BBC WORLD SERVICE APPOINTS AMERICAN PUBLIC MEDIA AS NEW DISTRIBUTOR IN THE UNITED STATES
BBC WORLD SERVICE APPOINTS AMERICAN PUBLIC MEDIA AS NEW DISTRIBUTOR IN THE UNITED STATES
St. PAUL, MN/NEW YORK -(July 12, 2012) - BBC World Service and American Public Media have announced today that American Public Media will distribute BBC World Service English radio programs to public radio stations in the United States for the next five years.
American Public Media began distribution of BBC World Service on July 1, 2012. This new partnership will ensure that Americans have increased access to the highest quality global news that affects their lives. It also provides an opportunity to build on and expand the relationship already established with American Public Media through editorial collaborations between its daily national business program, Marketplace and BBC World Service journalists. In 2011, Marketplace and the BBC's Business Daily co-presented specials examining the impact of the debt crisis in Europe on the wider global economy, with reports from Kenya, China, London and Los Angeles. Since 2010, BBC reporters have regularly contributed global economic stories to Marketplace Morning Report.
In the U.S. more than 500 local public radio stations broadcast BBC content - mainly news and current affairs programming, including its flagship global newscast Newshour.
"With global events often resonating at national and local levels, BBC World Service is a distinct voice offering U.S. audiences access to independent and impartial news," said Richard Porter, Controller English, Global News. "Against a news landscape of increased noise and opinion, BBC World Service gets to the heart of news stories with objective reporting from around the world and allows U.S. audiences a unique perspective on their own country. I'm delighted that we are working with American Public Media in the U.S., and hope that together we can best serve the needs of our audiences here."
"We're committed to helping U.S. audiences understand our rapidly changing world, and we are excited by this new partnership with the BBC World Service" said Jon McTaggart, president and CEO, American Public Media. "Now more than ever, U.S. audiences are wrestling with important questions, and the BBC World Service provides an uncompromised free press that informs, illuminates and explains the "what" and "why it matters" from around the globe."
Contacts:
BBC World Service
Penny Crook
212-705-9335
Penny.Crook@bbc.co.uk
bbcworldservice.com
American Public Media
Tara Schlosser
651-290-1436
Tschlosser@americanpublicmedia.org
americanpublicmedia.org
About BBC World Service
BBC Global News includes BBC World Service, BBC World News television, bbc.com/news (the BBC's international-facing online news site) and BBC Monitoring. The BBC attracts a weekly global audience of 239 million people to its international news services including BBC World Service, BBC World News television channel and bbc.com/news.
BBC World Service is an international multimedia broadcaster, delivering a wide range of language and regional services on radio, TV, online and via wireless handheld devices. It uses multiple platforms to reach its weekly audience of 180 million globally, including shortwave, AM, FM, digital satellite and cable channels. Its news sites include audio and video content and offer opportunities to join the global debate. BBC World Service offers its multilingual radio content to partner FM stations around the world and has numerous partnerships supplying content to news websites, mobile phones and other wireless handheld devices as well as TV channels. For more information, visit bbcworldservice.com.
2012 has been a landmark year for BBC World Service as it marked its 80th anniversary and also moved into a new state of the art home in central London, joining the BBC's UK and international TV, radio and multimedia services. In June 2012 BBC World Service's annual audiences estimate revealed that the broadcaster had increased its overall global audience to 180 million from 166 million in 2011 (an 8% increase).
About American Public Media
American Public Media is one of the largest producers of public radio programming in the world, with a portfolio reaching over 17 million listeners via more than 800 radio stations nationwide each week. Programs include A Prairie Home Companion, BBC World Service, Marketplace, Performance Today, The Splendid Table, On Being, American RadioWorks and many others. American Public Media's 140,000 member-strong Public Insight Network promotes deep connections between journalists across the country and the communities they serve. American Public Media is the parent organization for Minnesota Public Radio, Southern California Public Radio and Classical South Florida. A complete list of stations, programs and additional services can be found at www.americanpublicmedia.org.
Source: Data are copyright Arbitron, Inc. Arbitron data are estimates only. Spring 2011/Fall 2011 average.