Minnesota
More than 11,000 “kids and their grown-ups” enjoy Minnesota Public Radio’s (MPR) “Rock the Cradle” event each year. At an art museum and a children’s theater, families experience music together through movement, art, picking up an instrument, and listening to live performances. Working with the Citizens League, MPR’s The Current developed “Policy and a Pint” events to engage younger listeners in local issues. MPR talent serve as moderators for lively pub debates, interviews, and conversations, and the station follows up with online forums.
MN Original is Twin Cities Public Television’s award-winning weekly arts series celebrating Minnesota’s creative community across all disciplines and all cultures. By increasing awareness of Minnesota artists, arts organizations, and arts venues, the series cultivates new audiences for the arts by promoting a deeper understanding of the creative process and curating contemporary arts in Minnesota for generations to come. MN Original has partnered with the Minnesota Humanities Center to create educators’ guides for nearly every artist featured on the series.
Serving the Twin Cities region, KSJN-FM is the flagship station of MPR’s classical music network. In June 2005, KSJN became the first MPR station to broadcast regularly with the digital HD Radio system. KSJN currently features the Classical 24 feed on its HD2 subchannel. (Classical 24 is a syndicated, satellite-delivered public radio service providing classical music.) Fun fact: The stage backdrops of both the movie and live radio broadcasts of A Prairie Home Companion feature a big KSJN AM & FM clock.