American Public Media Receives $2.1 Million From Tides Foundation for Global Sustainability Desk

American Public Media Receives $2.1 Million From Tides Foundation for Global Sustainability Desk

New Editorial Desk for Marketplace(TM), Nation's Leading Business News Program, Supported by Tides' Kendeda Sustainability Fund

SAN FRANCISCO and LOS ANGELES, Aug. 9 /PRNewswire/ -- Tides Foundation (www.tidesfoundation.org) today announced that its Kendeda Sustainability Fund has awarded $2.1 million to American Public Media to support expanded news coverage and programming on global sustainability and the economy.

The grant will primarily support the creation of a new desk for American Public Media's Marketplace business programs, including Marketplace(TM), Marketplace Morning Report(TM), and Marketplace Money(TM), a personal finance program. With a weekly audience of more than 8.5 million, the combined Marketplace programs have more listeners than any other business news program on television or radio.

The new editorial desk will focus on covering sustainability and the economy, including environmental, economic, technological, cultural and other factors influencing the future of humanity. Coverage will be aimed at helping the public better understand global realities that affect domestic and international economies and cultures. The grant, which will be disbursed over three years, will enable Marketplace to seek out diverse perspectives on sustainability related topics.

"Nothing is more important to the future of the economy and, ultimately, to our survival than awareness of how our actions affect global sustainability," said JJ Yore, executive producer of Marketplace and vice president, programming, for American Public Media. "Through this generous grant, we gain the resources to give these issues the attention they deserve."

"More businesses today are contemplating a 'double bottom line' -- how their activities impact their profitability and the greater social good. This was almost unthinkable 20 years go," said Idelisse Malave, executive director, Tides Foundation. "People are adopting a broader view of their activities and how their decisions today will affect all of us tomorrow. Yet this has been a neglected perspective in the news media. We are very excited to support an expanded analysis of major business trends from such a respected and independent news source."

The grant also will fund coverage of sustainability on other American Public Media programs, including American RadioWorks documentaries; Speaking of Faith, a program on belief, meaning, ethics and ideas; and Weekend America, a magazine show which explores lifestyle, leisure, culture and attitude.

"By providing support for sustainability coverage on these programs, the Tides Foundation grant provides a groundbreaking opportunity to reach a large and important audience," said Jon McTaggart, senior vice president and chief operating officer of American Public Media. "Our ability to serve the public will be significantly enhanced as we offer coverage on sustainability across many programs, from many perspectives and at different times of the day and week," said McTaggart.

The Kendeda Sustainability Fund, a donor-advised fund at Tides Foundation, was created in 2003 to explore how to live within the limits of the natural world in ways that promote community, equity, prosperity and health. It funds organizations in the areas of higher education, religion and faith, healthy buildings, materials and processes, and communications/media and the arts.

Through its grantmaking programs, Tides Foundation strengthens social change organizations and increases the capacity and effectiveness of the nonprofit and public sectors. It supports activities in the areas of economic and social justice, environmental sustainability and democratic renewal. In 2004, Tides Foundation awarded over $70 million to more than 2,000 nonprofit organizations.

Marketplace, produced in Los Angeles, maintains five domestic bureaus plus bureaus in London and Tokyo. The 16-year-old program has been called the best business show on radio or television by the Columbia Journalism Review, and it has won the duPont-Columbia Award and the Peabody Award.

Marketplace is distributed worldwide by American Public Media. It is broadcast by more than 325 public radio stations and heard around the world via American Forces Radio & Television Service. American Public Media also makes the program available via World Radio Network (WRN), a direct broadcast satellite channel serving Europe, Asia and Africa.

About Tides Foundation

Since 1976, Tides Foundation has partnered with donors and institutions by offering donor-advised funds, philanthropic advice and management services for social change philanthropy. Tides Foundation is committed to strengthening community-based nonprofit organizations through national and global philanthropy.

Tides Foundation is a part of the Tides Organizations, a group of nonprofits that share a common vision for a healthy society -- a society based on principles of social justice, broadly shared economic opportunity, a robust democratic process and sustainable environmental practices. The Tides Organizations also include Tides Center, Tides, Inc., Groundspring.org, Thoreau Center for Sustainability and Community Clinics Initiative. For more information, go to www.tidesfoundation.org.

About American Public Media

American Public Media(TM) is the nation's second-biggest producer of public radio programs, reaching 14.7 million listeners nationwide each week. Its national programs include A Prairie Home Companion(R), Weekend America(R), Saint Paul Sunday(R), Marketplace(R), Marketplace Money(R), The Splendid Table(R), Speaking of Faith(R) and special reports produced by its national documentary unit, American RadioWorks(R). American Public Media is the national production and distribution division of Minnesota Public Radio(R). Minnesota Public Radio, along with its sister company Southern California Public Radio, belongs to a larger family of companies within American Public Media Group, a national nonprofit organization whose purpose is to develop resources, services and systems to support public media for public service. A complete list of stations, programs and additional services can be obtained at www.americanpublicmedia.org.

Source: Data are copyright Arbitron, Inc. Arbitron data are estimates only. Fall 2004

NOTE: Copyright (C) 2005, Tides, Tides Foundation, Tides Center, Tides, Inc., Groundspring.org, Thoreau Center for Sustainability, Community Clinics Initiative. Other names used in this press release may be trademarks of their respective owners.

Source: Tides Foundation

CONTACT: Christine Coleman of Tides Foundation, +1-415-561-6354, or
ccoleman@tides.org; or Connie Stelter of American Public Media,
+1-651-290-1113, or cstelter@americanpublicmedia.com

Web site: http://www.americanpublicmedia.org/

Web site: http://www.tides.org/

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