NPR® Announces Major Refurbishment of Public Radio Satellite System® January 11, 2010 – Washington, D.C. – NPR® has launched a multi-year project to upgrade or replace certain hardware and software components of the Public Radio Satellite System® (PRSS®). The PRSS transmits nearly 400,000 hours of programming annually from more than 200 producers to more than 800 public radio stations throughout the United States. NPR’s Distribution Division has managed this self-sustaining system since the PRSS’ inception in 1979, with funds for capital improvements and system replacement provided by Congress through the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB). The refurbishment project - known as “PRSS Forward” - will run through 2013 and utilize these funds to execute significant improvements to equipment provided to PRSS satellite interconnected stations nationwide and to internal PRSS systems. NPR will be replacing equipment at more than 400 downlink-equipped stations, and will be acquiring new equipment for the PRSS Network Operations Center (NOC) which will eventually be installed at a new NPR headquarters building in Washington, DC. Running parallel to the receiver and transmission equipment upgrade and replacement will be a project to assess the condition of downlink-antenna systems at all PRSS satellite interconnected stations. “This system refurbishment will be one of the most extensive and complex in the 30-year history of the Public Radio Satellite System,” said Pete Loewenstein, Vice President, NPR Distribution. “The project will ensure that all PRSS satellite interconnected stations can take advantage of the very latest in program delivery technologies.” “PRSS Forward underscores CPB’s long-term commitment to maintaining and improving public radio’s infrastructure,” said Bruce Theriault, CPB’s Senior Vice President for Radio. “We are proud to be partners with NPR in this important initiative to help public radio stations to better serve their diverse audiences.” As part of the project, NPR has reached agreement with its long-standing satellite equipment provider International Datacasting Corporation (IDC) of Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, to supply new head-end transmission equipment for the PRSS NOC, and to supply an initial order of new state-of-the-art station receivers. About NPR NPR is an award-winning, multimedia news organization and an influential force in American life. In collaboration with more than 880 independent public radio stations nationwide, NPR strives to create a more informed public – one challenged and invigorated by a deeper understanding and appreciation of events, ideas and cultures. About the PRSS The Public Radio Satellite System (PRSS) is the distribution network through which thousands of hours of news, music, and specialized audience programming are delivered every year to public radio stations throughout the United States. Managed by NPR Distribution, the PRSS is a unique, cooperative enterprise. Each participating station is a stakeholder in the collective assets of, and services provided by, the satellite system. Interconnected stations own their own downlink and uplink equipment. The satellite transponder capacity, as well as the national operating system equipment located in Washington, are owned by the Public Radio Satellite Interconnection System Charitable Trust. About CPB The Corporation for Public Broadcasting is a private, nonprofit corporation created by Congress in 1967 and is steward of the federal government’s investment in public broadcasting. It helps support the operations of more than 1,100 locally-owned and –operated public television and radio stations nationwide, and is the largest single source of funding for research, technology, and program development for public radio, television and related online services.