Visitors to KVPR.org have likely noticed some big changes in recent months, as the station launched its new website in August. In addition to a more appealing design, the new KVPR.org features a homepage filled with the latest news content from NPR and from Valley Public Radio's own local reporters.
"It's a completely new approach to digital content for us," says Joe Moore, Valley Public Radio's Director of Program Content. "Our goal is for this new site to be a destination for news and information for the Central Valley, just like Morning Edition and All Things Considered are on FM89."
"Our old website didn't really allow us to show off the local news and content we produce, and also didn't have a place for us to share the NPR news and music stories. Every time you visit KVPR.org you'll see new reports, breaking news, multimedia features and more, right on the front page. It's always something new and interesting, and we're very proud of how it's turned out," says Moore.
The new site also makes it much easier for Valley Public Radio to produce reports, both for the web and for the radio. "We're now able to produce a report, record it, get it on the air and on the web in a matter of minutes. With our old website, it simply wasn't possible to do things like that. It makes it a lot easier for us to be able to manage all of the content locally, and keep our users up to date with what's happening. As we focus more and more on being a source for news, this is an essential part of our content toolkit," says Moore.
The new KVPR.org is part of a nationwide project from NPR called Core Publisher. The goal is to boost the local news capacity of member stations (like Valley Public Radio) by pooling resources at stations across the country to build a state-of-the-art content management system designed specifically for the unique needs of public radio.
"If we had tried to build a site like this on our own, with these custom features, it would likely have cost over $100,000. Luckily, by partnering with NPR's Digital Services division, we were able to launch this new service at just a fraction of the cost," says Moore.
The new site features a very clean, contemporary design, with easy navigation to station program pages and news categories. Each page also features rotating banners that depict the natural beauty of Central California, from the Valley's agriculture fields to Yosemite and the Giant Sequoias of the Sierra.
In addition to station news content and reports from NPR, you'll also find more behind the scenes content on the new KVPR.org. You'll see bios and photos of FM89 on-air personalities as well as articles about what's going on at the station, even before they appear in Audiophile. There's also an improved version of old favorite features, like the FM89 Calendar and station podcasts.
While the main site launched in early August, in the coming months, more features will be added. Perhaps most exiting is a mobile version of the site, optimized for iPhone, Android and iPad devices. It will make it much easier for mobile users to listen to the station and read station content, wherever they go.
