Public Radio International® (PRI) and WGBH Boston, two leading public media organizations, announce that PRI has been acquired by, and will be an affiliated company of, WGBH. Recognizing the tremendous changes and opportunities occurring in media, PRI and WGBH are responding to the imperative for public media to find new and innovative ways to work more effectively to serve the public.
PRI, the national content producer, network and service provider for public radio, and WGBH, the award-winning public media content producer for radio, TV and the web, will come together to pursue a shared vision for developing and funding station-based and independently-produced content for public media including an editorial diversity from producers nationwide. The two organizations will leverage their combined resources and expertise to create scale and efficiencies to provide public radio audiences with more content choices and engagement opportunities; increase public radio stations’ and producers’ ability to address audience needs and interests in today’s multi-media, cross-platform digital world; and support public media’s creative communities.
As an affiliated company of WGBH, PRI will continue to operate independently as a tax-exempt non-profit 501(c)(3) organization based in Minneapolis, with its distinct mission and nationally recognized board of directors, continuing to directly raise funds for its own programs, projects and operations. PRI will continue to produce PRI’s The World®, Studio 360 with Kurt Andersen from PRI and WNYC, and The Takeaway (a co-production of PRI and WNYC). It will continue to serve public radio stations with the largest portfolio of on-going and independent programming in public radio, representing content from 16 producers in the US and Canada. WGBH will provide administrative operations support to PRI.
For more than 16 years, PRI and WGBH have worked together to advance public media, co-producing PRI’s The World, radio’s only daily international news program created expressly to help American audiences experience our world’s complexities; launching public radio’s first daily national news program podcast and public radio video segments; and exchanging content between The World and WGBH’s popular documentary programs Nova and Frontline. This new arrangement is a natural extension of this longstanding working relationship.
Alisa Miller, President and CEO of PRI commented, “Joining forces with WGBH will benefit every group PRI serves, including stations, talent, producers and the public. PRI will increase its production of inspiring content, and represent a broader diversity of voices by increasing our investment in our marketing and distribution activities. In concert with stations and producers, we will expand our offerings through the web and mobile platforms, helping the public navigate and act in our interconnected world.”
Jon Abbott, President and CEO of WGBH said, “We are excited to have this new involvement with PRI and support our shared mission and vision. PRI plays a unique role in public media by serving as an innovative resource for producers and stations – a role that is vital to the success of the system. PRI is the network that brought world news to public radio and has recognized and supported iconic talents like Ira Glass and new talents like Jian Ghomeshi. We are pleased to be part of PRI's future success and its future impact on public media and the nation."
