Public Radio International® to Launch WGBH's Innovation Hub to Stations Nationwide

MINNEAPOLIS, Feb. 18, 2014 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Public Radio International® today announced that it will make available WGBH's Innovation Hub with Kara Miller to its public radio affiliates beginning May 1. Innovation Hub, a weekly, hour-long radio program that focuses on big ideas and emerging technologies, adds to PRI's offering of content that encourages people to explore the world and the ways we address its challenges and seize its opportunities.

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Kara Miller created and launched the program on WGBH in 2011, guided by a genuine interest in how innovation affects our daily lives. During discussions with innovators in various fields, she asks the questions people want to know, and helps us see how people are thinking in new ways.  "Innovation Hub is a program that grew out of Boston's love of big ideas. The show has sought to highlight game-changing thinkers and leaders, from Sal Khan to Jared Diamond to Marissa Mayer. I'm excited to invite listeners across the country into conversations about the forces that will shape our future," Miller said.

Produced by WGBH Radio, Innovation Hub has quickly built a loyal following over the air and as a podcast. The Innovation Hub podcast has more than 800,000 followers on SoundCloud and has recorded a 500 percent increase in monthly listens in just nine months.

"So often, we think of innovation as being distinctly technology-focused. Innovation Hub shows how innovation is found all around us, from music to business models to educational approaches. We are excited to add this essential perspective to PRI's portfolio of programs, and look forward to seeing its success," said Melinda Ward, Chief Content Officer of PRI.

Innovation Hub will be bolstered by reports from local newsrooms. WGBH reporter Cristina Quinn will contribute stories to the show. In addition, Innovation Hub plans to bring in additional station-based reporting to highlight innovations around the country and is in conversation with a number of stations about collaborating with and contributing to the program.  

About PRI: At Public Radio International, we believe sharing powerful stories, encouraging exploration, and connecting people and cultures will effect positive change in the world. By building a deeper awareness and understanding of the world's peoples, conditions, issues and events, we enable others to form their own opinions, share their knowledge and creativity, and take informed actions on issues that matter to them. 

Partnering with public media's most talented producers and hosts, we offer distinctly global voices on "PRI's The World®" and CBC shows like "As it Happens" and "Q with Jian Ghomeshi." We cultivate conversations representing diverse viewpoints on "The Takeaway," "To the Point," and "The Tavis Smiley Show." We present voices of culture, contemporary American life and artistry on "This American Life" and "Studio 360® from PRI and WNYC." And we provide decidedly fresh takes with "WireTap" and "The Tobolowsky Files." PRI's content is available on almost 900 public radio stations nationwide, at www.pri.org, and through podcasts and digital platforms.

About WGBH: WGBH Boston is America's preeminent public broadcaster and the largest producer of PBS content for TV and the Web, including Masterpiece, Antiques Roadshow, Frontline, Nova, American Experience, Arthur, Curious George, and more than a dozen other prime-time, lifestyle, and children's series. WGBH's television channels include WGBH 2, WGBX 44, and the digital channels World and Create. WGBH TV productions focusing on the region's diverse community include Greater Boston, Basic Black, High School Quiz Show, and Neighborhood Kitchens. WGBH Radio serves listeners across New England with 89.7 WGBH Boston Public Radio; 99.5 WCRB; and WCAI, the Cape and Islands NPR® Station. WGBH also is a major source of programs for public radio (among them, PRI's The World®), a leader in educational multimedia (including PBS LearningMedia™, providing the nation's educators with free, curriculum-based digital content), and a pioneer in technologies and services that make media accessible to deaf, hard of hearing, blind, and visually impaired audiences. WGBH has been recognized with hundreds of honors: Emmys, Peabodys, duPont-Columbia Awards and Oscars. Find more information at wgbh.org.

CONTACT: Julia Yager, PRI, 612.330.9231, [email protected]

SOURCE Public Radio International