American Public Media, Nation's Second Largest Public Radio Company, Announces it Now Serves 14.6 Million Listeners Each Week, a 14 Percent Audience Increase

    ST. PAUL, Minn., April 11 /PRNewswire/ -- American Public Media announced
 today that the number of listeners tuning into its national radio programming
 and to the regional radio stations operated by its affiliate companies was up
 14 percent in Fall 2004 from Fall 2003.  Total estimated weekly audience for
 programming produced by American Public Media, reported by Arbitron
 Nationwide, was more than 14.6 million listeners, making it the second largest
 producer of public radio programming after National Public Radio in
 Washington, D.C.
     American Public Media produces a range of popular radio programs,
 including Marketplace, Marketplace Morning Report, Sound Money, A Prairie Home
 Companion, The Splendid Table, Speaking of Faith and Weekend America.  These
 programs are heard on over 700 public radio stations across the country.  Fall
 2004 audience estimates show that total weekly audiences served by American
 Public Media's affiliated stations grew to 28.5 million listeners.
     The estimate for total listeners for Marketplace and Marketplace Morning
 Report, programs that cover "business for the rest of us," was more than 8.7
 million, up more than 9 percent from 2003.  Marketplace continues to have the
 largest audience of any broadcast business program on radio or television. A
 Prairie Home Companion had an estimated 4.3 million listeners each week, an
 increase of 5 percent.
     Significant increases in listeners were reported for Speaking of Faith
 (155 percent), Sound Money (31 percent), The Splendid Table (17 percent) and
 Marketplace Morning Report (16 percent).
     American Public Media Group's regional public radio companies include
 Minnesota Public Radio and Southern California Public Radio. Among Minnesota
 Public Radio's regional stations, significant audience growth was also
 reported.  Minnesota Public Radio produces news, arts and culture and
 classical music programming for 37 regional radio stations.  At Southern
 California Public Radio, which broadcasts on KPCC-FM in Los Angeles, the
 estimated weekly audience increased 8 percent.
     "The Fall 2004 Arbitron ratings report is the first available for our
 national programs since launching American Public Media last summer, and we're
 pleased with the results," said Bill Kling, president and CEO of American
 Public Media Group, the parent company of Minnesota Public Radio, Southern
 California Public Radio and American Public Media. "This increase in audience
 suggests we are providing programming that attracts listeners.  But while the
 numbers are gratifying, they also remind us that we must continue to innovate
 if we are to keep building audience and contribute to our affiliate stations'
 success."
     American Public Media(TM) is the nation's second-biggest producer of
 public radio programs, reaching 14.6 million listeners nationwide each week.
 National programs include A Prairie Home Companion(R), Saint Paul Sunday(R),
 Marketplace(R), Sound Money(R), The Splendid Table(R), Speaking of Faith(R)
 Weekend America and special reports produced by its national documentary unit,
 American RadioWorks(R), Minnesota Public Radio, along with its sister company
 Southern California Public Radio, belongs to a larger family of companies
 within American Public Media Group, a national nonprofit organization whose
 purpose is to develop resources, services and systems to support public media
 for public service. A complete list of stations, programs and additional
 services can be obtained at http://www.americanpublicmedia.us .
 
     Source: Data are copyright Arbitron, Inc. Arbitron Nationwide data are
 estimates only. Fall 2004
 
 

SOURCE  American Public Media