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Tag: Betsy Scolnik

  • National Geographic offers podcasts

    National Geographic offers podcasts

    MUMBAI: US broadcaster National Geographic now makes it possible for consumers to take a guided walk through the streets of Venice, experience an African safari and hear the week’s top science and nature news, with audio and video podcasts for free download.

    Available at www.nationalgeographic.com/podcasts as well as on iTunes and Yahoo!, the first offering of podcasts aims to inspire audiences to care about the planet by tapping into a wide range of newly produced and existing content from National Geographic. Of the 10 National Geographic offerings on the iTunes storefront, eight are in the top 75 downloads for this week.

    Free audio podcasts from National Geographic include:

    – National Geographic News — The week’s top science and nature news, world music features, interviews with innovators, audio quizzes and a “Photos on the Radio” feature

    – Afropop Worldwide — Lively, in-depth reports on the music and culture of Africa and the Americas and their transatlantic connections

    – Traveler Magazine’s ’50 Walks of a Lifetime’– Some of the greatest walking tours, including San Francisco, Tribeca (NY), Paris and Venice, selected by editors of National Geographic Traveler and narrated by radio and television travel authority Rudy Maxa

    – National Geographic World Talk — Interviews with the world’s most compelling scientists, explorers, photographers and thinkers

    – The Best of National Geographic Magazine –The best of 118 years of adventure, cultures and creature features, including the award-winning Sights & Sounds

    – National Geographic Minutes — Minute-long reports on nature and science

    Free video podcasts include:

    – Wild Chronicles — Rare access to unknown places and in-depth reporting from the public television series Wild Chronicles, hosted by Boyd Matson and made possible by National Geographic Mission Programs and Lindblad Expeditions and presented by WLIW New York

    – National Geographic Video Shorts — Videos from National Geographic, including Mysteries of Lost Civilisations, The World’s Most Unusual Foods, Extreme Healing, The World’s Toughest Jobs and spotlights on countries around the world

    – National Geographic Atmosphere — Features video with ambient sound that exposes users to exotic settings and locations

    – National Geographic Spotlight — Featuring one-on-one interviews with superstars from around the globe. From Brazilian crooners to Senegalese superstars, Spotlight lets the musicians speak for themselves.

    National Geographic digital media VP content operations, Betsy Scolnik says, “For more than a century National Geographic has crossed borders in its storytelling. Podcasting is shaping up to be the ultimate tool for crisscrossing the globe, making it easy for everyone — from the armchair traveler to the on-the-go adventurer — to access great stories through video, audio, music and still photos.”

  • NGC launches a global music broadband channel

    NGC launches a global music broadband channel

    MUMBAI: National Geographic in the US has created a music initiative that offers consumers the soundtrack to the world, from traditional roots music to unexpected hybrids from the furthest reaches of the globe.

    National Geographic World Music (worldmusic.nationalgeographic.com) showcases international artists and musical performances in an interactive and immersive online environment.

    In supporting National Geographic’s (NGC) core aim of inspiring people to care about the planet, the site uses the language of music as a medium to tell the stories of the world.

    From Morocco to Indonesia, New Zealand to Sweden, Cuba to the US and Senegal, National Geographic World Music offers fans the chance to discover music by different artists, regions and genres. The site also provides rich context for music through NGC’s assets that include videos, maps, photos and features from its magazines, and other editorial platforms. Searches are enabled via artist, genre, country and region.

    Featured artists include:

    – Tinariwen: These Malian guitar-slingers are former Tuareg rebels who put down their guns, picked up guitars and changed the face of African rock ’n’ roll.

    – Sidestepper: This Anglo-Colombian collaboration is a mash-up of 21st-century salsa, cumbia, vallenato and drum ’n’ bass, direct from the developing world.

    – Seu Jorge: This Brazilian crooner made waves when he gave David Bowie classics a smooth, samba makeover.

    Musician David Beal has been working on the launch of National Geographic World Music for the past year. He says, “People come to National Geographic to read books and magazines, to watch films and television, to shop and to explore nationalgeographic.com, but they’ve never truly had a pure listening experience, until now.

    “By exposing these incredible artists to the National Geographic audience, they’ll hopefully begin to find a larger audience and receive the recognition they deserve.”

    National Geographic World Music is programmed by music experts under the supervision of Tom Pryor, former editor of Global Rhythm magazine. The Web site will feature the best artists, innovative music and emerging trends worldwide, allowing users a comprehensive experience. It will also feature guest DJs and their recommended play lists. With partner Calabash, National Geographic World Music makes thousands of tracks available for discovery as well as for purchase at 99 cents per MP3 download. Other strategic partners include LinkTV for video, and Afropop Worldwide and Global Rhythm for editorial and curatorial content.

    National Geographic digital media VP, content development and operations Betsy Scolnik says, “World music is a natural extension of nationalgeographic.com’s rich multimedia experience that entertains, informs and engages consumers who are as passionate about the world’s cultures and the environment as we are. World music fans around the world will be able to listen and learn in one digital experience.”