PRI Sells Web Services Company To NPR

Picks Up Interactive Division

PUBLIC RADIO INTERNATIONAL is selling its BOSTON-based PUBLIC INTERACTIVE division to NATIONAL PUBLIC RADIO for an undisclosed price. PI is an application services provider offering tools and services for public radio station websites. PI President/COO DEBRA MAY HUGHES will continue at the helm of the company.

"PRI is proud of its innovator role in creating PUBLIC INTERACTIVE and this partnership with NPR is a natural evolution of that process," said PRI President and CEO ALISA MILLER. "Last fall, PRI began exploring how to expand PI's role to become an even more essential digital infrastructure provider, benefiting public media while maintaining its station-centric approach. Today's digital environment demands that our industry come together to meet our behind-the-scenes digital infrastructure needs, allowing each of us to redouble our distinctive efforts to inform, engage, and enlighten Americans with our unparalleled content. We value NPR's leadership in helping to create interest in an industry-based infrastructure, and are pleased to be working with them."

NPR Interim Chief Executive Officer DENNIS HAARSAGER said, "Public radio is vibrant and vital to American society, and its digital media capabilities must be as well. NPR is committed to supporting stations and producers with viable digital tools and services that will help enhance their multimedia presence, help grow audiences, and build new community partnerships, and we believe that this new relationship will serve the system well. We applaud the work PRI has done to take PI from a concept to an important service in public broadcasting, and we look forward to building on that framework in partnership with PRI and the public media community."

HUGHES added, "We've succeeded over the past decade by working closely with stations to develop the exact online tools and features they want to strengthen ties to their audiences. We see that there is a tremendous opportunity for stations to be even more relevant online, and we're excited to help them take full advantage of this opportunity."

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