The System Fission Plan
From Mike Marcotte

Thanks for breaking ground on what could become an exciting leap forward in our system's evolution. I like that the research and thinking in your formative report swells to something large and challenging, something potentially transformational for all our users, our selves and our service.

Here's my Big Idea. I call it the System Fission plan: The mutation of the NPR news stream into several separate (but equal) national services. I suppose it might mimic BBC1, BBC2, BBC3, etc. in concept. But it does several things to approach the lofty goals: it aims at different demographics, it allows station differentiation within markets, and it "unsticks" the one sound of public radio. Moreover, it gives NPR's new capacity for programming (and creativity) entirely new freedom from the current clock gridlock. (What's the use of having all those reporters if you never hear them on the radio?) And it produces content galore for other platforms.

I'm thinking news here but of course other formats could be produced.

Crucial in my suggestion -- and quite unlike the BBC model -- is that the stations play a strong role in this "nuclear fission." They would remain the revenue feeders, talent proving grounds, and providers of programming and production capacity. They would be given incentives to choose among the format streams. And perhaps its time NPR and the editorial capacities of local stations be better joined for deeper, wider, more complex coverage.

Plus, through their unique relationships with local communities, local stations would serve as literal gateways for public involvement in the interactive process that will soon transform national and local programming alike. (The successful on-line community aggregators lust for a way to exist in the "off-line world.") Think Interactive with a capital I.

Big enough for you? Have at it!

Mike Marcotte, MVM Consulting
mm@mikemarcotte.com