An article on the Palladium-Item website today announced the first live chat hosted by the paper's online presence, scheduled for 9 PM this Thursday to coincide with the Vice Presidential debate.  The chat service is powered by the site CoverItLive.com, used by a number of other prominent media outlets for chat services, including Newsweek Magazine.

The chat offered by the paper appears to be tied to event-specific, pre-determined time periods instead of available on an ongoing basis.  We've covered the availability of the always-available and free Live-Richmond.com chat room here, including in episodes 14 and 24.

If you try out this new offering on Thursday night, let us know what you think by posting a comment below!

In this episode: we tested out a new show format for the Richmond News Review - live podcasting with listener call-in participation. It was a little rough around the edges compared to the usual podcast, but we did have a few callers as we prepped for the Presidential debate, and we talked about what this kind of broadcast means for media and information exchange in Richmond.  Enjoy!

 

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Let us know what you think about this additional format - or even better, join us for the next RNR Live show on Wednesday, October 1st 2008 at 8:30 PM. You can just listen or join our live show chat room, but you can also call in with your phone or computer to share your thoughts - learn more about participating in our live broadcasts.

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We're trying out something new with the Richmond News Review - a live call-in version of the show. We'd like to try it out in a "dress rehearsal" episode prior to this evening's political debate.

If you'd like to participate by calling in to discuss the issues of the day and share your opinion, and if you won't mind being patient through the inevitable technical glitches that can come up in a live broadcast, please join us.

The live broadcast will take place from 8:30 until about 8:50 PM, and may be shorter or longer depending on participation and how well the tech works.   You can join the pre-show chat as early as 8:15 PM.  All of the information you need to listen, chat and call in will be available on our Listen page under the "Live Broadcasts" heading  We'll keep it pretty informal, so don't worry about having anything coherent to say if you do call in.

If things go well, we'll also post the recording of the show as a new episode.

In this episode: an interview with Richmond resident Melissa Hill about her work on the Ralph Nader presidential campaign, and third party politics in general.  Enjoy!

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In this episode: a roundup of recent developments in local and regional news media.  Plus, some new and updated local blogs to check out.  Enjoy!

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The Gannett Corporation has announced that it will be cutting about 1,000 positions at its newspaper properties across the U.S. The Palladium-Item noted today that four of those positions will be lost here in Richmond. It's not clear if the positions being eliminated are related to news-gathering and reporting, circulation, or other parts of the paper's operations. It's also not clear if the cuts will result in existing staff losing their jobs, or if they will come in the form of position elimination after resignations/retirements.

The cuts will be happening on a fairly short timeline after the announcement, with notification to employees happening by today and the reductions in place by August 31st. According to a Reuters story, publishers across the country continue to cite decreasing revenues with no end in sight, as readers increasingly turn to the Internet for their news and information.

Update on 9/10: The Pal-Item.com website today carries a story noting that five positions have been eliminated instead of the originally reported four.

Earlier this week, WMUB, the NPR station located at Miami University in Oxford, Ohio and that serves the Richmond listening area, announced some significant changes to its programming.  The changes include:

• All jazz programming including Mama Jazz will move to their HD2 channel, and will be streamed from their web site
• Each day’s Diane Rehm Show will be repeated at 8pm
• Each day’s Talk of the Nation will be repeated at midnight
• The BBC World Service will be heard at 10pm-midnight and 2-5am on weekday mornings
• The BBC World Service will also air from 8pm to 8am weekends
• Wait, Wait, Don’t Tell Me will repeat Sunday at 1pm, after Car Talk. Tavis Smiley moves to Sunday 2-4pm

The most noticeable impact for many will the be replacement of the sounds of jazz on weekday evenings with all news/talk content.  Given that the Mama Jazz show is a highly visible part of the station's offerings and that HD radio is still not widely adopted, it may change the station's listener profile significantly.

The changes are certainly generating lots of feedback on the station's weblog, and you add your own comments by e-mailing WMUB.

In this episode: a new food and beverage tax proposal stirs some local blood, and highlights from Richmond's first 100-Mile Radius Potluck.  Plus, the connections between our current day energy issues and celebrating the birthday of the Model T Ford. Enjoy!

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In this episode: a special edition devoted to former President Bill Clinton's recent visit to Richmond, including interviews from the scene with those who attended. Enjoy!

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In this abbreviated episode: under-reported stories from 2007, and a new local podcast. Plus, information about a chat room just for discussing local news and issues. Enjoy!

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