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New @ North Country Public RadioNorth Country Public Radio's UpNorth Music Concert Series at the Clayton Opera House July 13Canton, NY, Wednesday, June 25, 2008 - North Country Public Radio presents the third of six concerts in the 2008 UpNorth Music Concert Series at The Clayton Opera House on Sunday, July 13. The concert series is the culmination of a two-year grant from The New York State Music Fund that included a year-long tour of our region recording the work of more than 500 talented musicians, the development of a website showcasing their work, and a 3-CD set of 40 of the most memorable performances from the tour. The Clayton event includes an Artisan Showcase and Sale from 10am-2:45pm and 5-6pm. The concert is from 3-5pm and includes three of the top performers from the recording tour: Wreckloose: This Albany-based rock-n-roll band says their approach to harmonies and song structure makes them different from other rock bands. Politics, relationships-even filling out a job application-provide themes for their songs. Scott Shipley: This singer/songwriter wants his listeners to know that the words of his songs matter. He often includes double entendres in his lyrics for the benefit of careful listeners. Cullen's Cross: This band combines electric and acoustic music in their renditions of traditional Celtic tunes. While they still like to play coffee house gigs, Cullen's Cross appeals to a young dancing crowd with their more recent amplified sound. The concert is free, but tickets are required. To reserve seats call 1-877-388-6277 or email your request to Kelly@ncpr.org. To find more information about our performers and listen to their music, visit NCPR's UpNorth Music website www.upnorthmusic.org. UpNorth Music is supported by The New York State Music Fund established by the New York State Attorney General at Rockefeller Philanthrophy Advisors. NCPR Takes Top Honors in the NYS Associated Press Broadcasters Award CompetitionCanton, NY, Monday, June 09, 2008—North Country Public Radio took top honors in the New York State Associated Press Broadcasters Awards Competition announced June 7th. NCPR was honored with eight first-place awards, two special mentions, plus The Steve Flanders Grand Prize, given to one radio station that exemplifies the best traditions of journalistic initiative and dedication in providing a complete news service to the listening public. North Country Public Radio was chosen for the AP’s Grand Prize over all radio stations in New York, regardless of commercial or public status or market size. The eight first-place awards include:
The two special mention awards include:
“We are proud of this recognition for the work done by our news team,” said station manager Ellen Rocco. “However, I am not surprised. The people on our news team are among the most talented, dedicated and serious journalists of any in the public radio system—indeed, of any in the entire news industry.” For more information, and a complete archive of the NCPR's award-winning stories visit the news team page. NCPR Hosts StoryCorps, the National Oral History Project, in Saranac Lake and Glens FallsCanton, NY, Thursday, May 15, 2008—StoryCorps, a national initiative to document everyday history and the unique stories of Americans, will spend two weeks in Saranac Lake and two weeks in Glens Falls this summer collecting interviews and recordings for broadcast on public radio and for the Library of Congress. Hosted by North Country Public Radio, the StoryCorps MobileBooth, an Airstream trailer outfitted with a recording studio, will be parked in Saranac Lake’s Pontiac Bay Park from June 19-29 and Glens Falls City Park from July 2-12. The StoryCorps team plans on collecting more than 120 interviews during these visits. North Country Public Radio will air a selection of these stories and create special programs around the project. Selected segments will also air nationally on NPR’s Morning Edition. At the MobileBooth, people participate in pairs – oftentimes friends or loved ones – and one interviews the other. A trained facilitator guides the participants through the interview process and handles the technical aspects of the recording. At the end of a 40-minute session, the participants walk away with a CD of their interview. With their permission, a second copy will be sent to the American Folklife Center (AFC) at the Library of Congress where it becomes part of a high-quality digital archive. This collection will eventually grow into an oral history of America. StoryCorps was created by award-winning documentary producer and MacArthur Fellowship “Genius Grant” recipient Dave Isay. This unprecedented project has traveled to every corner of America, instructing and inspiring individuals to record their stories in sound. StoryCorps is the largest multi-year oral history project ever undertaken. Since its launch in October 2003, StoryCorps’ two mobile and two stationary recording studios have visited 66 cities in 43 states and collected more than 10,000 stories. Individuals can visit www.StoryCorps.net to make interview reservations and listen to excerpts of other stories told in the booth. State Farm Insurance is a proud national sponsor of StoryCorps. Major funding for StoryCorps is provided by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB). StoryCorps is a project of Sound Portraits Productions in partnership with NPR and the American Folklife Center (AFC) at the Library of Congress. “The Adirondacks” Film Features North Country Public Radio Journalist
In The Adirondacks, the story of the Adirondacks is told through a series of distinct perspectives on its past, present and future. The program explores this remarkable region and reveals a delicate and dynamic relationship between progress and preservation. The Adirondack Park sprawls across six million acres. Bigger than Yellowstone, Yosemite, Glacier and Grand Canyon National Park combined, it is by far the largest park in the lower 48 states. Yet it is the only one on the continent in which large human populations live and whose land is divided almost evenly between protected wilderness and privately owned tracts. This patchwork pattern of land ownership has created an utterly unique place. North Country Public Radio’s Adirondack Bureau was created in 1999 and is based in Saranac Lake. NCPR Bureau Chief Brian Mann’s award-winning reports on the area are heard on the station’s regional news programs, and regularly on National Public Radio. Brian Mann reporter archive. North Country Public Radio Celebrates its 40th Anniversary Year with 40K/20K Run/Walk at Paul Smith's Visitor Interpretive CenterOn Saturday, May 10, 2008, North Country Public Radio will celebrate its 40th anniversary on the trails at the VIC in Paul Smiths, NY. This is one of many events the station is organizing to mark four decades of broadcasting in the Adirondack North Country. The public is invited to participate in a race at the VIC, which begins at 9:00 a.m. (and 7:00 a.m. for walkers) and features a scenic loop course on soft, dry, bark-surfaced trails. Runners and walkers will be treated to a deluxe event with commemorative t-shirts, water and sports drinks on the course, prizes, music, a post-race lunch, and family activities throughout the day. Events include a short fun run for kids, a variety of programs presented by the VIC and radio station staff as well as special guests, and music from groups selected by the station's UpNorth Music team. A make-your-own sandwich lunch with special desserts is included in the $40 registration fee, and is only $5.00 for non-racers. All other events are presented free of charge. "This is a day of celebration," said NCPR station manager Ellen Rocco. "The timing is great for serious runners and walkers who are gearing up for the race season, and we've planned the day to be fun for family and friends of race participants. 40K for 40 years! That's just about two miles less than a full marathon, but we'll have the extra distance marked off for those who wish to complete a full or half marathon. It's a great course, there will be wonderful music and lots of interesting activities." North Country Public Radio Honored with Five 2008 Regional Murrow AwardsCanton, NY, Thursday, April 17, 2008 - North Country Public Radio has been honored with five 2008 Regional Edward R. Murrow Awards for excellence from the Radio and Television News Directors Association (RTNDA). NCPR's five awards represent the most wins in its region. RTNDA received 3,459 entries from regions across the country. Judges gave awards in 14 categories, including overall excellence, spot news, continuing coverage and investigative reporting, among others. The stories honored represent the broad reach of NCPR's regional news department: hard news, human interest, newscast and use of sound. The first award was received for Best Continuing Coverage for Assistant News Director and Reporter David Sommerstein's year-long series, Immigration in the North Country. From Congress' failure to pass immigration reform, to former Governor Spitzer's failed drivers' license plan, North Country Public Radio went beyond the headline news to produce in-depth reports and series on how immigration affects people in the North Country. Sommerstein's reports followed immigration issues closely, especially on area farms. NCPR was also honored for Best Hard News Feature for Hydropower Comes at a Cost for the Cree. Adirondack Bureau Chief, Brian Mann traveled to far northern Quebec where the province's power company, Hydro-Quebec, is moving forward with the latest in a series of monumental hydroelectric projects, one that will uproot and re-channel the Rupert River. Supporters say it's an engineering feat that rivals the Trans-Alaska pipeline, and it will supply cheap, lower-carbon electricity to consumers in New York State and Vermont. Mann found the Rupert River is sacred to the Cree who live nearby. All Before Five, NCPR's newest news program, won for Best Newscast. Every weekday at 4:45 PM, reporter and host Jonathan Brown brings the region up to date on the day's news and NCPR's most interesting stories. The award-winning show dated from August 21, 2007. It featured David Sommerstein reporting on villagers' opposition to Wal-Mart's request for village sewage lines for a new supercenter and Jonathan Brown's nighttime encounter with bats during a study at Fort Drum. The fourth award was given for Best News Series for Farm to Farm, Family to Family. In January 2007, David Sommerstein traveled with a group of northern New York dairy farmers to a mountain town in Mexico called Malacatepec. Names like Lowville, Carthage, and Utica are as familiar there as they are here. His three-part series brought the story to life, examining the complex issue from the perspectives of the farmers, the workers, and a North Country town being introduced to its first migrant workers. The final award was given for Best Use of Sound for Winter Dash to Avalanche Lake. In the High Peaks last winter, snow covered the trails and temperatures plunged to double-digits below zero. Brian Mann snuck away for a day with his friend Bob Martin, from Saranac Lake, to ski the trail to Avalanche Pass. Brian sent an audio postcard that skillfully used the sounds of the day to put listeners right on the trail. Regional winners automatically become eligible for the national awards competition, which will be judged in early June. North Country Public Radio has won numerous Regional awards in past years, and two National Edward R. Murrow awards. The first National Murrow came in 2005 for continuing coverage of the Iraq War, in Iraq and back home. In 2007, the station won the Best Sports Reporting Award, for Brian Mann's story on rugby in the Adirondacks. All of NCPR's winning news stories can be heard on our website. North Country Public Radio Releases Music Heard UpNorth 3-CD Set
Canton, NY, Friday, February 08, 2008—After an unprecedented year-long recording tour featuring 504 musicians in 15 towns, North Country Public Radio has completed phase one of it’s UpNorth Music Project and released Music Heard UpNorth, a 3-CD set that highlights 40 of the best songs from the sessions. Music Heard UpNorth includes jazz, rock, blues, reggae, bluegrass, folk, celtic, gospel and more and is available for $20 at cdbaby.com or by calling NCPR at 877-388-6277. The UpNorth Music Project is funded through a grant from the New York State Music Fund, administered by Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors. The fund was created when the New York State Attorney General’s Office resolved investigations against major record companies that had violated state and federal laws prohibiting “pay for play” (also called payola). The settlement agreement stipulated that funds paid by music businesses would support music education and appreciation for the benefit of New York State residents. Phase one of the UpNorth Music project included travel throughout the region to record a wide variety of musical acts. Performances have been archived online on NCPR’s comprehensive UpNorth Music website www.upnorthmusic.org. During phase two of the project audiences will be able to enjoy these artists through the newly released 3-CD set, on-air broadcast, podcasts, and a summer 2008 concert series that includes performances at the Norwood Village Green, Clayton Opera House, Asgaard Farm in Jay, NY and The Charles R. Wood Theater in Glens Falls. "When we started this project we knew the North Country was rich in musical talent, but the variety of music we encountered was exceptional. We’re excited to share this remarkable group of musicians with North Country music fans,” said Joel Hurd, NCPR production manager and UpNorth Music recording engineer.
North Country Public Radio Presents First UpNorth Music Concert January 25
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Jonathan Lorentz
Meredith Luce
The concert will double as the release party for Music Heard UpNorth, a 3-CD compilation of songs from the UpNorth Music Recording Tour. The collection includes pop, rock, jazz, blues, country, bluegrass, Celtic and an assortment of other styles. Music Heard UpNorth will be available for sale at the concert on the 25th.
North Country Public Radio (NCPR) and WAMC/Northeast Public Radio today announce that they have come to an agreement, in principle, which will help to insure the continuance of North Country Public Radio on the 91.7 frequency in Lake Placid. "The agreement," says North Country Public Radio station manager Ellen Rocco, "is a win-win for both stations. The simple action of withdrawing this application demonstrates responsiveness and leadership on the part of WAMC and provides the best outcome for both stations." 
