
2019 BizLab Summit
Sustainability & Innovation in Public Radio
December 10, 2019
The changing financial landscape of journalism has created an urgency in public radio to identify and test the effectiveness of different funding models. Implementing new strategies and testing new revenue streams can be difficult, but it is possible, and many stations are doing it.
On December 10, 2019, over 100 individuals from media organizations, including many NPR stations, convened for a day of learning. The Summit was a fast-paced day of lightning talks and panel discussions, with invited speakers and station innovators sharing their stations’ new paths to sustainability.
We shared best practices, tools, tips, and real life examples of this work, enabling attendees to hit the ground running at their own media organizations. The Summit covered revenue generation through digital audience engagement, spinning off new brands, event monetization, text-to-donate platforms, and podcast donation strategies.
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Panel Recaps and Videos


The BizLab Method and Tools

Six Stations, Six Revenue Projects

Summit Panel: Launching a New Brand At Your Station

Summit Panel: Editorial and Business Working Together

Making the Case for Innovation in Public Radio, with Tamsen Webster

Summit Panel: Leadership and Innovation in Public Radio

Summit Panel: Text Messaging and Public Radio Donations

Summit Panel: Podcast Donations – Methods That Work

Summit: Full Day Live Stream
BizLab stations across the country have spent 2019 testing news ideas for revenue at their stations and in their communities. DCist.com/WAMU, Louisville Public Media, WDET, Capital Public Radio, WLRN, and Vermont Public Radio will unpack the past year of BizLab experiments from how to launch a new product and brand to aligning editorial plans with revenue goals.
Summit Panelists and Invited Speakers
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- Giselle Reid, Director of Strategic Initiatives, Friends of WLRN
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- Courtney Hurtt, Associate Director, Product Strategy and Business Operations, WDET
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- Kjerstin Wood, Digital Fundraising Officer, KUOW
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- Amira Valliani, Co-Founder and CEO, Glow.fm
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- Brendan Kinney, SVP of Development and Marketing, Vermont Public Radio
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- Ellen Oost, Director of Development, Louisville Public Media
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- Meta Stange, Digital Producer, WDET
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- Lisa Cooper, Corporate Support Executive, Capital Public Radio
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- Adrian Ma, Bostonomix Reporter, WBUR
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- Cody Fiala, Development Services Manager, Vermont Public Radio
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- Rachel Sadon, Editor-in-Chief, DCist
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- Rebecca Lavoie, Digital Director, New Hampshire Public Radio
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- Maddie Poore, Membership Manager, DCist
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- Charlotte Cooper, Director of Audience Growth & Marketing at PRX/Radiotopia.
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- Katie Lepri, Engagement Producer, WLRN
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- Sarah Bloomer, Experience Strategist, WBUR BizLab
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- Sheila Reinken, COO/CFO, Friends of WLRN
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- Kelly Morrison, Corporate Support Executive, Capital Public Radio
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- Michelle Owens, Director of Marketing and Engagement, Vermont Public Radio
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- Candice Springer, Assistant Director of Community Engagement, WBUR
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- Tracy Karem, Corporate Marketing Representative, Capital Public Radio
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- Paul Adams, Director of Corporate Support, Capital Public Radio
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- Andi McDaniel, Senior Director of Content and News, WAMU
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- Tina Pamintuan, General Manager, KALW
About BizLab
WBUR’s BizLab is an innovation lab developing and testing new models of support for public radio. Operating as a lean startup, BizLab is a team of product managers, experience designers, and business analysts. We work with public radio stations to uncover new avenues for revenue generation, distinct from traditional approaches including on-air drives, direct mail, and underwriting.
WBUR, Boston’s NPR News Station, created BizLab in 2015 believing it is critical that public media invest in innovation and experimentation to identify new revenue channels to sustain public radio into the future. Given the changing landscape of journalism, media consumption, and digital advertising, there is an increasing urgency to test and measure the effectiveness of different funding models.
Funding provided by
BizLab’s work with stations and the Summit is funded through the generous support of the Corporation for Public Broadcasting and Knight Foundation.

Additional promotional support for the 2019 Summit provided by Greater Public.
