Full-Length Pilot Show

It’s been a busy week at Word of Mouth headquarters. We’re getting ready to launch our first live broadcast this Thursday, 2/28. Tune in to NHPR at 2pm for the big event!

To prepare for the inaugural program, we spent today in a dress-rehearsal of sorts. We went into the studio and ran through a full hour-long broadcast to see how it would sound. We’re posting the audio here so you can listen and tell us what you like, what you didn’t like, and what you think we can do better. Also, chime in with your own two-cents on any of the topics we discussed.

Check out the audio, and leave your comments below. If you’re more of a talker than a writer, feel free to give our listener-line a jingle at (603) 223-2448. We'd love to use some of your comments in future broadcasts.

Here's a rundown of what we covered on today's pilot:

Favorite Books By Indie Sellers
The Publishing business lives and dies by the New York Times best-seller list. But that's not the only list bookstores pay attention to. Independent bookstores put a lot of stock in the Book Sense list, a compilation of sales reports from the indies. Kelly Horan shares some of her favorite selections with us. Kelly runs the Friday Night Authors Series at Jabberwocky Bookshop.

Green Rock Tours
Putting on a rock show isn't the most environmentally-friendly thing you can do. So some musicians are taking action by kicking-off "green tours" to reduce waste and carbon emissions while on the road. Virginia speaks with Lauren Sullivan, co-director of Reverb, a Portland, Maine non-profit that helps musicians plan their Earth-friendly tours.

Is Tina Fey the New Mary Tyler Moore?
Funny women are revitalizing TV sitcoms. Shows like 30 Rock and The Sarah Silverman Program show that female comedians are no longer being relegated to the role of best-friend or wacky neighbor. Virginia talks about this with University of Michigan Assistant Professor Bambi Haggins. She teaches Television History and Popular Culture.

An Introduction to Meiko
In Word of Mouth’s ongoing quest to find new music, we stumbled upon West Coast artist Meiko. But it’s not like we had to dig very deep to find her. She’s already been featured on Grey’s Anatomy and KCRW’s Morning Becomes Eclectic -- two important stops on the path to stardom. Word of Mouth host Virginia Prescott talks with new-music fanatic Bill Slammon about Meiko’s young career. Click here for more Meiko-related links on the Word of Mouth blog.

Black is the New Black
Scientists have created a new material that absorbs more light than anything else ever made. Basically, it's blacker than black. It's super black. And Faith Salie discussed it on her public radio show Fair Game. We listen to an excerpt. Click here to check out her whole interview with Washington Post science writer Rick Weiss.