SoundVision Productions® and Public Radio International® Expand Content Creation and Distribution for The Really Big Questions

PRI to distribute limited series on broadcast, podcast and through digital platforms

MINNEAPOLIS, Jan. 29, 2014 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- SoundVision Productions® and PRI® announce that they will work together to expand the reach and impact of The Really Big Questions (TRBQ), a series of multi-media conversations about what makes us human.  TRBQ will include a limited series of broadcasts, each of which will explore one of humankind's eternal questions, as well as on-going podcasts, social media and web interaction, all of which will give people opportunities to share their experiences with the theme. The project is a collaboration between SoundVision Productions and The Exploratorium, San Francisco's hands-on museum of science, art and human perception, and is funded by the National Science Foundation.

(Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20130613/DC31772LOGO)

Bari Scott, Executive Director at SoundVision says, "We are thrilled to form a partnership with our colleagues at PRI who share our fascination with The Really Big Questions about who and what we are. These eternal mysteries draw audiences into fascinating conversations that explore the insights provided by science and the humanities while revealing the beauty and importance of the quest."

The broadcast will be hosted by Dean Olsher, writer, composer and veteran broadcaster, with production direction from Peabody Award winning producers Bari Scott, Mary Beth Kirchner and Catherine Winter. It will launch on February 14, 2014, Valentine's Day, with "What Is This Thing Called Love?," a look at why we pair up, and the science behind the emotion.

Additional episodes will include:

• "Why Do We Share?"
• "Why Does Music Move Us?"
• "What Is a Good Death?"
• "What Is Your Story?"  

To advance these conversations beyond the broadcast, SoundVision is creating a vibrant, interactive web-site, including resources and comments about the broadcast episodes. Recognizing that the themes are common to the human experience across the globe, PRI's The World® will features stories that examine the questions from across cultures. To enable people to contribute their own understandings of the questions, PRI and SoundVision will build off the broadcasts to create national conversations on these topics through social media and web discussions. Those conversations will continue in person during events in San Francisco hosted by The Exploratorium and SoundVision.  

Melinda Ward, PRI's Chief Content Officer said, "The Really Big Questions helps us explore critical issues like death and love from the various perspectives of science, philosophy and culture. The series promises stories filled with provocative a-ha's appealing to both the heart and the mind.  We are delighted to work with Bari and her team to bring this content to people on both broadcast and digital platforms, and to create opportunities for engagement."

About SoundVision: SoundVision Productions is a non-profit organization that explores complex subjects relating to the humanities and the arts, science and technology, and invites the general public to participate in the discovery. Their productions, which include BURN: An Energy Journal, The DNA Files, Science Literacy Project and The Really Big Questions, have been honored by the George Foster Peabody, the Alfred I. duPont-Columbia University, Robert Wood Johnson and The American Association for the Advancement of Science awards, as well as awards from the National Federation of Community Broadcasters, the Society of Professional Journalists, the American Institute of Biological Sciences, and the Association of Women in Communications. Go to www.soundvisionproductions.org.

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.

CONTACT: Julia Yager, PRI, 612-330-9231, [email protected]

SOURCE Public Radio International