Rochester’s changing economy….that’s the focus of segments that aired Tuesday and Wednesday on Marketplace, the national radio program heard weeknights on WXXI at 6:30pm.
Host Kai Ryssdal was in Rochester to do some reporting on the topic recently and stopped by the WXXI Studios.
“We’re doing a series with Frontline and PBS News hour , it’s called “How the Deck is Stacked,” it’s our look at various slices of the American economy as we go into the election and then what it’s going to be like next year when somebody else takes over this economy.”
Ryssdal says this area has been re-inventing itself.
“Rochester is a great example of what happens when the economy changes around a business; you look at Kodak, you look at how its business model had to change, but now what’s happening out of that, you’re seeing innovation, you’re seeing individuals and you’re seeing new small companies sprout up.”
Ryssdal says the Rochester segment will look at how a number of spin-off companies started after Kodak went through massive changes, and how the local economy is diversifying.
On Tuesday, the Marketplace segment interviewed former Kodakers who used to play on the softball team the company used to sponsor, as well as Rochester Mayor Lovely Warren.
On Wednesday the segment featured a visit to Kodak Park and new innovations that are happening there.
You can listen to both segments and look at photos and video here.