WKSU LAUNCHES CLASSICAL MUSIC BLOG

Tuesday August 5, 2008

The WKSU's classical music homepage, www.wksu.org/classical, is now a blog presenting entries from the WKSU classical music hosts and other staff, most notably Music Director David Roden. Blogs, which are conventionally more personal and less formal than traditional business writing, have become effective online communication tools because of their reputation for flexibility and accessibility.

The WKSU classical blog offers authors the ability to post new entries quickly with topics ranging from general classical music news and background on pieces played on-air to interviews, area events and reports from the WKSU newsroom. Along with text, the blog will also include images, video, audio and additional links for more information. Updates on WKSU's "In Performance" program, which features live recordings of area concerts Sundays beginning at 4:30 p.m., are also posted in the blog. Visitors can add comments to any post.

Although the Web is often painted as the territory of the young, the fastest growing population of Internet users is age 55 or older. This is due in part to this demographic's increased use of high-speed Internet access in their homes. Blogs are becoming a more mainstream presence as the format is becoming familiar to a wider audience that is comfortable looking online for the information and entertainment they seek. A recent survey by the Pew Internet and American Life Project finds that 33% of Internet users (24% of all adults) say that they are blog readers – and that percentage is expected to grow. WKSU's classical blog connects station listeners with the music they love in a relaxed, online setting that is available whenever they visit the Web.

WKSU broadcasts NPR & Classical Music at 89.7 FM, and is a service of Kent State University. WKSU programming is also heard on WKRW 89.3 FM in Wooster, WKRJ 91.5 FM in Dover/New Philadelphia, WKSV 89.1 FM in Thompson, WNRK 90.7 in Norwalk, W298BA 107.5 FM in Boardman, and W239AZ 95.7 FM in Ashland. The WKSU web site is www.wksu.org.

PR08.10           ###            8/5/08
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