Maryland Public Television has started a new service that provides audio files of its public affairs programs to public and commercial radio stations at no cost.
Four radio stations, two public and two commercial, have subscribed to the MPT Regional Radio Service, according to MPT, which announced the service Monday.
The stations receive the audio files of MPT’s weekly public affairs programs Direct Connection and State Circle. They can also access files of broadcasts that air on the statewide network less frequently, such as political debates and town hall meetings.
The two participating public radio stations are WHFC-FM in Bel Air, Md., and WHCP-FM in Cambridge, Md.
“During my 21 years at WHFC, our desire to provide relevant programming to our radio and internet stream listeners was constantly impaired by insufficient funds,” former WHFC GM Gary Helton, who was the first to use the content, said in MPT’s press release. “As a regular MPT viewer, I saw how both State Circle and Direct Connection could work on radio, providing content we wanted and needed but could not afford to produce on our own. Both programs’ long-form interview presentations make perfect sense for radio, and the prestige of having MPT productions in our lineup made the partnership a ‘no-brainer’ for us.”
Commercial station WHGM-AM will make the content available to its Maryland News Network, which includes 44 affiliates in 28 markets across Maryland, southern Pennsylvania, Virginia, Delaware and West Virginia.
MPT plans to expand the number of subscribing stations and offer a wider variety of public affairs programs available through the service.