Connections

Keeping you connected in the digital age

I am sure many of you, like I am, are amazed at how quickly digital technology is changing the way we watch television, listen to our favorite radio programs, and access information from the Internet.

For those of us who work at WHYY, the development of this technology presents new opportunities to expand and customize our unique multimedia service strands across the distribution platforms of TV, FM, Web, and Community. Every day, we are maximizing our investment in digital technology to enrich our on and off-air interactions with you as we continue to distinguish WHYY as this region's communications leader.

In March, we partnered with Comcast to begin making our best local productions available to viewers through the cable provider's Video-On-Demand service, becoming the first public broadcaster in the United States to feature content via On-Demand. Now, more than one million subscribers to Comcast Digital Cable across the Delaware Valley can conveniently access such original WHYY-TV programs as Things That Aren't There Anymore and Secrets Beneath the Streets at any time of day or night.

This month, four programs showcasing the best of WHYY's news and public affairs and arts and culture services join the On-Demand lineup: Radio Times on TV -- a weekly collection of some of Marty Moss-Coane's best interviews culled from her daily WHYY-FM program; Delaware Tonight -- the only weekday television news program based in the First State; Thomas Eakins: Scenes From Modern Life -- an intimate portrait of the influential Philadelphia artist, which was also WHYY's first high-definition production; and Mural -- a local filmmaker's compelling look at Philadelphia's Mural Arts Program.

Perhaps one of the most exciting developments in digital broadcasting is a process called multiplexing, which involves "splitting" a digital TV or radio signal into multiple channel streams. While multiplexing is still in its early stages, WHYY is taking steps to acquire the resources needed to employ this new technology to its fullest extent over the next decade.

I am pleased to announce that WHYY-FM was recently one of 76 public radio stations across the country to receive a special grant from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting to begin expanding our digital radio capabilities. In WHYY's case, the ability to split a digital radio signal will allow us to create new channels around our existing service strands, particularly our arts and culture service.

As many of you know, WHYY currently broadcasts Classical 24 -- a live, 24-hour classical music service distributed by Public Radio International -- through TV12's Second Audio Program (SAP) channel, a feature found on most of today's TV sets and VCRs. Additionally, we broadcast an entire evening of arts and culture programming every Sunday on 91FM, including all of the Philadelphia Orchestra's home concerts on our own Sunday Showcase.

When we first created our arts and culture service six years ago, we made a promise to use our resources to make the arts accessible to viewers and listeners here in the Delaware Valley and beyond, while at the same time showcasing the richness of this region's world-class arts and culture community. With digital radio technology in place, WHYY will continue to fulfill that promise and many more.

In the not-too-distant future, you will be able to chose to listen to a public radio channel featuring the world's most revered classical music, or maybe one that presents performances by the best up-and-coming local artists -- and that's just on radio! The possibilities for distributing new content on TV, FM and the Web using digital broadcast technology are truly limitless.

Thanks to the foresight of community leaders like Secretary of Homeland Security Tom Ridge -- who as governor of Pennsylvania enthusiastically supported a $1.5 million appropriation toward WHYY's conversion to digital broadcasting -- we are uniquely positioned to help keep you connected to the world's richest ideas in this ever-changing digital age. We are especially pleased and proud to present Secretary Ridge with the WHYY Lifelong Learning Award this month.

I encourage you to visit whyy.org to learn more about the many digital services WHYY currently offers: read a Q&A that explains the basics of this revolutionary technology; print out a helpful digital TV glossary and download the current schedule for WHYY's digital TV channel; listen to 91FM live via the Internet; or browse the extensive WHYY-FM archives and listen to past editions of some of your favorite programs and specials.

Best regards,
William J. Marrazzo
President and Chief Executive Officer