Author Archives: Thomas Kennedy

The SPI blog has moved!

February 8, 2011 – 1:51 PM
As we embark on what should be a fantastic and productive new year for PBS Interactive and PBS member stations, the Station Products & Innovation team is proud to launch a slick new blog with the goal of fostering even... Read More »
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Ten Things to Know About Merlin

November 10, 2010 – 4:09 PM
For the last two years, PBS has been hard at work building a powerful new platform to distribute local and national PBS content across the Internet. The cutting-edge initiative, codenamed Project Merlin, has been designed to ensure that PBS.org and other... Read More »
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COVE: Merlin's New Magic Hat

September 9, 2010 – 4:18 PM
Over the past few years, high-definition video content has taken American television and the Internet by storm. One recent study revealed that over 60% of American homes have already made the jump to HD television sets and 75% are expected... Read More »
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UNC-TV and The Tenth Inning: A Social Media Grand Slam

August 18, 2010 – 3:30 PM
When Ken Burns walked out of the dugout and onto the field at Nationals Park in Washington D.C., he emerged in front of an electrified, smartphone-wielding crowd that was busily tapping away at pocket-sized devices to digitally document the historic... Read More »
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Merlin RSS Feeds: Really Simple Syndication for PBS Stations

August 12, 2010 – 11:37 AM
Earlier this year, the SPI team explained the basics of RSS feeds and XML terminology.  It's no surprise - RSS technology has been leaving a widespread mark on the Internet since about 2005.  Feeds provide an easy way for readers... Read More »
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Merlin 101: Where are we now?

August 4, 2010 – 12:42 PM
Nearly two months ago, thirteen valiant PBS member stations embarked upon a journey that would carry them to the cutting edge of the Internet frontier.  These brave public media warriors had been selected to participate in a pilot program for... Read More »
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Taxonomy, Topics, and Tags: Welcome to the Merlin 'T' Party

July 29, 2010 – 2:58 PM
In case you haven't heard, the SPI team has been hard at work all summer to help the PBS system gear up to launch the new Merlin-powered PBS.org.  The team has already given stations a sneak peak into the world... Read More »
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An Eye Toward the Future: KQED News and Public Media in the 21st Century

July 29, 2010 – 1:04 PM
Earlier this month, KQED Public Media launched KQEDnews.org, a forward-thinking online expansion of the organization's growing news and public affairs initiatives.  The site features extensive cross-platform content from PBS, NPR, and KQED's own television and radio services.  In conjunction with... Read More »
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Keys to the Merlin Kingdom: PBS Login Accounts Explained

July 14, 2010 – 2:22 PM
Once upon a time in ye olde days of Camelot, King Arthur and Merlin would meet with their trusted Knights of the Round Table to plan the progress of their glorious kingdom. This summer, the SPI team at PBS has... Read More »
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Louisiana Public Broadcasting, Crisis in the Gulf: Three Months Later

July 12, 2010 – 1:45 PM
In late April, an explosive fireball rocked BP's Deepwater Horizon oil rig, causing it to collapse into the Gulf of Mexico.  As flames erupted from the water's surface and thousands of gallons of crude oil began gushing into local fishing... Read More »
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PBA's Atlanta PlanIt: Bringing Arts & Culture to the Web 2.0 Generation

July 8, 2010 – 2:39 PM
Since 2009, Public Broadcasting Atlanta (PBA) has been working with the Metro Atlanta Arts and Culture Coalition (MAACC) to curate and maintain Atlanta PlanIt, metro Atlanta's premier free online guide to the region's diverse arts and culture events, organizations, and... Read More »
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Project Merlin, or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love Content Channels

July 1, 2010 – 1:58 PM
Last week, thirteen PBS stations from across the country kicked off the Merlin Pilot program.  So far, stations participating in the pilot have seen a demo of the Merlin Admin tool and discussed the ways they will need to begin... Read More »
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An Introduction to Project Merlin: Preparing Your Station Content for the New PBS.org

June 23, 2010 – 4:36 PM
Here at PBS, the sizzling heat of summer has ushered in a surge of news and updates about Project Merlin.  Soon, you may be hearing the famous Arthurian wizard's name tossed around more than ever - but is your station... Read More »
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Merlin Update: Pilot Announcement & Summer Timeline

June 16, 2010 – 5:13 PM
The PBS Interactive team is continuing to work its magic on Project Merlin this week with the launch of its first pilot test program.  To ensure geographical diversity during the test, thirteen pilot stations have been selected from across the... Read More »
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New Disqus Posting Interface

June 10, 2010 – 2:27 PM
If your station is currently using or considering the Disqus commenting tool for pbs.org sites, we've got some great news for you!  Disqus has just rolled out a new and improved posting interface that offers a cleaner, simpler, and more... Read More »
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Getting to Know... Thomas Kennedy

June 7, 2010 – 4:30 PM
1. What do you do at PBS Interactive?As an intern at PBS Station Products & Innovation, I'll be spending my summer working on Project Merlin, COVE, and the Station Remote Control website.  I'll also be helping out with webinars and... Read More »
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