New FNR's projects in 2007

PODSTANTSIYA (www.podstantsiya.ru)

The Foundation for Independent Radio Broadcasting (FNR) announces an initiative aimed at promoting public interest programming among a new generation of listeners in Russia. Called ‘Podstantsiya’ - or ‘Substation’ - the project is an Internet-based radio portal conceived as a development platform for quality radio that appeals to the interests of university-aged Russians and the country’s wider online community.

The Foundation for Independent Radio Broadcasting (FNR) announces an initiative aimed at promoting public interest programming among a new generation of listeners in Russia. Called ‘Podstantsiya’ - or ‘Substation’ - the project is an Internet-based radio portal conceived as a development platform for quality radio that appeals to the interests of university-aged Russians and the country’s wider online community.

With the Podstantsiya, FNR seeks to apply new media approaches to the traditional radio medium. Indeed, the project is made feasible due to advances in online audio distribution as well as new possibilities afforded by interactive media. ‘Broadband bit rates,’ ‘podcasting,’ ‘Skype,’ ‘crowdsourcing’ and ‘RSS’ are terms of perhaps varying familiarity to the general masses, yet these technologies offer simple, cost effective, and powerful means for surrogate broadcasting along Russia’s developing broadband grid.

FNR seeks to engage Russian listeners by employing these technologies to promote compelling alternatives to mainstream Russian radio. Specifically, the Podstantsiya portal will feature:

*An Weekly Audio Magazine - FNR will oversee production of an Internet radio magazine, developed transparently online throughout the week and focusing on themed issues of social concern. Program producers will solicit suggestions and stories throughout the week both from listeners online and through established contributor networks. Final program elements will consists of contributions from a range of staff correspondents, stringer correspondents, and the listeners themselves. All program segments will be made available in audio stream and downloadable formats.

*A Community Podcast Directory – The Podstantsiya site will host a podcast directory for registered users interested in exploring new forms of programming unavailable on the current FM dial. Conceived as a laboratory for developing new talent in broadcasting/broadcast journalism, the site seeks to establish itself as the online destination for radio journalists, students, and members of the community to tell stories often ignored by the mainstream media.

FNR sees the Podstantsiya project as fitting within a wider mission of building an infrastructure of sustainable public interest programming in the country. In that sense, FNR seeks to promote characteristics and models associated with non-commercial radio's various faces and forms. These include:

• Public Radio’s high journalistic standards;
• Community Radio’s attention to diversity, grassroots volunteerism, and community building; and
• College Radio and Internet radio’s focus on dynamic youth-driven alternative programming.