Future of Public Radio

Anyone who thinks of Terry Gross when they hear the term "fresh air" is aware of the recent trials and tribulations of National Public Radio.

With hostile leadership both in the legislative and executive branches, not to mention within their own management circles at the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, the institution has had to fight for its political (and financial) viability.

The real threat, however, is the same one facing the music industry and broadcast television: namely, the power of the viewer to choose what they see, hear and interact with on an individually designed schedule. It even allows for real-time citizen reportage that scoops the traditional media.

Doug Kaye, founder of IT Conversations is at the heart of the podcast revolution. His
recent blog post speculates on the viability of the publicly funded radio icon in light of consumer-produced media.

From The Future of Public Radio:

"The future of public radio may not be podcasting, but it will certainly be based on much lower-cost methods of producing and distributing most programs, and as incumbents in the industry, the WGBHs of the world are unable to cannibalize their own operations to the extent they must to survive. To do so would mean walking away from all the buildings and studios and firing 80% of the staff. Just as 3.5" disk drives replaced the 5" drives at a far lower price/performance ratio, so will the new public radio produce and distribute programs at a far lower cost. And it won't be done by the same organizations."

WIE and the Enlightened Corporate Machine

What is Enlightenment? Magazine (or WIE) has filled an intersting space in the publishing arena: the intersection of religion, philosphy, business, science and ecology.

In the March-May issue, the writers focus on the new generation of CEOs who are trying to apply their personal awareness of the world to the actions of their enterprises.

The issue titled, Will Big Business Save the World? features senior leaders from erstwhile enemies of global consciousness such as Nike, Unilever, Hewlett-Packard and McDonalds. They stand along side other long-time advocates for system change as Peter Senge of SOL, Walter Robb of Whole Foods Market, Inc., and Dadi Janki of the Brahama Kumaris World Spiritual University.

The WIE website is chock full of rich articles and audio interviews (requires monthly subscription) that take a good look at the complexity of the issues. Although the publication has a decidedly New Age viewpoint, the articles address real world problems and theoretical/theological debates without listing too far to the Left or Right or the spectrum. The primary focus is on connectivity instead of divisiveness, with white papers available directly from the coporations they analyze and opposing viewpoints.

Doing well by doing good requires taking it all in, and WIE is attempting to do just that.

Capital Shakers and Market Breakers

Listen to a podcast from the June 24th session Social Change--for Profit? Capital Shakers and Market Breakers included top social investors and entrepreneurs recognized for building unique and cutting edge progress in bridging business and social change; each shared breakthroughs as well as hard lessons learned from the trenches.

Panel leader was Amber Nystrom, Executive Director, Social Fusion, a business incubator for social entrepreneurs in the San Francisco Bay Area; panelists included leaders from Rubicon, Calvert and Microcredit Enterprises.

[from Stanford's Solution Magazine]

This engaged dialogue showcased the mainstreaming of social investing and the bridging of private sector and traditionally philanthropic and nonprofit sectors through so-called double bottom line investing. San Francisco is quickly assuming a global leadership role in social investing, where investors and philanthropists are achieving simultaneous financial as well as social benefit returns on investment.

Million Dollar Partnership for Entrepreneurial Studies

The new partnership between the Skandalaris Center for Entrepreneurial Studies at Washington University and YouthBridge Association, a St. Louis agency dedicated to innovative youth-focused social ventures, will foster and expand social entrepreneurship through a new award and competition.

One million dollars has been pledged for the effort, and other area universities, institutions, community groups, and foundations have been invited to collaborate in the effort.

Read full article:
WUSTL, YouthBridge to partner for social entrepreneurship
One million dollars would support new initiative
By Shula Neuman

Globeshakers: The Podcast

In partnership with Doug Kaye at IT Conversations, an on-line radio program focused on social innovation is about to hit the virtual airwaves.

Globeshakers is a program highlighting people who are transforming the world through technology, social enterprise and sustainable solutions. The host? Why it is the Accelerator's very own Tim Zak.
Each program he'll interview various species of "globeshakers" who work across the world and across industries, using innovation to shake up the status quo.

• The Shakers: people on the ground working for social change.
• The Movers: users of personal star power and influence to build buzz for a mighty cause.
• Big Brains: the thoughts and theories are making a big splash.
• Geeks for a Greater Good: the knowledge workers who harness the power of connected economies, embedded computing, robotics and smart mobs.
• Policy Wonks: the insiders with an ear to the ground, listening for the legislative drumbeat.
• Grease Monkeys: the foundations, nonprofits and consultants working under the hood of social engines.

And last--but by no means least--Zak will interview to those Enlightened Corporate Hacks who are true system-thinkers; who are shaking up the marketplace by crafting new language, sustainable business models, and, most important, global thinking.
Join us, won't you? At IT Conversations, coming Fall '05.

Stay tuned!

World Changing Bloggers

Go check out: WorldChanging.com.

This is definitely ont of the best and broadest conversations going on in the social enterprise space. The writers are weird, wary, worldly, wired and wicked smart.

Big topics include: A Newly Electric Green, Big Systems, Global Culture, Leapfrog Nations, The Tech Bloom, and (every social venture's favorite topic) Money as a Tool.



Listen to founding editor Alex Steffan's presentation at Pop!Tech 2004 on IT Conversations.
See information graphic from this speech posted on Alphachimp Studio's blog.