Recent Program Launches and Firsts
The year 2007 was a period of numerous program launches, new talents, announcements and acquisitions.
In January 2007, PRI launched Fair Game, "the strange love child between the The Daily Show and Morning Edition." The program aims to experiment with web and audio programming hybrids and reach out to younger listeners. Fair Game uses humor as a lens to put the day's events in perspective, and features stand-up comedian (and Rhodes scholar) Faith Salie. On May 30, 2008, PRI ceased the broadcast component of the program and apparently has a web-only version of the program in the works.
Also in January 2007, PRI announced its acquisition of WireTap from the CBC for distribution in the United States. According to PRI's press release, WireTap is a weekly program of intimate and often hilarious telephone conversations between celebrated writer Jonathan Goldstein, and people with real or imagined stories to tell.
In March 2007, PRI announced its intention to co-produce a new morning program, involving WNYC New York, WGBH Boston, the BBC World Service, and New York Times Radio. The goals of the program are to provide choice in public radio mornings and to foster the growth of public radio audiences. This program launched nationally in April 2008. PRI began developing this idea more than five years ago and began cultivating partners not long after.
In June 2007, the company announced another distribution partnership, this time with The Sound of Young America, featuring Jesse Thorn. The press release stated, "The Sound of Young America is an irreverent weekly arts and entertainment interview program, described by its creator as 'a public radio show about things that are awesome.'"
In September, PRI and Symphony Space of New York City announced that PRI would become the national distribution partner of Selected Shorts, which had previously been distributed by National Public Radio. The press release said, "The best public radio features compelling storytelling. Selected Shorts is an excellent example of how the human voice can engage listeners and take them to another place... PRI looks forward to partnering with Selected Shorts to chart an exciting new future for this kind of storytelling in public media."
In January 2008, PRI and WNYC announced that the name of their new morning drive news program is The Takeaway with John Hockenberry and Adaora Udoji. This program's editorial partners include The BBC World Service, The New York Times, and WGBH Radio Boston. The program successfully launched April 28, and full national launch is expected June/July 2008.
On May 1, 2008, PRI was the first major public media outlet to use digital cinema; and one of the first mass media companies overall. PRI conceived and spearheaded This American Life Live! in partnership with Ira Glass and WBEZ Chicago. This American Life Live! was presented exclusively in select theatres by National CineMedia's (NCM) Fathom, in partnership with BY Experience and Chicago Public Radio, and in association with Public Radio International.
Read more about this topic: Public Radio International
Famous quotes containing the word program:
“Adjoining a refreshment stand ... is a small frame ice house ... with a whitewashed advertisement on its brown front stating, simply, “Ice. Glory to Jesus.” The proprietor of the establishment is a religious man who has seized the opportunity to broadcast his business and his faith at the same time.”
—For the State of New Jersey, U.S. public relief program (1935-1943)