1/25/2014 Grammy Nominees Concert

Nominees on stage for the finale

Wow! What a great show today in LA featuring The 2014 Grammy Award Nominees for Best Children's Album! All five nominees came up on stage to play songs from their nominated album. The concert aired at 6pm EST/3pm PST today and will repeat tomorrow at 1pm EST/10am PST on SiriusXM 78. Great performances!

Bart, Kenny, Rocky Alvey, Beth Nielsen Chapman, Mindy

Radio Special Playout:

• Opening Jingle
• Intro from Kenny and Mindy
• Beth Nielsen Chapman and Rocky Alvey interview
• "Rockin' Little Neutron Star" - Beth Nielsen Chapman
• "Test Re-Test and Verify" - Beth Nielsen Chapman
• Kids: Margot and Zoe interview
• Jennifer Gasoi interview
• "Little Blue Car" - Jennifer Gasoi
• "Throw A Penny In The Wishing Well" - Jennifer Gasoi
• "I'm A Bubble" - Jennifer Gasoi
• "Happy!" - Jennifer Gasoi
• Alastair Moock interview
• "When I Get Bald" - Alastair Moock
• "B-R-A-V-E" - Alastair Moock
• "This Little Light of Mine" - Alastair Moock (with Elizabeth Mitchell)
• Elizabeth Mitchell and Daniel Littleton interview
• "Kooks" - Elizabeth Mitchell & You Are My Flower
• "Arm in Arm" - Elizabeth Mitchell & You Are My Flower
• "Blue Clouds" - Elizabeth Mitchell & You Are My Flower
• Justin Roberts interview
• "Check Me out, I'm at the Checkout" - Justin Roberts & the Not Ready for Naptime Players
• "" - Justin Roberts & the Not Ready for Naptime Players
• "Recess" - Justin Roberts & the Not Ready for Naptime Players
• "Turn Turn Turn" - Elizabeth Mitchell, Beth Nielsen Chapman, Justin Roberts, Alastair Moock, Jennifer Gasoi
• Closing from Kenny and Mindy

It's quiet here, isn't it?

Now that I'm back home and have time to start fan blogging again, it is no longer necessary (well, if it was ever really necessary....)...

The crew at KPL has started a Facebook Fan Page SIRIUS XM'S KiDS Place LiVE, which is way more active than this blog ever was.

So head on over there to read the latest and greatest.

Theme Song Winner announced!

Was it because he was the first to send in an entry? Was it because Mindy went to see him at Jammin' Java this weekend? Was it because it is just an incredible theme song? We'll never know, but ....

The winner is ....

JUSTIN ROBERTS!

We are very happy with her choice, of course. And hope that we enjoy hearing his entry every day :)

The KPLFans are Back!

Sorry for disappearing! I am so sad that we missed so many exciting goings on.

But we are back and ready to start keeping up with all the new and exciting developments, like the Absolutely Mindy Show Theme Songwriting contest!

Traveling Roadshow

From the KPL website:

3RD Annual Traveling Roadshow on Kids Place Live!

The Traveling RoadShow is back! Once again, we’re teaming up with the Children's Miracle Network for a cross-country broadcast tour to raise money and awareness for local Children's Hospitals all across North America. We'll bring microphones, tape recorders, video cameras and assorted goodies on the road with us as we visit 11 different Children's Hospitals in 14 days and broadcast a new show from a different hospital every day, starting the day after Memorial Day.

We can't wait to introduce you to some of the amazing kids who will be part of this year's RoadShow. There’s probably a Children’s Hospital in your area, and that means that there are some really brave kids and families facing some big-time problems. You and I can't make this stuff go away on our own, but we CAN help! Money buys medicines, builds buildings, and pays for all of the equipment that doctors and nurses use to treat critically ill children. Ask your Mom and Dad to donate now! Childrensmiraclenetwork.org

Also, if you are shopping with your adults in WalMart or Sam’s Club between May 1st and June 14th, ask about donating a dollar to the Children’s Miracle Network at the checkout counter. (Maybe you could ask Mom or Dad for that instead of those skittles you were eye-ing-up...). The money will go to help support the local Children's Hospital in your area and the Children's Miracle Network.

Just like years past, if you have a special story you'd like to share about your local Children's Hospital or the RoadShow, send an email to request116@sirius-radio.com or xmkids@xmradio.com and put "Road Show" in the subject line.

See ya' on the road!
Mindy, Robbie, Kenny and Jinx

BROADCAST SCHEDULE

Tuesday May 26 | Washington DC | 7 am - 11 am ET
Children's National Medical Center

Wednesday May 27 | New Orleans, LA | 7 am - 11 am ET
Children’s Hospital – New Orleans

Thursday May 28 | Memphis, TN
La Bonheur Children’s Medical Center | 7 am - 11 am ET

Friday May 29 | Indianapolis, IN | 7 am - 11 am ET
Riley Hospital for Children

Saturday May 30 | Spokane, WA | 10 am – 2 am ET
Sacred Heart Children’s Hospital

Monday June 1 | Madera, CA | 7 pm - 11 pm ET
Children’s Hospital of Central California

Tuesday June 2 | Los Angeles, CA | 7 pm -11 pm ET
Children's Hospital of Los Angeles

Wednesday, June 3 | Fort Worth, TX | 3 pm - 7 pm ET
Cook Children's Medical Center

Thursday June 4 | Austin, TX | 3 pm - 7 pm ET
Dell Children’s Medical Center of Central Texas

Friday June 5 | St. Petersburg, FL| 3 pm - 7 am ET
All Children's Hospital

Saturday June 6 | Orlando, FL| 10 am – 2 pm ET
Arnold Palmer Hospital for Children

Changes at KPL

First Mindy has changed from 3-7pm to a shorter 3-6pm. We're still not used to her shorter show, though it is nice to hear Robbie a little earlier in the evening.

Now, I just noticed that the Friday evening lineup has been shifted as well. Instead of 13under13 at 10pm and the weekly "special" at 11pm (ET), the 13under13 will be at 8pm and the special at 9pm. I like that change!

Robbie Schaefer in the News

The article Singer-songwriter Robbie Schaefer to visit in The News Reader is an interesting read for anyone who wants to know more about that guy in "The Real Tall Tree."

The project did so well that Schaefer was asked to be musical director with a Sirius-XM satellite radio show, "Kids Place Live."

"They had started playing one of my songs, 'There's a Carp In the Tub' on their channel and invited me in the studio for a live performance," he said. "After it was done, I was chatting with the program director, and she mentioned they were looking for someone to do a show on the kids' channel. The timing was perfect, and three weeks later I was working there. It's been a wonderful experience."

In the News

Hey look! This USA Today article has lots of quotes from Mindy on different kids' CDs from the past year!

Kids' CDs can be music to grown-up ears, too:

Holiday road trips with children need not mean hours of grin-and-bear-it music for Mom and Dad. "Gone are the days of Twinkle, Twinkle,Little Star," says Mindy Thomas, program director of XMKids satellite radio."It's a shared experience." With so much to choose from, USA TODAY asks Thomas and Kathy O'Connell, host of Philadelphia's WXPN show Kids Corner, for advice on 10 kids' discs released in 2008.

Read the article to find out what she thinks about the CDs!

(Hat tip to Warren at kidsmusic.about.com).

In the News

From Stay in...With SIRIUS XM Radio on New Year's Eve:

SIRIUS XM's Kids Place Live SIRIUS and XM channel 116 will celebrate New Year's Eve with exclusive concerts from its series Kids Place Live Rumpus Room. Listeners will hear performances by Trout Fishing in America, The Jimmies, Father Goose, Ralph's World, Justin Roberts, Recess Monkey, Bill Harley, Billy Jonas, Secret Agent 23 Skidoo, the Asylum Street Spankers and SteveSongs. Additionally, beginning at 12:00 am ET the channel will offer kid friendly party music with Automatik, a jukebox show of the greatest hits of children's music. At 2:00 am ET Dreamcatchers, a menu of lullabies and softer songs, will serve as a nightlight for kids and parents.

KPL in the News

SIRIUS XM Radio's Kids Place Live Launches New Show - 'Kids Stuff' - Geared Toward the Sandbox Set:

NEW YORK, Dec. 22 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- SIRIUS XM Radio (NASDAQ: SIRI) announced today the debut of Kids Stuff, a three-hour daily show inspired by SIRIUS' Kids Stuff channel. The show, dedicated to the sandbox set, will feature a mix of pre-kindergarten themed music with old-school storytelling of classic folk and fairytales by renowned children's artists and celebrities. Kids Stuff will air Monday through Friday at 12 pm ET on Kids Place Live, SIRIUS and XM channels 116.

(Logo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20080819/NYTU044LOGO )

Kids Stuff will premiere on December 24th with an exclusive performance from renowned children's recording artist Laurie Berkner. Berkner, joined by an audience of Kids Place Live families, will perform songs from her new album Rocketship Run.

(The article is much longer than that ...)

KPL in the News

I don't agree with the statement in full as the music is more than described here, but here it is...

XM and Sirius merger is great news for listeners

Sirius now has the phenomenal Absolutely Mindy on the Kids Place Live channel; Mindy is a wonderfully subversive personality who talks to kid callers between playing crossover children’s music made by adult pop and rock stars. Parents will be as amused as the kids.

On Wikipedia

KiDS Place Live has an entry on Wikipedia.

Big Sigh.

While I find it interesting that the first four (of five currently) comments on the Wired Music blog entry Sirius, XM Set Date for Station Merger are all about kids' music (who knew?), I'm sorry that these folks feel so strongly about the change.

Of course, if I were in their shoes and XMKiDS programming was replaced with the programming from Sirius Kids Stuff (based on what I've heard about it), I too would have considered giving up my XM subscription.

I do understand that perhaps the XMKiDS target audience was slightly older than that of the Sirius one, but my kids love the XMKiDs, now KiDS Place LiVE, programming. Yes, Mindy does childrens' book author interviews (and we and so many callers love them). Maybe today she should have stuck to music to help the new listeners get acclimated to the station. Or maybe not. Who knows if that would have helped ease the transition.

Change is hard, especially for kids. But they can get used to change, especially when it leads to something as wonderful as getting to know the amazing people that are Mindy, Robbie and Kenny.

If you don't like the author interviews or the musician interviews or the frequency of the animal farm bits or the fact that Robbie is stuck in the tree, let them know, but not in an absolute way. I know, it is easy for me, an XMKiDS fan to say this, but don't give up on the programming after one day. Give everyone time to adjust to the new blended family of listeners. Ultimatums won't work here; compromise is the solution.

And people, be nice. The DJs are there doing their jobs. They work hard. They bend over to try to make everyone happy. If you are unhappy with the change, keep in mind that they are humans, doing their best to deal with a change over which they had, from my understanding, little input.

I have a feeling from what I've read that a few complaint mails are trickling in to Sirius/XM/Kids Place Live. If you are a KPL fan, email to let them know! I'd recommend both xmkids AT xmradio DOT com and at the XM Comments Site. Here's my comment (no surprise here):

Thank you so much for keeping the XM Kids programming the high caliber that it has been in the past. We were concerned that with the merger we would lose our favorites and are so glad to see that XM Kids is alive and well on Kids Place Live.

Woke Up To A New 116?

What did Kenny say? Did he say "Kids Place Live"? Yes he did!

welcome to the new 116!


The News:
Sirius Kids' Suff and XMKiDS have been merged into a new "KiDS Place LiVE." Having not ever hear the Sirius channel, I understand the the XMKiDS programming was far more to our liking, and we are so relieved to hear that the XMKiDS programming is being migrated to the new combined channel.

Reassurance from the Press Release:

Kids Place Live, targeted to entertain kids aged 3-8, now offers the best kid-friendly music previously heard on Kids Stuff and XM Kids, along with hosts Kenny Curtis, Absolutely Mindy and Robbie Schaeffer, and guests and specials.

I have to ask, though, why did Robbie change his name during the night too? From KiDS Place LiVE:

All Fun for Kids

Fun specials and shows from Kenny Curtis, Absolutely Mindy, and Robby Schaffer.

Accidental XMK/XMKiDS mentions: 5
(We're all human, and I don't expect these guys to easily erase XMKiDS from their brains....but it is fun anyway.)

7:15:
Listening to Kenny go though all the details - email addresses, web sites, channels. A mom called in saying "Hey there's talking on my Sirius Kids' Stuff!" And, I guarantee she will love it!

Dirk and Kenny discussed name changes. Dirk will now call Kenny "Larry." Dirk's new name is "Colt."

Kenny reassures the XM listeners that only the name is changing. Nothing else! Hooray!

10:05am:
The change hasn't affected Chloe. She called in to talk to Dirk. She chatted with Kenny a bit and then with Dirk -- telling him that if it his birthday, he should take over the KPL Animal Farm.

Noon:
Kenny did it! And it sounded great! I have no idea how smooth it was on his end, but from the XM listener side, it was business as usual. Hooray!
Kenny's XMK slip-up total: 5 (maybe I missed some, but still not bad!)

12:30pm:
Shushybye is still here. You know, I just don't get it. Maybe if it was played at night, it would make sense, but at 12:30pm when we are wide awake, it just is bizarre.

?pm:
I was offline, but got this report from a listener:

There was just an "angry mom" call on Absolutely Mindy, LOL. She missing the boring repetitive preschool loop with no DJs and the same songs every hour or so that was Sirius Kid Stuff.

Camille responds "If you listen for a while, you will be sure to like it!"

6:15pm:
Another unhappy mom that wants her Kids' Stuff back. I wish she had asked for the song she wanted. Mindy would have happily played it for her. I do feel sorry for the Sirius listeners who were surprised by this change in programming. But while they may not know the songs today, if they ask for their favorites to be played, they will be played. And they will hear new kids' music that is sure to please as well!

6:45pm:
Okay, music with no guitars? Really? Two year olds can appreciate music with guitars, I promise. Please give it a chance. I have been to many a concert where the toddlers bop along to the real music. And it is good. "Toast" was a really funny listener suggestion, better than any that came to my mind!

Wake Up To A New 116?

Word on the web is that as of midnight, XMKiDS will no longer be XMKiDS, but KiDS Place LiVE. But DON'T FRET, from everything I've seen, the programming will be the same or better, and our favorite on-air personalities will remain as they are!! Whew!

Watch for the changes tomorrow...I suppose all the station ids will be redone, among other things.

I wonder how many times our friends will slip up and say XMKiDS instead of KiDS Place LiVE?

Change is in the Air

Something's Going On...Stay Tuned

I wasn't going to say anything, but I just can't help myself after reading the boards at xmfan.com.

For instance: Direct TV

Jammin' in a Real Tall Tree

Did you hear what Mindy said?? Robbie was visited in his Real Tall Tree by Peter Yarrow of Peter, Paul and Mary! Peter has a new set of song books coming out that look just wonderful.

But I can't wait to hear him and Robbie chat and play music (which is what I assume "Jammin'") means!! Photos please.

Halloween News

I say Mindy, Robbie and Kenny (and Jinx) need to share their Halloween costume photos with us!!!

From MarketWatch:

XM Kids XM channel 116 will serve as the official soundtrack for trick-or-treating. XM Kids' sixth annual Pumpkin Jam will air Halloween day from 3:00 pm until midnight. The entire family can enjoy music and spooky stories on everything Halloween. Hosts Robbie, Kenny and Mindy will also share some frightening stories of their own.