Public Radio Talent Quest Winners
Play the video to meet the winners of Talent Quest, the first public radio talent search competition to find and encourage a new generation of public radio on-air talent:
The Winners
Majora Carter
Her pilot show, The Promised Land, focuses on extraordinary individuals with innovative ideas about changing lives and transforming communities around the world and down the street. Learn more about Majora at Launch.
Al Letson
His pilot show, State of the Re: Union, takes listeners to different locations around the United States and explores how that city, town or area creates community. The show will highlight the people who help make communities work and the issues they face. Learn more about Al at his Web site, www.alletson.com.
Glynn Washington
His pilot show, Snap Judgment, explores the decisions people make, often in an instant, which can change their lives forever. Learn more about Glynn at his Web site, www.snapjudgmentradio.com.
Each winner will receive further funding to refine their show's sound and format, produce additional shows, develop cross-platform tools and work towards national distribution. They will also develop teams of advisors to help them evaluate their programs and guide them through the production process.
"CPB originally planned to fund only one pilot for further development, but we were so impressed by the creativity and talent of Majora, Al and Glynn, that we decided to fund three," said Pat Harrison, president and CEO of CPB. "Congratulations to everyone involved and thank you to PRX and Launch for finding these talented people."
"We can't wait for public radio to get an earful of Al and Glynn, we're thrilled that CPB selected them for further funding," said Jake Shapiro, PRX executive director. "Our open-source approach to the Talent Quest helped surface an incredible amount of creativity and energy. Al and Glynn will expand the sound of public radio."
"As soon as we began working with Majora, we recognized she had the enthusiasm and talent to be a great radio host," said Marge Ostroushko, co-founder of Launch. "Majora is passionate about so many important issues facing our country and local communities that her program will be a powerful addition to public radio."
Background
CPB selected two organizations, the Public Radio Exchange (PRX) and Launch to lead the Talent Quest effort and to identify three on-air hosts and help them produce pilots.
PRX conducted its search as a multi-stage, web-based contest open to the public. Over 1450 people submitted entries in the first round and more than 130,000 people voted online at www.publicradioquest.org. A panel of judges picked the top nine entries, with the 10th selected by popular vote. The finalists then had to go through three rounds of creative challenges that tested their hosting skills- all posted publicly online for comment and discussion.
Launch, a collaboration of three veteran producers -- Mary Beth Kirchner, Julie Burstein and Marge Ostroushko -- tapped into its extensive network of contacts and those of its advisory board. They scouted the nation's top musicians, writers and thinkers in search of potential hosts. Launch conducted interviews with dozens of people and produced audio "screen tests" that narrowed the field of contenders.
In September, PRX and Launch each named the three finalists they would work with over the course of several months, to produce pilot shows. When the pilots were completed, they were sent to CPB where staff and representatives from the public radio system listened to the shows and provided their feedback.
About CPB
CPB, a private, nonprofit corporation created by Congress in 1967, is the steward of the federal government's investment in public broadcasting. It helps support the operations of more than 1,000 locally-owned and -operated public television and radio stations nationwide, and is the largest single source of funding for research, technology, and program development for public radio, television, and related online services.
About PRX
PRX is an online marketplace for distribution, review and licensing on public radio programming. PRX is also a growing social network and community of listeners, producers and stations collaborating to reshape public radio. The mission of PRX is to create more opportunities for diverse programming of exceptional quality, interest and importance to reach more listeners.
About Launch
Launch is a collaboration between three veteran producers- Mary Beth Kirchner, Julie Burstein, Marge Ostroushko- with more than 75 years collective experience cultivating on-air talent and creating new public radio programming. They have participated in the creation of many of public radio's favorite programs including A Prairie Home Companion and This American Life.
Related Links
Press Releases
- The Corporation for Public Broadcasting Announces "Talent Quest" Finalists
October 1, 2007 - CPB To Launch Public Radio "Talent Quest" Initiative
February 21, 2007
About CPB
CPB, a private, nonprofit corporation created by Congress in 1967, is the steward of the federal government's investment in public broadcasting. It helps support the operations of more than 1000 locally owned and operated public television and radio stations nationwide, and is the largest single source of funding for research, technology, and program development for public radio, television, and related on-line services.