Public Radio International® Expands HD Radio Portfolio with BBC Mundo; 24/7 Spanish-Language Service Offers Range of World News, Science, Arts, Culture

Business Wire, Jan 5, 2006

LAS VEGAS -- Public Radio International (PRI) announces the addition of BBC Mundo to its rich, diverse lineup of public radio programming. Produced by BBC World Service, PRI's programming partner since 1986, the 24/7 Spanish-language service features a wide variety of programs (enclosed) such as "BBC Enfoque," the flagship news-analysis program, "BBC Mundo Hoy," a weekday news and current affairs program that creates an unprecedented forum for the exchange of views and opinions across the Spanish-speaking world, and "BBC Enlace," a new interactive broadcast that connects Spanish-speaking listeners throughout the Americas. KPCC/Los Angeles, KVCR/San Bernardino (CA), and KNAU/Flagstaff (AZ) are among several PRI affiliate stations slated to launch BBC Mundo this month on their Supplemental Audio Channels (SAC), enabled through digital transmission and reception (HD Radio).

Eleanor Harris, senior vice president and head of PRI Marketing and Distribution, says, "PRI has been at the forefront of providing quality programs and services to public radio from a variety of sources. Our many producing partners, particularly the BBC World Service with programming in 32 languages, put us in a great position to offer programs for stations' SACs to reach new audiences through HD Radio. We're fully committed to helping public radio serve our multicultural nation, and we are pleased to have BBC Mundo in our lineup."

Public Radio International offers its 732 affiliate stations a range of HD Radio program streams that include the acclaimed 24/7 BBC World Service (English) and a 24/7 station-branded classical music service, "Classical 24(R)," produced by American Public Media(TM). Also, stations can use PRI programming to create custom streams for their SACs and provide content not currently available in their markets. Such programming includes the duPont-Columbia Award-winning PRI's "The World," the Peabody Award-winning PRI's "Studio 360 with Kurt Andersen" and "To the Best of Our Knowledge," as well as the innovative "Open Source from PRI" and "The Tavis Smiley Show."

In addition to providing top-notch programming, PRI is pioneering public radio's advances in digital radio by leading a consortium that will test and refine the Program Associated Data (PAD) operating practices for public radio, an effort funded in part by a grant from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting. The consortium will establish guidelines for presenting the various types of public radio program data that appear on consumers' HD Radio receiver. Developing best practices for PAD and providing programming for HD Radio are representative of PRI's ongoing leadership role in public broadcasting, two of many recent examples of how PRI helps local stations serve their communities with content that engages and enlightens both on-air and online.

About Public Radio International(R)

PRI is public radio's leading source for innovative programming and audio content. The Minneapolis-based network provides over 400 hours of programming each week, content that is broadcast and streamed online by its 732 public radio station affiliates nationwide, which reach 32 million listeners each week. PRI owns Public Interactive LLC, public broadcasting's leading Web services company. PRI is also the managing partner of the satellite radio company American Public Radio LLC, established with Chicago Public Radio(R), WGBH Radio Boston and WNYC, New York Public Radio(R). PRI's cultural programming is available via XM Public Radio. Its news and information programming is available via Sirius Satellite Radio. For more information on PRI and its programs, visit the PRI website at www.pri.org.

About BBC World Service

BBC World Service is an international radio and online broadcaster delivering programs and services in English and 31 more languages. It uses multiple platforms to reach 149 million listeners globally, including SW, AM, FM, digital satellite and cable channels. It has more than 2,000 partner radio stations that take BBC content, and numerous partnerships supplying content to mobile phones. Its international online sites, which include audio and visual content and offer users opportunities to interact directly with world events, receive over 330 million page impressions a month.