KQED-FM "dominant" in 25-54 ratings demographic

KQED-FM/88.5 is enjoying a nice ratings run. The station arrived at No. 1 in the San Francisco market for the first time in April. Jo Anne Wallace, g.m., was cautious, noting the station "didn't celebrate, but we took note of it." After a slight dip for pledge in May, the station was again atop the local ratings in June, reports the San Francisco Chronicle. "Since launching a news initiative in July 2010, increasing staff and the frequency of locally produced newscasts to 16, from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m., KQED has pushed past KGO (810 AM) in the overall ratings and been dominant in the prized age demo of 25-54," the paper notes.

Is a Lake Wobegon movie in the works?

Garrison Keillor is still confident in his decision to step aside from full-time hosting duties at public radio's Prairie Home Companion in July 2013. “I think it’s a great plan,” Keillor told the Louisville, Ky., Courier-Journal in a story Sunday (Aug. 7), “so that the host is able to step to the side before he becomes halting and pitiful, a lumbering galoot out on stage. I don’t need to be that person. I want to leave at the right time.”

Keillor said he expects to continue supplying regular dispatches from Lake Wobegon — perhaps even in a big-screen movie. “There are people interested in backing it,” Keillor said. “I have yet to give them a script, which should happen in the next couple weeks. We shall see.”

And she's off: KCRW's Diana Nyad begins attempt at Cuba-Florida swim

At 7:45 p.m. Eastern last night (Aug. 7), KCRW's Diana Nyad entered waters off Havana to began her second attempt to swim the 103 miles between Cuba and Florida. Matt Sloane from CNN is in a support boat and Tweeting what could be a 60-hour journey; CNN also is tracking the swim here. Sloane report at around 9 a.m. Eastern this morning that 20 miles into the swim Nyad is doing well, with the exception of a few minor shoulder pains.

CNN reported the start of her odyssey last night. "I'm almost 62 years old and I'm standing here at the prime of my life," she said as she walked toward the sea. "I think this is the prime. When one reaches this age, you still have a body that's strong but now you have a better mind." Nyad did a few stretches and played reveille, the traditional Army wake-up song, on a bugle before she dived in.

Chicago's WBEZ mulling midday program changes

Chicago Public Media WBEZ-FM is working on plans to boost its output of local news during middays in response to two new local FM news outlets, reports Chicago media critic Bob Feder. Torey Malatia, president of Chicago Public Media, outlined details for staffers Friday (Aug. 5). Currently the station airs local newsmag Eight Forty-Eight and international affairs talk show Worldview, both WBEZ productions, along with various programs from other sources. “Some of those purchased programs would probably remain, but the weaker ones would go away,” Malatia said. “But we haven’t gotten as far as targeting any of them yet.”

One plan would split the production staff of Eight Forty-Eight and replace the program with one morning and one afternoon show. Allison Cuddy, host of Eight Forty-Eight, would host one, and Steve Edwards, the founding host of the show who’s currently director of content development, would host the other, Malatia said, adding, "I just don’t want people holding their breath waiting for all this to happen because it’s going to take some time.”