On Friday the 7th, there was an item on mapping on Patt Morrison’s afternoon show on 89.3 KPCC, a public radio station based in Pasadena, California. On deck were representatives from Thomas Brothers Maps and Navteq; much of the focus was on field surveying — both aerial and on the ground — and on reporting mapping errors. Just under 15 minutes, in RealPlayer format: audio link.

Now, Navteq’s been getting lots of press lately, but the Thomas Guides sound interesting. Since I’m not from southern California, I hadn’t heard of them before, but, I’m told, they’re the road bibles that people swear by — ubiquitous enough that a Thomas Guide page number or map grid is frequently cited when directions are being given. (More on the Wikipedia entry.)

Thanks to Susan Kitchens for the tip.

• Buy Thomas Guides at Amazon.com