The latest cohort of PRX’s podcast accelerator program includes five public media stations, the organization announced Thursday.
The PRX Journalism Podcast Accelerator, now in its third iteration, is focused on organizations in the eastern region of the U.S. Among the eight organizations to receive training and assistance are teams from Cincinnati Public Radio, Connecticut Public, New Hampshire Public Radio, South Carolina Public Radio and WFSU Public Media in Tallahassee, Fla.
Each participating team receives 12 weeks of training in podcast development and $5,000 to support production costs.
Cincinnati Public Radio’s podcast will take a “deep dive” into the “tug-of-war” between city and county officials regarding problems with the regional sewer system, according to a PRX press release announcing the participating organizations.
Connecticut Public’s podcast will chronicle “the inside story of Barney,” the purple dinosaur who launched into stardom on children’s TV through Connecticut Public and PBS.
NHPR plans to create a limited-run podcast, This Is a Love Story, exploring “what happens when an investigative journalist turns the lens on the lives of two real people, uncovering their stories, struggles, and triumphs.”
South Carolina Public Radio’s podcast will feature the “people, issues, and events shaping the Palmetto State.”
WFSU’s podcast team aims to create a space where “all the news — the good, bad, and the ugly — gets a hearing, and where the region’s rich tapestry of arts, music, and culture comes alive.”
“We’re in awe of how far we’ve come in just a year of the PRX Journalism Podcast Accelerator,” said Stephanie Kuo, director of content development, in the press release. “We’ve supported all of our teams across the country in … untapping their distinct strengths to make the best podcasts for their communities, and we can’t wait to see these shows launch.”
In previous cohorts of the accelerator, PRX supported development of podcasts by eight additional public media teams. The first two cohorts focused on organizations in western and central regions of the U.S.