This year's Beyond Broadcast conference will be sponsored by USC

Date and place: June 3-6 at the University of Southern California in Los Angeles. The theme: Public Service Media from Local to Global. Henry Jenkins, founder of MIT's Comparative Media Program and soon to be USC faculty member, will be the keynoter the first day. Other USC speakers include J-Prof. Michael Parks and comm Prof. Jonathan Taplin. USC will assist a number of attendees from overseas who might not come without aid; prompt nominations are sought. Register online. The first three annual Beyond Broadcast events were held by Harvard, MIT and American University.

Sorta related item: Cinny Kennard, managing director and managing editor of emptier and emptier NPR West since 2003, returns to USC as a professor. Kennard has also worked as a CBS News correspondent in L.A., London and Moscow and local newsie in Dallas, Houston, Ft. Wayne, Ind., and Norwalk, Conn.

On Transom, Mitchell talks up training, recruitment of pubradio talent

Doug Mitchell, a former NPR producer who established the Next Generation Radio training program, has taken up a residency on Transom.org, where he shares insights from his experience and tips for those looking to recruit and train new public radio journalists. "Talent development must continue, not be eliminated," Mitchell writes. "Find a way. Once you have the people you want, work to keep them. Don’t do things desperately, but methodically and deliberately. If you can’t help five, help one." The discussion board for Mitchell's Transom dialogue begins with testimonials of his many contributions to public radio.

Lidia talks about her 50-year love of Italian food

Lidia Bastianich, host of the cooking show Lidia's Italy on PBS, talks to The Dallas Observer about her passion for Italian food, and why she's on TV: "I just want to divulge as much information as I can." She also has five cookbooks, three other TV series and six restaurants to her name.