Public radio’s content delivery infrastructure – important update
Station Partners,
We have significant news about our shared future at this critical moment for public media
As the Corporation for Public Broadcasting winds down, one of its final decisions to benefit the public radio system is the awarding of a five-year, $57.9 million legacy grant to support the next generation of public media infrastructure and services. The recipient is Public Media Infrastructure (PMI), an independent non-profit entity founded by five partners––PRX, American Public Media Group, New York Public Radio, the Station Resource Group, and the National Federation of Community Broadcasters. PMI’s mission is to ensure all stations across the public radio network have continued access to the content delivery services and technical operations infrastructure they need to serve their communities, as well as a suite of revenue and analytics services that can help keep stations sustainable.
PMI will ensure the continuity of core public media distribution services — including broadcast, on-demand, and emergency alerting — while introducing new capabilities in revenue generation, analytics, and emerging technologies. Designed to provide a reliable, scalable, and cost-effective infrastructure for the future, PMI is equally committed to supporting the federated nature of public radio by respecting stations’ autonomy to select the systems, technology, and services that best meet their needs.
Created to serve the distribution, analytics, and sponsorship technology needs of stations of all sizes, formats, and license types, PMI will offer solutions that strengthen the entire system today and for the foreseeable future. Further details on PMI’s leadership, structure, and roadmap will be shared in the coming months.
PMI is wholly committed to uninterrupted service to your stations and your listeners. Work with PRSS will be collaborative to ensure the services you rely on, including the emergency alert system, remain reliable, while we roll out the delivery platforms enabling our continued services in the post-satellite world. Services will remain free or deeply discounted over the next few years with the intention that stations will not incur new costs during the transition. The intention is to develop an affordable business model in collaboration with stations to ensure ongoing sustainability and health of the distribution system.
We anticipate questions and are supplying an FAQ with more detail. For questions about PMI, please contact Bill Davis of SRG: bdavis@srg.org.
For questions about CPB, please contact CPB directly. For questions for PRX, APM, NYPR, SRG, or NFCB, please reach out to your usual contacts.
We’ll be reaching out in the coming weeks with more updates on what you can expect in this transition of services. PMI leadership will be announced at a later date, and governance will include a board of station leaders. We’re also sharing CPB’s announcement, here, as well as PMI’s press release here.
Public radio is always at its best when we work together to serve our communities. Thank you for being a part of this indispensable system and for entrusting us as we partner with you to develop the infrastructure that will enable our continued service and growth. We’re in this together.
Chandra Kavati
President of American Public Media
SVP, Business Development, American Public Media Group
on behalf of,
- Jean Taylor, President and CEO of American Public Media Group
- Kerri Hoffman, CEO of PRX
- LaFontaine E. Oliver, President and CEO of NYPR
- Bill Davis, Principal of Station Resource Group
- Rima Dael, CEO of the National Federation of Community Broadcasters
FAQ FOR STATIONS
What is PMI?
Public Media Infrastructure (PMI) is a new independent non-profit entity created by five organizations recognized as leaders and representatives of the diversity of the system: American Public Media Group (APMG), PRX, Station Resource Group (SRG), the National Federation of Community Broadcasters (NFCB), and New York Public Radio (NYPR).
Each of these organizations already provides services that stations depend on today, including PRX’s Dovetail and Exchange; APMG’s NOC, backup satellite, and other multichannel operations; NFCB’s direct support to community and Tribal stations; SRG’s research and convenings; and NYPR’s national programs and distribution network. PMI brings these capacities together under one roof so that stations can count on reliable, universal, and affordable distribution and emergency alert services, while also benefiting from a coordinated roadmap for adoption, innovation, and sustainability.
PMI is not starting from scratch. We’re aligning systems that work today across the system, formalizing our collaboration, and ensuring stations have the infrastructural services they need today and tomorrow.
Alongside their partnership in PMI, APMG, PRX, SRG, NFCB, and NYPR will continue to operate independently.
PMI is made possible by a CPB grant of $57.9 million over five years.
What happens for my station on Day One?
For stations, Day One of PMI looks exactly like business as usual. The goal is to ensure complete continuity while PMI gets established. Satellite continuity and EAS will remain uninterrupted. File-based content will continue to be delivered through the Exchange, and sponsorship services will still run through Dovetail. For stations not using those systems, you will continue to use the same systems you are using today. Over time, you will have options to choose what you are doing today, or whether to migrate to the systems and services PMI will provide. All of these services will be monitored around the clock, with the same help desks and support channels you rely on today. Importantly, services will remain free or deeply discounted over the next few years, with the intention that stations will not face new costs as the transition occurs. There will be no disruption, no new contracts to sign, and no new systems to learn.
How will PMI be governed?
PMI is being established as an independent non-profit. Later this year, a board will be fully seated, including multiple station leaders representing a range of licensees. We’ll convene an advisory group of station leaders in early 2026 to provide additional input. PMI will manage infrastructure and services only, not editorial content. PMI will be fully independent and not directly tied or subordinate to a single organization.
Who is leading PMI?
By the end of calendar year 2025, PMI will have acting leadership in place to oversee daily operations and compliance. A search is underway for a permanent Executive Director, with the expectation that they’ll be in place in early 2026. Until then, PMI’s transition committee, consisting of the founding organizations’ leaders, will handle oversight and major decisions. SRG will play a unique role in the transition as fiscal agent for PMI, ensuring the funds will be used as intended, based on the grant proposal. This means that SRG will be the recipient of the CPB funds on behalf of PMI until later this calendar year.
Will my station see any changes in cost or payment?
Stations will have ample time to adopt new services without financial burden. After the grant term, any fees, if necessary, will be structured fairly, scaled to the size and budget of stations, and metered use will be taken into account as it is today. There will be no surprise costs and no immediate action needed from stations. Carriage fees are outside the scope of PMI.
Where will stations go for support?
Support will remain consistent and coordinated. PMI will unify the existing help desks of PRX, NFCB, and APMG into a coordinated support pathway. Clear documentation will be shared with stations so you know exactly which team is responsible for which service, and escalation procedures will be in place for 24/7 monitoring where required. Over time, PMI will propose opportunities to streamline these systems and provide a clearer, more efficient support structure for all services.
How will PRSS work with PMI?
We recognize and value the tremendous contribution that PRSS has made to public media since its inception, and are committed to working with our partners there to ensure a smooth continuity of service through the transition.
Do we continue to pay PRSS?
Yes, as we are in a “business as usual” state during the transition. You should continue to pay PRSS in the normal course of your business. PMI will provide additional information as we work through this transition with PRSS.
What is the timeline for when we can expect to see changes?
We are early in this transition and will communicate a more detailed timeline in the coming months. One of the first priorities is to hire PMI leadership, who will play a critical role in advancing more concrete plans over the next five years.
What new services will PMI provide?
Innovation will be phased in carefully, with station input along the way. Beginning in 2026, together with cohorts of partner stations, PMI will design and pilot new services, including Live over IP and audience analytics. PMI will also be working on a premium sponsorship exchange and analytics platform, with integrations to other national tools, giving every station the opportunity to adopt them at their own pace, and as they see fit.
How can stations help shape PMI?
Stations will be involved in PMI from the beginning. In addition to board and advisory representation, stations will be invited to RFP reviews, pilot cohorts, surveys, and convenings. We are committed to ensuring that smaller, rural, Tribal, and LPFM stations are prioritized in this process so that PMI serves the entire system equitably. Your input will not only be welcomed, but built into the way PMI makes decisions.
In summary: PMI’s role is to ensure that no matter the size, location, format or license type of your station, you will have reliable, affordable, and adaptable infrastructure. Continuity is assured, costs are covered during the grant term, and innovation will be built with your input every step of the way.