Public Radio International announced SoundWorks from PRI, a collection of podcasts from what the program distributor says are “unique voices” focused on the issues that shape both daily life and international trends. SoundWorks creates a space for the insights of those with unexpected takes on our world and will also serve as a cost-effective platform for nurturing talent for launch into public media, PRI believes.
SoundWorks from PRI launched on May 22 with podcasts including:
- “One with Farai”: Farai Chideya has been covering politics and culture in print, television, radio and online for 25 years. Her podcast “One with Farai” digs into the stories behind those shaking up society with their words and deeds
- “Sideshow from Studio 360”: Sean Rameswaram is an Internet hobo, catching rides on the memes that barrel across today’s culture and sharing his travels in Sideshow
- “Radio Ambulante Unscripted”: Daniel Alarcon is a novelist and journalist who finds plot lines in the broad spectrum of Latino communities. In “Radio Ambulante Unscripted,” he tunes us into the multiple frequencies he finds
- “The World in Words”: Patrick Cox is British-born of Irish stock and now calls America home. From his perch at PRI’s “The World in Words,” he dissects global languages for clues to our differences and similarities
“SoundWorks from PRI gives us a new opportunity to bring forward amazing people with great stories to tell. These perspectives create a more complete picture so that we can make better sense of the world around us,” said PRI VP Content Strategy and Development Kathy Merritt.
PRI also plans to use content created for SoundWorks to enhance existing broadcasts and develop new programs. “Creating content for public radio broadcast is an expensive and time-consuming effort, which has inhibited the ability of talented hosts to make their voices heard. SoundWorks from PRI will provide a platform for those voices, making them available to consumers even as opportunities for traditional broadcast are evaluated,” said PRI President/CEO Alisa Miller.
SoundWorks is funded by PRI’s New Voices Fund, whose contributors include the Sara and Evan Williams Foundation, and Maureen and Michael Ruettgers. The fund enables PRI to recognize and support talent as audiences and revenue streams are established. PRI says SoundWorks’ offerings will expand over time.
