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PRESSROOM MATERIALS
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NCPB Press Kit
NCPB overview, history, division and management information
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Media Usage Policy
photo & document rights,
uses, permissions
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PRESS CONTACTS
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Contacts for journalists and reporters only. For information about contacting KQED, please visit the Contact Us page. Please send press releases or news story ideas directly to KQED Radio Programs contacts.
Scott Walton, Executive Director of Communications
415.553.2145
swalton@ncpb.com
Yoon Lee, Director of Media Relations & Promotions
415.553.3338
ylee@kqed.org
Meredith Gandy, Associate Publicist
415.553.2116
mgandy@kqed.org
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| KQED Public Radio on the Web Surges With Listeners Hungry for News, Analysis of World Events |
Public Radio Leader and Speedera Partner to Accommodate Tripling in Online Audience in Past Several Months
Santa Clara, California, July 1, 2002 -- Speedera Networks, Inc., the emerging leader in global content delivery services, today announced that its streaming media service has helped KQED Public Radio, the nation’s most-listened-to public radio station, handle an influx of 100,000 new listeners monthly to its live and archived radio programs, streamed at KQED.org. The jump in online listeners was spurred by the events of 9/11 and traffic levels continue to grow, indicating a permanent shift in the public's interest in receiving public radio via the Web.
"The tragedy of 9/11 impacted the Internet's growth as a news medium in an unprecedented way," stated Rich Dean, Director of New Media at KQED. "Our listeners and members are more interested in serious news, public affairs, analysis and commentary provided by public radio. By streaming our broadcasts over the Internet, KQED can extend our reach to listeners outside of our broadcast signal coverage and throughout the world, 24 hours a day. Speedera's streaming technology is critical to enabling a seamless flow of heavy traffic online."
In the fall of 2001, KQED had 40,000 listeners on the Web and was keen on finding a better, cost-efficient streaming solution than was currently provided. KQED chose to outsource its live and on-demand streaming needs to Speedera for its high quality delivery, appealing price/performance ratio and comprehensive management tools for managing live events on the fly.
Over the past several months, KQED experienced a record surge of online listeners driven to the site because of not only the tragedy of 9/11, but also the crisis in the Middle East and subsequent coverage of issues surrounding other potential terror threats. In fact, listeners tuning in to KQED Public Radio on the Internet have jumped to 113,000, nearly tripling. Users of the streaming technology go beyond the San Francisco Bay Area with many regularly visiting from other U.S. states and from countries as far away as France, Korea and Japan.
"KQED is clearly a national leader as a provider of high-quality news content and productions," said Ajit Gupta, CEO of Speedera Networks. "With the dramatic increase in Internet-based listeners, Internet public radio is taking off and content delivery services, like Speedera's streaming services, are supporting it and extending its reach on a national and even global basis."
Speedera has had an award-winning year. UPSIDE Magazine named Speedera to its 2002 Hot 100 companies list and the Software & Information Industry Association (SIIA) recognized Speedera's SpeedSuite offering with a 2002 Codie Award for the "Best Internet Facilitation Service." Speedera operates one of the largest content delivery networks in the world, with connectivity to over 1000 carrier backbones and with points of presence in the Americas, Europe and the Asia-Pacific region. Speedera's network is rated as the fastest and the most consistent CDN by independent third-party tests.
KQED operates KQED Public Television 9, the nation's most-watched public television station, and Digital Television 30, Northern California's only public television digital signal; KQED Public Radio 88.5 FM, the most-listened-to public radio station in the nation; the KQED Education Network, which brings the impact of KQED to thousands of teachers, students, parents and media professionals through workshops, seminars and resources; and KQED.org, which harnesses the power of the Internet to bring KQED to communities across the Web.
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