NPR Never Not Innovating
• NPR announced it is developing a new terrestrial distribution platform for live broadcast “that is expected to transform how public radio stations receive programming across America,” so states the company’s statement. NPR Distribution, which is responsible for managing and operating the Public Radio Satellite System (PRSS) and delivering live and pre-produced public media content to approximately 1,200 public radio stations, including NPR Member stations and community broadcasters, is leading the work. NPR launched PRSS — the first nationwide satellite network for broadcast programming — more than 40 years ago.
To advance innovations in broadcast distribution, NPR Distribution will introduce a new low-latency terrestrial receiver called ContentDepot Edge, which will enable stations to retain all the core functionality of their existing distribution platform while adding new capabilities, including station-to-station content sharing, geo-targeted delivery, and enhanced metadata, monitoring, and playback functionality. This new platform will help ensure that public radio interconnection remains reliable, affordable, and accessible into the future — preserving access to national content for communities across the nation while taking advantage of technological advancements to expand NPR’s capabilities as a network.
In a pilot program this summer, NPR Distribution will partner with 16 public radio stations nationwide, along with select commercial partner sites, to deploy the receivers and assess their performance across varied ISPs and geographies. The new receivers will run concurrently with the current satellite receivers to ensure a smooth, disruption-free transition.
Building on decades of strong stewardship of PRSS and trusted collaborations with broadcasters across the system, NPR will ensure that public radio remains resilient and forward-looking for years to come.
