To submit a news story, send an e-mail to news@iowapublicradio.org.
FOR MORE INFORMATION, CONTACT:
Jonathan Ahl
515.725.1702
IOWA REPORTERS WIN EDWARD R MURROW AWARDS
April 30, 2012 (Des Moines, IA) — Iowa Public Radio announced today three reporters have been awarded regional Edward R. Murrow awards for excellence in electronic journalism from the Radio Television Digital News Association (RTDNA).
RTDNA received more than 3,500 entries and awarded a total of 645 regional Edward R. Murrow Awards during the 2012 awards. Regional winners automatically become eligible for the national awards competition, which will be judged in June. These awards represent the winners in the region that includes Iowa, Nebraska, Missouri and Kansas. The national Edward R. Murrow Awards will be presented in October at the RTDNA Awards Dinner in New York.
Reporters from Iowa Public Radio were honored with Edward R. Murrow awards in three categories:
RTDNA is the world’s largest professional organization devoted exclusively to electronic journalism. RTNDA represents local and network news professionals in broadcasting, cable and other digital media in more than 30 countries. RTDNA has been honoring outstanding achievements in electronic journalism with the Murrow Awards since 1971. Radio, television and online news managers from markets across the country judged the entries in March and April.
Iowa Public Radio informs, enriches and engages Iowans through radio programming and other media. IPR enhances civic and cultural connections across the state, strengthening Iowa’s communities and reflecting Iowa's sense of place. For more information about Iowa Public Radio, contact us at 515-725-1700 or visit iowapublicradio.org.
###
Show Less »
FOR MORE INFORMATION, CONTACT:
Al Schares
319.273.6489
SEMI-FINALISTS ANNOUNCED FOR WELLMARK 80/35 PLAY IN
April 24, 2012 (Des Moines, IA) — Iowa Public Radio announces the eight Semi-Finalists for the Wellmark 80/35 Play In, presented by IPR’s Studio One. The Semi-Finalists represent some of Iowa’s best independent, alternative rock acts and jam musicians. The winner of the Play In will perform on the Wellmark Mainstage at the 80/35 Music Festival on Saturday, July 7.
The Play In Semi-Finalists will air live on IPR’s Studio One at 7:30 p.m. the weeks of April 30 and May 7:
Fans can listen live on the air, online or in IPR’s Cedar Falls studio, and then help decide which three acts advance to the Play In Finals. Audio, video and an online voting form will be posted by noon the day following each performance and remain active until May 25 at 11:59 pm. The three Finalists will be announced on May 31 on IPR’s Studio One, and the final showdown will take place on June 21 in Des Moines at a venue to be determined.
The Semi-Finalists were selected from more than 80 entries received by a committee made up of employees from Iowa Public Radio and 80/35. "We have an abundance of talented musicians in Iowa!" says Greater Des Moines Music Coalition board president, Justin Schoen. "We really appreciate all the acts that submitted for the Wellmark 80/35 Play In this year. It was certainly difficult to narrow it down to these eight semi-finalists. We look forward to hearing their performances on Iowa Public Radio's Studio One over the next couple weeks." Full contest details, timelines and rules are available at http://iowapublicradio.org/events/play-in.html.
Iowa Public Radio informs, enriches and engages Iowans through radio programming and other media. IPR enhances civic and cultural connections across the state, strengthening Iowa’s communities and reflecting Iowa's sense of place. For more information about Iowa Public Radio, contact us at 515-725-1700 or visit iowapublicradio.org.
###
Show Less »
FOR MORE INFORMATION, CONTACT:
Jonathan Ahl
515.725.1702
IOWA REPORTERS WIN REGIONAL AWARDS
April 11, 2012 (Des Moines, IA) — Iowa Public Radio announced today their statewide news network received fourteen Eric Sevareid journalism awards from the Northwest Broadcast News Association; five of these awards were first place awards for audio, broadcast writing, general reporting (student), investigative reporting (student and general) and talk/public affairs.
In addition to the annual awards, the NBNA honored Iowa’s Dean Borg with the 2012 Charnley Award. Named after long-time University of Minnesota professor Mitchell V. Charnley, the award is given each year to an individual working in or with roots in the six-state NBNA region who has made outstanding contributions to the field of broadcast journalism.
Dean Borg’s distinguished broadcast journalism career extends over four decades and includes reporting from locations throughout the United States and several other continents. He graduated from Iowa State University as the “Outstanding Broadcast Journalist” in 1959, and later earned a Master of Public Administration degree from the University of Iowa.
Borg has worked for Iowa Public Radio for 12 years, providing coverage of a variety of topics in Eastern Iowa. An experienced political journalist, he has covered the Iowa General Assembly and Governor’s office, as well as multiple presidential campaigns. His award-winning reporting from South Vietnam, Paris and the anti-war student riots at The University of Iowa continues as a historical reference to that era. Borg is also a fixture as host and moderator for the weekly half-hour interview and news program, Iowa Press on Iowa Public Television.
In addition to Borg, 10 reporters from Iowa Public Radio were honored with NBNA awards:
Each year, NBNA honors the best journalism in its six-state region of Iowa, Minnesota, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota and Wisconsin. This year, the organization honored radio and television stations with nearly 300 awards, given at its annual awards banquet on March 31, 2012, in the Twin Cities, Minnesota.
Iowa Public Radio informs, enriches and engages Iowans through radio programming and other media. IPR enhances civic and cultural connections across the state, strengthening Iowa’s communities and reflecting Iowa's sense of place. For more information about Iowa Public Radio, contact us at 515-725-1700 or visit iowapublicradio.org.
###
Show Less »
February 27, 2012 (Des Moines, IA) — Iowa Public Radio welcomes Lynne Rossetto Kasper, author and host of American Public Media’s The Splendid Table, to Des Moines on Monday, March 5, 2012 at the Principal Financial Group Auditorium. Rossetto Kasper will bring her characteristic charm and passion for everything food related to a presentation designed to please audible palates. She will also discuss her latest book, The Splendid Table's How to Eat Weekends, which was released in September 2011.
Lynne Rossetto Kasper has won numerous awards as host of APM’s The Splendid Table, including two James Beard Foundation Awards for Best National Radio Show on Food, four Clarion Awards from Women in Communication and a Gracie Allen Award for Best Syndicated Talk Show. Lynne is a respected authority on food, having published three bestselling books: The Splendid Table, The Italian Country Table, and The Splendid Table's How To Eat Supper, which was co-authored with show producer Sally Swift in 2008. The Splendid Table began as a live, Saturday-morning call-in show on Minnesota Public Radio seventeen years ago. As the program's popularity continued to stretch across the nation, The Splendid Table eventually became the pre-recorded program that now airs on more than 290 public radio stations in the United States, plus SIRIUS satellite radio and World Radio Switzerland.
IPR’s Insights Series brings public radio’s most acclaimed voices to audiences in Iowa. Insights Series presentations are $25 and $35; VIP reception packages, which include premium seating and a VIP reception at the event, are $75. Student ticket prices are $15. More information is available online at www.iowapublicradio.org
About the Series:
The IPR Insights Series is made possible with the support of Iowa Health System, Bankers Trust, The Richard Deming Foundation, Iles Funeral Homes, Douglas and Deborah West, Bob and Kay Riley and the Principal Financial Group Foundation.
Interview requests should be forwarded to Amanda Acton, Communications Manager, Iowa Public Radio at 515-725-1708 or aacton@iowapublicradio.org.
Iowa Public Radio informs, enriches and engages Iowans through radio programming and other media. IPR enhances civic and cultural connections across the state, strengthening Iowa’s communities and reflecting Iowa's sense of place. For more information about Iowa Public Radio, contact us at 515-725-1700 or visit iowapublicradio.org.
###
Show Less »
IPR HOSTS POLITICAL ROUNDTABLE AT UNI
February 23, 2012 (Des Moines, IA) — Iowa Public Radio will host a political roundtable in conjunction with the Iowa Association of Political Scientists Conference at the University of Northern Iowa March 2, 2012. The live event will feature panelists discussing the 2012 presidential election and state legislative priorities. Host Ben Kieffer will take questions from a live audience.
The roundtable discussion will take place on Friday, March 2, 2012, at 7 p.m. from Lang Hall Auditorium on the University of Northern Iowa campus. Panelists include Dennis Goldford, Professor of Politics at Drake University, Donna Hoffman, Chair of Political Science at the University of Northern Iowa, Chris Larimer, Associate Professor of Political Science at the University of Northern Iowa and James Q. Lynch, Politics and Investigative Reporter for the Cedar Rapids Gazette. The recording is free and open to the public. It will air on Monday, March 5 on IPR’s River to River.
River to River is Iowa Public Radio's talk program that focuses on the news, issues and events in our state. This national award-winning program goes beyond the headlines, frames community problems, and fosters conversation. River to River can be heard on IPR News weekdays at noon.
Iowa Public Radio informs, enriches and engages Iowans through radio programming and other media. IPR enhances civic and cultural connections across the state, strengthening communities and reflecting Iowa's sense of place. For more information about Iowa Public Radio, contact us at 515.725.1700 or visit iowapublicradio.org.
###
Show Less »
February 8, 2012 (Des Moines, IA) — Iowa Public Radio welcomes Bob Garfield, author and host of NPR’s On the Media, to Des Moines on Monday, February 20, 2012. Garfield will discuss the collapse of all traditional media, including much of public radio. He will also be signing his newest book on this topic, The Chaos Scenario, after the show.
Bob Garfield is the host of NPR's On the Media, a weekly show that explores how the media 'sausage' is made, casts an incisive eye on fluctuations in the marketplace of ideas, and examines threats to the freedom of information and expression in America and abroad. For one hour a week, the show tries to lift the veil from the process of "making media," especially news media, because it's through that lens that we literally see the world and the world sees us. In his non-radio life, Garfield has worked for Advertising Age for 26 years and is founding contributor to the Watchdog Blog of the Nieman Foundation for Journalism at Harvard University. He has also written and provided analysis for a variety of national magazines and television networks.
IPR’s Insights Series brings public radio’s most acclaimed voices to audiences in Iowa. Insights Series presentations are $25 and $35; VIP reception packages, which include premium seating and a VIP reception at the event, are $75. Student ticket prices are $15. More information is available online at www.iowapublicradio.org
About the Series:
The IPR Insights Series is made possible with the support of Iowa Health System, Bankers Trust, The Richard Deming Foundation, Iles Funeral Homes, Douglas and Deborah West, Bob and Kay Riley and the Principal Financial Group Foundation.
Interview requests should be forwarded to Amanda Acton, Communications Manager, Iowa Public Radio at 515-725-1708 or aacton@iowapublicradio.org.
Iowa Public Radio informs, enriches and engages Iowans through radio programming and other media. IPR enhances civic and cultural connections across the state, strengthening Iowa’s communities and reflecting Iowa's sense of place. For more information about Iowa Public Radio, contact us at 515-725-1700 or visit iowapublicradio.org.
###
Show Less »
January 30, 2012 (Des Moines, IA) -- Now music lovers can hear IPR Classical 24 hours a day, 7 days a week in the greater Des Moines area.
Listeners in the greater Des Moines area can now tune into KICP 105.9 FM and KICL 96.3 FM for Iowa’s premier broadcast source of the most beautiful and timeless music ever written and performed, from symphonies and operas performed in venues around the world and around the state. IPR’s locally produced programs like Symphonies of Iowa, University Concert, The Jazz Department and classical music can now be heard all day long, hosted by Barney Sherman, Jacqueline Halbloom, Karen Impola and Curt Snook. And, national favorites like Performance Today, Concierto and From the Top will continue on the new 24/7 classical service.
With the addition of KICP FM and KICL FM, IPR will serve a population of over 400,000 in the greater Des Moines metro and forecasts an increase in membership and corporate sponsorships. This move will also allow IPR to reevaluate other signals serving the area to expand news and alternative music programming and eliminate redundancy. “Our listeners in the greater Des Moines area can now depend on a stronger, more reliable FM signal and our corporate sponsors will benefit from a greater reach in audience,” said Mary Grace Herrington, Chief Executive Officer for Iowa Public Radio.
Long time supporter and music partner, Maestro Joseph Giunta of the Des Moines Symphony said “he is delighted to hear the news regarding the new IPR classical signals in the greater Des Moines area allowing all Central Iowans to hear classical music twenty-four hours a day. This will greatly enrich the lives of many and continue the outstanding reputation IPR has earned with their listeners.”
Iowa Public Radio informs, enriches and engages Iowans through radio programming and other media. Iowa Public Radio enhances civic and cultural connections across the state, strengthening communities and reflecting Iowa's sense of place. For more information about Iowa Public Radio, contact us at 515-725-1700 or visit iowapublicradio.org.
###
Show Less »
FOR MORE INFORMATION, CONTACT:
Al Schares
319.273.6489
Jonathan Ahl
515.725.1700
IOWA PUBLIC RADIO PRESENTS HOLIDAY SPECIALS IN NOVEMBER
November 9, 2011 (Des Moines, IA) — Iowa Public Radio will air a number of specials during the month of November.
Iowa Public Radio informs, enriches and engages Iowans through radio programming and other media. IPR enhances civic and cultural connections across the state, strengthening communities and reflecting Iowa's sense of place. For more information about Iowa Public Radio, contact us at 515-725-1700 or visit iowapublicradio.org.
###
Show Less »
October 24, 2011 (Des Moines, IA) — Tony Dehner has been promoted to Production Assistant for Iowa Public Radio.
Tony Dehner was promoted to Production Assistant on July 1, 2011. In his role, Tony will record live studio performances and concerts and edit and package audio for Iowa Public Radio’s Classical and Studio One music programming. Tony joined Iowa Public Radio in 1998 as Overnight Board Operator and has since worked in Traffic and Network Operations as Broadcast Master Control Operator. Prior to starting with Iowa Public Radio, Tony was a reporter at WVIK in Rock Island, Ill.
Iowa Public Radio informs, enriches and engages Iowans through radio programming and other media. IPR enhances civic and cultural connections across the state, strengthening Iowa’s communities and reflecting Iowa's sense of place. For more information about Iowa Public Radio, contact us at 515-725-1700 or visit iowapublicradio.org.
###
Show Less »
October 17, 2011 (Des Moines, IA) — Political scientists from across the state will join Iowa Public Radio’s Ben Kieffer for a roundtable discussion of presidential politics, Iowa’s role in the election process and President Obama’s performance in office. The discussion will take place at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, October 25 at the University of Iowa’s Shambaugh Auditorium.
Participating in the discussion are Tim Hagle of the University of Iowa, Donna Hoffman of the University of Northern Iowa, Bruce Nesmith of Coe College and Caroline Tolbert of the University of Iowa. All of the panelists are regular participants in the weekly political discussion on Iowa Public Radio’s talk show The Exchange. They’ll discuss some of the most interesting questions facing Democrats and Republicans in 2012.
The live event is free and open to the public from 7 p.m. until 8:30 p.m. at the University of Iowa’s Shambaugh Auditorium, located in the UI Main Library on South Madison Street. It will be moderated by Ben Kieffer, host of The Exchange. The audience will be encouraged to join in the discussion. The evening will be recorded and broadcast on Wednesday, October 26, 2011, at noon.
Iowa Public Radio informs, enriches and engages Iowans through radio programming and other media. IPR enhances civic and cultural connections across the state, strengthening Iowa’s communities and reflecting Iowa's sense of place. For more information about Iowa Public Radio, contact us at 515-725-1700 or visit iowapublicradio.org.
###
Show Less »
September 15, 2011 (Des Moines, IA) — Stacey Godfrey has been named Executive Administrative Assistant, Jason Burns has been named Broadcast Operations Specialist and Scott Stuntz has been named Broadcast Operations Specialist for Iowa Public Radio.
Stacey Godfrey joined Iowa Public Radio as Executive Administrative Assistant on June 1, 2011. Stacey most recently served as a Legal Administrative Assistant and Legal Secretary for Hopkins and Huebner, P.C. in Adel, and has served in similar executive administrative support roles at Terrus Real Estate Group and The Meyocks Group in central Iowa. Stacey attended Grand View University in Des Moines, where she studied Business Administration and Marketing.
Jason Burns joined Iowa Public Radio as Broadcast Operations Specialist on June 20, 2011. Burns most recently served as Operations Manager for Sturgis Falls Broadcasting in Cedar Falls, and has served in a similar operations and on-air talent position at Cumulus Media in Waterloo. Jason received his Bachelors degree in Communication Arts from Wartburg College.
Scott Stuntz joined Iowa Public Radio as Broadcast Operations Specialist on June 20, 2011. Stuntz has spent the past five months working in Hawaii, and has previous work experience with Iowa Public Radio, serving as a temporary Broadcast Operations Specialist and earlier as a student board operator. Scott received his Bachelor of Arts degree in Journalism from Iowa State University.
Iowa Public Radio informs, enriches and engages Iowans through radio programming and other media. IPR enhances civic and cultural connections across the state, strengthening Iowa’s communities and reflecting Iowa's sense of place. For more information about Iowa Public Radio, contact us at 515-725-1700 or visit iowapublicradio.org.
###
Show Less »
For more information, contact:
Mary Grace Herrington
Iowa Public Radio | 515.725.1701
John McCarroll
Iowa State University | 515.294.6137
Sheila Doyle Koppin
Board of Regents – State of Iowa | 515.281.3332
August 4, 2011 (Des Moines, IA) – Iowa Public Radio announced today the intent to acquire KZHZ-FM and KZHC-FM – a purchase supported by Iowa State University and approved by the Board of Regents for the State of Iowa. At a cost of $1.75 million, IPR will fund and operate KZHZ-FM and KZHC-FM streaming the first ever 24-hour classical music service for the greater Des Moines metro as well as residents in Madison, Warren, Marion, Clarke, Newton, Jasper, Adair, Union, Lucas and Dallas counties.
Playing the dual role of IPR board member and fiscal agent, Iowa State University’s Vice President for Business and Finance, Warren Madden, said “IPR has long sought to fill the gap in Des Moines with a strong, reliable FM signal. As their fiscal agent, ISU is able to support an internal financing platform allowing the maturing statewide network to exercise its muscle for true growth.”
“Upon the creation of IPR, the organization was challenged to integrate operations of the public radio groups licensed to Iowa’s public universities, reduce their financial dependency on university funding and manage growth to serve a statewide audience,” said Robert Donley, Executive Director for the Board of Regents. “It is clear that with the acquisition of the Des Moines stations in addition to newly constructed stations in Ottumwa and Bettendorf and their planned expansion next year in Sioux City that IPR is fulfilling a key tenet in their strategic plan to become a statewide network.”
With the addition of KZHZ-FM and KZHC-FM, IPR will serve a population of over 400,000 in the greater Des Moines metro and forecasts an increase in membership and corporate sponsorships. This move will also allow IPR to reevaluate other signals serving the area to expand news and alternative music programming and eliminate redundancy. “Our members in the greater Des Moines area can now rely on a stronger, more reliable FM signal and our corporate sponsors will benefit from a greater reach in audience,” said Mary Grace Herrington, Chief Executive Officer for Iowa Public Radio.
The sale transaction is expected to be completed over the next few months. Herrington notes a marketing campaign will then launch to inform listeners, donors, corporate sponsors and other stakeholders.
Iowa Public Radio offers three streams of programming – news, classical and alternative music and broadcasts throughout the state on 21 frequencies. The organization has annual combined revenues of over $6 million. The five-member Iowa Public Radio Board of Directors includes one representative from each of Iowa’s public universities as well as two community leaders appointed by the Board of Regents.
Iowa Public Radio informs, enriches and engages Iowans through radio programming and other media. IPR enhances civic and cultural connections across the state, strengthening communities and reflecting Iowa's sense of place. For more information about this event or any of Iowa Public Radio’s programming, contact us at 515-725-1700 or visit iowapublicradio.org.
###
Show Less »
June 28, 2011 (Des Moines, IA) -- Iowa Public Radio will provide a live broadcast of the Des Moines Symphony Orchestra’s “Yankee Doodle Pops” on July 1, 2011, as part of its ongoing Performance Iowa series.
Iowa Public Radio’s broadcast of the Des Moines Symphony's Yankee Doodle Pops concert begins with a program preview with host Jacqueline Halbloom at 8 p.m. Scheduled guests include Maestro Joesph Giunta and operatic tenor Eduardo Villa, who will be featured in the evening’s performance. The concert, broadcast from the lawn of the Iowa State Capitol Building in Des Moines, begins at 8:30 p.m. and will feature patriotic favorites, including a special tribute to the Iowa National Guard.
Performance Iowa showcases Iowa's best performers as well as visiting musicians making a special stop in Iowa and in our studios. Host Jacqueline Halbloom goes behind the music in each broadcast with IPR’s classical music team and celebrity guests.
Iowa Public Radio informs, enriches and engages Iowans through radio programming and other media. IPR enhances civic and cultural connections across the state, strengthening communities and reflecting Iowa's sense of place. For more information about Iowa Public Radio, contact us at 515-725-1700.
###
Show Less »
June 23, 2011 (Des Moines, IA) -- Iowa Public Radio announced today the expansion of the News, Studio One and Classical formats in several Iowa communities. Effective Monday, June 27, 2011, the changes reflect a response to audience requests and listening patterns.
All Iowa Public Radio programming is available online and via mobile device free of charge, 24 hours a day. Information about listening online or via mobile device is at www.iowapublicradio.org/about-ipr/listen-live-help.html.
Iowa Public Radio is committed to bringing the best possible programming to the widest possible audience. These changes were informed by listener comments and audience data and will help Iowa Public Radio reach more people with more options for programming.
Iowa Public Radio informs, enriches and engages Iowans through radio programming and other media. Iowa Public Radio enhances civic and cultural connections across the state, strengthening communities and reflecting Iowa's sense of place. For more information about Iowa Public Radio, contact us at 515-725-1700.
###
Show Less »
June 9, 2011 (Des Moines, IA) -- Nile Hartline has been named Underwriting Sales Manager for Iowa Public Radio.
Nile Hartline joined Iowa Public Radio as Underwriting Sales Manager on March 1, 2011. Hartline most recently served as Director for Training Solutions at Learning Communications LLC and has served in similar sales, marketing and sales management roles at American Media Inc., Novations Training Solutions and The Principal Financial Group. Nile earned a BA in English from the University of Iowa and an MA in English from Drake University.
Iowa Public Radio informs, enriches and engages Iowans through radio programming and other media. IPR enhances civic and cultural connections across the state, strengthening communities and reflecting Iowa's sense of place. For more information about Iowa Public Radio, contact us at 515-725-1700.
###
Show Less »
March 10, 2011 (Des Moines, IA) -- Iowa Public Radio is pleased to announce gift commitments totaling $550,000 – the largest gift ever received – from the long-time public radio community support group, the Friends of KHKE/KUNI. The gift will support infrastructure improvements in the Cedar Falls KUNI studios where IPR has centralized all classical and Studio One music services.
“IPR has made a commitment to continue the very popular Studio One format featuring blues, folk, jazz, alternative and vintage rock including a focus on independent artists from Iowa. We believe centralizing that service along with classical music in Cedar Falls was a good move. But they needed quite a facelift on the facility and new equipment, so we decided to fund the purchase of a new mixing console and digital routing, furniture and fixture updates and a new antenna for KUNI, “ said Steve Firman, president of the Friends of KHKE/KUNI. “We feel we’ve done our part, now we are watching for Congress to do their part by continuing federal funding for public broadcasting that ensures our programming for classical and Studio One continues.”
“Studio One is the second largest listening audience of all IPR formats with 29% of those listeners representing a 25-44 demographic according to the Spring 2010 Arbitron report, “ said IPR’s music director, Al Schares. “We continue to achieve our expansion goals not just in our footprint across the state but in attracting and retaining new, younger listeners.”
“Cultivating this precious gift from the Friends of KHKE/KUNI, a separate 501 c 3 nonprofit corporation whose purpose includes creating awareness for public radio and generating support through gifts and special projects, began in June 2009 over a lunch meeting. We exchanged ideas on the history of the organizations and our future together. It was important for me to understand their commitment to KHKE/KUNI’s music format and I am grateful for their support in sustaining the service,” said IPR’s chief executive officer, Mary Grace Herrington. The two organizations have begun discussion for a seed gift of $1,000,000 for an operating endowment.
Iowa Public Radio informs, enriches and engages Iowans through radio programming and other media. IPR enhances civic and cultural connections across the state, strengthening communities and reflecting Iowa's sense of place. For more information about this event or any of Iowa Public Radio’s programming, contact us at 515-725-1700.
Show Less »
June 29, 2010 (Des Moines, IA) -- Iowa Public Radio announced today it has begun nearly $1 million in capital improvements to its facilities on the Iowa State University campus in Ames that will enhance the network's signal strength and clarity as well as provide fail-safe systems to ensure the entire network remains on the air in the aftermath of severe weather.
"The upgrades to our facilities at Iowa State University will greatly expand Ames' strategic role and serve as our technology hub," says Mary Grace Herrington, Chief Executive Officer.
The network also announced it has completed the co-location of live, locally produced music programming at Iowa Public Radio's Cedar Falls studios. Supporting the effort is the inclusion of the public broadcasting industry's most comprehensive digital music libraries and studio facilities that can broadcast live Classical and Studio One music performances before live audiences. Herrington says Barney Sherman and Curt Snook will be originating their IPR Classical programs from Cedar Falls starting July 1 to take advantage of the expanded library and studio facilities. Hollis Monroe, who has hosted Classical Music during the mid-day hours, chose not to accept a relocation offer from the network.
"We will greatly miss Hollis's on-air talent and depth of knowledge," adds Herrington. "However, we look forward to continuing to broadcast the finest music ever written -- hosted by highly talented, knowledgeable Iowa Public Radio hosts." The capital improvements at both the Ames and Cedar Falls facilities were funded by a combination of grants to the network, including grants from the state's I-JOBS infrastructure development fund. In addition to locally originated music programming, Iowa Public Radio also broadcasts talk programs, "TALK OF IOWA" and "THE EXCHANGE" from its Iowa City studios and hosts local segments of NPR's "MORNING EDITION" as well as the state's most comprehensive legislative coverage from studios in Des Moines.
"More than 50 percent of our music programming broadcast by Iowa Public Radio is locally produced with local hosts who connect Iowans with the cultural fabric of our state," Herrington says. "The steadfast commitment and the technology improvements enhance the efficiency of our broadcast operations and add even more richness to the Iowa Public Radio listening experience."
###
Show Less »
September 9, 2010 (Des Moines, IA) -- In an aggressive move to manage growth and fill vacancies as a result of retirements and talent shifts, Iowa Public Radio is pleased to announce the following new hires and promotions:
Kelly Edmister joined Iowa Public Radio as Chief Administrative Officer on September 7, 2010. Kelly is a Certified Public Accountant and earned a BA in Finance from Fort Hays State University in Hays, Kansas, and an MBA from Rockhurst University in Kansas City, Missouri. Kelly most recently served as Assistant Controller at American Equity Investment Life Insurance Company in West Des Moines.
Don Russell joined Iowa Public Radio as a Broadcast Engineer on September 1, 2010. Don most recently served as a Chief Operator/Network Specialist at Maverick Media in Rockford, Illinois, and received his certification as a Certified Broadcast Radio Engineer from the Society of Broadcast Engineers.
Kate Wells joined Iowa Public Radio as Cedar Rapids Reporter on September 1, 2010. Kate holds a BA in Religion from Principia College. She had been a summer intern for Iowa Public Radio, and previously interned at New Hampshire Public Radio.
Kathleen Masterson joined Iowa Public Radio as the CPB LJC Agriculture Reporter on August 23, 2010. Kathleen comes from National Public Radio in Washington D.C. where she served as an Associate Producer on the science desk. She has also held print and radio journalism positions in Madison, WI and has worked on film documentaries. Kathleen has a Bachelor's Degree in English from Bowdoin College in Brunswick, Maine, and a Master's Degree in Journalism from the University of Wisconsin.
Charity Nebbe joined Iowa Public Radio as the Talk of Iowa Host on July 1, 2010. Charity most recently worked for Michigan Radio as the All Things Considered Host. Charity returns to Iowa having previously hosted Morning Edition, Talk of Iowa and Midday at WOI in the Ames. It was during this time that she also launched the nationally syndicated program Chinwag Theatre as the co-host along with noted children's author Daniel Pinkwater.
Jeff Schmidt was promoted to Executive Producer of Talk Shows on July 1, 2010. Jeff joined Iowa Public Radio in August of 2006 as a reporter, and was named a producer for the talk shows in 2008. Before coming to IPR, he held news management positions in commercial radio and television in Cedar Rapids and worked on a national sports radio program.
Alex Heuer was promoted to Talk Show Producer on July 1, 2010. He is responsible for producing The Exchange and also helping out with Talk of Iowa. Alex joined Iowa Public Radio as the organization's first Cedar Rapids Reporter in January 2009.
Iona Myers was promoted to Senior Development Officer on July 1, 2010. Iona attended the University of Iowa and double majored in African American studies and English. She has served IPR in underwriting sales for more than five years.
Kristy Conrad was promoted to Senior Development Officer on July 1, 2010. Kristy is a graduate from the University of Northern Iowa with a BA in Communication Studies. She has served IPR in underwriting sales for more than four years.
Amanda Acton was promoted to Communications Manager on July 1, 2010. Amanda holds a BA in Anthropology from the University of Northern Iowa and an MPA from Drake University. Amanda joined IPR December 2009 after serving in a marketing and events capacity at Children & Families of Iowa.
Iowa Public Radio informs, enriches and engages Iowans through radio programming and other media. IPR enhances civic and cultural connections across the state, strengthening communities and reflecting Iowa's sense of place.
###
Show Less »