The Ottawa Podcast and New Media Meetup Group kicked off it’s second season last Thursday (September 20). The gathering of podcasting veterans (Charles Hodgson and Steve Reside), potential podcasters (Mitchell Beer, Dan, Chamika Ailapperuma and Chakula Chaluka), out-of-towners (Julien Smith and Isabelle Michaud).

After the community had shared ideas and war stories for a while, Maurizio Ortolani (New Media Producer with the National Arts Centre) delivered a great presentation on the NAC’s podcast and new media strategy.

Maurizio discussed:

• how production methodologies can be traced to the NAC’s national mandate as a public institution
• the use of podcasts and new media to educate and entertain while promoting the NAC’s ongoing activities, music and theatre performances, orchestra tours and special events
• the very different formats and styles, ranging from methodically planned to off-the-cuff, of the various podcasts
• production and hosting challenges and solutions
• legal challenges and how the NAC has found solutions in cooperation with the orchestra, the musicians’ union, guests and rights holders
• measuring success quantitatively and qualitatively
• graduating from consumer-grade to professional audio gear
• podcasts and new media as part of the NAC culture

Maurizio’s presentation should be required listening for anyone and any organization that is considering (or may already be) using podcast and new media technologies as part of marketing and PR strategies.

Links to resources mentioned:

• National Arts Centre website
• National Arts Centre podcasts
• Arts Alive website
• Canadian Podcast Legal Guide

 

 Podcasts and new media as part of the NAC culture [48:49m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Due to very limited space at the Clock Tower Brew pub, a result of three social media gatherings converging on the venue at one time, the Ottawa Podcast and New Media Meetup Group September meetup has been moved a few blocks south to The Arrow and Loon Pub (corner of Bank Street and Fifth Avenue).

Our guest speaker for the September meetup is Maurizio Ortolani, New Media Producer with the National Arts Centre. Maurizio will deliver a presentation about the National Arts Centre’s podcast and new media strategy and their observed results. The latest count: 20 YES, 11 MAYBE.

There will be plenty of time to speak with Maurizio and mingle with other members of the community.

When: Thursday, September 20, 2007 at 7:00pmET

Where: The Arrow and Loon (indoor patio)
99 Fifth Avenue
Ottawa, ON K1S 5K4
613.237.0448

It wasn’t fun. However, my MacBook Pro is networked, again, after all of the WWAN support update 1.0 stability-related issues. My AirPort is rock solid, again. How? These are the steps I followed:

• Backed up my data — by the way, unlike PC, Mac overwrites old backups with new ones, deleting files from the backup destination if they no longer exist on the source. Be sure to do a complete backup to a fresh destination.

• Made sure I have a lot of disk space. I think I needed about 10Gb.

• Booted my computer from the installation CDs and did an Archive install, preserving user preferences. Note, this also saves all of your installed applications except the ones that are dependent on some kernel components (e.g. Parliant’s Phone Valet).

• Rebooted my computer.

• Used a wired connection (because my AirPort was not working), to be able to download and install the first wave of software updates.

• Reset the password of my wireless network.

• Hey! Finally! A wireless connection that restores itself from sleep!

• Used the AirPort connection to install the second wave up software updates — UNCHECKED THE APPLE WWAN SUPPORT UPDATE 1.0 AND AIRPORT EXTREME UPDATES.

• Copied back files I had to delete for space.

• Confirmed everything is working.

• Removed the Archived System folder.

This took me about four hours to figure out and complete - the longest piece being the archive installation from CDs. Thanks a million to Maurizio Ortolani for all of his help and patience.

I have confirmed with Apple that there is no way to permanently ignore any software updates. The tech told me that doing so would require Apple to rewrite the server application that serves the updates. I argue that it can be a software setting on the Mac (e.g. ignore this update) - just don’t mess with my AirPort anymore.

As the Director of New Media at the National Arts Centre (NAC), Maurizio Ortolani is the force behind the organization’s Podcasting initiatives which began with event-specific Podcasts to promote the AlbertaScene festival and the NAC Orchestra’s 2005 tour of Alberta and Saskatchewan, and has expanded to include several regular programs (both english and french) including the NACOCast.

Maurizio’s approach to Podcasting as a business tool is brilliant. The NACOCast, for example, is designed to showcase talent, culture and NAC Orchestra events without putting the business agenda on the show. The focus is on education and discussion that, as a listener, inspires me to explore more about the topics and — if it weren’t for an over-scheduled life — buy tickets for concerts or subscribe to a performance series.

The hard-core Podcasters know that Podcasting isn’t just about hitting record and publish. Podcasting is a social media and Maurizio represents the NAC extremely well in this regard. Besides hosting and attending meetups and conferences, Maurizio donated decommissioned recording equipment for a giveaway in the Canadian Podcast community.

Maurizio has established a Podcasting strategy that is truly in the spirit of social media and proves that some businesses “get it”.

When I was growing up, my Saturday nights usually involved listening to (or recording) the King Biscuit Flower Hour concerts on Chez 106. Where else could you get great live performances of Genesis, Elvis Costello, Big Country and Duran Duran. I miss the days of great music on the radio.

Enter the the official King Biscuit Flower Hour concert vault — a website that streams the concerts that made radio exciting.

If you’re looking for me, I’ll be attached to my computer and headphones for the next few days.

Hat tip: Maurizio Ortolani