Corporation for Public Broadcasting Invests Nearly $2 Million to Usher in Public Service Radio
for New Media Age
New content and services will broaden public square
of ideas and civic discourse

An array of cutting-edge online and satellite digital audio radio service (SDARS) content and services will be available to millions of Americans, through nearly $2 million in public radio investments made by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB), Robert T. Coonrod, CPB President and CEO, announced today. The investments in separate projects created by National Public Radio* (NPR*) and Public Interactive build on CPB's decades-long mission to ensure delivery of public service to the nation in an increasingly complicated and competitive media environment.

"We are helping public radio pursue a determined course to deepen and extend public service to the American people," said Coonrod. "These projects represent more than technological innovation, they will broaden the public square of ideas and enrich our civic discourse."

"Opportunities are multiplying for public service on existing and new delivery platforms. Our aim is to ensure that listeners find the content they value as they move in unpredictable ways to an unpredictable array of new media. This means that public radio must redefine, if not reinvent itself. That is why we are making these significant investments," added Coonrod.

Serving Audiences through New Media
Satellite and the Internet have the capacity to transform public broadcasting's goals of universal reach and universal service. Mindful of this responsibility to reach Americans wherever they are, CPB will support public radio's forays into both new media delivery systems.

CPB will invest $1 million to support NPR's efforts to reach new audiences through program streams delivered via Sirius Radio, which plans to launch its nationwide, direct-to-car service in late 2000. The service will provide Americans with more than a hundred music, news and information channels, two of which will be programmed by NPR.

"CPB's generous support will strengthen NPR's ability to provide innovative public radio programming to Americans as they increasingly explore new technologies," says NPR President and CEO Kevin Klose. "Providing program streams for Sirius Radio presents NPR and its member stations with a unique opportunity to create a new generation of public radio content."

CPB recognizes that the Internet also offers new ways to expand public radio's public service. As a result, CPB will provide $650,000 to support the first year of Public Interactive's Public NewsRoom(tm), an online, interactive news service, which aggregates local, national, and international news. The project includes development of a fully searchable database, which will enable users to gather, in one place, information on topics of particular concern to them. An easy-to-use online publishing tool will facilitate stations' online publishing ability while providing local content for the national database. Editorial oversight will be provided not only by Public Interactive's Managing Editor but also by desk editors at six stations around the country. Public NewsRoom(tm) will be available to all public radio stations.

Public Interactive President, Tom Lix, said "This is a courageous and forward-thinking investment on the part of CPB. The Internet is making fundamental changes in how we, as a society, consume and react to news on both a local, national and international basis." Lix continued by saying that "The public radio audience has always been on the forefront of active public involvement and civil engagement, Public NewsRoom, with the support of CPB, provides an instrument to not only deliver a broad range of multi-format news but also serves as an important community forum for topical discussion and debate."

The awards announced today represent CPB's first funding of new media content for public radio. In Fiscal Year 2000, CPB will award up to $8.6 million for projects that focus on public radio's future and diversity. The futures agenda centers on new broadcast content, content that explores the public service opportunities offered by the new media environment, projects that increase revenues and productivity, and research projects. CPB's diversity ambitions focus on racial and ethnic minorities (both at the project management and the consumer levels), new audiences, and independent producers.

CPB, a private, nonprofit corporation created by Congress in 1967, is a leader in public broadcasting's transition to digital and new media educational and programming services for the American people. The Corporation is public broadcasting's largest single source of funds for public television and radio program development and production. CPB also funds more than 1,000 public radio and television stations across the country.

Renowned for its journalistic excellence and providing standard-setting news, information and cultural programming, NPR's programs are heard on 625 public radio stations nationwide. NPR Online is at www.npr.org. NPR also distributes programs to radio, satellite and cable listeners in Asia, Africa, Europe and Australia via NPR Worldwidesm, to military installations overseas via American Forces Network, and throughout Japan via the USEN 440 cable service.

Public Interactive, Inc., is an award-winning content development and on-line network for public broadcasting. Created in partnership with Public Radio International (PRI®) and 15 leading public broadcasting organizations which include WNYC-AM/FM, New York, KERA, Dallas, WGBH, Boston and WETA-FM/TV, Washington D.C., Public Interactive provides a series of innovative, interactive content initiatives to public radio and television stations including Public Arts(tm), Public Conversation (tm), Personal Public Radio (tm) and Public NewsRoom (tm). In addition, Public Interactive creates and manages such award-winning public radio web sites as Cartalk.com, Savvytraveler.com, Earthsky.com and Notmuch.com.

For more information contact:
CPB: Jeannie Bunton 202-879-9687, jbunton@cpb.org
NPR: Siriol Evans, 202-414-2313, sevans@npr.org
Public Interactive: 617-423-4499, ext 121, tlix@publicinteractive.com