PRX launched in September 2003, the fruit of a brainstorm between SRG and independent producer Jay Allison. The idea was to use the Web to give station and independent producers a more convenient way to share work, while developing a deep catalog of pieces old and new.
....
The concept was “long tail” before Wired magazine editor Chris Anderson coined the term, says Jake Shapiro, PRX’s executive director since its inception. PRX recognized that “there was tremendous value in aggregating and making accessible some of the programs that have garnered so much energy, investment and work, rather than having them be ephemeral productions that air once or twice.”

Jeff Hansen, p.d. of KUOW/KXOT, praises PRX for its ease of use and for its promotion of independent producers, whom he believes public radio must support as “the next generation” of talent.

By empowering producers to handle their own distribution, he says, PRX may even be “the future of program distribution.” “What sense does it make to distribute someone else’s content, when that someone else can distribute themselves?” he says. “Why incur the cost of the middleman anymore, now that you have PRX?”

You can see the full Current coverage here.

Geo was one of the first producers to join PRX back in September 2003, and he's been a great source of ideas and tough love about what we're trying to do here at PRX.

Geo even managed to get his PRX profile into an article about the show:

At 6 feet 3 inches and 225 pounds, Beach rather resembles a nightclub bouncer you’d hate to provoke on a Saturday night. But after listening to his thoughtful essays on public radio [www.prx.org/user/geo], I decided he’s more like a genuine (and burlier) version of deejay “Chris in the Morning” (John Corbett) on “Northern Exposure.” Apparently the series’ producers thought so as well.

Read more background on the show here.

Thanks Geo, we'll be watching!

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Public radio “had an enormous surge in listening over about a 10-year period from the mid ’90s up through about 2003, principally driven by a huge response to public radio’s news and information programming,” said Tom Thomas, co-chief executive officer of the Station Resource Group, a public radio consortium. But since 2003 “the audience has essentially been flat,” he said.

To address this, the consortium recently received a Corporation for Public Broadcasting grant to identify ways to get the audience growing again, and “Everything is on the table,” Mr. Thomas said.

Last year some 1,400 people entered the Public Radio Talent Quest, an online search for new hosts run by the Public Radio Exchange, a Web site, prx.org, where independent radio producers market their content. None of the three winners — a science blogger, a slam poet and a nonprofit executive who is a storyteller — reflect that typical public radio sound, said Jake Shapiro, the exchange’s executive director.

Thanks to Jesse we can now watch "Santa Claus Conquers the Martians" while enjoying jack mackerel, fried pork skins, rubber grapes, and Weirds (a tangy candy from Pakistan, crafted from titanium dioxide, carnuba wax, and dextrose -- in other words, delicious).

And, we conquered this tower of sweets sent to us from CPB!

UPDATE: Jesse Thorn writes:

"Let it be shouted to the heavens: THAT JESSE THORN IS A CLASS ACT.

JUST LIKE HIS PALS AT THE CPB, NPR and PRX."

Hereby shouted!

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Looking to join a youth media network? Jones presents this advice in the article: "When possible, selecting a neutral organizer or leader, whether a funder or intermediary youth media organization, can take away perceived competitiveness or benefit among participating members. Generation PRX, an online youth radio exchange, aims to do just that by connecting a variety of youth radio producers virtually from across the country. 'People can trust that we're really motivated by promoting the entire field,' Franzel said."

Youth Media Reporter is a bi-monthly professional online journal that focuses on developing and sustaining the youth media field.

For Immediate Release April 11, 2008

Corporation for Public Broadcasting Congratulates the Public Radio Exchange on its MacArthur Foundation Award

Washington, D.C. -- The Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB) congratulates the Public Radio Exchange (PRX) for receiving a MacArthur Award for Creative and Effective Institutions.

Established by the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, the MacArthur Award for Creative and Effective Institutions recognizes and invests in small, emerging nonprofit organizations around the world that demonstrate exceptional creativity and effectiveness.

The MacArthur Foundation announced PRX was one of eight organizations in six countries to receive the award "by gathering and distributing new programming and using technological innovation to expand content choices, PRX is leading public radio to become more interactive, diverse and democratic."

"PRX has transformed the way content creators deliver their product to the public radio marketplace," said Pat Harrison, CPB president and CEO. "PRX has developed a unique service that has led public broadcasting along the pathway to emerging media and opened a pipeline of innovation that benefits stations and listeners. It's fitting that they've been recognized for their creativity and leadership."

About PRX: The Public Radio Exchange is an online marketplace for distribution, review and licensing of public radio programming. PRX is also a growing social network and community of listeners, producers and stations collaborating to reshape public radio. The mission of PRX is to create more opportunities for diverse programming of exceptional quality, interest and importance to reach more listeners.

About CPB: The Corporation for Public Broadcasting is a private, nonprofit corporation created by Congress in 1967, is the steward of the federal government's investment in public broadcasting. It helps support the operations of more than 1,000 locally-owned and -operated public television and radio stations nationwide, and is the largest single source of funding for research, technology, and program development for public radio, television, and related online services.

John enjoys his feast (there's nothing pubradio folks like more than free food)

Thanks, NPR!

Cambridge nonprofit wins MacArthur award

By Clea Simon, Globe Correspondent | April 11, 2008

The Cambridge-based Public Radio Exchange will receive one of eight 2008 MacArthur Awards for Creative and Effective Institutions, the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation announced yesterday. PRX, as the Cambridge nonprofit is called, serves as an Internet clearinghouse for radio producers and public radio stations. It provides access to new voices and makes it easier for producers and stations to connect and license one another's work using an online base that handles everything from sampling shows to licensing.

"It's a huge honor and a great endorsement," says Jake Shapiro, PRX's executive director. "We are trying to be a leader in what public broadcasting is doing, to be pioneers, and this is a huge boost to that role."

The prizes, up to $500,000, are given to nonprofits that are driving significant change on a modest budget, according to the foundation. The winners, from six nations, will be honored June 12 at the foundation's headquarters in Chicago. The seven other recipients for this year's awards are: Tlachinollan, Centro de Derechos Humanos de la Montaña, in Mexico; Philadelphia's Juvenile Law Center; Kazan Human Rights Center in the Republic of Tatarstan, Russian Federation; Legal Defence and Assistance Project in Lagos, Nigeria; Chicago's Project Match; Sangath in Goa, India; and Tany Meva Foundation in Madagascar.

"We pick these winners from across all of our program interests," says Elspeth A. Revere, vice president of the general program at the MacArthur Foundation. "One of our interests for close to 30 years has been public media."

The foundation has previously supported PRX with two grants, viewing the small nonprofit as "an ingenious model of harnessing technology to bring more diverse, high-quality content into radio."

PRX, which was launched in 2002, allows aspiring producers, stations, and individuals to sample and critique a variety of programs at prx.org. The organization has made more than 20,000 programs from approximately 1,000 producers available on the site since its inception, says Shapiro. PRX also helped organize last year's Public Radio Talent Quest.

For PRX, the MacArthur award will bring growth and stability. The organization plans to put aside half of the expected award of $500,000 as a capital reserve. "We'll be investing in our future," says Shapiro, "which is very difficult for nonprofits to do."

Approximately $150,000 will go toward technology. This will include updating and expanding the Internet platform that makes the program exchange possible.

"We have thousands of pieces on the site," says Shapiro. "You might want to do [a playlist] of favorite environmental stories or rainy-day pieces. If I'm working at a radio station, I might be more able to find programs I can then use."

The remaining $100,000 will launch a content fund. This will offer money to revise or update public radio programs, which Shapiro calls "reversioning." A small grant from this fund, for example, could help a producer digitize or re-edit radio programs to make them accessible to more stations. It could also help producers adapt audio from film or television documentaries, making them viable as radio shows or podcasts.

"It's a neat way for us to do more of what we want to do," says Shapiro, "which is not just distribute for radio broadcasts, but for a range of platforms to reach into the world."

© Copyright 2008 The New York Times Company

The Red Crystal Palace

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The MacArthur Foundation has selected PRX as one of its 2008 recipients of the MacArthur Award for Creative and Effective Institutions.

"Public Radio Exchange (PRX)/Station Resource Group – Cambridge, Massachusetts: By gathering and distributing new programming and using technological innovation to expand content choices, PRX is leading public radio to become more interactive, diverse, and participatory.

PRX is taking public radio in new and stimulating directions, giving a larger dimension to one of America’s most important intellectual resources.

PRX will use their $500,000 grant to establish a cash reserve fund, a content venture fund, and to develop new technologies."

Read the full press release here.

MacArthur Announces 2008 Winners of Award for Creative and Effective Institutions


Chicago, IL (April 10, 2008) – Continuing its tradition of encouraging creativity and building effective institutions to help address some of the world’s most challenging problems, the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation announced today that eight organizations in six countries will receive the MacArthur Award for Creative and Effective Institutions.

These nonprofit organizations have diverse missions – from helping public radio thrive in the digital age to defending human rights in Nigeria to seeking a more fair juvenile justice system in the United States. Still, they have much in common. All are highly creative and effective organizations that have made an extraordinary impact in their fields, while driving significant change on a modest budget. Each organization will receive up to $500,000, a large sum considering their annual budgets are under $2.5 million. The organizations will use their new funding for a range of purposes, including purchasing new office space, developing training and research facilities, upgrading technology, and undertaking new research.

“From its founding, the MacArthur Foundation has sought out people and organizations that have the creativity, energy and breadth of vision to change the world for the better,” said MacArthur President Jonathan Fanton. “These imaginative and influential small organizations have an impact altogether disproportionate to their size. They are addressing problems and injustices, finding fresh solutions, and proving themselves as leaders and innovators.

Make sure to read about the other remarkable recipients of this award here.




How is PRX planning to use the award?

3 areas over the next 2 years:

1) Strengthening the Technology: PRX Version 3.0. $150,000.

PRX’s core asset is the web application and related technology that are integral to its distribution, review and networking services. Early in its planning PRX made an important strategic decision to make software development a key internal capacity, demanding expertise throughout the organization and a commitment to ongoing technical innovation.

Few nonprofits have excelled at developing their own technology that can perform at scale as Internet applications. It requires an ability to attract and retain talented software developers and technical specialists in related roles. It also requires an ability to translate the dynamic nature of Internet-based technology to the programs, activities and economies of the nonprofit sector.

PRX has invested in two major cycles of development of the core technology platform, managing to stay abreast of relevant web trends and techniques, while focusing on the basic needs of our target users.

PRX is currently developing version 3.0 of its custom software, making a fundamental shift from Java -- the well established language for large-scale web applications -- to the web’s most promising open source technical platform for social network and media applications, a language and framework called Ruby on Rails. A vital feature of the Ruby platform is the ability for software engineers to more efficiently and creatively develop applications and new functionality, drawing on an emerging community of open source developers sharing leading uses of the technology.

In addition to these back-end improvements there are several important new features and functionality:

talent network: PRX is expanding the member directory to become a searchable skills database, helping connect content creators for freelance and production opportunities;
playlists: users will be able to create their own playlists of audio pieces on PRX, helping curate and organize collections of works for use online and for broadcast;
direct donation: PRX will create an individual donation system, streamlining support from the listening public directly to the producers of pieces on PRX. As an alternative to paid access and advertising, direct donation will be an opportunity to experiment with new revenue models for creative content.

2) Content Venture Fund. $100,000.
PRX pays royalties and other fees to hundreds of independent producers and other content creators -- over $650,000 to date -- through an online marketplace that brings broadcasters, producers, and online services together to buy, sell, share, license and recommend radio works directly from each other. As a result PRX is a very efficient means of supporting public media content creators.

In addition to fees generated by these licensing transactions PRX is uniquely positioned to provide seed funding for other kinds of content creation, such as “reversioning” archival works for digital distribution or providing royalty advances for completing new works. PRX has managed two successful reversioning rounds already, distributing over $100,000 to dozens of producers and stations and demonstrating a clear opportunity for this service.

Examples of recent reversioning projects include:

The Migration Project, a youth radio special combining stories about border crossings from youth groups across the country, presented by KUOW in Seattle and licensed by 17 other stations.
Award-winning producer John Rudolph completing work on an ambitious documentary history of the New York City Police Department, in time for the fifth anniversary of Sept. 11 and broadcast by WNYC.

PRX is unique among networks in public media in actively promoting an open model, not asserting exclusive rights in content, and developing a “long tail” approach to distribution that encourages new voices and niche creators to participate.

The Content Venture Fund enhances the existing PRX marketplace with new incentives for content creators. It also establishes a dedicated funding pool that PRX will bring to other public media funders as a matching opportunity.

3) Capital Reserve. $250,000.
PRX will establish a capital reserve as the first step in a growth capital campaign for further expansion of services over a multi-year period. PRX has begun working with the Nonprofit Finance Fund Capital Partners on a planning and design phase for the next phase of PRX’s development, and this initial capital reserve allocation helps set a benchmark for subsequent investment.

After six years under the leadership of seasoned public radio professionals on the Station Resource Group board of directors, PRX is establishing its own board to govern, support, and help lead its growth and bring a wider circle of perspectives to its work.

PRX will cultivate and recruit 6-8 national leaders from public broadcasting, technology, business and nonprofit sectors to serve on its board. Funds will support this board development work and the facilitation of initial board strategy sessions, along with board travel and meeting expenses.

PRX will also convene facilitated advisory meetings that bring together stakeholders and representatives from key user groups and constituencies, such as independent producers and station staff.

PRX’s initial work was guided by a multi-year business plan that helped clarify value propositions for different constituencies, set priorities in the sequencing and scale of activities, and informed the case for philanthropic support. PRX will renew its business plan to guide activity through the next several years, building on accumulated experience since launch and a new assessment of the environment.

PRX is also actively pursuing high-impact relationships with other leading entities in the digital public media sphere, up to and including potential mergers and acquisitions. The business planning and investment in organizational capacity will help guide the exploration and pursuit of these opportunities.




Watch this video for a short overview of PRX:

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See all the 2007 Zeitfunk winners here.

Were you a first-place winner but didn't submit your picture or quote? Send them along to help@prx.org!

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First, GPRX Project Director Jones Franzel and Youthcast host Kiera Feldman share DIY tips for getting started in radio:

"While [Generation PRX] was started for youth radio producers, new producers of any age can visit the site for DIY tutorials, online audio workshops, and resources. Like Etsy, it's a place where a community of people who love to make things share tips and advice."

Next, Radio Rookies producer Jaimita Haskell joins Jones and Kiera for an interview on how new voices are changing the public radio marketplace.

"There’s a quote from Gwen Macsai that sums up my feelings well. She hosts Re: Sound — a terrific show on Chicago Public Radio. On a DIY radio site called Transom, she writes, “Radio is my first love and like a first love, no matter how far you stray and no matter how badly it ended, your heart still skips a beat when it walks through the door.” Isn’t that great?"

And be sure to tune in this Wednesday, March 12, at 1 p.m. (EST) for a live online workshop. Jones, Kiera, and Jaimita will hold a webcam lab to talk about all things indie radio production. No production experience required!