The Western State Public Radio Fall Conference 2007

WSPR’s Fall 07 Conference will be held on Sunday, October 7 through Tuesday, October 9.   

See the entire conference agenda here!

Photo courtesy PDPhoto.org.

CONFERENCE HOTEL:  WSPR will meet in the Westin Bonaventure Hotel.  The WSPR Conference Rate at this resort hotel is $159/single and $179/double plus taxes.  The reservation deadline to secure the Conference Rate is September 7.  Just mention Western States Public Radio so secure the rate when making your reservation.  Or you can make your hotel registration online, at the conference rate, by using this link http://www.starwoodmeeting.com/Book/WSPR.

ADDED EVENTS:  
    National Public Radio will be holding a Round Robin consultation session from 10 AM to 5 PM on Sunday, October 7, immediately before WSPR.  NPR stations may register separately for this Round Robin but the WSPR Conference Rate at the Bonaventure will be available for Saturday night, October 7, for station wishing to attend the Round Robin.  NPR will be separately communicating with a-Reps about the registration process and content of the Round Robins.  More information is here.
    CPB will be holding a Digital Transition Advisory Program (D-TAP) session at the Bonaventure all day Wednesday, October 10, for stations which have not yet committed to HD conversion.  If your station has NOT yet taken steps to convert, it is possible that the next open CPB HD conversion funding round will be the last so you should carefully consider attending this session.  CPB will be separately shortly be issuing invitations to this program.  The WSPR Conference Rate at the Bonaventure is available on Tuesday, October 9 and Wednesday, October 10 as a convenience to those attending the CPB D-TAPS session. 

VENUES:  While most Conference events will take place in the Westin Bonaventure, several conference events will occur in other locations.  These include the oldest Hollywood studio (generally known as the Charlie Chaplin studio but now officially known as the Raleigh Studios), the Millennium Biltmore Hotel (two blocks away from the Bonaventure) and NPR West in Culver City.

SUNDAY OPENING RECEPTION:  WSPR and NPR are co-sponsoring a Sunday evening reception from 7 PM – 9 PM at Los Angeles’ elegant and historic Millenium Biltmore Hotel, just two blocks from the Bonaventure.  As a special element of this reception, NPR’s Kim Masters will hold a conversation with a very special Hollywood guest about the influence of technology on the mass media.

LOCAL HOST STATION:  National Public Radio, one of WSPR’s newest members, is graciously serving as WSPR’s local host station.  Special thanks to Ken Stern, Dana Davis Rehm and, in particular, to NPR West’s Cinny Kennard and her wonderful staff, for their incredible help and support!

Highlights of the agenda include:

KEYNOTE ADDRESS by Murray Horowitz, formerly NPR Vice-President for Cultural Programming and now Director of the American Film Institute’s Silver Theatre in Silver Spring MD.  Horowitz is a Grammy, Tony and New York Drama Critics Circle award-winning Broadway composer, a former clown at Ringling Bros. Barnum and Bailey Circus and has written for the motion picture community, directed network television programs and acted for the stage, screen, and television.  He is currently also an NPR commentator.  As stations explore the new HD technology, Murray will speak about the role of music and performance programming in a multi-cast radio world. 

PERFORMANCE PROGRAMMING IN AN HD MULTICAST WORLD:  Panel discussion with Chris Kohtz, APM; Eric Nuzum, NPR and a representative from the BBC.

NEW TECHNOLOGY FOR THE HD WORLD:  (Session to the held in the studio screening auditorium of the Charlie Chaplin/Raleigh Studios in Hollywood) with representatives of Harris Corporation, Neural Corporation and WSPR’s own Jim Paluzzi, Colorado Public Radio.

PRODUCING NEWS FOR NEW PUBLIC RADIO AUDIENCES: (session to be held at NPR West)  Panel discussion, moderated by Alex Chadwick, including Ari Shapiro, NPR; Audie Cornish, NPR; John McChesney, NPR.

LUNCHEON SPEAKER (Monday):  Alex Chadwick, NPR.

LUNCHEON SPEAKER (Tuesday): “The View from Washington,” Bruce Theriault, CPB.

DINNER SPEAKER (Monday, at NPR West):  Mike Shuster, NPR

ALTERNATIVE DELIVERY OF YOUR STATION’S PROGRAMMING:  Panel discussion with Maria Thomas, NPR; Dennis Haarsager, Northwest Public Radio; Jim Paluzzi, Colorado Public Radio. 

THE NEW AND THE UNKNOWN ABOUT AUDIENCE RATINGS 

NETWORK PROGRAM PRICING: a moderated discussion.

And There’s More….click here for the full agenda.

REGISTRATION:  Registration is $150 for WSPR members (spouses/significant others attending with a WSPR member may also register at the member rate); $200 for non-members.  We are also extending the WSPR member conference rate to our colleagues in California Public Radio.  CLICK HERE for online registration.