| Title of Project: | A National Real-time Internet Web-based Radio Network for Land-grant Information | |
| Project Director: | Donald W. Poucher | |
| Applicant Organization: | Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, University of Florida |
Using an Internet Web-based network, scientists, producers, processors, researchers and the public will be able to hear more of the latest up-to-date agricultural, food, human and natural resource-related information. Radio stations will have greater access to this information through the Web-based network and this information will also be available to members of the international community who have an interest in U.S. land-grant information.
| Name: | Sandra Goldstein Mrs. | |
| Email: | sandyg@ufl.edu | |
| Phone Number: | ( 352) 392-1582 | |
| FAX Number: | ( 352) 392-9605 | |
| Address: | P.O. Box 115500, 213 Grinter | |
| Gainesville, FL 32611 |
| IRS Number: | 596002052 | |
| Congressional District Number: | 5 | |
| Period of Proposed Project Dates: | 07/01/1999 to 06/30/2000 |
| Name: | Donald W. Poucher Mr. | |
| Email: | info@gnv.ifas.ufl.edu | |
| Phone Number: | ( 352) 392-0437 | |
| FAX Number: | ( 352) 392-3595 | |
| Address: | 1021 McCarty Hall, University of Florida | |
| Gainesville, FL 32611 |
| Name: | Ashley M. Wood Mr. | |
| Email: | amw@gnv.ifas.ufl.edu | |
| Phone Number: | ( 352) 392-7228 | |
| FAX Number: | ( 352) 392-7228 | |
| Address: | P.O. Box 110810, Building 116, University of Florida | |
| Gainesville, FL 32611-0810 |
| Name: | Christopher D. King Mr. | |
| Email: | cdk@gnv.ifas.ufl.edu | |
| Phone Number: | ( 352) 392-3893 | |
| FAX Number: | ( 352) 392-3896 | |
| Address: | G005 McCarty Hall, P.O. Box 110145 | |
| Gainesville, FL 32611-0145 |
| Name: | Carla G. Craycraft Dr. | |
| Email: | ccraycra@ca.uky.edu | |
| Phone Number: | ( 606) 257-4736 | |
| FAX Number: | ( 606) 323-1051 | |
| Address: | University of Kentucky | |
| Lexington, KY 40546-0064 |
| Name: | Barry W. Jones Dr. | |
| Email: | barjones@arches.uga.edu | |
| Phone Number: | ( 706) 542-5580 | |
| FAX Number: | ( 706) 542-0944 | |
| Address: | University of Georgia | |
| Athens, GA 30602 |
| Name: | Thomas W. Knecht Dr. | |
| Email: | tomk@ext.msstate.edu | |
| Phone Number: | ( 601) 325-1716 | |
| FAX Number: | ( 601) 325-1710 | |
| Address: | Mississippi State University | |
| Starkville, MS 39762 |
| Name: | Ellen Ritter Dr. | |
| Email: | e-ritter@tamu.edu | |
| Phone Number: | ( 409) 845-2211 | |
| FAX Number: | ( 405) 845-2414 | |
| Address: | Texas A&M University | |
| College Station, TX 77843-2112 |
Radio has long been recognized as a preferred source of information and educational delivery for individuals working in agriculture; a concept which is well supported by research. A recent study in the 1998 Journal of Applied Communications (vol. 82, no.4) for example, showed that Iowa beginning farmers preferred radio and information services as methods of educational and informational delivery.
While conventional broadcast radio is clearly an important tool for disseminating agricultural, Land-grant and related information, an Internet Web-based radio network would offer some distinct and significant advantages. Firstly, programming delivered via Internet Web-based radio (also called "webcasting") would essentially be available on demand. Rather than having to tune in on a specific date and time as in conventional radio programming, Internet radio listeners could access programming any time of day or night. Secondly, listeners would be able to catch any programming they might have missed, given that all radio segments would be archived and would be perpetually accessible as downloadable audio files. Thirdly, Webcasting, by virtue of its being delivered via the World Wide Web, is accessible from any location in the world with Internet access. Conventional radio, on the other hand, is only accessible to a limited geographic region.
These unique features of a real-time Internet radio network would significantly enhance the dissemination of information that is vital to the improvement of our competitive position in agriculture. Furthermore, by pooling the available media and communication resources, research resources, extension resources and resident education resources of five Land Grant institutions, such a network could be established fairly quickly and with relatively limited up-front expenditure.
Using both existing and new educational audio segments, the national real-time Internet Web-based radio network for agricultural, food, human and natural resource related information will present and promote new and existing educational information from land-grant universities and colleges while publicizing the extension, resident instruction, and research programs of those institutions. Continued collaboration to provide information to the land-grant institutions will be encouraged.
Other agricultural, food, and natural resource agencies as well as industry will be informed about the Web site and encouraged to visit and link to the network. Furthermore, a Web-based video network for disseminating streaming video will be a natural outgrowth of this project.
Furthermore, faculty experts at participating institutions will be solicited to provide informative, reliable, research-based information, which in turn will be developed into exclusive reports for the Internet radio network. These reports will be similarly converted into digital streaming audio format. The resulting digital audio files from these reports and from those segments received from participating institutions will be uploaded to a streaming-audio server and published to the National Real-time Internet Web-based Radio Network site. From this site, scientists, producers, processors, researchers, and the public will be able to listen to more of the latest up-to-date agricultural, food, human, and natural resource related information than ever before.
In the first phase of the project, collaborators will build a regional prototype (which will soon become a national) Internet Web-based radio network to post and archive agricultural, food, human and natural resource related information for access and use in audio format segments. This Web-based network will contain a continuous four- to six-hour loop of educational agricultural, food, human and natural resource-related, streaming audio in digital format for Web-based listeners. These segments will be updated at least once a week to contain new information as it is received from the participating institutions. This network will have special applicability for emergency use as well as fast-breaking issues of concern for a region or the nation.
Visitors will be able to use any existing real-time digital audio player software (Web-browser plug-in) or download common industry-standard software, at no cost, from the site or from a linked site. That software can then be used to play or record the streaming audio broadcast. The network will also seek to capture information about visitors to the network so that information on audience dynamics can be used to continually adjust and improve the service.
As new programs and segments are added, they will be continuously archived in digital format using a database which will catalogue the titles in a number of lists including subject matter, radio listening audience, regional location, and by sponsoring institution. All Web site visitors (including radio stations) will be able to access, download and play any of the segments from this network. Expectations by the end of the first six months are that the site will offer more than 500 titles with program running times of as little as 15 seconds and as much as 30 minutes.
Participating institutions will have the ability to post daily recorded radio shows in digital format. Commercial radio stations can then access the site, download and use the information, greatly reducing delays in delivering information through traditional means. Eventually this site can eliminate the need for institutions to constantly record and mail audio tapes to the stations, reducing distribution costs for the participating institutions. The Internet Web-based radio network for agricultural, food and human and natural resource- related information will also allow participating institutions to reach highly segmented audiences with information designed to meet the needs of diverse listeners.
Land-grant institutions, USDA, and commercial radio stations will be encouraged to link to the Internet radio network Web site. Other agricultural, food, and natural resource agencies as well as industry will be informed about the Web site and encouraged to visit and link to the network as well.
In the second phase of the project, program directors will market the success of the network to all land-grant institutions who are currently producing, or may be beginning to produce, audio information. As the program continues, as many as 30 additional land-grant instituions will be encouraged to participate in the network. By the end of year two, with additional support and funding, the network can begin expansion of the site and server to include streaming video produced by the participating land-grant institutions.
The Internet radio Web site will be hosted on a Web server located in the EMS unit of the University of Florida. The site will run through an NT server with T-3 connection capable of responding to a heavy volume of Web requests. The program content will be developed and managed by a broadcast specialist, and the site and server will be managed by an information specialist. Additional assistance will be provided by agricultural communications interns who will learn from, and participate in the project.
Job descriptions for the Broadcast Specialist and Information Specialist positions are as follows:
JOB TITLE #1
Broadcast Specialist
TYPE OF WORK
Developing and coordinating broadcast programming for the National Real-Time Internet Web-based Radio Network for Land-Grant Information
RESPONSIBILITIES
Researches, writes, and edits scripts and other program materials for Internet radio broadcasts. Conducts recorded audio interviews and performs other news gathering activities. Uses digital audio production and editing equipment to produce Internet radio program material. Coordinates set-up, technical arrangement, and production of programming. Provides professional voice/narration for Internet radio broadcasts and other recorded media. Adapts print and video news items for use in Internet radio broadcasts. Selects, acquires and maintains a library of program materials. Establishes and maintains professional contacts with outside sources of program content.
QUALIFICATIONS
Bachelor degree in broadcast journalism, radio production, or other appropriate area of specialization and five years of related experience; outstanding verbal and written communication skills; skills and experience in journalism and media production; familiarity with Internet/Web media technologies
JOB TITLE #2
Information Specialist
TYPE OF WORK
Functions as webmaster, Web designer, and technical support for the National Real-Time Internet Web-based Radio Network for Land-Grant Information
RESPONSIBILITIES
Creates and maintains Web pages for radio network Web site; oversees and maintains hardware and software for Web server; coordinates use of Web development applications and the development of underlying program code for streaming media playback; maintains the structure and integrity of online audio/video files; ensures cross-platform compatibility of audio/video content; arranges for the distribution of audio/video files to remote radio/TV stations for rebroadcast via conventional methods; responsible for security of Web site; updates Web page content on a weekly basis; helps maintain archive/catalogue of audio and video clips; collects data and provides reports regarding the Web sites access, file downloads, and visitor information.
QUALIFICATIONS
Associate degree in appropriate area of specialization with one year of experience maintaining an Internet/Web server or HS diploma and 2 years experience maintaining an Internet/Web server; Web design experience; working knowledge of HTML, JAVA, TCP/IP; knowledge of and/or experience with technologies for delivering streaming audio/video over the Internet.
A National Real-time Internet Web-based Radio network would offer a readily accessible source of pertinent and often vital information to a diverse national audience including scientists, producers, processors, researchers and the general public. By virtue of its being Internet Web-based, it would facilitate broader access, more wide-spread dissemination and greater utilization of agricultural, Land-Grant and related information. Listening audiences that typically tune in to ag-radio would be able to hear more of the latest up-to-date news regarding agricultural, food, human and natural resource-related issues.
Furthermore, an Internet radio network such as this would also serve conventional radio stations that offer agricultural programming as well, by providing a faster and more efficient means of distributing agricultural news and information stories than is currently available.
And finally, it will also make information available to members of the international community who have an interest in U.S. land-grant information.
Currently, in order for agricultural radio news to be disseminated, stories and segments must be recorded on audiotape, then duplicates must be produced and distributed to stations by mail. This practice, while still the de facto distribution standard, is slow, costly, and cumbersome. Furthermore, its scope is very limited, given that the originating institution will typically only distribute audiotapes to those stations with which it has an established subscriber relationship, in order to better the likelihood of airplay.
The advantages of using Web distribution over the traditional distribution practices are substantial. Firstly, by using the Web as a distribution vehicle, the timeliness of agricultural news and information disssemination could be substantially improved. Duplicate tapes and mailings would no longer be necessary. Rather, radio segments could be downloaded and broadcast around the world within minutes of release, rather than within days. Secondly, agricultural news and information segments could achieve a far greater degree of dispersion by being accessible from virtually anywhere. Stations beyond the range of traditional distribution channels could pick up the stories, establishing new news outlets. Thirdly, since all of this radio material would be distributed from a central Web site, that site would effectively become a national clearinghouse for agricultural news and information. Radio broadcasters could have a broader selection of content, yet be able to select among those news stories and segments that were most pertinent to their local audiences.
While there are still some lingering limitations to the viability of Internet Web-based radio, particularly in terms of bandwidth, server capacity, and storage, it nevertheless will be only a short time before these obstacles are sufficiently overcome by technological advancement. Therefore, establishing such a Internet radio network at this juncture would be prudent because it would ensure that a viable infrastructure would be in place when the underlying technologies soon reach full maturity.
Furthermore, it is clear that radio stations are already gearing up for this type of a distribution vehicle. In a recent survey of radio stations that regularly broadcast agricultural news and information, it was found that 77% reported having Internet access. The survey also found that 82% asked to be put on a notification listserve to be informed if and when an agricultural Internet radio network becomes available.
As an information dissemination tool, conventional broadcast radio is intrinsically limited by the fact that audiences must tune in at specific times in order to hear information. Conventional radio programming typically is done in the form of a regularly scheduled "show" which has agricultural information as its theme. Because most radio stations employ a variety of programming themes in an effort to appeal to a wide audience, agricultural broadcasts rarely occur more than once or twice in a 24-hour period. In many cases, such programming is only broadcast on a once-a- week basis. Furthermore, in conventional radio, specific agricultural segments often are rarely repeated. Given that most radio stations are commercial in nature and have revenues that are based on listenership; and given also that listeners will often "tune out" a radio segment which they have already heard, repetition of programming is commonly avoided.
As a consequence of these attributes,a great deal of information disseminated via conventional radio that may be pertinent or even vital to the agricultural information consumer is likely to be missed. Even though many listeners do indeed get into the habit of tuning in at an appointed day and hour to hear an agricultural radio show,
the periodic missing of a broadcast due to unforseen circumstance is a veritable certainty. Yet it is conceivable, and in fact likely, that a given show may contain a valuable or even vital piece of information that will be permenently lost to any consumer who misses a broadcast.
On an Internet Web-based radio network however, the listener has absolute flexibility with regard to when a given segment of agricultural information can be accessed. Firstly, the Web site would provide the most up-to-date news and information in a continuous loop of streaming audio. The agricultural information consumer could "tune in" any day of the week, any time of the day or night. Secondly, any timely broadcast which a given listener may have missed would still be perpetually accessible via a downloadable news archive. Clearly, an Internet Web-based radio network would provide an unprecedented level of accessibility to agricultural and land-grant related news and information. The impact of such an innovation would be to establish a universal source of just-in-time information for the interested consumer.
1) overall visitor traffic on the site by counting the number hits to the home page.
2) number of users who access the streaming audio program on a weekly basis.
3) number of users accessing the audio stream simultaneously at any given time.
4) average length of time a listener listens to a streaming audio broadcast.
5) number of downloads of archived programming.
Another important evaluation mechanism will be an on-line questionnaire form which visitors will be required to fill out whenever they wish to download archived materials for the first time. The questionnaire will ascertain visitors impressions of the usefulness and effectiveness of the Internet radio network site, both in terms of its intended purpose and in terms of how well it fulfills that purpose.
Furthermore, since the questionnaire will begin with queries that elicit visitor profile information, it will have the secondary function of being a mechanism to track visitor demographics. From an assessment standpoint, the ability to track individual users would be an extremely useful feature. It would facilitate long-range tracking and identification of populations with the greatest degree of interest in the site. Visitor usage assessments could also then be easily correlated with demographic and a qualitative assessments. This would facilitate a more accurate assessment of the Web sites overall effectiveness and aid in determining whether the project is succeeding in accomplishing its goals and objectives.
Once filled in and submitted, this questionaire will also "register" visitors with the site for the future. This would enable each visitor to be given a personalized greeting and customized interface when they return to the site. It would also prevent them from having to keep filling out the questionnaire when they wish to download further archived segments.
Currently, most of the information that we deliver by land-grant sponsored radio pertains to the growing of things: crops, trees, livestock, poultry, catfish, home gardens and landscape plants. This is because conventional radio mostly plays content that is topical to the "lowest common denominator"; that is, that which the largest number of persons in a typical listening audience would likely find of interest. The downside of this approach to programming is that it tends to disregard other land-grant-related topics which may be of interest (or even of vital concern) to smaller populations.
Given its customizable program content and its capacity to deliver information on demand (both topical and archived), an Internet Web-based radio network could serve even the smallest populations while still playing to the masses. This would include even traditionally underserved segments such as women, minorities and the handicapped. Indeed, an Internet web-based radio network would provide an outstanding opportunity for land-grant institutions and Extension Services across the nation to collaborate in delivering excellent information on such topics as child development, adult and infant nutrition, home financial management, parenting, elder care, handicapped access, and community development- in essence, aspects of the land-grant mission other than agriculture.
In addition to reaching underserved populations, an Internet Web-based radio network would also provide an excellent vehicle for multi-state cooperation among Extension specialists, which is currently being mandated under federal funding. Rice specialists in Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Arkansas for example, could collaborate in delivering information to rice producers. By combining their efforts, the multiplier effect would allow them to do a much better job of getting information out to a wider and more diversified audience.
Finally, a pilot program for an Internet Web-based radio network would allow an opportunity to experiment not only with the technology and the protocols for developing and assembling the information but also with successful ways for handling various categories of land-grant information. It would also allow us to test the waters to determine the degree of interest of 1) end users in receiving information directly over the web in audio form and 2) radio stations in using the web as a programming source. By establishing a regional prototype and by tracking the rate of increase of adoption within categories of known users and others that may not have been considered, we could project the value of expanding the project to have even greater national scope. Ultimately, we might even find international use for some types of information where cultural differences are not too great.
Second month: Set up weekly teleconference meetings with participants to discuss formats for audio software, current radio stations using agricultural and natural resource information, and logistics for submitting audio to Web site. Select industry standard real-time digital audio player software for listeners use to access site. Place Web counter and log-in information on site. Provide information to radio stations on use of site to access and download broadcast quality audio. Place audio segments on site. Increase number of streaming audio segements for Web-based listeners.
Third month: Begin cataloguing audio segments so that lists can be sorted in a number of ways including: by listener interests; age groups; agricultural and natural resource interests; commercial, business, and homeowner listeners; state and regional interest; and in other lists as applicable. Post list on Web site and provide continuous audio loop. Continue posting broadcast quality segments daily. Update streaming audio for Web-based listeners.
Fourth month: Continue the above practices. Begin national marketing campaign for awareness of the national Real-time Internet Web-based radio network through USDA, land-grant institutions, and other Internet sites. Construct list-serves of radio stations and post information through list-serves about newest audio segments.
Fifth and sixth months: Continue daily postings for broadcast access and continuously update real-time loop. Continue marketing campaign broadening efforts to include other universities and international agencies.
Seventh month: Continue efforts above. Begin limited postings of video segments for access by audience. Survey stations for information about improvements and possible additions to audio segments. Approach additional radio stations about accessing service. Compile and report start-up cost to obtain funding formula for continuing service.
Eight through eleventh months: Ongoing work continues including a report of usage. Begin evaluation process.
Final month: Ongoing work continues. Begin final evaluation and reporting of first year of national radio network.