If contract negotiations go well, WGBH, Boston, will be the domestic production site for PRI's forthcoming international news program, A New World.
PRI has notified finalists KQED and Minnesota Public Radio that it selected WGBH, according to sources at both stations. MPR President William Kling notified his board of directors July 29 that MPR had not been selected, according to spokesperson Ginger Sisco.
PRI would say only that it is negotiating a contract with WGBH. It plans to announce the World production site and executive producer during the Public Radio Program Directors' conference Sept. 21-24 in Seattle.
WGBH declined to comment on the report of its selection.
Many within the system were placing bets that Minnesota Public Radio would be chosen as the program's North American production site. MPR is located close to Minneapolis-based PRI, has close historic ties to PRI and has the most extensive news operation of all three candidates--35 reporters and producers in the Twin Cities, and additional staff elsewhere, for a total team of 96. PRI spokesperson Janet de Acevedo said the network was aware of rumors that MPR was the hands-down choice. After all, she notes, ''they're right across the river.''
WGBH-FM does not have a news staff, although it does produce public affairs programming. And KQED-FM has a total of 11 news and public affairs positions.
PRI didn't select MPR because the two organizations had ''different understandings of how the program would be controlled,'' Sisco said. ''That was a big conversation topic'' the day MPR made its pitch to PRI, she said.
PRI has yet to determine the production site's role vis-a-vis World, said de Acevedo. ''We honestly do not know. This is new for the company. It's not like we have been in production roles before.''
PRI told MPR that one reason it wasn't chosen was its location, Sisco also said. ''We knew they would be looking for a geographic location advantageous to the international nature of the show.'' A World screening committee ''felt a Boston location would be a greater opportunity for hiring a diverse staff,'' she said.
During a ''multi-hour'' presentation to PRI June 24, MPR outlined the news resources it could bring to an international program, such as the Twin Cities' Fortune 500 companies with strong international connections, Sisco said. MPR reps also discussed how its ''infrastructure would be supportive of this program'' and participated in a brainstorming session on content and style of presentation.
''We felt we did a very good presentation, so as a company we felt we had put our best foot forward,'' Sisco said. ''And that's a good feeling to have when you're competing in a situation like this.''
For their part, KQED staffers were disappointed not to have been selected, said Station Manager JoAnne Wallace. ''But we're delighted for WGBH radio and will work with them in whatever way is possible to help make the program an excellent program.'' After PRI names World's executive producer, Wallace hopes to begin discussions about how KQED can be involved with the program, she said.
De Acevedo said PRI is still meeting with finalists for the executive producer spot.
Web page posted Dec. 19, 1995
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