PubTV foodie has new column in Washington Post

Andres Viestad, host of pubTV's New Scandinavian Cooking with Andres Viestad, launched a new monthly column for the Washington Post today. The column, called "The Gastronomer," is about "the science of everyday cooking," according to the editor's note. "Kitchen science tends to forget the enjoyment part of gastronomy; it can be far too demanding when it suggests how we can improve the way we cook," writes Viestad in his first installment. 

Volunteers sought to review PTFP apps

NTIA is seeking station chief execs and other senior management as volunteer reviewers for grant applications in March and April. The agency said it needs 20 or more, working in teams of three, to review stations' funding requests to the Public Telecommunications Facilities Program between March 24 and April 11. "PTFP has an engineering staff, so it also cannot use station engineers as reviewers," said a memo circulated by program officer Walter Sheppard. Contact Sheppard at 202-482-1949 or wsheppard -at- ntia.doc.gov. Volunteers won't be reviewing apps from their own or related stations, of course. PTFP grant applications are due Feb. 22. The appropriation for fiscal year 2008 is down from $22 million last year to $16.8 million. Guidelines are summarized in the Federal Register.

WYPR hires Steiner replacement, scraps pledge drive

WYPR in Baltimore has hired Baltimore Sun columnist Dan Rodricks to replaced talk-show host Marc Steiner. Rodricks will inherit Steiner's noon to 2 p.m. slot on Feb. 25 and follow a similar call-in format. The station canceled its winter pledge drive in the wake of listener outcry about Steiner's firing. Station v.p. Andy Bienstock said the station will hold a combined winter and spring drive in April, after listeners have had a chance to hear the new show, reports the Sun. Steiner, who helped raise money to buy the station from Johns Hopkins University in 2001, was fired Feb. 1. Management cited the show's falling ratings and said it was too Baltimore-centric for its geographical reach. Steiner cited differences with President Tony Brandon said he and management had conflicting opinions about the role of public radio in the community.

Connecticut pubTV part of new local sports network

Connecticut Public Television and WFSB, the local CBS affiliate, are creating the Connecticut Sports Network. The network will broadcast high school and collegiate sports from across the state, beginning with the state high school basketball championships in March. Games will air on the digital and primary channels of CPTV and WFSB. Video of games will be posted on a new website, www.ctsn.tv, which is yet to come. In a video realease on wfsb.org, Connecticut Public Broadcasting President Jerry Franklin said the network also hopes to do some documentary-style programming about the state's sports. CPTV is already a major broadcaster of UConn women's basketball.