the Localore project reflects the changing composition of AIR itself, with a membership that is rapidly diversifying and expanding public media and journalism. AIR was founded in 1988 by a group of 10 independent public radio producers in New York City. It has since grown into a global, social and professional brain trust of more than 800 producers — both independent and those employed by media organizations — representing an extensive range of disciplines, from NPR news journalists and reporters to sound artists, station-based producers, podcasters, gearheads, web developers, and more. Public media’s leading networks — American Public Media, NPR, PRI — and leading producing stations from across the U.S. are also in the ranks of AIR.

Learn more about the nuts and bolts of Localore in this video of AIR’s recent producers’ webinar.

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Links:
www.AIRmedia.org
www.localore.net
Webinar video: www.vimeo.com/29065323
Project logos are available at: http://www.airmedia.org/PageInfo.php?PageID=480

Funding for AIR comes from our members and the generous support of the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB), the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, the New York State Council on the Arts (NYSCA), Wyncote Foundation, Recovery.gov, and the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA), which believes that a great nation deserves great art.
Association of Independents in Radio
P.O. Box 220400
Boston, MA 02122
Phone: 617-825-4400
www.airmedia.org

Association of Independents in Radio
PO Box 220400
Boston, Massachusetts 02122

Copyright (C) 2011 Association of Independents in Radio All rights reserved.