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Media Releases

5/5/05 5/5/05

Public Radio's Popular Marketplace Program to Add Personal Finance Show July 1

Contact: Connie Molby
(651) 646-8791
cmolby@americanpublicmedia.org
www.americanpublicmedia.org

Public Radio's Popular Marketplace Program to Add Personal Finance Show July 1

From wallet to Wall Street, Marketplace Money offers hot tips, simple tools and savvy investment advice in the signature Marketplace style and wit

(Los Angeles) — May 5, 2005 — American Public Media announced today it is adding the personal finance program Marketplace Money to its group of Marketplace offerings beginning July 1, 2005. Marketplace Money (formerly Sound Money) will complement the highly esteemed business programs, Marketplace and Marketplace Morning Report, extending the popular business program to the weekend and to personal finance.

"Marketplace Money has been more than a year in the making," said executive producer and programming vice president J.J. Yore. "And with a new host, a new staff, a new sound and now a new name that reflects our relationship with Marketplace, we hope that Marketplace Money will help listeners take charge of their financial lives — and have fun learning how to do it."

Marketplace Money will be hosted by Kai Ryssdal. Among the program's new and revamped features:

"The Mailbag": In a series of revealing, intimate, and often fun conversations, Ryssdal and Economics Editor Chris Farrell talk with listeners about money. The topics range broadly from how to react when you discover that your fiancé "forgot" to tell you about the huge debt he owes to how to get your kids to manage their money.
"The Straight Story with Chris Farrell": Economics Editor Farrell cuts through the media hype and sets the record straight on that week's financial news.
"Money Matters": A weekly look at major topics affecting our wallets: investing, saving, consumer choices and careers. The segment ends with practical action steps.
"Educating Rico": A fun, first person look at basic financial issues that everyone needs to understand.
"A Day in the Work Life": A profile of the myriad of ways individuals trade their time for money. Offers insight into the working lives of different professions.

Marketplace and Marketplace Morning Report broadcast weekdays on more than 325 public radio stations nationwide to more than 8.1 million listeners. Over the past year while changes in style, tone and form have been made to Sound Money to prepare for the launch of the Marketplace Money name, the program's audience grew by 30 percent, according to Arbitron fall 2004 data.

"Marketplace Money is a great new addition to public radio," said Yore. "With the staff of Marketplace behind us, we have incredible expertise. We provide listeners practical information, but do it in a fun and engaging way. And we understand that public radio listeners see money not as an end in itself, but a way to have a better, more fulfilling life. Marketplace Money helps them do that and have fun at the same time."

American Public Media(tm) is the nation's second-biggest producer of public radio programs, reaching 14.5 million listeners nationwide each week. National programs include A Prairie Home Companion®, Saint Paul Sunday®, Marketplace®, Sound Money®, The Splendid Table®, Being™ and special reports produced by its national documentary unit, American RadioWorks®. American Public Media is the national production and distribution division of Minnesota Public Radio®. Minnesota Public Radio, along with its sister company Southern California Public Radio, belongs to a larger family of companies within American Public Media Group, a national nonprofit organization whose purpose is to develop resources, services and systems to support public media for public service. A complete list of stations, programs and additional services can be obtained at www.americanpublicmedia.us.

5/5/05 5/5/05

American Public Media's Being Wins Prestigious Webby Award

Contact: Connie Molby
(651) 646-8791
cmolby@americanpublicmedia.org
www.americanpublicmedia.org

American Public Media's Being Wins Prestigious Webby Award

Weekly public radio program is recognized for Web site content, vision and creativity

(St. Paul, Minn.) — May 5, 2005 — American Public Mediaís Being — a public radio program and national conversation about belief, meaning, ethics and ideas — has won a Webby award.

Often referred to as the "Oscar of the Internet," the international award honors Web sites dedicated to the creative, technical and professional progress of the Internet. Being won the Webby in the "Religion and Spirituality" category.

Created and designed by Being Web Producer Trent Gilliss, www.speakingoffaith.org, offers a comprehensive guide to each week's radio program, with detailed background and insight, images, Web-exclusive features, as well as stunning visual design.

Krista Tippett, creator and host of the award-winning weekly radio program, congratulated Gilliss on his achievement. "Trent is an essential member of the Being team. He has created a Web site that enhances the program's content and extends its impact exponentially. We are extremely proud of his vision, creativity, and hard work."

More than 4,300 Web sites were entered from 50 states nationwide. The international Webby awards honor excellence in Web design, creativity, usability and functionality. The Webby awards are presented by The International Academy of Digital Arts and Sciences.

Being is distributed by American Public Media to 115 public radio stations around the country, including eight of the top 10 radio markets. Each week, the program focuses on a different theme, asking writers, thinkers and theologians to discuss how religion shapes everyday life.

American RadioWorks, the documentary unit of American Public Media, was also nominated for two awards in news and radio categories.

5/5/05 5/5/05

Public Radio's Popular Marketplace Program to Add Personal Finance Show July 1

Contact: Connie Molby
(651) 646-8791
cmolby@americanpublicmedia.org
www.americanpublicmedia.org

Public Radio's Popular Marketplace Program to Add Personal Finance Show July 1

From wallet to Wall Street, Marketplace Money offers hot tips, simple tools and savvy investment advice in the signature Marketplace style and wit

Marketplace Money will be hosted by Kai Ryssdal. Among the program's new and revamped features:

"The Mailbag": In a series of revealing, intimate, and often fun conversations, Ryssdal and Economics Editor Chris Farrell talk with listeners about money. The topics range broadly from how to react when you discover that your fiancé "forgot" to tell you about the huge debt he owes to how to get your kids to manage their money.
"The Straight Story with Chris Farrell": Economics Editor Farrell cuts through the media hype and sets the record straight on that week's financial news.
"Money Matters": A weekly look at major topics affecting our wallets: investing, saving, consumer choices and careers. The segment ends with practical action steps.
"Educating Rico": A fun, first person look at basic financial issues that everyone needs to understand.
"A Day in the Work Life": A profile of the myriad of ways individuals trade their time for money. Offers insight into the working lives of different professions.

4/26/05 4/26/05

THINK GLOBAL: PUBLIC RADIO PRODUCERS UNITE TO LEAD A WORLDWIDE CONVERSATION ON LIVING IN A GLOBAL SOCIETY

Contact: Suzanne Perry
(651) 646-8791
suzanneper@msn.com
www.americanpublicmedia.org

THINK GLOBAL: PUBLIC RADIO PRODUCERS UNITE TO LEADA WORLDWIDE CONVERSATION ON LIVING IN A GLOBAL SOCIETY

Public radio stations nationwide will broadcast documentaries, features, commentaries, global call-ins and public forums on topics ranging from the environment and economics to migration and music

May 16-22 on the air; www.thinkglobal2005.org online

(St. Paul, Minn) April 26, 2005 — A coalition of public radio stations, networks and independent producers announce plans today to spark a global conversation on America's place in an increasingly interconnected world.

The week of special coverage, "Think Global," will air on public radio stations across the country from May 16-22. Highlights will include documentaries, feature reports, town hall meetings, international call-ins, investigative reports, commentaries and cultural programs — as well as an interactive Web site in partnership with the nonprofit organization NetAid.

"The adage says 'think global, act local,' but that's not so easy anymore," said Bill Buzenberg, executive producer of the project and senior vice president for news at American Public Media, the national production and distribution arm of Minnesota Public Radio. "Where we work, what we wear, what we eat, how we communicate — almost everything we do is part of a complex web of global interactions. How does that web work? Where do we fit in? This week of special coverage will help listeners connect the dots — locally, nationally and internationally."

"Think Global," the third annual Public Radio Collaboration, will help listeners understand China's growing economic influence; the impact of free trade on poor countries; the role of oil in international politics; and "glocalization," or the tailoring of global products and media coverage to local markets. It will introduce them to filmmakers in Uganda, members of a fair-trade coffee cooperative in Mexico, Internet-based election monitors in Kyrgyzstan and a Japanese tofu maker.

Acclaimed public radio programs such as National Public Radio's Talk of The Nation and On the Media, Public Radio International's The World and Studio 360 and American Public Mediaís Marketplace and Being will air special programs as part of the "Think Global" week.

More than 200 stations have signed up to produce and/or broadcast "Think Global" programs. For more information about programs that will be airing in your market, contact your local public radio station.

Program highlights include:

LIVE GLOBAL CALL-IN. Listeners from around the world will discuss the impact of globalization on their lives by telephone, e-mail or text messaging from 12 p.m. to 2 p.m. Eastern Time, Saturday, May 21. The call-in will be hosted by Robin Lustig of the BBC's "Talking Point," Dick Gordon of Boston station WBUR's "The Connection" and Larry Mantle of Los Angeles station KPCC's "AirTalk."

THOMAS FRIEDMAN AT THE FITZGERALD THEATER. New York Times columnist and Pulitzer Prize winner Thomas Friedman speaks to a live audience in St. Paul about his latest book, "The World Is Flat: A Brief History of the Twenty-First Century." (Recorded for broadcast by American Public Media.)

DOCUMENTARIES.

"The Cost of Corruption" explores the role of corruption in the hyper-competitive global marketplace, with reports from Peru, Sao Tome and the Republic of Georgia. (Produced by American RadioWorks, the documentary unit of American Public Media, and BBC Current Affairs.)
"Global 3.0" takes listeners from Pittsburgh to China to India to Bangladesh to show how the high-speed movement of goods, people, capital and ideas is transforming everyday life. (Produced by American RadioWorks; co-hosted by ABC News correspondent Robert Krulwich.)
"Security Check: Confronting Today's Global Threats." David Brancaccio of public television's NOW hosts a program that examines the health and security threats that are side effects of globalization. (Produced by the Stanley Foundation and San Francisco station KQED.)
"America Up Close" examines the harsh realities of America's globalized economy, from the perspective of our neighbor to the north. (Produced by the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation.)
"Feet in Two Worlds: Immigrants in a Global City." Frank McCourt, author of the book "Angela's Ashes," narrates a program about Haitian, Ecuadorian, Polish, African and South Asian immigrants in New York. (Produced by New York station WNYC.)
"China's World: Competing for Commerce" and "China's World: Partnering With the Giant." The first report looks at the impact of China's textile production on Romania and France and assesses India's potential to match China's growing economic might. The second shows how Kazakhstan and Argentina are tapping into China's import market to speed their economic development. (Hosted by Lisa Mullins, anchor of PRI's The World. Produced by The World and BBC World Service.)
"Worlds of Difference: Finding a Niche" looks at how traditional societies are responding to dramatic changes in Newfoundland, Scotland's Outer Hebrides, a small Mexican town and an Andean village. (Produced by Homelands Productions and NPR; commentary by Nobel laureate Amartya Sen and National Geographic explorer Wade Davis.)

INTERNATIONAL FORUM. A live audience in Amsterdam discusses U.S. challenges to the jurisdiction of the International Criminal Court. (Produced by NPR's Justice Talking and Radio Netherlands.)

COMMENTARIES. Nobel laureate Joseph Stiglitz, author of "Globalization and Its Discontents"; former Irish President and UN Commissioner of Human Rights Mary Robinson; environmentalist and author Bill McKibben; former Mexican President Ernesto Zedillo; Pico Iyer, author of "The Global Soul" and "Sun After Dark"; and Roger Cohen, author of The Globalist column for the International Herald Tribune, offer contrasting commentaries about the benefits and drawbacks of globalization.

THE ENVIRONMENT. New Dimensions World Broadcasting talks to scientists, native elders, business leaders and thinkers about how to follow nature's lead to protect our planet's health. The Earth & Sky radio series explores how humans and natural systems interact on a global scale. Round Earth Productions examines the ways NAFTA has affected Mexico's environment.

MUSIC AND CULTURE. World Café, the contemporary music program produced by Philadelphia station WXPN, will feature cellist Yo Yo Ma and his cross-cultural Silk Road Ensemble, along with Benin-born world music superstar Angelique Kidjo. National Public Radio's Performance Today during the Collaboration week will examine how rhythms and melodies from nearly every corner of the planet infuse the music played in concert halls, with studio visits by some of the world's best musicians. "Music and Nature," the first program produced under American Public Media's Classical Music Initiative, offers sounds from Samoa, the Florida Everglades, Thailand and elsewhere as it explores the way music reflects our changing relationship with the environment. Studio 360, the weekly program hosted by Kurt Andersen and produced by WNYC and PRI, investigates the impact of commerce on global culture.

WEB SITE

The "Think Global" Web site at www.thinkglobal2005.org will include:

Audio, text and images for each of the radio programs.
Interactive elements produced by NetAid, a nonprofit organization that fights global poverty. Visitors can take part in quizzes, polls and multimedia activities, as well as find information on volunteering, curriculum plans and tips on how to communicate with leaders about globalization issues. The site can also be found at www.netaid.org/public-radio.
A "Think Global Data Bank" of facts and quotes and an animated slide show of global images; operated by The Globalist, www.theglobalist.com, a daily online feature service about globalization.

Background

"Think Global" is the third Public Radio Collaboration uniting radio producers nationwide for special coverage around a theme. In November 2003, "Whose Democracy Is It?" included 34 hours of programming and aired on more than 230 public radio stations, reaching more than 24 million listeners. The first Collaboration, in September 2002, was "Understanding America after 9/11."

Major funding for "Think Global" is provided by The Ford Foundation, Surdna Foundation and Rockefeller Brothers Fund. Programs are distributed by American Public Media and PRX, the Public Radio Exchange.

Stations and networks leading the effort include American Public Media, National Public Radio, Public Radio International, WNYC (New York) and KQED (San Francisco). International broadcasters including the BBC, Canada's CBC and Radio Netherlands also play major roles.

The project leaders are Executive Producer Bill Buzenberg, senior vice president for news at American Public Media; Project Director Betsy Gardella, former executive vice president and chief operating officer at WNYC; and Editorial Director Jonathan Miller, a veteran international journalist and a producer for radio documentary cooperative Homelands Productions.

4/11/05 4/11/05

American Public Media, Nation's Second Largest Public Radio Company, Announces It Now Serves 14.6 Million Listeners Each Week, a 14 Percent Audience Increase

Contact: Connie Molby
(651) 290-1113
cmolby@americanpublicmedia.org
www.americanpublicmedia.org

American Public Media, Nation's Second Largest Public Radio Company, Announces It Now Serves 14.6 Million Listeners Each Week, a 14 Percent Audience Increase

(St. Paul, Minn.) April 11, 2005 — American Public Media announced today that the number of listeners tuning into its national radio programming and to the regional radio stations operated by its affiliate companies was up 14 percent in Fall 2004 from Fall 2003. Total estimated weekly audience for programming produced by American Public Media, reported by Arbitron Nationwide, was more than 14.6 million listeners, making it the second largest producer of public radio programming after National Public Radio in Washington, D.C.

American Public Media produces a range of popular radio programs, including Marketplace, Marketplace Morning Report, Sound Money, A Prairie Home Companion, The Splendid Table, Being and Weekend America. These programs are heard on over 700 public radio stations across the country. Fall 2004 audience estimates show that total weekly audiences served by American Public Media's affiliated stations grew to 28.5 million listeners.

The estimate for total listeners for Marketplace and Marketplace Morning Report, programs that cover "business for the rest of us," was more than 8.7 million, up more than 9 percent from 2003. Marketplace continues to have the largest audience of any broadcast business program on radio or television. A Prairie Home Companion had an estimated 4.3 million listeners each week, an increase of 5 percent.

Significant increases in listeners were reported for Being (155 percent), Sound Money (31 percent), The Splendid Table (17 percent) and Marketplace Morning Report (16 percent).

American Public Media Group's regional public radio companies include Minnesota Public Radio and Southern California Public Radio. Among Minnesota Public Radio's regional stations, significant audience growth was also reported. Minnesota Public Radio produces news, arts and culture and classical music programming for 37 regional radio stations. At Southern California Public Radio, which broadcasts on KPCC-FM in Los Angeles, the estimated weekly audience increased 8 percent.

"The Fall 2004 Arbitron ratings report is the first available for our national programs since launching American Public Media last summer, and weíre pleased with the results," said Bill Kling, president and CEO of American Public Media Group, the parent company of Minnesota Public Radio, Southern California Public Radio and American Public Media. "This increase in audience suggests we are providing programming that attracts listeners. But while the numbers are gratifying, they also remind us that we must continue to innovate if we are to keep building audience and contribute to our affiliate stations'success."

American Public Media(tm) is the nation's second-biggest producer of public radio programs, reaching 13.5 million listeners nationwide each week. National programs include A Prairie Home Companion®, Saint Paul Sunday®, Marketplace®, Sound Money®, The Splendid Table®, Being™ and special reports produced by its national documentary unit, American RadioWorks®. American Public Media is the national production and distribution division of Minnesota Public Radio®. Minnesota Public Radio, along with its sister company Southern California Public Radio, belongs to a larger family of companies within American Public Media Group, a national nonprofit organization whose purpose is to develop resources, services and systems to support public media for public service. A complete list of stations, programs and additional services can be obtained at www.americanpublicmedia.us.

3/24/05 3/24/05

Minnesota Public Radio News to Air One-Hour Radio Special "What Happened at Red Lake?"; Discovering New Details in Monday's Tragic School Shooting in Northern Minnesota

Contact: Connie Molby
(651) 290-1113
cmolby@americanpublicmedia.org
www.americanpublicmedia.org

Minnesota Public Radio News to Air One-Hour Radio Special "What Happened at Red Lake?"; Discovering New Details in Monday's Tragic School Shooting in Northern Minnesota

Program to Broadcast on Public Radio Stations Nationwide Friday

WHAT: Minnesota Public Radio News from American Public Media created a national radio special about the Red Lake Indian reservation shooting in northern Minnesota, a tragedy that reverberated far beyond the boundaries of Red Lake.

The hour-long special will detail the chronology of the shooting, what's known about the student who killed nine people and himself and what makes this sovereign Indian community different from other communities. The special will also examine Monday's shooting within the context of other school shootings.

Members of Red Lake Indian Reservation community
Emergency personnel who responded to the scene
Grief counselors who have dealt with similar type situations

WHO: The Minnesota Public Radio News special, from American Public Media, will be produced by Catherine Winter of the documentary unit American RadioWorks. Minnesota Public Radio News' Cathy Wurzer will host the program.

TUNE-IN: The special will air on Minnesota Public Radio's news and information stations noon-1 p.m. Friday, March 25, during Midday, and at 10-11 a.m. Saturday, March 26, and can be heard on all Minnesota Public Radio news and information stations, including KNOW 91.1 FM in the Twin Cities.

3/22/05 3/22/05

American RadioWorks, American Public Media's National Documentary Unit, Takes Listeners Inside a Supermax Prison Where the Nation's Toughest Gangs Control Crime Far Beyond Prison Walls

Contact: Connie Molby
(651) 290-1113
cmolby@americanpublicmedia.org
www.americanpublicmedia.org

American RadioWorks, American Public Media's National Documentary Unit, Takes Listeners Inside a Supermax Prison Where the Nation's Toughest Gangs Control Crime Far Beyond Prison Walls

"Locked Down: Gangs in the Supermax" airs beginning late March

(Los Angeles) March 22, 2005 — American RadioWorks (ARW), the national documentary unit of American Public Media, has produced a new radio and Internet documentary, "Locked Down: Gangs in the Supermax," that explores the rise of powerful prison gangs and their impact on street crime.

Supermax prisons were designed 20 years ago to incapacitate violent criminals by locking them in stark isolation for more than 23 hours a day, often for years on end. But as ARW reports, some of America's most violent prison gangs have their headquarters at supermaxes. In this documentary, ARW reports from inside one of the nationís biggest supermaxes — California's Pelican Bay State Prison.

According to the Bureau of Justice Statistics, the U.S. prison population grew to more than 2 million in 2005. Recent surveys estimate that more than 300,000 gang members are currently behind bars. ARW's "Locked Down: Gangs in the Supermax" features interviews with current and former prison gang members and prison officials. The documentary explores:

Insiders' accounts of how prison gangs execute their orders on the streets from behind prison walls.

The effectiveness of isolating prisoners without any access to rehabilitation programs.
How harsh conditions in the supermax compel some inmates to renounce the gangs and cooperate with investigators — risking their lives.

TUNE IN: Produced by American RadioWorks' Michael Montgomery, and hosted by Deborah Amos, the one-hour documentary, "Locked Down: Gangs in the Supermax," will air on public radio stations in late March.

WEB SITE: Visit www.americanradioworks.publicradio.org/features/prisongangs for a transcript and audio of the documentary, along with photos and extended interviews with inmates, ex-gang members and prison officials.

American RadioWorks is the documentary unit of American Public Media. ARW is public radio's largest documentary production unit; it creates documentaries, series projects, and investigative reports for the public radio system and the Internet. ARW is based in St. Paul, Minn., with staff journalists in Washington, D.C., San Francisco, Calif., and Durham, N.C.

"Locked Down: Gangs at the Supermax" was produced by American RadioWorks in cooperation with the Center for Investigative Reporting. Major funding for American RadioWorks comes from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting.

3/8/05 3/8/05

American Public Media's Weekend America Names Amanda Aronczyk as New York-Based Arts Reporter and Editor

Contact: Connie Molby
(651) 290-1113
cmolby@americanpublicmedia.org
www.americanpublicmedia.org

American Public Media's Weekend America Names Amanda Aronczyk as New York-Based Arts Reporter and Editor

(Los Angeles) March 8, 2005 — American Public Media's Weekend America is pleased to announce the addition to its staff of Amanda Aronczyk, as its New York-based Arts Reporter/Editor. She will begin Monday, April 4.

Most recently, Ms. Aronczyk was a producer for WNYC's national culture program The Next Big Thing.

A dual American and Canadian citizen, Ms. Aronczyk was educated at Concordia and McGill Universities in Canada. She has studied art history at the University of California at Berkeley and film at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. She worked for CBC Radio in Montreal as an independent producer and contributed to ArtTalks, a Quebec arts and culture program, and served as literature correspondent for Brave New Waves, a national new music program. She also served as an audio engineer at the Banff Centre for the Arts in Alberta.

Amanda has worked on sound-based performances and installations and a comedy pilot as well as a recording engineer and sound editor for feature films and CDs. She has also been a contributor to PRI's national arts journal Studio 360, the Public Radio Collaboration and WNYC's Morning Edition.

Funding for Weekend America is provided by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting and Minnesota Public Radio. Station Partners include WBUR, Boston; WCPN, Cleveland; KPCC, Los Angeles; WMFE, Orlando; KUOW, Seattle and KNOW, St. Paul.

2/16/05 2/16/05

American Public Media Collaborates with Best-Selling Author James McBride

Contact: Connie Molby
(651) 290-1113
cmolby@americanpublicmedia.org
www.americanpublicmedia.org

American Public Media Collaborates with Best-Selling Author James McBride

(Los Angeles) February 16, 2005 — Best-selling African American author and musician James McBride is collaborating with American Public Media and its new national program, Weekend America, to pilot a new urban variety public radio program named The Corner. The program will be staged and recorded on February 22 in New York.

"This is an outstanding opportunity for American Public Media to partner with a triple-threat creative genius," said Executive Producer Jim Russell. "James McBride is a gifted author, composer and musician — with a unique view of the city where he grew up and the people who populated it."

The program is about five fictional characters who hang out at a Brooklyn corner store all day and pontificate about life. They include the storeís owner, Miss Woo; the grumpy black old man, Bone; his best friend, Dub; the Big Chain Store clerk, Mrs. Frenchie; and the store clerk, Puerto Rico. A variety of wild and interesting urban visitors will pass through the corner, including authors, entertainers, comedians, musicians, bums and anyone else who has something to say because, as McBride says, the corner is ìwhere everybody gets to solo. Everybody gets their 16 bars.î The pilot episode includes vignettes such as ìPhoto Opportunity,î where Vice President Dick Cheney plans a visit to the ghetto, a re-enactment of the movie Titanic with a ghetto cast, and the moving story of Little Kevin, a young boy who befriends an elderly, reclusive white man in the neighborhood.

The program is narrated by McBride, who begins by remembering his childhood:

"When I was a boy growing up in New York, there was a place in my neighborhood where folks gathered to talk, squawk, gossip and scheme. They sipped triple sweet lemonade and slipped into the basement for mason jars of something stronger. When the joy juice got 'em loose, they hollered out tall tales and swapped lies. It was a place where you could let your hair down, or even take it off all together if you wanted, and laugh till you cried or your troubles disappeared. It was a grocery store that doubled as a barber shop, shine stand and part-time church; where penny candy cost a nickel, cigarettes cost a dime. The advice was free. We called it The Corner.î

"My mother used to say that if you stood on that corner and closed your eyes you could hear the whole world passing by."

McBride and the acting/singing troupe will record the pilots in New York City on February 22, as segments to be premiered on APM's new national Saturday program, Weekend America. In the program, listeners will hear humorous vignettes, doo-wop music and swinging jazz, sung by the show's five main characters, accompanied by some of New York's finest jazz players. American Public Media will also use the pilot segments as demonstrations of the full-length weekly urban variety program it would like to produce with McBride, assuming that funding can be secured.

James McBride's The Color of Water was on the New York Times bestseller list for more than two years. It has sold more than 1.8 million copies in the United States alone. His second book, Miracle at St. Anna, is a historical novel. He is a former staff writer for the Boston Globe, People and The Washington Post. In addition to his books, McBride has written songs for the likes of Anita Baker, Grover Washington Jr., and received several awards for his work in musical theater composition, including The Stephen Sondheim Award and the ASCAP Richard Rodgers Horizons Award.

James McBride is a native New Yorker. He studied composition at The Oberlin Conservatory of Music in Ohio and received a masters degree in Journalism from Columbia University in New York at age 22.

Executive Producer of The Corner is Jim Russell. Managing producer is Laurie Selik. Christine Tschida is consulting producer and Dan Rowles is radio line producer/director.

General manager of the pilot is Donna Trinkoff. Creator, head writer, composer and host is James McBride. Additional writing by Ed Shockley. Music director is Lafayette Harris. Choral director and arranger is Cathy Elliott. Casting by Stephanie Klapper. Sound engineer is Jonathan Duckett. Production coordinator is Samantha Grabler.

Actors include Kent C. Jackman, Pearl Sun, Kimberly Hébert-Gregory, Michael Mandell and Clarke Thorell. Musicians include: Damon Due White (drums), Konrad Adderly (bass), William (Bill) Easley (reeds), Howard Johnson (multi-instrumentalist) and Keith Robinson (guitar).

2/2/05 2/2/05

Public Radio's Being Presents "Moral Man and Immoral Society: The Public Theology of Reinhold Niebuhr"

Contact: Connie Molby
(651) 290-1113
cmolby@americanpublicmedia.org
www.americanpublicmedia.org

Public Radio's Being Presents
"Moral Man and Immoral Society: The Public Theology of Reinhold Niebuhr"

Radio and Web project to document boundary-crossing
theologian and public policy shaper February 10-16

National Endowment of Humanities funds Being special program,
with expanded Web site and resources for public radio listeners and educators

(St. Paul, Minn.) February 2, 2005 — In the mid-20th century, Reinhold Niebuhr was consulted by Supreme Court justices, cold war strategists and poets. No religious figure since has taken his place as an influential, boundary-crossing theological voice in American life. Niebuhr challenged Christians as often as he consoled them, and was taken seriously by religious Americans and atheists alike.

Exploring his wide appeal, "Moral Man and Immoral Society: The Public Theology of Reinhold Niebuhr" will describe Niebuhr's legacy and ask what wisdom he might bring to the political and religious dynamics of the early 21st century.

The program will look at Niebuhr's foundational idea, "Christian realism" — a pragmatic middle way between religious idealism and religious arrogance. It will examine how his theology influenced leading figures in law, culture and politics, and how he continues to influence contemporary thinkers on the right and the left, in America and abroad. It will probe the enduring questions Niebuhr brought to the crises of his day, through public activism and such books as The Nature and Destiny of Man, Moral Man and Immoral Society and The Irony of American History. Niebuhr was also the author of "The Serenity Prayer," which is now translated and recited in virtually every language in the world.

"Moral Man and Immoral Society: the Public Theology of Reinhold Niebuhr" includes interviews with:

Elizabeth Sifton, publisher, and daughter and biographer of Niebuhr;
Richard Wightman Fox, University of Southern California intellectual historian and Niebuhr biographer;
Jean Bethke Elshtain, University of Chicago political theorist;
Max Stackhouse, Harvard ethicist;
Robin Lovin, Southern Methodist University theologian and Niebuhr interpreter.

The program will also excerpt archived Being interviews with:

Chris Hedges, New York Times correspondent;
Charles Villa-Vicencio, South African theologian and Truth and Reconciliation Commission director of research;
Reverend Peter J. Gomes, professor and minister of Harvard Universityís Memorial Church;
Michael Cromartie, political commentator and vice president of the Ethics and Public Policy Center.

WEB REPORTS
The Being Web site (www.speakingoffaith.org) will be expanded to include many Web-exclusive features, including archival photographs; an extensive collection of Niebuhr's correspondence; expanded interviews with the experts and associates who knew him; and maps and timelines illustrating his life and thought.

ABOUT Being
Being, hosted by Krista Tippett, is public radio's weekly national conversation about belief, meaning, ethics and ideas. It is produced and distributed by American Public Media. Being does not always have "religion" itself as a subject. Week after week, it grapples with themes of American life — asking how perspectives of faith might distinctively inform and illuminate our public reflection.

TUNE IN
"Moral Man and Immoral Society: The Public Theology of Reinhold Niebuhr" will be broadcast during Being program times nationwide Feb. 10-16. To locate public radio stations broadcasting Being, visit the program's Web site, www.speakingoffaith.org.

"Moral Man and Immoral Society: The Public Theology of Reinhold Niebuhr" is made possible in part by a grant from the National Endowment for Humanities (NEH). Any views, findings, conclusions or recommendations expressed in the program do not necessarily represent those of the NEH.

American Public Media(tm) is the nation's second-biggest producer of public radio programs, reaching 13.5 million listeners nationwide each week. National programs include A Prairie Home Companion®, Saint Paul Sunday®, Marketplace®, Sound Money®, The Splendid Table®, Being™ and special reports produced by its national documentary unit, American RadioWorks®. American Public Media is the national production and distribution division of Minnesota Public Radio®. Minnesota Public Radio, along with its sister company Southern California Public Radio, belongs to a larger family of companies within American Public Media Group, a national nonprofit organization whose purpose is to develop resources, services and systems to support public media for public service. A complete list of stations, programs and additional services can be obtained at www.americanpublicmedia.us.

1/26/05 1/26/05

Authors and radio documentarians Stephen Smith and Catherine Ellis to present Say It Plain: A Century of Great African American Speeches During Their Minnesota Book Tour

Contact: Christina Schmitt
(651) 290-1449
cschmitt@americanpublicmedia.org
www.americanpublicmedia.org

Authors and radio documentarians Stephen Smith and Catherine Ellis
to present Say It Plain: A Century of Great African American Speeches
During Their Minnesota Book Tour

Book-and-CD set and radio documentary share a compelling oratory history, including speeches from Booker T. Washington,
Martin Luther King and Jesse Jackson

Smith and Ellis will share audio clips and excerpts
from the project in honor of Black History Month

( St. Paul, Minn. ) January 26, 2005 ó While most of us have heard at least parts of Martin Luther King's I Have a Dream , many other great speeches have been obscured by time, trapped in dusty archives.

The book-and-CD set Say it Plain: A Century of Great African American Speeches (The New Press), and its companion radio documentary from American RadioWorks, share oratory history both obscure and well known, the result of a year-long search through the archival record. The project highlights landmark sermons, speeches and broadcasts recorded between 1906 and 2004.

Authors and radio documentarians Stephen Smith and Catherine Ellis will present select recordings at stops on a Minnesota book tour, a set of dates timed to highlight Black History Month.

More information about Say it Plain can be found at americanradioworks.org.

TOUR DATES

All presentations are free and open to the public:

Minneapolis: 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 8 ó Birch Bark Books
Rochester: 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 9 ó Barnes & Noble
St. Paul: 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 10 ó Bound to be Read
Duluth/Superior: 7 p.m. Friday, Feb. 11 ó J.W. Beecroft Books, Superior, Wisc.

TUNE IN: "Say it Plain: A Century of Great African American Speeches" radio documentary will broadcast at noon Feb. 2, repeating at 9 p.m. that evening, on all Minnesota Public Radio news and information stations, including KNOW 91.1 FM in the Twin Cities.

ABOUT STEPHEN SMITH AND CATHERINE ELLIS
Catherine Ellis is a consulting producer for American RadioWorks. She holds a Ph.D in anthropology from Columbia University. Stephen Smith is the executive editor for American RadioWorks. He produces documentaries on a wide range of domestic and international issues, including American history.

ABOUT AMERICAN RADIOWORKS
American RadioWorks is the documentary unit of American Public Media, the national production and distribution arm of Minnesota Public Radio. Its many awards include the Alfred I. duPont-Columbia University Gold Baton Award óbroadcast journalism's highest award ó as well as awards from the Overseas Press Club, Investigative Reporters and Editors, Inc., the Robert F. Kennedy Foundation, the American Women in Radio and Television, and others. Major funding for American RadioWorks is provided by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting. www.americanradioworks.org.

1/21/05 1/21/05

Jim Russell to Head New Program Development for American Public Media

January 21, 2005

Jim Russell to Head New Program Development for American Public Media

(St. Paul, MN and Los Angeles, CA) — American Public Media and Minnesota Public Radio today announced that Jim Russell will become Senior Vice President and General Manager of New Program Development for American Public Media, the national program production and distribution arm of Minnesota Public Radio.

Jim is one of the most respected journalists and producers in public radio. In 1988, he invented Marketplace, which has grown to become the country's most popular business program on radio or television. In 2001, he created and is currently Executive Producer of American Public Media's new Weekend America broadcast service.

In this new role, Jim will oversee all new national program development by American Public Media, including the current development of Weekend America. With the assistance of his colleagues — Bill Buzenberg, Sarah Lutman and J.J. Yore — Jim will articulate and implement American Public Media's vision for new program development and assist in the design, development and staffing of all new national programs.

"We're pleased that Jim has accepted this important new strategic leadership position for American Public Media," said Jon McTaggart, Chief Operating Officer. "This new position emphasizes the importance of new program creation for our future. Jim's leadership will help us focus our new program investments and accelerate our activity."

Before creating Marketplace, Jim was the Station Director of two Twin Cities public television stations and came to Minnesota from National Public Radio in Washington, where he had worked since NPR went on the air in 1971 as one of the networkís first reporters, and later as a Producer and Executive Producer of All Things Considered. He also worked in commercial radio and as a foreign correspondent in Vietnam and Cambodia. He is the winner of the duPont Columbia, Peabody, Ohio State, Headliner and numerous other awards, and is profiled in Who's Who in America, Who's Who in Entertainment and Who's Who in the West.

Jim has expressed eagerness to begin his new role, saying it will allow him to spend most of his time doing what he loves — creating exciting new programming — and applying his unique perspective, extensive talents and management skills to the process.

Weekend America is funded in part by a major grant from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting in collaboration with public radio content partners WBUR Boston, WCPN Cleveland, WMFE Orlando, KUOW Seattle, KPCC Los Angeles, KNOW St. Paul and the Association for Independents in Radio.

1/18/05 1/18/05

American Radioworks and Marketplace Expose the Tension Between Technology and Privacy in Radio Special "No Place to Hide"

Contact: Connie Molby
(651) 290-1113
cmolby@americanpublicmedia.org
www.americanpublicmedia.org

American Radioworks and Marketplace Expose the Tension Between Technology and Privacy in Radio Special "No Place to Hide"

Hour-long special to broadcast on public radio stations nationwide in January; shorter report to air during Marketplace on January 19.

WHAT: Almost every aspect of our lives is being recorded by someone, somewhere. Every time we buy milk and bread, a pair of jeans or CD, information is being collected and stored. Computers track when we surf the Net, absorb the details from consumer surveys, note when and where we use our cell phones. For years, billions of personal records have been used to improve direct marketing and customer management. Now, without your permission, those files are fast becoming a part of the war on terror and efforts to bolster homeland security.

No Place to Hide is a new investigative project from the Center for Investigative Reporting and Washington Post reporter Robert OíHarrow. OíHarrow, who has written this new book about how, since 9/11, private surveillance companies have joined forces with government agencies to create a new world of high-tech domestic spying, with few rules to guide and protect us, also collaborated with American RadioWorks producer John Biewen to create "No Place to Hide," the radio and Internet documentary.

In American RadioWorks' radio and Internet documentary, "No Place to Hide," O'Harrow and Biewen show key players in the information industry, counter-intelligence officials who have turned to the private sector for help and some of the "regular" people swept up in the ever-expanding digital net.

TUNE IN: American RadioWorks' "No Place to Hide" radio documentary will air on public radio stations nationwide in January. An abridged version of the documentary will air on January 19 on public radio stations nationwide during Marketplace. Check local radio listings for times and stations in your area or visit www.marketplace.org/about/stations.

ONLINE: Audio and transcripts of the radio project are available now at www.americanradioworks.org/features/noplacetohide/ including interviews with:

John AshcroftU.S. Attorney General, led the Bush administration's drive to push through the USA Patriot Act in the fall of 2001. That law undid a generation of restraints on the gathering and sharing of domestic intelligence.
John Poindexter, former director of the Pentagon's research and development arm, the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA). As national security adviser in the Reagan administration he was a leading figure in the Iran-Contra scandal. In 1990 he was convicted of multiple felonies, including conspiracy, obstruction of justice and lying to Congress. The convictions were ultimately reversed because of immunity agreements covering his Senate testimony. After September 11, 2001, DARPA hired Poindexter to head its Information Awareness Office and its Total Information Awareness program.
Patrick Leahy, ranking Democrat on the Judiciary Committee in the U.S. Senate. As the ranking Democrat on the Senate Judiciary Committee, Leahy led his party's negotiations over the USA Patriot Act in the six weeks following the 9-11 attacks.
Viet Dinh, primary author of the USA Patriot Act.
Chris Pyle, who helped reveal the Army's vast domestic spying program in 1970.
Michael Berry, an identity theft victim warned by police that he might be arrested at any time — for murder, the crime police said was committed by the man who allegedly took on Berryís persona.

WHO: "No Place to Hide" is part of a unique multimedia collaboration led by Robert O'Harrow, Jr. and supported by the Center for Investigative Reporting. In addition to the book, O'Harrow's reporting also led to an hour-long documentary for ABC News co-produced with Peter Jennings Productions to air January 20, 2005; a one-hour documentary for public radio, co-produced with American RadioWorks and distributed by American Public Media to air in January 2005; and article for The Washington Post Magazine. Links and more information about this project can be found at http://www.noplacetohide.net/.

Robert OíHarrow, Jr. is a reporter at The Washington Post and is an associate of the Center for Investigative Reporting. He was a Pulitzer Prize finalist for articles on privacy and technology and a recipient of the 2003 Carnegie Mellon Cyber Security Reporting Award.

Amercian RadioWorks correspondent-producer John Biewen has produced a large body of work on economic and social issues, as well as investigative reports and historical documentaries. Biewen is based oat the Center for Documentary Studies at Duke University in Durham, N. C.

American Public Media(tm) is the nation's second-biggest producer of public radio programs, reaching 13.5 million listeners nationwide each week. National programs include A Prairie Home Companion®, Saint Paul Sunday®, Marketplace®, Sound Money®, The Splendid Table®, Being™ and special reports produced by its national documentary unit, American RadioWorks®. American Public Media is the national production and distribution division of Minnesota Public Radio®. Minnesota Public Radio, along with its sister company Southern California Public Radio, belongs to a larger family of companies within American Public Media Group, a national nonprofit organization whose purpose is to develop resources, services and systems to support public media for public service. A complete list of stations, programs and additional services can be obtained at www.americanpublicmedia.us.

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Press Release 1/12/05 Press Release 1/12/05

Is "Justice for Sale?"

Contact: Connie Molby
(651) 290-1113
cmolby@americanpublicmedia.org
www.americanpublicmedia.org

Is "Justice for Sale?"

American Radioworks and Marketplace Highlight
a Dramatic Shift in the Judiciary

The Two-Part Public Radio Series Will Air on January 17 During
Marketplace Morning Report and Marketplace

WHAT: Judges are supposed to make decisions based on a dispassionate reading of the law. Politics has no place in a courtroomóat least in theory. But judges are elected to the bench in 38 states, and these campaigns are increasingly expensive, viciousóand partisan. The cost of November's judicial elections will likely top the record $45 million spent in 2000 (although the final tally isn't in yet). The campaign money largely came from business interests and their trial lawyer and union opponents.

Long-time court-watchers are worried that the combination of special interest cash and bitter partisanship will corrupt the independence of the courts. ì2004 was the tipping point year and now no state that elects judges is safe from a rising tide of special interest pressure on their court elections,î says Burt Brandenberg, executive director of Justice at Stake, a nonpartisan group based in Washington D.C.

Deborah Goldberg of the Brennan Center for Justice at New York University fears that the more a judicial seat looks like any other political prize the more it will give the average citizen the sense that "justice is for sale."

MARKETPLACE MORNING REPORT: Investigative reporter William Kistner documents that in many states across the country this year, judicial races are on track to be the most expensive in history. Much of the money came from special interest groups that funded negative television ads. The campaign money spigot is open.

MARKETPLACE PM: Kistner also followed one highly contested judicial race in West Virginia. That fight for a Supreme Court seat pitted a business-backed corporate lawyer, Brent Benjamin, against a labor-backed incumbent judge, Warren McGraw. About $5 million was spent on the race, an unheard of sum in the mostly rural mountain state. Much of the money came from Don Blankenship, a Benjamin-backer and chief executive officer of Massey Energy Company, which has extensive coal operations in West Virginia. The company happened to be fighting off a major lawsuit headed to the West Virginia Supreme Court. Benjamin won. And Blankenship defends his role in making the courts more business friendly.

Some states are trying to limit the influence of politics and money on the courts. For instance, North Carolina became the first state to elect a Supreme Court judge using a comprehensive public financing system for judicial elections.

William Kistner is a reporter and producer based in Washington and an associate of the Center for Investigative Reporting. He has contributed to PBS' FRONTLINE, the Discovery Channel, and CBS' 60 Minutes, and has written stories for national magazines and major newspapers. He has been a staff producer with ABC News Day One in Washington, a staff reporter with the Center for Investigative Reporting and he as served as a writer and news editor with Professional Pilot magazine in Washington.

TUNE IN: ìJustice for Saleî will air January 17 on public radio stations nationwide during Marketplace and Marketplace Morning Report. Check local radio listings for the times and stations in your area or go to www.marketplace.org/about/stations.

ONLINE: Audio and transcripts of the radio project will be available Jan.17 at americanradioworks.org.

WHO: "Justice for Sale" is a joint production of Marketplace and American RadioWorks. Marketplace and its sister program, Marketplace Morning Report , are daily national business programs produced by American Public Media in Los Angeles. American RadioWorks is the documentary unit of American Public Media in St. Paul, Minn.

American RadioWorks® is the documentary unit of American Public Media. Its many awards include the Alfred I. duPont-Columbia University Gold Baton Award óbroadcast journalism's highest award ó as well as awards from the Overseas Press Club, Investigative Reporters and Editors, Inc., the Robert F. Kennedy Foundation, the American Women in Radio and Television, and others. Major funding for American RadioWorks is provided by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting. www.americanradioworks.org.

American Public Media(tm) is the nation's second-biggest producer of public radio programs, reaching 13.5 million listeners nationwide each week. National programs include A Prairie Home Companion®, Saint Paul Sunday®, Marketplace®, Sound Money®, The Splendid Table®, Being™ and special reports produced by its national documentary unit, American RadioWorks®. American Public Media is the national production and distribution division of Minnesota Public Radio®. Minnesota Public Radio, along with its sister company Southern California Public Radio, belongs to a larger family of companies within American Public Media Group, a national nonprofit organization whose purpose is to develop resources, services and systems to support public media for public service. A complete list of stations, programs and additional services can be obtained at www.americanpublicmedia.org.

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Press Release 12/16/04 Press Release 12/16/04

Public Radio Series, "The Surprising Legacy of Y2K," to Document the History and Effects of the Computer Scare on Its Fifth Anniversary

Contact: Connie Molby
(651) 290-1113
cmolby@americanpublicmedia.us
www.americanpublicmedia.us

Public Radio Series, "The Surprising Legacy of Y2K," to Document the History and Effects of the Computer Scare on Its Fifth Anniversary

Joint American RadioWorks and Marketplace investigation examines the hype over Y2K and finds a direct connection to the growth of high-tech offshoring

The three-part series will air on Marketplace and Marketplace Morning Report Jan. 3 and 4, 2005

WHAT: Five years after the hoopla and warnings about Y2K, many dismiss it as a hoax, scam or non-event.

Not only was Y2K — shorthand for the inability of computers to recognize "00" as a reference to the year 2000 — a real threat narrowly averted, the work done in the rush to fix the problem laid the groundwork for perhaps today's biggest economic story: white collar jobs being sent overseas — particularly to India.

Producers Chris Farrell, Catherine Winter and Ochen Kaylan examine this economic, technological and cultural event on its fifth anniversary.

"When we approached the Y2K story, I figured it would turn into a tale of hype and greed," said Farrell. "But the economic fallout of Y2K was far greater than I realized. We are still living and working with Y2K's impact five years later."

Included in the report:

Reflections from John Koskinen, the witty Y2K czar appointed by President Clinton. He discusses how his was the ultimate "bag man job": If he succeeded, people would think Y2K a hoax. If he failed, he would be blamed for the crisis.

The story of Ben Levi, who built a house in the Boulder foothills. The house can be disconnected from the power grid, and Levi was a little disappointed that nothing happened - he hoped Y2K would lead people to be less dependent on technology and more concerned with sustainability.

Interviews with Indian high-tech entrepreneurs and workers in Silicon Valley. The Indian population in the U.S. has surged over the past decade, and connections between the Silicon Valley and India tightened dramatically during Y2K.

TUNE IN: "The Surprising Legacy of Y2K" will broadcast during the afternoon business program Marketplace on Jan. 3 and 4 and during the Marketplace Morning Report on Jan. 3, 2005. To find local broadcasts, go to www.marketplace.org.

ONLINE: A companion Web site allows visitors to listen to or read the stories or share their own. They can also join the discussion on the controversial practice of offshoring skilled work. Online at www.americanradioworks/features/y2k. [Note The site will be available Jan. 2, 2005.]

WHO: "The Surprising Legacy of Y2K" is a joint production of American RadioWorks and Marketplace. ARW is the documentary unit of American Public Media in St. Paul, Minn. Marketplace and Marketplace Morning Report are produced by American Public Media in Los Angeles and distributed by Public Radio International. Marketplace and Marketplace Morning Report air weekdays on more than 400 stations reaching almost 8 million weekly listeners.

ABOUT CHRIS FARRELL: Chris Farrell has more than 25 years of experience in economics and personal finance journalism. In addition to his central role on the Sound Money, American Public Media's personal finance program. Chris serves as the personal finance expert on Marketplace Morning Report. He's also contributing editor at Business Week magazine. He was host of public television's personal finance program Right on the Money and is the author of the show's companion book "Right on the Money: Taking Control of Your Personal Finances." He's also a journalist with American RadioWorks, American Public Media's award-winning documentary unit. Chris is a graduate of Stanford and The London School of Economics.

Editor/Producer Catherine Winter began working for Minnesota Public Radio in 1987 as legal affairs correspondent. She later produced features on rural issues for MPR's Mainstreet Radio team. She is the recipient of numerous national awards for her work, including two Silver Gavel awards from the American Bar Association and the Unity Award for reporting on issues affecting minorities and disabled persons. She taught writing and journalism at the University of Minnesota Duluth from 1999-2004. Winter holds a master's degree in English and linguistics from UMD and a master's degree in journalism from the University of California at Berkeley.

Web Producer Ochen Kaylan comes to American RadioWorks with extensive digital and graphic design experience, including serving as the Manager of Digital Design at the Walker Art Center and Senior Designer at Larsen Design. He has also taught at the Minneapolis College of Art and Design. Kaylan has received numerous design and advertising awards including: a Gold Pencil from The One Club; AIGA Minnesota Design Show selection; The Standard of Excellence Award from the Webawards; and a Merit from HOW Interactive. His digital and audio artwork has been shown at the San Francisco Art Institute, Alyce de Roulet Williamson Gallery, Austin Museum of Art, Walker Art Center, Transom.org, and Gallery 9.

INTERVIEWS: Contact Connie Molby to arrange an interview with Chris Farrell.
American Public Media(tm) is the nation's second-biggest producer of public radio programs, reaching 13.5 million listeners nationwide each week. National programs include A Prairie Home Companion®, Saint Paul Sunday®, Marketplace®, Sound Money®, The Splendid Table®, Being™ and special reports produced by its national documentary unit, American RadioWorks®. American Public Media is the national production and distribution division of Minnesota Public Radio®. Minnesota Public Radio, along with its sister company Southern California Public Radio, belongs to a larger family of companies within American Public Media Group, a national nonprofit organization whose purpose is to develop resources, services and systems to support public media for public service. A complete list of stations, programs and additional services can be obtained at www.americanpublicmedia.us.

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Press Release 12/9/04 Press Release 12/9/04

KATHRYN SCOTT NAMED SENIOR PRODUCER OF WEEKEND AMERICA

Contact: Connie Molby
(651) 290-1113
cmolby@americanpublicmedia.us
www.americanpublicmedia.us

KATHRYN SCOTT NAMED SENIOR PRODUCER OF
WEEKEND AMERICA

Veteran producer with a background in documentary films, cablenews and public broadcasting will relocate to Los Angeles inJanuary 2005

(Los Angeles) December 9, 2004– Kathryn Scott,a veteran producer with a diverse broadcasting, production andjournalism background, has beennamed senior producer for American Public Media’s newestnational program, Weekend America.
Weekend America is a two-hour public radio program service designedto fit the weekend state of mind. Barbara Bogaev and Bill Radke hostthe program each week from Los Angeles, inviting listeners to a livelyconversation about the issues of the week, the arts and public affairs.
“With Senior Producer Kathryn Scott and Managing Editor JeremySkeet as our editorial and production leaders of Weekend America, wehave a strong set of skills — strong ideas, strong editorialdirection and strong production,” said Executive Producer JimRussell. “It’s a winning combination.”
Currently a producer atMinnesota Public Radio in St. Paul, most recently with the programSound Money, Scott has been a freelance producer andwriter in Alexandria, Va.; Washington bureau chief for Tech TV News,a national cable television network devoted to technology news; andexecutive producer for documentary films and programs. Her broadcastexperience includes producing PBS’s science program Newton’sApple and as an investigative producer for local news. She also servedas the executive producer of The Newseum in Arlington, Va. — thefirst national journalism museum.
“I am excited about contributing to the continued success ofWeekend America. The energy at the Frank Stanton studios and the innovativeprogramming on Weekend America attracted me immediately,” saidKathryn Scott. “It will be great to be a part of it.”
Scott received a Parent’s Choice and National Endowment of theArts awards for her work on Newton’s Apple. She also receivedthree CINE Gold Eagle awards for her documentary films at The Newseum.She received her degree with honors in journalism and political sciencefrom the University of Wisconsin. She will relocate to Los Angelesin January.
Weekend America airs onSaturdays on more than 80 public radio stations across the nation.
WeekendAmerica is produced by American Public Media in associationwith WBUR, Boston: WCPN, Cleveland; KPCC, Los Angeles; WMFE, Orlando;KUOW, Seattle; KNOW, St. Paul, and AIR, the Association of Independentsin Radio. American Public Media™ is the nation's second-biggestproducer of public radio programs, reaching 13.5 million listenersnationwide each week. National programs include A Prairie Home Companion®,Saint Paul Sunday®, Marketplace®, Sound Money®, The SplendidTable®, Being™ and special reports produced byits national documentary unit, American RadioWorks®. AmericanPublic Media is the national production and distribution divisionof MinnesotaPublic Radio®. Minnesota Public Radio, along with its sistercompany Southern California Public Radio, belongs to a larger familyof companieswithin American Public Media Group, a national nonprofit organizationwhose purpose is to develop resources, services and systems to supportpublic media for public service. A complete list of stations, programsand additional services can be obtained at www.americanpublicmedia.us.

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Source: Dataare copyright Arbitron, Inc. Arbitron data are estimates only.
Spring 2004

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Press Release 11/22/04 Press Release 11/22/04

Vic Sussman, Senior Editor at Public Radio Business Program Marketplace, Dies

Contact: Suzanne Perry
(651) 290-1276
sperry@americanpublicmedia.us
www.americanpublicmedia.us

Vic Sussman, Senior Editor at Public Radio Business Program Marketplace, Dies

Veteran journalist, broadcaster, author, Web pioneer and "Renaissance man" was 65

(Los Angeles) Nov. 22, 2004 - Vic Sussman, a veteran journalist who was senior editor for the public radio business program Marketplace, died Nov. 22 in Washington, D.C., of an apparent stroke after successful surgery. He was 65.

Over his long career, Sussman worked for the Washington Post, U.S. News & World Report, Voice of America, America Online and Cahners Business Information. He authored numerous magazine and newspaper articles and three nonfiction books: The Vegetarian Alternative, Never Kiss a Goat on the Lips and The Compost Solution. He joined Marketplace, which is produced in Los Angeles by American Public Media, in January 2004.

"Vic was a true Renaissance Man, a broadcaster, author, organic farmer, print reporter and editor, magician, runner, serious weightlifter, voracious reader and Web pioneer," said Marketplace General Manager Jim Russell. "He will be deeply missed by his newest friends and associates at Marketplace."

Sussman was born in New York City and got his first job in broadcasting at 16 at a country western radio station in Arlington, Va., where he was known as "Vic Stephan, Arlington's red-headed cowboy." After receiving his bachelor's degree in journalism and master's degree in communications from American University in Washington, Sussman worked at public radio station WAMU-FM as a reporter/producer.

He was a senior editor at U.S. News & World Report from 1989-1996 writing cover stories and a wide variety of health, fitness and technology features. He was a columnist for the Washington Post's Book World from 1982-1992 and wrote a weekly column for the Washington Post Magazine called "Personal Tech" covering computers, audio-video and emerging consumer electronics from 1986-1989. He also wrote a wide variety of humor and feature articles for the Post, USA Today, Reader's Digest, Redbook, Glamour, Organic Gardening, Prevention, Runner's World and several other newspapers.

Sussman was an "early adopter" of the Internet. He lectured widely about the subject and was involved in the creation of major Web sites including USNews.com and the "Live Online" forum of washingtonpost.com. He was director of Internet programming for America Online from 1996-1997. He served from 2000-2001 as director of interactive Web programming for Cahners Business Information including Variety, Publisher's Weekly and Broadcasting & Cable.

His broadcasting experience included news anchor/newscaster for Voice of America (2002-2003); commentator for National Public Radio's All Things Considered, and writer and on-air work for CNBC- U.S. News & World Report joint productions. He won Japan's NHK prize for radio production.

Sussman is remembered fondly by friends and family as a man with strong intellect and opinions, and the ability to articulate them. His son Noah remembers a story about his father as a teenage disc jockey. "During his career as the 'Cowboy,' he pulled an Elvis Presley record off the turntable and smashed it, live on air, declaring, 'We won't be hearing any more of this cr#% during my show.' He never changed."

Except for the five years that he and his family tried organic farming in Vermont, Sussman lived in the Washington, D.C., area. He is survived by his wife, Megin Sussman of Silver Spring, Md; daughter, Rachel Sussman of Hanover, N.H.; and sons, Noah Sussman of New York and Brendan Sussman of Silver Spring. Funeral arrangements are pending.

American Public Media(tm) is the nation's second-biggest producer of public radio programs, reaching 13.5 million listeners nationwide each week. National programs include A Prairie Home Companion®, Saint Paul Sunday®, Marketplace®, Sound Money®, The Splendid Table®, Being™ and special reports produced by its national documentary unit, American RadioWorks®. American Public Media is the national production and distribution division of Minnesota Public Radio®. Minnesota Public Radio, along with its sister company Southern California Public Radio, belongs to a larger family of companies within American Public Media Group, a national nonprofit organization whose purpose is to develop resources, services and systems to support public media for public service. A complete list of stations, programs and additional services can be obtained at www.americanpublicmedia.us.

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Press Release 11/8/04 Press Release 11/8/04

"Is Wal-Mart Good for America?" A Public Broadcasting Investation Looks at the Real Cost of the Retail Giant's "Everyday Low Prices"

Contact: Connie Molby
(651) 290-1113
cmolby@americanpublicmedia.us
www.americanpublicmedia.us

"Is Wal-Mart Good for America?"
A Public Broadcasting Investation Looks at the Real Cost of the Retail Giant's "Everyday Low Prices"

Collaboration between American Public Media's Marketplace American RadioWorks and PBS's FRONTLINE to air on Tuesday, Nov. 16

WHAT: Veteran reporter Hedrick Smith examines whether Wal-Mart's reliance on China for the production of its goods has resulted in lost jobs here in America, and asks what is the real cost of the company's famous "everyday low prices."

Through interviews with retail executives, product manufacturers, economists and trade experts, Smith examines the controversy over the Wal-Mart way of conducting business. The reports explore whether America's largest retail giant has changed—for the worse—the American economy in its drive to meet American consumers' insatiable desire for bargains.

To understand the secret of Wal-Mart's success, Smith travels from the company's headquarters in Bentonville, Arkansas, to its global purchasing center in Shenzhen, China, where several hundred Wal-Mart employees work to keep the company's import pipeline running smoothly. Of Wal-Mart's 6,000 global suppliers, experts estimate that as many as 80 percent are based in China.

TUNE IN: "Is Wal-Mart Good for America?" will broadcast on Tuesday, Nov. 16, on public radio stations nationwide during Marketplace and Marketplace Morning Report. Check local radio listings for the times and stations in your areas or go to www.marketplace.org/about/stations/.

ONLINE: Audio and transcripts of the radio project will be available Tuesday November 16, 2004 at www.americanradioworks.org.

Additional information on the investigation can be found at www.pbs.org/frontline/.

WHO: "Is Wal-Mart Good for America?" is a joint production of Marketplace, American RadioWorks and PBS's television program FRONTLINE. Marketplace and its sister program, Marketplace Morning Report, are daily national business programs produced by American Public Media in Los Angeles. American RadioWorks is the documentary unit of American Public Media in St. Paul, Minn. FRONTLINE is produced by WGBH Boston and is broadcast nationwide on PBS stations.

TV: PBS will broadcast "Is Wal-Mart Good for America?" at 9 p.m. Eastern Time on Tuesday, Nov. 16.

American Public Media™ is the nation's second-biggestproducer of public radio programs, reaching 13.5 million listenersnationwide each week. Nationalprograms include A Prairie Home Companion®, Saint Paul Sunday®, Marketplace®,Sound Money®, The Splendid Table®, Being™ andspecial reports produced by its national documentary unit, American RadioWorks®.American Public Media is the national production and distribution divisionof Minnesota Public Radio®. Minnesota Public Radio, along with its sistercompany Southern California Public Radio, belongs to a larger familyof companies within American Public Media Group, a national nonprofitorganization whosepurpose is to develop resources, services and systems to support publicmedia for public service. A complete list of stations, programs andadditional services can be obtained at www.americanpublicmedia.us.

###

Source: Data are copyright Arbitron, Inc. Arbitron data are estimatesonly.
Spring 2004

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Press Release 11/4/04 Press Release 11/4/04

Classical Music Initiative Update: Production Workshop Yields High Energy, Enthusiasm and Opportunities for Collaboration in Classical Music Media

Contact: Andrea Matthews
(651) 290-1113
amatthews@americanpublicmedia.us
www.americanpublicmedia.us

Classical Music Initiative Update:

Production Workshop Yields High Energy, Enthusiasm and Opportunities for Collaboration in Classical Music Media

Keynote addresses and more available at the
Classical Music Initiative Web site

(St. Paul, Minn.) November 4, 2004 — The Production Workshop hosted by American Public Media’s Classical Music Initiative (CMI) October 20-22 brought together 13 radio and new media producers and hosts from around the nation to provide training in production and presentation for classical music programming.

The two outstanding keynote addresses of this workshop are available in audio and print at the Classical Music Initiative Web site, www.classicalmusicinitiative.org/workshops. Terry Teachout, performing arts critic, journalist, author and ArtsJournal.com blogger, titled his address: “What to Learn from Howard Stern: Can Old and New Media Coexist?” Tod Machover, Professor of Music and Media at the MIT Media Lab and “America’s most wired” composer” (Los Angeles Times) called his keynote “Building Active Listeners through New Media Technology.” A snapshot of each:

Terry Teachout: “This is a critical moment for classical radio producerslike you. My guess is that classical radio is in the process of breakinginto three different pieces. Traditional terrestrial radio is being supplemented – andmay in time be replaced – by subscriber-funded satellite radio andWeb-based Internet radio. The emergence of these new media has made it possibleto ‘narrowcast’ a much wider variety of programs aimed at smallerniche audiences. And this is where it gets interesting for you – becauseall three media will offer sharply differing kinds of markets for yourservices.”

Tod Machover points to a world where music is personalized, bytaste and delivery mode: where radios, cell phones, and game consoles becomedelivery platforms that allow listeners to navigate between streams, zoomin on details, and listen to Kabuki-style "whisper commentary." Hedescribed the work of his Hyperinstruments group at MIT, which designs musicalinstruments as interactive tools and toys for learning and creating music,as a means to "develop [music's] transformative power as a counterpointto our everyday lives."

The Production Workshop was created as part of the Classical Music Initiative,a project that aims to expand the role of radio and new technologies in ourclassical music communities, and offer great opportunities to inspire appreciationand participation in the arts, build audiences and enrich lives. (More informationon the CMI is available at www.classicalmusicinitiative.org.)

Enthusiasm from participants and workshop leaders was high:

CMI project director Mary Lee said the response to their requestfor workshop applicants exceeded expectations, and that the workshopgenerated a great deal of excitement and energy. “We metan incredible group of lively, creative participants who are deeplycommitted to the growth of classical music media and eager for additionaltraining. The Workshop also provided a rare opportunity for producersto get together and share ideas.”

Workshop participant Alicia Zuckerman — an arts and culturereporter and producer at WNYC (New York Public Radio) — said, “Theworkshop was a terrific reminder of why I love radio and classicalmusic, and it ignited a fire in me to think more deeply about the marriageof musicand media and where they can go from here.”

In addition to Alicia Zuckerman, the workshop participants wereSarah Cahill from KALW in Berkeley, CA; Aaron Cohen of New York’sWNYC; Susan Fitzgerald of KTOO in Juneau, Alaska; David Fordof WFDD inWinston Salem, NC; Jennifer Foster of WDAV in Davison, NC; JamesD. Jacobs of WNYEin Brooklyn, NY; Brian McCreath, a Web producer for WGBH in Boston;Tim McDonnell from KBAQ in Phoenix; Glenn Zucman of Strange Angelsin Rosemead, CA; and Suzanne Schaffer, Kathryn Slusher and LaurenRico from MinnesotaPublic Radio in St. Paul. (More information about workshop participantsis available on the CMI Web site.)

Workshop presentations on producing for radio and new media were ledby American Public Media staff, including Don Lee (Style and Substance:Writing for Radio), Tom Voegeli (Finding the Creative Difference),Brian Newhouse (Staying Curious: The Unexpected Interview), and PrestonWright on interactive Web sites (Getting the Audience to Play withYou).

The Classical Music Initiative is continuing to accept proposals for itsProduction Fund. A primary aim of the Fund is to invest in new concepts andapproaches for conveying classical music to broad audiences using radio,the Internet and/or other emerging technologies. Proposal information isavailable at www.classicalmusicinitiative.org.

The Classical Music Initiative Production Workshop is supported, in part,by the National Endowment for the Arts. Additional financial support is providedby Mr. and Mrs. Howard Solomon.

American Public Media™ is the nation's second-biggestproducer of public radio programs, reaching 13.5 million listenersnationwide each week. Nationalprograms include A Prairie Home Companion®, Saint Paul Sunday®, Marketplace®,Sound Money®, The Splendid Table®, Being™ andspecial reports produced by its national documentary unit, American RadioWorks®.American Public Media is the national production and distribution divisionof Minnesota Public Radio®. Minnesota Public Radio, along with its sistercompany Southern California Public Radio, belongs to a larger familyof companies within American Public Media Group, a national nonprofitorganization whosepurpose is to develop resources, services and systems to support publicmedia for public service. A complete list of stations, programs andadditional services can be obtained at www.americanpublicmedia.us.

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Source: Data are copyright Arbitron, Inc. Arbitron data are estimatesonly.
Spring 2004

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Press Release 10/21/04 Press Release 10/21/04

American Public Media's Marketplace and Marketplace Morning Report to Mark 75th Anniversary of Black Tuesday with "Crash of '29" Reports

Contact: Connie Molby
(651) 290-1113
cmolby@americanpublicmedia.us
www.americanpublicmedia.us

American Public Media's Marketplace and Marketplace Morning Report to Mark 75th Anniversary of Black Tuesday with "Crash of '29" Reports

Broadcasts will include interviews with the last "Titan of Wall Street," Web site offers timeline leading up to the stock market crash, quiz and comparison of stock prices in 1929 and 2004

WHAT: Oct. 29, 1929, is known as Black Tuesday and its impact triggered monumental changes in America's financial markets — and in America itself. On the 75th anniversary of Black Tuesday, American Public Media's Marketplace and Marketplace Morning Report, with veteran reporter Matt Algeo, examine the story of the stock market crash, its causes and effects and its continuing impact on today's financial markets. The mini-documentary also asks the question: Could it happen again?

REPORT HIGHLIGHTS:

First-person accounts from Al Gordon, the last surviving "Titan of Wall Street," who in 1929 was a 28-year-old Harvard Business School graduate working at Goldman Sachs. He's now 103 and still works in the office three or four times a week. He will explain how Wall Street has changed — and how it hasn't — since 1929.

Reaction from the 75th reunion of the Fond du Lac, Wisc., high school graduating class of 1929 — some of the last witnesses to the crash and its impact in middle America.

Online Features:

Beginning, Monday, Oct. 25, the public can take a Black Tuesday knowledge quiz, listen to selected 1920s era music and check out a timeline leading up to the crash at www.marketplace.org/features/crash_1929/. A comparison of 1929 stock prices with today's prices and archival photographs will also be posted to the site.

TUNE IN: "Crash of '29" reports will broadcast nationwide during Marketplace and Marketplace Morning Report, Friday, Oct. 29. Check local radio listings for the times and stations in your areas or go to www.marketplace.org.

AmericanPublic MediaT is the national production and distribution unit of MinnesotaPublic Radio. It is the nation's second-biggest producer of nationalpublic radio programs, reaching 11.9 million listeners nationwide eachweek. National programs include A Prairie Home Companion^®, Saint Paul Sunday^®, Marketplace^®, Sound Money^®, The Splendid Table^®, Being^® and special reports produced by its documentary unit, American RadioWorks^®. Minnesota Public Radio, along with its sister company Southern California Public Radio, belongs to a larger family of companies within American Public Media Group, a national nonprofit organization whose purpose is to develop resources, services and systems to support public media for public service. A complete list of stations, programs and additional services can be obtained at www.americanpublicmedia.us.

###

Source: Data are copyright Arbitron, Inc. Arbitron data are estimates only.
Fall 2003

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