PRPD Pivots – The Public Radio Organization Re-brands and Reimagines Itself

The Public Radio Program Directors Association will become the Public Radio Content Collective…

By Paul Marszalek
TheTop22.com

What’s a Program Director?

The PRPD, after nearly 40 years as a support organization for public radio programmers, answers that rhetorical question with a complete re-brand and re-think.

The content side of public radio has radically changed, to the point that few in the space even carry the increasingly dated title of Program Director. A survey of PRPD members felt that the name was confusing and failed to acknowledge many in stations who have their hands in content creation — from Social creators to podcasters, to name just two groups.

In pivoting to the Public Radio Content Collective, or PMCC, organization president Abby Goldstein sees its mission as “bringing together the best thinkers, the best research, the best ideas, the best practices in order to lift up an entire sector,” according to an interview given to public media trade Current.

Work on the re-brand started in 2022, and the result of the work was announced at September’s annual PRPD conference.

The conference, which Goldstein noted could lose between $50,000 and $70,000 due to lower sponsorship, underscores the need for revitalization of the membership base, sponsorship interest, and general participation in events.

PMCC intends to bring back the annual conference in 2025, using 2024 to reinvigorate and attract new constituencies.

The pivot is an excellent move. PRPD has delivered quality thought leadership and events for decades, and with the public media sector under pressure, ongoing support will be more necessary than ever.