The latest evidence: Public Radio Partnership has a new name. It’s now known as Louisville Public Media. That reflects our local public radio’s understanding that it’s not only about what you provide, it’s also about how you provide it. PRP — LPM — has some big plans for how to do its thing going forward, and the Internet figures prominently. 

LEO got this note today:

Dear Friends,

We want to share with you some exciting news. Beginning March 3rd, Public Radio Partnership in Louisville,Kentucky, will be known as Louisville Public Media.

The name change was adopted by the PRP Board of Directors at its December meeting.

The motive for the name change is to reflect the organization’s goal of refashioning itself in the on-line, on-demand world of digital media and to provide a new era of service to Louisville.

“Radio will remain our core business,” said Executive Director Donovan Reynolds, “but we intend to provide our programming in the future through whatever new technologies emerge.”

Reynolds said the goal is to make Louisville a model for the rest of the country in the use of new media for public purposes. As a first step, the websites of the three stations (WUOL, WFPL, and WFPK FM) have been overhauled with the addition of real-time playlists and community forums. Interactivity – enhancing the “conversation” between the stations and users – will be the key.

“The public radio audience is looking for new kinds of information, new tools and services, and new ways to get things done,” said Reynolds. “We see this as an opportunity to become even more relevant to our community through intelligent risk-taking and experimentation.”

Public Radio Partnership was formed in 1993 to unify the administrative functions of the public radio stations operated by the University of Louisville and the Louisville Free Public Library under one community board of directors.

More information about the organization will be available at louisvillepublicmedia.org on Monday, March 3rd. (CS)