Mon, Dec 26, 2011
The Format? 'Third Rock,' Recruitment Ads
NASA's mission of discovery and exploration is being showcased
in a custom-produced Internet music radio station that is crafted
specifically to speak the language of tech-savvy young adults.
"Third Rock - America's Space Station" debuted this month with
what's described as a New Rock/Indie/Alternative format, and
operates at no cost to the government through a Space Act
Agreement. Third Rock can be reached from NASA's home page, www.nasa.gov, and
will soon be available through NASA iPhone and Droid mobile
applications.
"NASA constantly is looking for new and innovative ways to
engage the public and inspire the next generation of scientists and
engineers," said David Weaver, associate administrator for the
Office of Communications at NASA Headquarters in Washington. "We
have led the way in innovative uses of new media and this is
another example of how the agency is taking advantage of these
important communication tools."
NASA is also taking advantage of the availability of former
broadcast radio professionals being shed in large numbers by
today's consolidated media companies. The agency is collaborating
with Houston-based RFC Media. The company's co-founders are Pat
Fant, a veteran general manager of broadcast radio stations in
Houston and Dallas who serves as RFC's chief operating officer, and
a guy named Cruze, who has a resume filled with major-market radio
programming credits dating back to 1985.
So, what's between the songs? Fant explains, "NASA features and
news items are embedded throughout the programming alongside
greetings by celebrity artists." Third Rock also will help partner
companies fill high-tech job openings in the engineering, science
and IT fields. In addition to the NASA Web Portal, the station will
be available online in the future at the radio tab of Apple's
iTunes and other sites.
Showing he still has a way with a corny DJ line, Cruze adds, "No
one knows more about discovering new rock than NASA."
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