Public Radio Exchange Wins McArthur Grant

Public Radio Exchange, a marketplace and forum for radio pieces intended to increase accessibility to work that might otherwise be unknown, won a $500,000 grant from the McArthur foundation.

"The foundation has previously supported PRX with two grants, viewing the small nonprofit as "an ingenious model of harnessing technology to bring more diverse, high-quality content into radio."

PRX, which was launched in 2002, allows aspiring producers, stations, and individuals to sample and critique a variety of programs at prx.org. The organization has made more than 20,000 programs from approximately 1,000 producers available on the site since its inception, says Shapiro. PRX also helped organize last year's Public Radio Talent Quest.

For PRX, the MacArthur award will bring growth and stability. The organization plans to put aside half of the expected award of $500,000 as a capital reserve. "We'll be investing in our future," says [executive director Jake] Shapiro, "which is very difficult for nonprofits to do.""

Congratulations to PRX and enjoy their achievement by signing up at their site and starting to  listen to the great variety of pieces they have.