A platform to showcase talents and the things they find surprising and universal
CONTACT: Julia Yager, PRI, 612.330.9231, jyager@pri.org
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
MINNEAPOLIS, May 22, 2014 – Public Radio International® (PRI) today announced SoundWorks from PRI, a collection of podcasts from unique voices focused on the issues that shape both daily life and international trends. SoundWorks continues PRI’s history of identifying unmet content needs and voices with distinct points of view, and creates a space for the insights of those with unexpected takes on our world. It will also serve as a cost-effective platform for nurturing talent for launch into public media.
SoundWorks from PRI will launch on May 22 with podcasts including:
• One with Farai: Farai Chideya has been covering politics and culture in print, television, radio and online for 25 years. Her podcast One with Farai digs into the stories behind those shaking up society with their words and deeds;
• Sideshow from Studio 360®: Sean Rameswaram is an internet hobo, catching rides on the memes that barrel across today's culture and sharing his travels in Sideshow;
• Radio Ambulante Unscripted: Daniel Alarcon is an award-winning novelist and journalist who finds endless plotlines in the broad spectrum of Latino communities across the Americas. In Radio Ambulante Unscripted, he tunes us into the multiple frequencies he finds;
• The World in Words: Patrick Cox is British-born of Irish stock and now calls America home. From his perch at PRI's The World®, he dissects global languages for clues to our differences and similarities. He reveals all in his podcast, The World in Words.
“SoundWorks from PRI gives us a new opportunity to bring forward amazing people with great stories to tell. Who better than Farai Chideya to mix it up and talk about topics like ‘what happens to equality when we’re all minorities?’ Or author Daniel Alarcon speaking with the powerful voices of Latin American writers? Or the digital native Sean Rameswaram to connect the dots between technology and culture? Or The World’s Patrick Cox to reveal the hold language has on all of us? These perspectives create a more complete picture so that we can make better sense of the world around us,” said Kathy Merritt, Vice President, Content Strategy and Development at PRI.
PRI also plans to use content created for SoundWorks to enhance existing broadcasts and develop new programs. By incorporating commentaries and reporting from SoundWorks hosts, PRI will broaden the already diverse perspectives offered by its broadcast programs including PRI’s The World® and The Takeaway. “Creating content for public radio broadcast is an expensive and time-consuming effort, which has inhibited the ability of talented hosts to make their voices heard. SoundWorks from PRI will provide a platform for those voices, making them available to consumers even as opportunities for traditional broadcast are evaluated,” said Alisa Miller, President and CEO of PRI.
SoundWorks is funded by PRI’s New Voices Fund, whose contributors include the Sara and Evan Williams Foundation, and Maureen and Michael Ruettgers. The Fund enables PRI to recognize and support talent as audiences and revenue streams are established. SoundWorks’ offerings will expand over time, as PRI identifies more producers and hosts with distinct viewpoints about how our world works.
The complete SoundWorks collection, including ways to subscribe and blogs from the podcasts’ hosts, is available at SoundWorks.org.
About PRI: At Public Radio International, we believe sharing powerful stories, encouraging exploration, and connecting people and cultures will effect positive change in the world. By building a deeper awareness and understanding of the world's peoples, conditions, issues and events, we enable others to form their own opinions, share their knowledge and creativity, and take informed actions on issues that matter to them.
Partnering with public media's most talented producers and hosts, we offer distinctly global voices on “PRI's The World®" and CBC shows like "As it Happens" and "Q with Jian Ghomeshi." We cultivate conversations representing diverse viewpoints on “The Takeaway,” “To the Point,” and "The Tavis Smiley Show." We present voices of culture, contemporary American life and artistry on "This American Life" and "Studio 360® from PRI and WNYC." And we provide decidedly fresh takes with "WireTap" and “The Tobolowsky Files.” PRI’s content is available on almost 900 public radio stations nationwide, at www.pri.org, and through podcasts and digital platforms.
###