Minnesota Radio Firm Eyeing Deal for USC's 'Marketplace'.Minnesota Public Radio Minnesota Public Radio (MPR) is a regional public radio network based in the U.S. state of Minnesota that has been broadcasting since 1967. The network includes more than 50 FM transmitters ranging from low-power translators in small and hard-to-reach areas up to full-power , which just this month took over public radio station KPCC-FM 89.3 in Pasadena, is negotiating to pick up another prominent player in Southern California Southern California, also colloquially known as SoCal, is the southern portion of the U.S. state of California. Centered on the cities of Los Angeles and San Diego, Southern California is home to nearly 24 million people and is the nation's second most populated region, radio. MPR (MultiProtocol Router) Software from Novell that provides router capabilities for its NetWare servers. It supports IPX, IP, AppleTalk and OSI protocols as well as all the major LANs and WANs. , a powerhouse of programming that produces "Prairie Home Companion," is negotiating with USC An abbreviation for U.S. Code. to buy "Marketplace," the university's popular weekday program, according to according to prep. 1. As stated or indicated by; on the authority of: according to historians. 2. In keeping with: according to instructions. 3. sources close to the talks. "Marketplace," hosted by former rock deejay dee·jay n. Informal A disc jockey. [Pronunciation of DJ1.] deejay Noun Informal a disc jockey [from the initials DJ] David Brancaccio, has attracted a sizable national audience of 3.7 million listeners on nearly 300 stations by taking complex business topics and distilling them into easy-to-understand stories. "We are conversing (with USC)," confirmed MPR spokesman Tony Bol, who declined to expand on the negotiations. Sources said that Marketplace Productions, the 10-year-old nonprofit producer of "Marketplace," initiated the talks -- concluding that it would have to align itself with an established media company. Marketplace Productions had approached several companies about a possible buyout, but MPR is the most serious suit or so far. "We have been looking at several options, and MPR is one of the ones we are looking at," said Martha Harris, president of USC Radio, the umbrella group over KUSC-FM 91.5 and Marketplace Productions. If MPR buys Marketplace Productions, it would most likely move the production company off the USC campus and to a downtown Los Angeles Downtown Los Angeles is the central business district of Los Angeles, California, located close to the geographic center of the metropolitan area. The sprawling, multi-centered megacity is such that its downtown core is often considered just another district like Hollywood or location, sources said. Owning Marketplace Productions would fit nicely into MPR's plans to expand into Southern California and develop more national programming. Already the public radio company owns 30 Minnesota radio stations, and it has announced plans to do more in-depth local news reporting from KPCC KPCC Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee (India) KPCC King's Park Centenary Centre (YMCA) KPCC Killington Pico Cycling Club KPCC Kanawha Pastoral Counseling Center KPCC Kern Parent Child Center . MPR also wants to tap the pool of entertainment talent that thrives in the L.A. area, perhaps to create the next "Prairie Home Companion," company officials said. As part of its expansion plans, MPR plans to build a new radio studio in Pasadena for KPCC and triple the station's budget during the next five years. Marketplace Productions was started by National Public Radio veteran Jim Russell 11 years ago in a Long Beach strip mall. It was only days from extinction several years ago before being saved by USC and moved to a five-story, bunker-like building near USC's main campus, where KUSC-FM has its radio studio. Marketplace Productions also produces "Marketplace Morning Report," a nine-minute spinoff that airs five times each morning, and "The Savvy Traveler," a weekly hour-long travel magazine. |
|
||||||||||||||||||||||
Printer friendly
Cite/link
Email
Feedback
Reader Opinion