Stations Selected for Project Catapult, PRX Public Media Podcast Accelerator

CPB-funded project develops talent and production capacity

November 30, 2018

BOSTON, Mass. (November 30, 2018) – PRX has selected five public media stations to take part in the second phase of Project Catapult, its public media podcast accelerator. The innovative project, funded by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, will help the stations identify podcasting talent and increase their capacity to create content across platforms. 

“CPB is committed to ensuring that public media is always innovating, connecting to and serving new, diverse audiences. CPB will continue to invest in initiatives such as Project Catapult, expanding the program to feature stories and voices from America’s western, southern and rural areas. The technology makes connection possible, but it is our content that makes it valuable,” said Pat Harrison, president and CEO of the Corporation for Public Broadcasting.
 
PRX will guide station leaders and podcast teams through a 20-week curriculum to develop new skills, including digital content development, cultivating diverse talent, audience engagement and monetization. The project opens with a week-long boot camp at the PRX Podcast Garage in Boston December 2018. 

"PRX has had a front-row seat to the challenges public radio stations are facing as they develop podcasts. Through close collaboration, prototyping, iteration, and consistent real-time feedback, we will apply key learnings from the first Project Catapult to improve the program and expand its impact to the new cohort," said Kerri Hoffman, CEO of PRI/PRX.
 
The five stations selected and their podcasts are: 

  • Colorado Public Radio, a podcast tackling the pros and cons of marijuana legalization in Colorado and across the country.
  • KUER (Salt Lake City), “Churchy,” an exploration of how religion and faith influences society.
  • WUOL (Louisville), “The Music Box,” a podcast for children to explore and learn about music.
  • WABE (Atlanta), “Vice Versa,” a conversation about race and the contemporary South through a hip-hop lens. 
  • WFYI/Side Effects Public Media (Indianapolis), “The Workaround,” describes the difficult and risky things people do when they hit roadblocks in the healthcare system.

With funding from CPB, PRX launched the first phase of Project Catapult in 2016, using design thinking with seven public media stations to develop and nurture new podcasts. Among the successful podcasts launched from the initial cohort was WYPR-Baltimore’s “Out of the Blocks,” which won a 2018 National Murrow Award from the Radio Television Digital News Association. 
 
About PRX/PRI 
PRX is a leading media company, shaping the future of audio by connecting talented producers with their most engaged, supportive audiences. PRX builds technology and creates cutting-edge content that reaches millions of listeners worldwide. For 15 years, PRX has operated public radio’s largest distribution marketplace, offering thousands of shows including This American Life, The Moth Radio Hour, On Being with Krista Tippett and Reveal. Radiotopia is PRX’s curated network of extraordinary podcasts, anchored by 99% Invisible from Roman Mars. The network has quickly grown to over 19 million downloads per month (November 2017, Podtrac). Named one of Fast Company’s ‘Ten Most Innovative Companies in Media’ in both 2015 and 2017, the company has pioneered new approaches to technology and talent. PRX is a founding member of Matter Ventures, a media accelerator program, and RadioPublic, a company focused on driving podcast listener discovery, engagement and revenue for creators.

About CPB
The Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB), 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 1,500 locally owned and operated public television and radio stations nationwide. CPB is also the largest single source of funding for research, technology and program development for public radio, television and related online services. For more information, visit www.cpb.org and follow us on Twitter @CPBmedia, Facebook and LinkedIn.
 
Contact: 
Donna Hardwick, PRI/PRX, donna.hardwick@prx.org, 617-308-5677
Letitia King, press@cpb.org, 202-879-9658

Categories: CPB Funding, Digital