[This is a summary of Opening Remarks from the BizLab Summit] WBUR BizLab’s mission is to identify and test ideas for new revenue in public radio. WBUR strongly believes that all of us in public media and nonprofit journalism need to remain vibrant and financially strong, so that we can continue to serve our mission […]
As we prepared to work with our 2019 cohort stations, BizLab sketched out our process and identified Discovery Research and Analysis tools and methods that we thought would work within a lean startup framework. We needed methods which were easy for teams to learn and apply rapidly. We needed analysis tools which could be applied […]
BizLab stations across the country spent 2019 testing news ideas for revenue at their stations and in their communities. At the BizLab Summit, each station gave a six-minute overview of their project. Download their slides (PDF) Watch WDET, Vermont Public Radio, and WLRN’s panel discussion, followed by their lightning presentations Watch Louisville Public Media, WAMU, […]
Three BizLab stations have launched products positioned distinctly from their public radio station’s identity: WAMU’s new monthly membership to the DCist is separate from a membership to WAMU; Louisville Public Media similarly launched a do502 events membership; and Capital Public Radio is about to launch an agency that sells state-wide sponsorship and underwriting. In this […]
For all media organizations, striking the balance between the desire to diversify revenue streams and the need to maintain high standards of editorial integrity is an urgent concern. In this panel, we will discuss how three of BizLab stations successfully navigated a sustained collaboration between editorial and business-oriented teams at their organizations. Panel Video Moderator: […]
The biggest barriers to innovation are often an organization’s culture and leadership alignment. To address this head-on, the second half of the BizLab Summit focused on what it takes to implement new funding models at your station. Tamsen Webster, a 20-year brand and message strategist and former TEDx Executive Producer, will be the keynote speaker, […]
The stage where most innovation projects fail is not at the beginning or middle, but at the end, when the project’s findings are integrated into the main operations of an organization. No matter how promising the experiment results are, changing priorities to accommodate a new idea or product takes agility and strong leadership. In this […]
There are more technologies than ever that are specifically designed to make the donation and engagement process more streamlined for listeners. In this panel, three stations that have effectively integrated text messaging tools into their existing donor strategies will discuss best practices in different contexts. Moderator: Joan DiMicco, Executive Director, BizLab, WBUR Panelists: Tina Pamintuan, […]
Public radio has mastered the art of requesting donations in live audio, but we need to develop a strategy for asynchronous, on-demand audio, which is becoming more and more prevalent – most visibly through the success of podcasts. This panel will feature three successful case studies, as well as outline best practices and tips for […]
On December 10, 2019, over 100 individuals from media organizations, including many NPR stations, convened for a day of learning. The Summit was a fast-paced day of lightning talks and panel discussions, with invited speakers and station innovators sharing their stations’ new paths to sustainability. We shared best practices, tools, tips, and real life examples […]