Online Radio Service for Children Launches

WQED and SLB RADIO PRODUCTIONS, INC. LAUNCH COMMERCIAL-FREE KIDS RADIO
Free online radio service for children and families launches


FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
February 1st, 2013

CONTACTS:
 WQED
 George Hazimanolis
 412-622-1366
 ghaziman@wqed.org

SLB
 Larry Berger
 412-586-6300 x1
 larry@slbradio.org

JLP
 Christina Kepplinger Johansen
 412-488-9270
 president@jlpgh.org

WQED and SLB RADIO PRODUCTIONS, INC. LAUNCH COMMERCIAL-FREE KIDS RADIO
 Free online radio service for children and families launches

PITTSBURGH—Something’s in the air… iQ Kids Radio can now be heard every Saturday at www.iqkidsradio.org with engaging programming for children and families. Launched in January and developed as a collaboration between WQED and SLB Radio Productions, Inc. (SLB), iQ Kids Radio is designed to meet the need for an all-education, trusted radio service for children and families, iQ Kids Radio is a family-friendly commercial-free streaming radio service that provides a safe, entertaining, and fun way to learn, listen, laugh and much more. The service is free during the pilot phase of the project. It can be heard from Midnight Friday to Midnight EST every Saturday.

Grounded in more than 75 years of combined experience in delivering high-quality public radio and television to our region and beyond, this new, innovative service leverages the assets of WQED, PBS, SLB, and the popular Saturday Light Brigade radio show to serve families with children 10 and under.

Seed funding for iQ Kids Radio is provided by The Junior League of Pittsburgh, Inc., a founding partner. Additional support is provided by The Grable Foundation and the James McCandless Charitable Trust.

Listening is easy by simply clicking visiting www.iQkidsradio.org or by using the free TuneIn Radio App available for Android and iOS smartphones and tablets. The TuneIn app can be accessed and, if necessary, installed at tinyurl.com/iqkidsradio-tunein.

You can also connect through social media on Twitter @iqkidsradio or
www.facebook.com/iQKidsRadio.

Want to be on iQ Kids Radio?
Call 855-323-KIDS (5437) and leave us a message about how to make a yummy recipe, where you are traveling this spring, a wish for the new year, or sing us your favorite song. You may also email us at wehearyou@iqkidsradio.org with your feedback!

Additional information

iQ Kids Radio currently operates as a Saturday-only streaming service with original programming running for 24 hours from midnight Friday night to midnight Saturday night. The current programming lineup includes the following (all times are Eastern):

Sweet Dreams – Midnight to 6am
 Classical music for kids and adults soothe the soul for a dreamy night.

The Saturday Light Brigade – 6am to Noon
The region’s national award-winning radio program for kids, adults and everyone in between.

Music & Family Fun – Noon – 4pm
 From worldly grooves to swinging sing-a-longs, afternoons rock on iQ Kids Radio.

Let’s Learn – 4pm to 8pm
 A program full of songs and stories of science, math, and the wondrous world around us.

DJ Daddy Dance Party – 8pm to 9pm
 For parents and babysitters – a packed hour of dance until you’re on the floor party until it’s bedtime music.

Bedtime Stories – 9pm to 10pm
 The calming effect of a great story as the kids wind down for the night.

Night Night – 10pm to Midnight
 A combination of soft lullabies and classic stories.

Children, families and caregivers can sign up now at www.iQkidsradio.org to receive information about iQ Kids Radio or submit ideas and music. The site also includes a section where kids and parents can submit programming suggestions.

The need for iQ Kids Radio

Multimedia and technology are changing daily. Youth ages 8-18 use media—
 television, music players, computers, and video games—for nearly eleven hours each day, and kids under age eight spend eight hours with multimedia each day. We know that media shapes children’s cultural beliefs and norms in powerful ways. While there are numerous media offerings “for children” across various media platforms, very few adopt high-quality educational standards.

The concept of iQ Kids Radio

iQ Kids Radio blends age-appropriate content from multiple disciplines---language, science, music appreciation, geography, and more—into a 24/7 streaming audio format currently providing original content as a Saturday-only service. As the service develops, iQ Kids Radio will also explore offering individual programs for on-demand listening, podcast and national distribution. Such programs may focus on storytelling, language lessons, music from diverse genres and music listening tips, children's literature, food chemistry, and other subjects that strengthen academic achievement, sharpen core life skills, and engage children and adults together. Programming also will include youth-created music, storytelling and news/commentary based on listener submissions and SLB’s work with more than 8,000 children annually.

The Junior League of Pittsburgh (JLP), a founding partner, selected iQ Kids Radio as its three-year signature project. Through this award, the JLP will provide administrative and volunteer support to launch iQ Kids Radio as well as financial support totaling $45,000. JLP members will focus on two areas of iQ Kids Radio: business strategy and event planning. Additionally, JLP members will design and implement signature events that will be critical to the project’s growth. At the conclusion of its three-year partnership, iQ Kids Radio will be poised to be self-sufficient and prepared to expand its capacity as an innovative resource, created in Pittsburgh, to support families and children around the country.

For more information about iQ Kids Radio, please visit www.iQkidsradio.org.
Photographs are available for download from WQED’s pressroom at www.wqed.org/pressroom.

WQED Multimedia www.wqed.org
 The people of WQED Multimedia produce, create and distribute quality content and services to engage, inform, educate, and entertain the public within their community and around the world. WQED was the nation’s first community-supported television station and went on the air on April 1, 1954.

The WQED Education Department has an illustrious history of service and innovation to local and national students, families, educators, and care providers. Today, WQED’s Education Department helps provide effective lifelong learning to the entire region. WQED’s new six-year strategy, iQ: smartmedia, launched in September of 2010 and has been aggressively aiming for its goal – to transform the way media is used for education – ever since.

With a lineup that attracts children from toddlers to teens, WQED is an essential part of every childhood. WQED commits 12 hours of every weekday schedule to high quality children's programming parents can count on. In addition, WQED offers connections to PBS KIDS, PBS Teachers and PBS Parents through its website, wqed.org. WQED has enriched the lives of children with their own productions as well as the educationally robust and entertaining lineup of PBS KIDS’s programming on subjects as diverse as global thinking, reading, and science. WQED was also the home of Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood, produced by Family Communications, Inc. (now the fred Rogers Company) for more than 40 years. More information is available at www.wqed.org/education.

SLB Radio Productions, Inc
 A nonprofit with twelve employees, SLB began pursuing its mission in 1978 with The Saturday Light Brigade, a Saturday morning public radio program that blends acoustic music, live performances by youth and adults, participatory puzzles, on-air telephone calls, and interviews with other community-based nonprofits serving youth and families. Programming grew substantially between 1990 and 2000, as SLB built a strong and loyal audience, winning 10 local, state and national awards. In 2004, with support from the broadcast industry, foundations, corporations and individual donors, SLB opened a $250,000 broadcast studio and training complex in the expanded Children’s Museum of Pittsburgh. SLB has since emerged as a hub of community and educational activity. Its work today focuses on (1) continued production of The Saturday Light Brigade radio program and its extension as a vehicle to promote youth voice and (2) school and in-studio workshops in which experienced radio broadcasters and sound engineers work with children to explore self-expression as well as the tools used to collect and process audio into a creative work. More information about SLB is available at www.slbradio.org and www.neighborhoodvoices.org.

Junior League of Pittsburgh, Inc.
The Junior League of Pittsburgh educates and trains its members to provide effective volunteer service, to research challenging community needs, and to initiate pilot projects or expand services to meet those needs. Nearly 400 League women volunteer 10,000 hours annually in the Pittsburgh community. The organization provides administrative, financial, and volunteer support for projects and facilitates the permanent sponsorship of programs by other community organizations. Over the past ten years, the League has contributed over $500,000 in community donations and grants.

The League has a 90-plus-year history of high profile community projects. These include the Children’s Museum of Pittsburgh, Transplant Recipients International Organization (TRIO), Pittsburgh History and Landmarks Foundation, The Caring Place, and others. Today, the League remains an innovator with a focus on creating opportunities that enhance children’s well-being and inspire their curiosity.

In 2012, the League selected iQ Kids Radio as a signature project. As a founding partner, the League will contribute $45,000 in seed funding and 7,500 hours of administrative and volunteer support over the next three years. The League’s trained volunteers will design and help implement new outreach, promotional, and business strategies aimed at sustaining iQ Kids Radio. The League first supported WQED at its inception on air in 1954 by creating children’s television programming for ten years.
 Additional Junior League of Pittsburgh information is available at www.jlpgh.org.

Posted on behalf of Dreamweaver Marketing Associates.  Joyce Kane is the owner of Cybertary Pittsburgh, a Virtual Administrative support company, providing virtual office support, personal and executive assistance, creative design services and light bookkeeping.  Cybertary works with businesses and busy individuals to help them work 'on' their business rather than 'in' their business.  www.Cybertary.com/Pittsburgh

PSO Feline Ambassador Fiddlesticks Returns

For immediate release
Feb. 1, 2013

PSO MUSICAL AMBASSADOR FIDDLESTICKS RETURNS FOR ANOTHER EXCITING SEASON OF FAMILY CONCERTS AT HEINZ HALL

Macy’s to become presenting sponsor of Fiddlesticks

PITTSBURGH – The Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra’s (PSO) popular feline musical ambassador to children, Fiddlesticks, returns in 2013-2014 for yet another season of entertaining Saturday morning concerts to introduce children to music.

Three-concert subscriptions, ranging from $28.80 to $58.50, can be purchased by calling the Heinz Hall box office at 412.392.4900, or by visiting www.pittsburghsymphony.org.

From infancy on, children are exposed to the music of lullabies, sing-a-longs, folk tunes, and pop music, and the Fiddlesticks Family Concerts, presented by Macy’s, continue to explore various genres of music. Each performance is preceded by a pre-concert event called Discovery Time Adventures, which is free to all ticket holders. These educational activities begin at 10 a.m. and allow young audiences and their parents to meet the PSO musicians, learn songs, and take part in various musical activities. The 45-minute concert begins at 11:15 a.m. and is filled with engaging music and interaction with everyone’s favorite friendly feline!

Resident Conductor Lawrence Loh

The 2013-2014 season begins in hauntingly fun fashion with “Halloween Spooktacular” at 11:15 a.m., Saturday, Oct. 26, when Fiddlesticks joins the PSO and Resident Conductor Lawrence Loh for a concert of kid-friendly, spooky music from hit movies such as Pirates of the Caribbean, The Sorcerer’s Apprentice and the Harry Potter movies. Adults and children alike also can delight in Grieg’s rousing In the Hall of the Mountain King.

The season’s second concert will be “The Carnival of Animals” at 11:15 a.m., Saturday, March 1, 2014. The Carnival of the Animals is one of the most famous pieces by French composer Camille Saint-Saëns. Each movement in this spectacular orchestral work depicts a different animal, from the royal lion to the graceful swan. Cartoon artist Joe Wos from the Toonseum will illustrate the animals as the PSO performs.

The season ends with “A Salute to America” at 11:15 a.m., Saturday, May 17, 2014. Fiddlesticks, the PSO and Loh take part in a concert of music inspired by America, from the heart-pounding drum line to the moving “Stars and Stripes Forever.” The audience can join vocalist Katy Williams in a sing-along of “You’re a Grand Ol’ Flag!”

The PSO would like to recognize and thank the Macy’s Foundation for its presenting sponsorship of Fiddlesticks Family Concerts.  Additional support is provided by the PPG Industries Foundation. This series is endowed by Gerald and Audrey McGinnis, honoring the Center for Young Musicians.

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Contact: James Barthen. Vice President of Public Affairs
Phone: 412.392.4835 | email: jbarthen@pittsburghsymphony.org

Contact: Ramesh Santanam, Director of Media Relations
Phone: 412.392.4827 | email: rsantanam@pittsburghsymphony.org

Posted on behalf of Dreamweaver Marketing Associates.  Joyce Kane is the owner of Cybertary Pittsburgh, a Virtual Administrative support company, providing virtual office support, personal and executive assistance, creative design services and light bookkeeping.  Cybertary works with businesses and busy individuals to help them work 'on' their business rather than 'in' their business.  www.Cybertary.com/Pittsburgh

WQED Holiday Programming Announced

WQED OFFERS SOMETHING FOR EVERYONE THIS HOLIDAY SEASON
Holiday listings for WQED-TV, Classical WQED-FM 89.3 & SHOP WQED


FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
 November 19, 2012

CONTACT:
 George Hazimanolis
 412-622-1366
 ghazimanolis@wqed.org

WQED OFFERS SOMETHING FOR EVERYONE THIS HOLIDAY SEASON

PITTSBURGH—This December, WQED will celebrate the holiday season by offering an abundance of programs for viewers of WQED-TV, listeners of Classical WQED-FM 89.3 and resources on WQED Interactive at wqed.org.

These will include traditional and first time programs that will allow people of all ages to enjoy the holidays. From the premiere of PBS’s brand new children’s Christmas program, The Cat in the Hat Knows a Lot About Christmas! to traditional favorites like Curious George: A Very Monkey Christmas and Arthur’s Perfect Christmas, children will find something to keep them interested. Of course, we won’t just be airing children’s programs this holiday season; there is plenty for the more seasoned viewers as well. For the mature audience, we have Nature: Christmas in Yellowstone which explores the wonders of nature blanketed in a winter snowfall. An annual tradition returns with Rick Sebak’s Happy Holidays in Pittsburgh. Classical WQED-FM 89.3 also has an exciting lineup for sharing the holidays with family and friends.

A complete rundown of WQED’S holiday offerings is attached.

WQED Pittsburgh has a proud history of honors, including 134 National and Mid-Atlantic Emmy® Awards, an Academy Award, and many, many others, including two Emmy® Awards for Station Excellence. WQED was founded in 1954 as the nation’s first community-supported broadcaster. The people of WQED create, produce and distribute quality programs, products and services to engage, inform, educate and entertain the public within their community and around the world. WQED Pittsburgh is one of the first broadcasters in the country to be fully high-definition (HD) in its studio and field production capabilities. It is the parent company of WQED-TV (PBS); WQED: The Neighborhood Channel; WQED: The Create Channel; WQED Showcase; Classical WQED-FM 89.3/Pittsburgh; Classical WQEJ-FM 89.7/Johnstown; the Pittsburgh Concert Channel at WQED-HD2 (89.3-2FM) and online at www.wqed.org/fm; local and national television and radio productions; WQED Interactive (www.wqed.org) and iQ: smartmedia, WQED’s Educational initiative (www.wqed.org/edu).

Posted on behalf of Dreamweaver Marketing Associates.  Joyce Kane is the owner of Cybertary Pittsburgh, a Virtual Administrative support company, providing virtual office support, personal and executive assistance, creative design services and light bookkeeping.  Cybertary works with businesses and busy individuals to help them work 'on' their business rather than 'in' their business.  www.Cybertary.com/Pittsburgh

WQED Celebrates Super Teachers Digital Learning Group

WQED CELEBRATES FIRST YEAR OF SUPER TEACHERS DIGITAL LEARNING GROUP AND LOOKS FORWARD TO YEAR TWO

Event Welcomes Deputy Secretary of the Pennsylvania Office of Child Development and Early Learning

PITTSBURGH – WQED hosts a celebration of the accomplishments of the first year of iQ: smartmedia Super Teachers on Friday, August 10 at the Foster Early Childhood Center in McKees Rocks. Special guest speaker for the recognition event will be Dr. Barbara Minzenberg, Deputy Secretary of the Pennsylvania Office of Child Development and Early Learning.

WQED Super Teachers are 12 educators who advise WQED in the best ways for incorporating PBS digital media in early childhood classrooms and homes (pre-K through K) throughout Allegheny Intermediate Unit 3 (AIU 3) representing 42 school districts in Allegheny County.

“The innovations we’ve seen in year one are phenomenal – teachers using the TV show SuperWhy to help children with speech delays, comprehensive training for Head Start across our entire region, and equipping parents with the ability to track their child’s literacy through a free gaming tool called PBS Kids Island,” says Jennifer Stancil, Executive Director of Educational Partnerships at WQED. “There is much more on the horizon…we are gearing up for the new school year with our new math curriculum, among other innovative projects.”

WQED’s iQ: smartmedia initiative, encompassing all of its educational projects, is at national forefront of helping teachers use PBS children’s programs and digital media to incorporate games, coaching, sharing via video, and applying those digital assets to science, numeracy, literacy, and social and emotional awareness. “We are even helping teachers understand the use of social networks, like My Street (from Sesame Workshop), for peer-to-peer sharing of best practices, says Stancil.”

In just the first year, the contributions of WQED’s SuperTeachers total $97,000 in value through curriculum development, training and implementation of digital assets for the early childhood classroom. In year two, the Super Teachers will incorporate new PBS children’s shows, training, and construct a new Head Start curriculum on math with PBS collaboratively.

PBS programming and digital assets are particularly important to kids who are at-risk: those with learning ability challenges, autism, and those in underserved communities in Allegheny County. WQED hopes to expand the program to other counties in western Pennsylvania with additional funding for the program.

Unfortunately, a child raised in poverty will hear far fewer words or affirmative statements from his or her parents than a child living in a higher-income family. One study estimated that the average child in a professional family heard 215,000 words weekly, compared to 125,000 in a working-class family and just 62,000 in a family on welfare. Over the course of four years (before a child enters school), that “word gap” grows to a 30-million-word gulf between children in low- and high-income homes. By the time a child from a low-income family enters kindergarten, he or she may be 12-14 months below national norms in language and pre-reading skills; these disparities continue as the child ages and are linked to “challenges later in life, including dropping out of school, teen pregnancy, and unemployment” (CCSSO, 2009). Around the nation and here in Pennsylvania, school systems fall short in meeting the needs of children: Pennsylvania ranks 24th in the country in terms of access to state Pre-K and Head Start for four-year-olds, and there are wide racial and income-based achievement gaps at all grade levels.

WQED’s investment in Super Teachers stems from research received from early childhood educators through preliminary research conducted in late 2010. WQED surveyed early childhood educators on their use of and familiarity with media and technology in the classroom. Most teachers surveyed do not use any kind of technology or media to assess student learning (60%).

A sample of the curriculum is available at www.wqed.org/education in the Teachers section.

WQED Multimedia (www.wqed.org) has a proud history of honors, including 128 National and Mid-Atlantic Emmy® Awards, an Academy Award, and many, many others, including two Emmy® Awards for Station Excellence. WQED was founded in 1954 as the nation’s first community-supported broadcaster. The people of WQED create, produce and distribute quality programs, products and services to engage, inform, educate and entertain the public within their community and around the world. WQED Pittsburgh is one of the first broadcasters in the country to be fully high-definition (HD) in its studio and field production capabilities. It is the parent company of WQED-TV (PBS); WQED: The Neighborhood Channel; WQED: The Create Channel; WQED Showcase; Classical WQED-FM 89.3/Pittsburgh; the Pittsburgh Concert Channel on HD radio and online; Classical WQEJ-FM 89.7/Johnstown; local and national television and radio productions; WQED Interactive and The WQED Education Department.
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Posted on behalf of Dreamweaver Marketing Associates.  Joyce Kane is the owner of Cybertary Pittsburgh, a Virtual Administrative support company, providing virtual office support, personal and executive assistance, creative design services and light bookkeeping.  Cybertary works with businesses and busy individuals to help them work 'on' their business rather than 'in' their business.  www.Cybertary.com/Pittsburgh