Metadata on the table
Dennis Haarsager, who maintains the excellently useful site Technology360.org, moderated the panel on technology at the Public Radio Leadership Forum held on May 10th, 2004. I just became aware of his notes from the session available here in PDF format.
A summary from the 2004 IMA conference was presented, including the idea (being pushed by Mark Fuerst) of a public radio supersite like CBC.ca or Knight Ridder Digital. I'm not smart or arrogant enough to rule anything out, but I don't see NPR stations abandoning their local station sites in favor of one big national public radio portal. The CBC and BBC web sites are outstanding, but they don't have pesky local stations like mine that serve local audiences in unique ways. And my rhetoric radar hits Orange Alert when I hear we need a big supersite so we can "put the user first." (For the record I'm in favor of putting the user first, along with a strong America, good jobs, and family values.)
James Paluzzi, General Managerof Boise State Radio, noted the need to 'think metadata.' "With multiple distribution platforms using both real- and non-real-time access quickly developing," writes Dennis, "public broadcasters will need to employ digital asset management techniques utilizing a common metadata standard."
The meaning of the word 'metadata' remains sketchy for most people in public broadcasting, including GMs, but at least it's on the table. We need to find a way to agree on that common standard, and develop tools powerful enough to be useful, and easy enough to be used. In the weeks ahead I hope we can turn this site into a place where we can make that happen.
A summary from the 2004 IMA conference was presented, including the idea (being pushed by Mark Fuerst) of a public radio supersite like CBC.ca or Knight Ridder Digital. I'm not smart or arrogant enough to rule anything out, but I don't see NPR stations abandoning their local station sites in favor of one big national public radio portal. The CBC and BBC web sites are outstanding, but they don't have pesky local stations like mine that serve local audiences in unique ways. And my rhetoric radar hits Orange Alert when I hear we need a big supersite so we can "put the user first." (For the record I'm in favor of putting the user first, along with a strong America, good jobs, and family values.)
James Paluzzi, General Managerof Boise State Radio, noted the need to 'think metadata.' "With multiple distribution platforms using both real- and non-real-time access quickly developing," writes Dennis, "public broadcasters will need to employ digital asset management techniques utilizing a common metadata standard."
The meaning of the word 'metadata' remains sketchy for most people in public broadcasting, including GMs, but at least it's on the table. We need to find a way to agree on that common standard, and develop tools powerful enough to be useful, and easy enough to be used. In the weeks ahead I hope we can turn this site into a place where we can make that happen.
