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| KQED.org Becomes Third Media Platform As "Local Life" Launches on the Web |
KQED Convenes Community on the Web with Bay Area Content
Sun Microsystems, Oracle, Others Power New Web Portal
San Francisco, California, November 7, 2002 -- Facilitating more in-depth participation in activities offline and communities online, KQED Public Broadcasting relaunched its Web site -- KQED.org -- as its third media platform joining KQED Public Television 9 and Radio 88.5 FM. The dynamic new Web site ushers in a new digital age for the organization's online community initiatives -- extending beyond radio and television -- offering Web-exclusive and television/radio supplemental content.
The backbone and theme of the site -- "Local Life" -- is where KQED spotlights Bay Area-produced content. The new KQED.org will be the home of original content that aggregates and produces text, video, audio and artwork that captures the essence of Northern California and the variety of local perspectives, ideas and experiences. Designed to enrich the community while inspiring civic and social engagement -- "interactivism" -- KQED.org will also continue to complement local, regional and national television and radio programming beyond the broadcast.
Users of KQED.org are invited to contribute to the new site curated under the editorial direction of the KQED Interactive team, which will ensure that the quality of content matches the quality that listeners and viewers have come to expect from the KQED brand. KQED is partnering with a variety of organizations and institutions to co-curate content. Preliminary partners include Aquarius Records, SFArts.org, Bay Area Farmers' Markets and the League of Women Voters of California, to name a few.
A sample of some of the instant upgrades and improvements users of KQED.org will experience include email reminders about KQED programs; customizable experiences ("My KQED"); searchable program databases; news headlines; local calendar listings; discussion boards; and content channels. Eight "channels" of Web-exclusive and television/radio programming content will be available and housed at KQED.org -- Arts & Literature; Education & Learning; History & Cultures; Home & How-To; Kids & Family; Local Focus; News & Public Affairs; and Science & Nature.
"KQED.org was already among the most effective Web sites in the public broadcasting system, having experienced an 800% increase in usage over the past two years," said John Boland, executive vice president and chief content officer. "Now KQED has invested in new hardware and software and developed a unique content strategy to take KQED.org to the next level -- a third media platform, working in tandem with KQED Public Television and Radio, but also with its own unique interactive capabilities. KQED.org will connect us to the communities we serve in meaningful ways and turn content into a conversation."
The editorial and production team behind KQED.org will be renamed as KQED Interactive, better mirroring the mission and scope of the site. Vice president of KQED Interactive and Educational Services Richard Winefield and director of KQED Interactive Rich Dean are leading the KQED Interactive relaunch of KQED.org.
"The KQED Web site will deliver on the mission of public broadcasting in a compelling and entertaining way," added Winefield. "I think it will surprise some people -- we've taken a few risks in the way we've designed the site, but they're the kinds of risks public broadcasting should be taking in this new era. It's our hope that KQED.org will encourage people to log on for a virtual experience and then log off to take the experience to a real space."
The relaunch of KQED.org took 18 months and was guided by the San Francisco-based Web design agency, 415, Inc., which provided strategic counsel, creative vision and project management. KQED selected 415 based on the agency's diverse client portfolio, proven success, solid cultural match and ability to collaborate closely with in-house resources. Technology integration -- managed by 415 through vendor evaluation -- was accomplished with the assistance of Deloitte Consulting, which selected Sun Microsystems, Interwoven, Oracle, BEA Systems, Conxion and Verity to form the technological foundation of the new KQED.org.
KQED.org is funded, in part, by the KQED Campaign for the Future. In response to the unfunded federal mandate to convert television broadcast technology from analog to digital, KQED Public Broadcasting has embarked on its $70 million Campaign for the Future. The initiative is an effort to secure funding from individuals, corporations and foundations for the conversion to digital technology for television and radio; the development and production of new and existing television and radio programs; and the transition of KQED's infrastructure to move toward the digital future. The KQED Campaign for the Future also encourages broad-based strategic partnerships with other organizations throughout the region.
KQED operates KQED Public Television 9, the nation's most-watched public television station, and Digital Television 9, Northern California's only public television digital signal; KQED Public Radio 88.5 FM, the most-listened-to public radio station in the nation; KQED.org, which harnesses the power of the Internet to bring KQED to communities across the Web; and KQED Education Network, which brings the impact of KQED to thousands of teachers, students, parents and media professionals through workshops, seminars and resources.
415, Inc.(415.com) is an interactive design firm headquartered in San Francisco, California. 415's proven expertise in visual and user interface design produces measurable results. From Fortune 500 enterprises to internationally recognized cultural institutions, 415's clients include 3Com, Credit Suisse, Intel, KQED, Levi Strauss & Company, the Library of Congress, McGraw-Hill, Macromedia, Providian Financial, Robert Mondavi Wineries, and the San Francisco Symphony.
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