Things That Work / Lucy Nalpathanchil

 

WNPR’s Lucy Nalpathanchil named to new senior leadership position at Connecticut Public

Lucy is the second host of CT Public's Where We Live. The program was created in 2006, largely through the efforts of John Dankosky and his staff,  as the centerpiece of WNPR's efforts to create content focused on local and regional issues, and put those issues in the context of national and international trends and events. The success of Where We Live is central to the success of Connecticut Public Radio. 

Lucy's ability to connect community with larger issues is moving on up to the C-Suite at Connecticut Public. Nalpathanchil, in the statement, said “We’re a trusted source for news and information because the journalists here are top notch and are committed to their craft. I’m excited to expand the relationships we’ve developed to further connect Connecticut Public with different communities and groups, all working to make where we live a better, more equitable place.”

CT Public CEO Mark Contreras says, Connecticut Public’s Frankie Graziano and Walter Smith Randolph will step in Nov. 7 on an “interim basis to share host duties for Where We Live, as they identify a permanent host.”

More about the change is here.

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Car Talk Regrets

The Story Ended Happily

John Dankosky's Blog about Tom Magliozzi (Why Everyone Who Loves Public Radio Should Thank Tom Magliozzi) reminds of the time I decided to take Car Talk off the air. We had a classical music audience. The phone calls about the show were hostile...vehement. Based on those calls and the urging of the station manager I pulled the plug. It was a big mistake. I learned a lesson about programming by phone call. The caller represents his or her interest...nothing more. Audience figures over the next six months convinced me I made a mistake. Our Saturday morning audience went to our public radio competitors. Fund raising took a big hit. Within a year Car Talk was back. The program was welcomed back in a big way with a huge audience and blockbuster fundraising as described by John in his blog posting. I've been told the audience for Car Talk continues to be strong.

Community of Listeners

Reinstating Car Talk was the the impetus for the gathering of the public radio community. That community is one of the key concepts of the Audience '98 research project.

                  A Sense of Community

If givers think of public radio as a community, then a fund drive is a barn raising, not the Home Shopping Network. On-air pitching is passing the hat, not selling Beanie Babies. Shirts and mugs – still the most popular premiums – are emblems of membership and pride in the community, not merchandise exchanged for cash.

"Sense of community" may add dimension to the seminal concept of personal importance, and thereby help public radio professionals to influence giving, focus fundraising messages, and schedule programming. 

Communication technologies let us choose our neighbors based on their sympathies rather than their proximities. Being connected to other people by psychological rather than geographical space isn't so alien anymore.

Audience loyalty and support grew by leaps and bounds after Car Talk found a permanent place on WNPR's schedule on Saturday Morning. It was as if we had crossed a threshold of Core Listening. A solid base of support resulted. Radio at Connecticut Public Broadcasting became self sustaining.

If that sense of community disappears...Public Radio will become a memory.

CPBN's Content Gets New Direction

WNPR and CPTV will  have somebody in charge of their content. WestportNow.com is reporting that Jim Cutie is the new content director for Connecticut Public Broadcasting. Cutie moves over from the Connecticut Mirror where he was chief executive.

Dean Orton had been in charge of content until he left about a year ago. Orton came back to CPBN a few months ago to become the Chief Operating Officer. In the interim the content on WNPR was run by the producers of the three talk local talk shows and News Director John Dankosky.