The Public Radio Exchange (PRX) is a non-profit web-based platform for digital distribution, review, and licensing of radio programs. The organization is the largest on-demand catalogue of
public radio
Public broadcasting (or public service broadcasting) is radio, television, and other electronic media outlets whose primary mission is public service with a commitment to avoiding political and commercial influence. Public broadcasters receive ...
programs available for broadcast and internet use.
History
The PRX site and services launched in September 2003 after a two-year planning, research, and development phase supported by the
Corporation for Public Broadcasting
The Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB; stylized as cpb) is an American publicly funded non-profit corporation, created in 1967 to promote and help support public broadcasting. The corporation's mission is to ensure universal access to ...
, the
National Endowment for the Arts
The National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) is an independent agency of the United States federal government that offers support and funding for projects exhibiting artistic excellence. It was created in 1965 as an independent agency of the feder ...
, and the
Ford Foundation
The Ford Foundation is an American private foundation with the stated goal of advancing human welfare. Created in 1936 by Edsel Ford and his father Henry Ford, it was originally funded by a $25,000 (about $550,000 in 2023) gift from Edsel Ford. ...
. PRX received additional support from the
NTIA
The National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) is a bureau of the United States Department of Commerce that serves as the President of the United States, president's principal adviser on Telecommunications policy of the U ...
Technology Opportunities Program, the
MacArthur Foundation
The John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation is a private foundation that makes grants and impact investments to support non-profit organizations in approximately 117 countries around the world. It has an endowment of $7.6 billion and ...
, the
Open Society Institute
Open Society Foundations (OSF), formerly the Open Society Institute, is an American grantmaking network founded by business magnate George Soros. Open Society Foundations financially supports civil society groups around the world, with the s ...
Google
Google LLC (, ) is an American multinational corporation and technology company focusing on online advertising, search engine technology, cloud computing, computer software, quantum computing, e-commerce, consumer electronics, and artificial ...
Grants. PRX offices are located in
Cambridge, Massachusetts
Cambridge ( ) is a city in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States. It is a suburb in the Greater Boston metropolitan area, located directly across the Charles River from Boston. The city's population as of the 2020 United States census, ...
.
On February 28, 2007, PRX and the Corporation for Public Broadcasting announced the Public Radio Talent Quest. It was an open search for new public radio talent, allowing producers to produce a pilot show for public radio. Finalists were to be chosen after a five-round competition voted on by fans, public radio professionals and celebrity judges. On May 14, the first round of submissions ended with 1,452 entries. As of May 22, 2007, the Public Radio Talent Quest site had over 14,600 registered users.
On April 9, 2008, the MacArthur Foundation selected PRX as one of its 2008 recipients of the MacArthur Award for Creative and Effective Institutions. In late November of that year, PRX soft-launched PRX 3.0. The launch included their Remix Radio project, which provides a sampling of the content available for licensing on the site.
On January 1, 2009, PRX, Inc became a Massachusetts 501c3 non-profit corporation. Previously PRX had been a project area of the Station Resource Group, a Maryland non-profit. On January 28, PRX Remix was added to
XM Satellite Radio
XM Satellite Radio Holdings Inc. (XM) was one of the three satellite radio ( SDARS) and online radio services in the United States and Canada, operated by Sirius XM Holdings. It provided pay-for-service radio, analogous to subscription cable ...
on channel 136. Later that year, on July 19, PRX launched the Public Radio Player 2.0, an iPhone app for public radio developed by PRX, NPR, and other public radio partners, and funded by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting. On August 11, PRX was included in CPB's agreement with SoundExchange through 2015 as a covered public radio entity for music webcasting royalties.
In 2010 PRX launched two iPhone apps: the ''This American Life'' app on February 1 and the WBUR Boston app on July 7. That same year, PRX won a
Peabody Award
The George Foster Peabody Awards (or simply Peabody Awards or the Peabodys) program, named for the American businessman and philanthropist George Foster Peabody, George Peabody, honor what are described as the most powerful, enlightening, and in ...
for ''The Moth Radio Hour.'' PRX was also announced as a winner of the 2010 Knight News Challenge for Story Exchange, a crowdfunding journalism project, on June 16. On September 8, 2010, PRX announced $2.7M in new funding from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, the MacArthur Foundation, and the Ford Foundation.
On December 8, 2011, PRX announced $2.5M in funding from Knight Foundation to create the Public Media Accelerator. In May 2014, PRX received a Peabody Award for the ''Reveal'' show "The VA's Opiate Overload".
On August 15, 2018, PRX and
Public Radio International
Public Radio International (PRI) was an American public radio organization. Headquartered in Minneapolis, Minnesota, PRI provided programming to over 850 public radio stations in the United States.
PRI was one of the main providers of programmi ...
announced they would merge, though both networks would maintain separate identities and programming. The PRI brand was retired the following year.
PRX Remix
Formerly known as Public Radio Remix. As of 2011, two radio stations,
KPBZ
KPBZ (90.3 FM) is a radio station licensed to Spokane, Washington, United States. The station is one of three owned by Spokane Public Radio, the others being KPBX and KSFC. Programming consists entirely of ''PRX Remix'', an internet-delivered ...
in
Spokane
Spokane ( ) is the most populous city in eastern Washington and the county seat of Spokane County, Washington, United States. It lies along the Spokane River, adjacent to the Selkirk Mountains, and west of the Rocky Mountain foothills, south ...
,
Washington
Washington most commonly refers to:
* George Washington (1732–1799), the first president of the United States
* Washington (state), a state in the Pacific Northwest of the United States
* Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States
** A ...
and
WREM
WREM is a 2,600-watt radio station licensed to Canton, New York. Owned and operated by St. Lawrence University, it broadcasts the public radio remix format.
Station history
WREM was launched by St. Lawrence University in May 2011. St. Lawrence ...
in
Canton
Canton may refer to:
Administrative divisions
* Canton (administrative division), territorial/administrative division in some countries
* Township (Canada), known as ''canton'' in Canadian French
Arts and entertainment
* Canton (band), an It ...
,
New York
New York most commonly refers to:
* New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States
* New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York
New York may also refer to:
Places United Kingdom
* ...
, air a full-time schedule of programming from PRX, branded as Public Radio Remix. Both stations are owned by the same organizations as their markets' primary
National Public Radio
National Public Radio (NPR) is an American public broadcasting organization headquartered in Washington, D.C., with its NPR West headquarters in Culver City, California. It serves as a national Radio syndication, syndicator to a network of more ...
affiliates. PRX Remix also airs on
Sirius XM
Sirius XM Holdings Inc. is an American broadcasting corporation headquartered in Midtown Manhattan, New York City, that provides satellite radio and online radio services operating in the United States. The company was formed by the 2008 merge ...
Channel 123.
Several other public radio stations air some, but not all, Public Radio Exchange programming in their schedules.
Numbers
On May 22, 2007, PRX had 12,167 available radio pieces, 28,149 members, including 445 radio stations, and 2,782 individual producers.
Programs distributed by PRX
Regular series distributed by PRX include:
* ''
12th Street Jump
''12th Street Jump'' was a weekly public radio series, which was broadcast in the United States as well as over internet radio stations around the world. The show was based in Kansas City, where it began broadcasting from in 2009. The show focuse ...
''
* ''
99% Invisible
''99% Invisible'' is a radio show and podcast produced and created by Roman Mars that focuses on design. It began as a collaborative project between San Francisco public radio station KALW and the American Institute of Architects in San Franc ...
American Routes
''American Routes'' is a weekly two-hour public radio program that presents the breadth and depth of the American musical and cultural landscape. Hosted by Nick Spitzer, ''American Routes'' is syndicated by 225 stations, with over half a million ...
''
* ''
Afropop Worldwide
''Afropop Worldwide'' is a radio program that presents the musics of Africa and the African diaspora. The program is produced by Sean Barlow for World Music Productions in Brooklyn, New York City, New York. It is hosted by the veteran Cameroo ...
''
* ''
As It Happens
''As It Happens'' is a Canadian interview show that airs on CBC Radio One in Canada and various public radio stations in the United States through Public Radio Exchange. Its 50th anniversary was celebrated on-air on November 16, 2018. It has be ...
''
* ''
Big Picture Science
''Big Picture Science'' is an independent national science radio program and podcast hosted by astronomer Seth Shostak and journalist Molly Bentley, the executive producer of the show.
The program uses innovative storytelling to connect trends ...
''
* ''
Bioneers
Bioneers, under its parent foundation, Collective Heritage Institute, is a non-profit environmental and social justice advocacy organization based in New Mexico and California. Founded in 1990, the organization's philosophy says that there is val ...
''
* ''Broadway Bound''
* ''
Classical 24
Classical 24 is a syndicated, satellite-delivered public radio service providing classical music to its carrying stations. It generally airs overnights on many non-commercial and a handful of commercial classical music stations. However, the s ...
''
* ''
Day 6
''Day 6'' is a Canadian radio program hosted by Brent Bambury, which airs Saturdays on CBC Radio One
CBC Radio One is the English-language news and information radio network of the publicly owned Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. It is ...
Exploring Music
''Exploring Music'' is an internationally syndicated radio program featuring classical music, with commentary and analysis by host Bill McGlaughlin. It is a daily, one-hour show with a single in-depth theme each week. The show, which debuted in 2 ...
''
* ''
Folk Alley
WKSU (89.7 FM) is a non-commercial educational radio station licensed to serve Kent, Ohio, featuring a public radio format. Owned by Kent State University and operated by Ideastream Public Media, WKSU's primary signal encompasses the Akron ...
''
* ''
Global Village
Global village describes the phenomenon of the entire world becoming more interconnected as the result of the propagation of media technologies throughout the world. The term was coined by Canadian media theorist Marshall McLuhan in his books ' ...
''
* ''
Hearts of Space
''Hearts of Space'' is an American weekly syndicated public radio show featuring music of a contemplative nature"When you listen to space and ambient music you are connecting with a tradition of contemplative sound experience whose roots are an ...
''
* ''HowSound''
* ''Inside Europe from
Deutsche Welle
(; "German Wave"), commonly shortened to DW (), is a German state-funded television network, state-owned international broadcaster funded by the Federal Government of Germany. The service is available in 32 languages. DW's satellite tele ...
Jazz with David Basse
Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana, in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Its roots are in blues, ragtime, European harmony, African rhythmic rituals, spirituals, hymns, m ...
''
* ''
Ken Rudin
Ken Rudin is an American radio journalist.
Early life and education
Rudin was born in the Bronx in New York City, where he attended P.S. 64, J.H.S. 82 and William Howard Taft High School. After high school, he moved to Fort Lee, New Jersey. ...
Latino USA
''Latino USA'' is a nationally syndicated public radio program and podcast produced by The Futuro Media Group and distributed nationwide by the Public Radio Exchange (PRX), after 27 years of being distributed by NPR. The program is anchored by ...
''
* ''
Live Wire Radio
''Live Wire Radio'' is a radio variety show that was launched in 2004 in Portland, Oregon, United States.
''Live Wire'' was initially hosted by Rob Sample, followed by Courtenay Hameister, with current hosting duties covered by Luke Burbank.Hu ...
''
* ''
Living on Earth
''Living on Earth'' is a weekly, hour-long and award-winning environmental news program distributed by the Public Radio Exchange (on Public Radio International from October 6, 2006, show to December 6, 2019, show, and before that, NPR from 1991 u ...
The Moth Radio Hour
The Moth is a nonprofit group based in New York City, dedicated to the craft of storytelling. Founded in 1997, the organization presents a wide range of theme-based storytelling events across the United States and abroad, often featuring promine ...
On Being
''On Being'' is a podcast and a former public radio program. Hosted by Krista Tippett, it examines what it calls the "animating questions at the center of human life: What does it mean to be human, and how do we want to live?" This podcast should ...
Open Source
Open source is source code that is made freely available for possible modification and redistribution. Products include permission to use and view the source code, design documents, or content of the product. The open source model is a decentrali ...
''
* ''
Ozark Highlands Radio
The Ozark Folk Center is an Arkansas living history state park located in Mountain View, Arkansas, dedicated to preserving and presenting Ozark cultural heritage and tradition to the public.
History
The University of Arkansas Cooperative Extens ...
Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra
The Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra (PSO) is an American orchestra based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The orchestra is resident at Heinz Hall, located in Pittsburgh's Cultural District. Since 2008, the orchestra's music director is Manfred Ho ...
''
* ''Planetary Radio''
* ''
Podcast Playlist
''Podcast Playlist'' is a Canadian radio program and podcast, which airs weekly on CBC Radio One.Q''
* '' The Record Shelf''
* ''
Reveal Weekly
The Center for Investigative Reporting (CIR) is a nonprofit news organization based in San Francisco, California.
CIR was founded in 1977 as the nation’s first nonprofit investigative journalism organization. It subsequently grew into a multi ...
''
* ''
Says You!
''Says You!'' is a word game Game show, quiz show that airs weekly in the United States on public radio stations. Richard Sher (producer), Richard Sher created the show in 1996 with the guiding philosophy: "It's not important to KNOW the answe ...
''
* ''
The Score with Edmund Stone
''The Score with Edmund Stone'' is a radio program that began in 2006. The program is produced by KQAC, All Classical Portland, and hosted by Edmund Stone. Stone broadcasts film music weekly on Saturdays and Sundays. Each one-hour program featur ...
Selected Shorts
Selected Shorts is an event at New York's Symphony Space on the Upper West Side, in which screen and stage actors read classic and new short fiction before a live audience. The stage show began in 1985 and continues today at Symphony Space's Pete ...
''
* ''
Skeptoid
Brian Andrew Dunning (born 1965) is an American writer and producer who focuses on science and Skeptical movement, skepticism. He has hosted a weekly podcast, ''Skeptoid'', since 2006, and he is an author of a series of books on the subject of s ...
''
* ''
Sound Opinions
''Sound Opinions'' is an independent radio talk show and podcast based in Chicago. It focuses on the discussion of music genres, history, artists and albums. It airs weekly on over 150 public radio stations nationwide and is syndicated though th ...
''
* ''Think''
* ''
This American Life
''This American Life'' is a weekly hour-long American radio program produced in collaboration with Chicago Public Media and hosted by Ira Glass. It is broadcast on numerous public radio stations in the United States and internationally, and is ...
'' (self-distributed, but uses PRX to deliver shows to stations)
* ''
To the Best of Our Knowledge
''To the Best of Our Knowledge'' (also known by the acronym TTBOOK) is a weekly public-radio interview program produced by Wisconsin Public Radio and distributed by PRX. It is broadcast on more than 180 public radio stations in the U.S. and it a ...
The World
The world is the totality of entities, the whole of reality, or everything that exists. The nature of the world has been conceptualized differently in different fields. Some conceptions see the world as unique, while others talk of a "plu ...
''
* ''
Zorba Paster on Your Health
Robert Zorba Paster is an American physician and radio show host.
Paster was born on August 19, 1947, and raised in Chicago. He hosts a weekly radio call-in show on personal health issues called ''Zorba Paster on Your Health''. The show is pro ...