Four programs are included in the inauguration of the website:
- One with Farai: Farai Chideya has been covering politics and culture in print, television, radio and online for 25 years. Her podcast One with Farai digs into the stories behind those shaking up society with their words and deeds;
- Sideshow from Studio 360®: Sean Rameswaram is an internet hobo, catching rides on the memes that barrel across today’s culture and sharing his travels in Sideshow;
- Radio Ambulante Unscripted: Daniel Alarcon is an award-winning novelist and journalist who finds endless plotlines in the broad spectrum of Latino communities across the Americas. In Radio Ambulate Unscripted, he tunes us into the multiple frequencies he finds;
- The World in Words: Patrick Cox is British-born of Irish stock and now calls America home. From his perch at PRI’s The World®, he dissects global languages for clues to our differences and similarities. He reveals all in his podcast, The World in Words.
There is a double purpose to this project. First, to spotlight interesting podcast talent, and second, to groom the shows for radio.
“Creating content for public radio broadcast is an expensive and time-consuming effort, which has inhibited the ability of talented hosts to make their voices heard. SoundWorks from PRI will provide a platform for those voices, making them available to consumers even as opportunities for traditional broadcast are evaluated,” according to Alisa Miller, CEO of PRI.