Marketplace Features

Marketplace examines influence of underwriting on public radio in three part series

Los Angeles, CA - Marketplace, Public Radio International's award-winning daily business show, will air a provocative three-part series examining whether increased reliance on corporate and foundation funding is influencing not only the sound of underwriting credits, but also the journalistic choices of local and national public radio organizations. The series will air May 24, 31 and June 7 on Public Radio International.

The program commissioned the series in response to recent audience research that revealed growing concern by listeners about the influence of underwriting on public radio.

"We decided that we should tackle this issue head on, including making ourselves a subject of the reports even though we realized that doing so might be bold, but also potentially dangerous," said J.J. Yore, executive producer of Marketplace.

Among the findings in the series, are that foundations with a mission sometimes seek to exert more influence on programming than do corporations, that local public radio news organizations often do not have clear guidelines separating news decision-making from local underwriters, and that even inside public radio concern over increasingly enhanced underwriting is widespread.

"I know that I don't like to hear some of the funding credits I hear," said National Public Radio host Scott Simon, one of the many public radio journalists interviewed in the series. "Let's put it this way, I find them indistinguishable from ads. But I say this as someone who has a vested interest in getting them on the air, certainly."

In order to ensure fairness, Marketplace decided to produce the series outside of its staff reporting system. The program commissioned well-respected independent public radio journalist Sandy Tolan as producer. Former Senior News Editor Eve Epstein was hired to edit the series. In addition, Marketplace, Epstein and Tolan created an outside advisory group to review the series for fairness and balance.

The advisors are:

• Deborah Potter, a former network correspondent for CBS and CNN, who is now executive director of NewsLab;
• Richard Parker, Senior Fellow at Harvard University's Shorenstein Center; and
• Al Stavitsky, associate dean at the University of Oregon's school of journalism.

Marketplace is produced in Los Angeles by Marketplace Productions at the University of Southern California - the only university in the United States to produce a daily national news program. The program is distributed worldwide by PRI, Public Radio International. The program is broadcast by more than 292 public radio stations, and heard around the world via American Forces Radio & Television Service. PRI also makes the program available via World Radio Network (WRN), a direct broadcast satellite channel serving Europe, Asia and Africa. J.J. Yore is executive producer and Eve Epstein edited this special project.

Marketplace is made possible by GE and by Fannie Mae, with additional funding by public radio stations nationwide.

Each segment will also be available on the Marketplace Web site after it airs.

Members of the press can contact:

Cliff Dektar/Lydia Woltag
The Lippin Group/LA
323/965-1990

Todd Grayson
The Lippin Group/NY
212/986-7080

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