Public Radio International

Background

In the United States, PRI distributed well-known programming to public radio stations. Among its programs were the global news program The World, which PRI co-produced with WGBH Boston. Programs on PRI—sometimes mis-attributed to National Public Radio—were produced by a variety of organizations, including PRI in the United States and other countries. PRI, along with NPR and American Public Media, was one of the largest program producers and distributors of public radio programming in the United States. PRI offered over 280 hours of programming each week to stations and listeners. Public Radio International said its mission was to "serve audiences as a distinctive content source for information, insights and cultural experiences essential to living in our diverse, interconnected world."

Approximately 850 radio station affiliates and other audio venues broadcast, streamed and downloaded PRI programs. According to the 2017 Nielsen Audio ratings, 8.1 million people listened to PRI programming each week.

PRI's programs won awards for quality and innovation, including the DuPont-Columbia Award, Scripps Howard Award for Excellence in Electronic Media/Radio, George M. Foster Peabody Award, Golden Reel Award and Gabriel Award.

PRI programming received funding from station fees, corporate underwriting, and individual and corporate grants. Less than 2% of the overall operating budget came from United States government agencies.

History

PRI was founded in 1983 as American Public Radio as an alternative to NPR for public radio program distribution. Five stations established American Public Radio as a syndicate: the Minnesota Public Radio network, KQED in San Francisco, WNYC in New York City, WGUC in Cincinnati, and KUSC in Los Angeles. The corporation changed its name to Public Radio International in 1994 to reflect its growing interest and involvement in international audio publishing, as typified by its many collaborations with the BBC.

In the mid-1990s, PRI began to expand its reach by producing programming in addition to distributing programming. This evolution in the company began with PRI's The World, originally a co-production among PRI, the BBC World Service, and WGBH.

In 2004, Minnesota Public Radio left PRI and began distributing its own shows (including A Prairie Home Companion and Marketplace and excluding Classical 24) through its newly created arm, American Public Media. In 2012, PRI was acquired by the WGBH Educational Foundation.

Public Radio International and Public Radio Exchange merged in 2018. Both networks maintained separate identities and programming until 2019, when the Public Radio International branding was retired. In 2020, the last remaining PRI program other than The World, Studio 360, aired its last episode, concluding with the PRI network identification.