PRI and PRX Join Forces to Better Serve Audiences

Dear The Scan reader, We thought you should be among the very first to hear some exciting news – PRI has announced that it will merge with PRX. Building upon our shared foundations, we aspire to create a vibrant public media organization that is grounded in extraordinary storytelling and journalism, that is more fully reflective of our complex, diverse nation, and that takes full advantage of rapidly changing technologies to reach and engage our audiences. As a public radio fan, you are probably familiar with PRX, which distributes This American Life, Reveal, On Being and The Moth Radio Hour. These are natural complements to our core programs, PRI’s The World®, The Takeaway and Studio 360. PRX also operates one of the most dynamic podcast portfolios in America. In both 2015 and 2017, PRX was recognized by Fast Company as “One of the Ten Most Innovative Companies in Media.” [MAKE A GIFT >]( Together we will reach more than 28.5 million listeners and users each month across broadcast and web and have 56 million monthly podcast downloads. While our organizations could continue on parallel paths, there is urgency in our decision to come together now. The sheer volume of audio content produced today is dizzying. Or deafening. By one estimate, the number of active podcasts in production has rocketed from 60,000 in 2015 to more than 600,000 today. Some of these are insightful and inspiring, but many simply add to the noise. The number of homes with smart speakers has more than doubled in the past year alone, and commercial entities are racing to exploit this latest channel. As the volume increases, it becomes harder and harder for essential voices to break through. Even the best work can be drowned out by well-financed, commercial products. And just as important voices are overwhelmed by the noise, many public radio stations are being out-innovated by commercial channels that tend to invest in technology and marketing while skipping past original, important content. Together, PRI and PRX will dedicate our combined resources and expertise to ensure that important new talents are supported as they grow, that stations have the support they need to reap the benefits of new technologies, and that the highest quality journalism and storytelling reaches the broadest audience possible – without paywalls or conflicted commercial interests. There is, of course, much more to say about this transformative merger, and you can expect updates from us in the coming weeks and months. At the moment you can read a [Wall Street Journal article](, in which I am interviewed about the merger, a [press release](, and an [FAQ]( about this news, with additional detail about PRX. I also encourage you to reach out to me or members of our team (contact information below), if you have particular questions that are not addressed. Last, I want to thank our partners at WGBH Boston, who are making a transformative investment that will help fuel the merger, deepen our commitment to global journalism, and launch a new production studio. WGBH is a public media power house not only because it is big, but because the people at WGBH consistently provide bold leadership that moves our field forward. As some of you may recall, in 2015, WGBH acquired GlobalPost and integrated their operations — including their Daily Chatter email — with ours here at PRI. We recognize that some of you may have come to PRI through that merger, and we hope that you will stay connected to our organization as we work to amplify the best in journalism and storytelling through our new collaboration with PRX. Thank you again for supporting The Scan. I hope you are as excited about this future as I am. Sincerely, Alisa Miller President and CEO Have questions? Please reply directly to this email — we look forward to hearing from you. This change will enhance our capacity to deliver on our shared goals of supporting quality journalism, elevating new voices and investing in innovative technology, and ensures a vibrant, dynamic public media system. Help launch the next era of public media by making a gift to support the merger of PRI and PRX! [DONATE TODAY >]( [PRI Facebook]( [PRI Twitter]( [Edit your subscription]( | [Unsubscribe]( | [View in your browser]( The Scan is brought to you by [GlobalPost]( and [PRI - Public Radio International](.