PRX Annual Report 2023

Choose Your Own Adventure: Our Impact in the Last Year

We invite you to explore the journeys we’ve taken

PRX and The New York Times Bring “The Ezra Klein Show” to Public Radio

“The Ezra Klein Show” addresses pressing matters of society and culture and is available to public media stations across the United States as a one-hour weekly radio show beginning November 10

New Enhancements to the PRX Exchange

There are some enhancements to the PRX Exchange we want you to know about:

For Stations that have files pushed to them:

On your Edit Subscription page, we’ve added a new feature for stations that get files pushed to their own FTPs- you can now select SFTP as the protocol to have your files pushed to you:

It’s as simple as selecting the option from the drop-down. For SFTP, we’ll use port 22 as a default if you leave the port blank- or use what port you designate. 

More Clarity on Subscription Delivery Days:

We’ve also clarified some language on the subscription page: remember to choose the latest day you need the file for air- so if you air the show on Wednesday, and repeat it on Friday, you’d choose ‘Friday’ so as to not have the files overwritten early.

To keep the clearest picture of what subscriptions your station has, you now have the ability to delete outdated pending subscriptions: 

And you may have noticed that your station’s front page may have changed a bit as well:

Now you can see, on the right side of the page, your station’s latest subscriptions, your most recent deliveries, as well as your station’s latest produced pieces.

Your link to messages has moved next to the search bar in the header:

If you have any questions, comments or suggestions, please let us know at help@prx.org

FY24 Pricing Announcement

Station Partners,

As we enter another fruitful year of partnership, we’re more committed than ever to expanding public media. In addition to high-quality radio shows, we equip stations with training, technology, and consulting in areas that are essential to the future of the system. 

Staying true to our pricing philosophy, we will pursue a modest price increase on FY24 carriage fees. There will be no increase in membership fees. PRX Remix and Networks will remain free. 

Here’s what you can expect:

• No increase in membership fees.

• A modest 3.5% increase on carriage fees across our portfolio. Carriage fees support our production partners and ensure their sustainability. 

• We will continue to honor ramp up deals and previous agreements to remove discounts on carriage.

• After years of offering the show for free, Milk Street Radio will begin to charge a modest carriage fee. They’re also willing to work with stations to maintain carriage.

• The invoicing process will begin in July.  

Here’s what we offer the system: 

• Every member station receives a free points package. This allows you to download content from The Exchange; think specials, documentaries, and more!

• PRX Remix, our curated collection of the best stories on the planet, remains free for member stations. Your station can air as much as 24 hours, 7 days a week at no cost.

• We provide bespoke podcast training for stations. Many have worked with our stellar training team for multi-day workshops and long-term consultancies.

• We offer our world-class podcast technology, Dovetail, to the public media system. This technology helps stations distribute, grow, and sustain their podcasts.

• We launched inclusion, diversity, equity, and accessibility consulting to help stations create and maintain a healthy workplace culture. 

As always, we welcome conversation about programming for FY24. Uncovering solutions that expand public media is our mission. 

Looking forward to another year of partnership, 

Sean Nesbitt
Senior Director, Industry Partnerships

P.S. We plan to roll out some new hour-long shows in the coming weeks that are additive to the system. Ask your Station Services Manager about these exciting additions to our portfolio.

Ira Glass fundraising message: The Rumble in the Public Radio Jungle

Hello fundraising colleagues!

Our friends at PRX came to me and Snap Judgment's Glynn Washington a few months ago with an idealistic and heartfelt plea to invent something fun and new for this pledge drive. I really loved that they did that and we’re all very excited to roll this stuff out. It’s a series of fundraising spots where Glynn and I compete to tell the best story.

Listeners can vote when they pledge. It’s all designed to do the thing that’s hardest in any pledge drive: give a listener a reason to call RIGHT NOW. They call right now because now’s the time to vote for whose story is best.  

These spots are designed to fit into the longer Morning Edition breaks, or other openings in your schedule. Ideally, of course, we try to keep our pledge spots short. These are longer than usual only because it eats up time for each of us to tell a decent story! Our advice is to start the pledge break with US (or tell people how to pledge in a sentence and hit our spots), so your pitchers get the maximum time to give the website or phone number after we’re done. 

The package includes three rounds of head-to-head story competition, a spot to play at the end if Glynn has more votes, a spot you play if I get more votes, and an idealistic little spot we cooked up that’s about mission, that you can run anytime. You can run this over two or three hours (that’s my advice) or pack it all into one hour. Each module is self-explaining and stands alone, so it’s fine that your listeners in Hour Two didn’t hear the stuff that happened in Hour One. It’s an uncomplicated contest. Nobody will be confused. You don’t have to run all three rounds for it to work.

We know it adds to your work to count votes! Sorry about that but I hope you’ll agree it’s worth it to try something fun and new. We checked with a few stations about the best way to do the voting and we learned that at most stations, when people pledge online, they can make a comment. In our spots, we tell people to fill out the comment box with their vote, or tell the operator. If your on-air pitcher has access to the comment boxes, he or she can count for him or herself.  

 Access Fundraising Spots

 STUFF FOR LOCAL PITCHERS TO SAY ABOUT THESE SPOTS:

• Underline that listeners have to call NOW if they want to vote. They can pledge any time of course but to get the chance to vote, call now. This makes these modules unique and they should be sure to milk it for everything it’s got.

• Don’t make it sound like it’s obvious which story should win; that’ll kill the fun of the contest. So if there’s just one pitcher, he or she shouldn’t name the story they’d vote for. What would work really beautifully, though, is if there are two pitchers and one picks Glynn and one picks me and they argue the merits of each and encourage listeners to weigh in by pledging and voting. Again, that gives a reason to call now.

• If you can read the vote counts as they come in, do it! But only if Glynn and I are in a tight battle for first place. Keep the suspense up about who will win.

• Give the web address and/or phone number and remind people of the mechanics of voting: Fill in the comment box online or tell the operator.

• There are stories on public radio – on the news shows, on shows like Snap Judgment and This American Life – that you can’t imagine appearing anywhere else on radio.

• If you find yourself repeating things you hear on this station to your friends and loved ones, don’t you want to keep that stuff coming into your life? Help us bring it to you.

• Vote! Share your vote on social! Share the fact that you pledged on social! Remind your free-loading friends who listen but don’t pledge that they should join you! (Okay maybe strike the word “free-loading” from that last suggestion, but you get the idea.)

• If there was a great story on Morning Edition that half-hour, or a memorable story in the last day or two, maybe throw that into the mix and tell listeners they can vote for that one as well. So it’s me vs Glynn vs some unusually good report from wherever. I know that’s an unusual choice, but I think I’m trying to say let your pitchers invent whatever they think might work with this.

Please email any questions or feedback to membership@prx.org and to me at ira@thislife.org … and my best wishes with this little experiment in its maiden voyage.

Let’s bring in some donations and have some fun!

– Ira 

Special thanks to WVXU-Cincinnati and artist Oakley Scot for creating artwork for this fundraiser and giving permission to share it with stations.

FY23 Pricing Announcement

Colleagues! 

Over the past two years, the health of the public radio system was the primary factor in our pricing approach. Now that we are moving forward as an industry, we are increasing rate cards for program carriage, for the first time since July 1, 2019, by 3%. CBC's "As It Happens” will increase by 5%. We will continue to honor any existing ramp or expiring discount agreements, and membership fees will remain flat. 

This plan enables us to support our partners, audio creators who contribute to the health, diversity, and vibrancy of public media. In fact, most of our revenue goes to the creators we work with. We pride ourselves on effectively managing resources in support of the system. 

PRX is proud to offer you one of the most diverse selections of shows and talent in all of public radio, including "Latino USA," "Live Wire," "Living on Earth," "Reveal," "Snap Judgment," "The Moth Radio Hour," "The Takeaway," "The World," and "This American Life," and more!    

Would you like to add one of our shows? 

We are offering significant ramp-up discounts on all new PRX show adds. Reach out to your PRX Station Services manager for more information.

Did you see the news about "Classical 24"? 

Effective July 1, 2022, PRX will no longer represent "Classical 24." APM will assume representation. You can contact APM about "Classical 24" fees for FY23.

What are some key deadlines? 

We hope to conclude carriage fee conversations by June 14, 2022. This will give our Finance team enough lead time to prepare and distribute FY23 invoices in July. 

Contact us with questions about pricing or programming. Here's to another year of partnership! 

Take care, 

Sean Nesbitt
Senior Director, Industry Partnerships

P.S. Last year, PRX broke new ground with our dedicated listeners, creators, and supporters. Learn of our impact in 2021 through our very first Annual Report. 

News from “The Takeaway” - Melissa Harris-Perry Named Host and Managing Editor

Dear colleagues, 

I’m writing today with an exciting update regarding "The Takeaway," the daily news show from WNYC in New York and PRX: Melissa Harris-Perry will serve as the program’s permanent host and managing editor, effective immediately.  

This follows an update from us in July that Melissa would be serving as interim host through the end of this year. We’re ecstatic that she will now continue to be a presence in the lives of listeners into the future.

Public radio audiences have become connected and familiar with Melissa’s impactful work. "The Takeaway" has recently covered representation in Hollywood productions, explored vaccine inequality between rich and poor countries, devoted coverage to political and social upheavals internationally, and conducted an interview with Professor Anita Hill around the 30th anniversary of her testimony in Justice Thomas’ confirmation hearings.  

Many also know Melissa for the following she built over the years as a host at MSNBC from 2012 through 2016, where she was awarded the Hillman Prize for broadcast journalism. Melissa has also written for outlets such as The New York Times, Essence, The Wall Street Journal, The Root, and The Nation. In addition to having earned her Ph.D. in political science, Melissa is the Maya Angelou Presidential Chair in the Departments of Politics and International Affairs and Women, Gender, and Sexuality Studies at Wake Forest University. More info about Melissa is available here.

"The Takeaway" will continue to deliver its distinct journalism in the form of daily mind-expanding conversations that prompt people to locate themselves within the narratives that bring us together and sometimes divide us, paying special attention to social justice, the economy, and racial disparities. 

In the words of Melissa Harris-Perry:

“'The Takeaway' enjoys a truly authentic relationship with our listeners, and that community makes this hosting experience especially rich and rewarding. I’m excited to create captivating radio with the dedicated, creative, and professional team of 'The Takeaway' each day.”

I also want to share with you perspectives from PRX and from WNYC: 

“Melissa’s north star has always been the impact of world events on the lives of people, often those whose stories have been left out of the media. She is the perfect host for 'The Takeaway,' a show dedicated to voices and perspectives often overlooked in broadcast media, and we’re excited to work together to expand our service to a broader audience.” 

— Goli Sheikholeslami, President and CEO of New York Public Radio

“Audiences trust 'The Takeaway' to deliver critical information about the day’s news. The real strength of the show is to expand our views through bold, empathetic conversation on topics of justice, politics, and power, and where it all intersects with us personally. Melissa has served as a remarkable host of 'The Takeaway' for the past few months and we’re thrilled that she will continue to lead the show into the future. We’re proud to work with our partners at WNYC to bring the program to you and hundreds of public radio stations across the country.” 

— Kerri Hoffman, CEO of PRX

Please join us in our enthusiasm for this good news as we look forward to Melissa Harris-Perry as host and managing editor of" The Takeaway." 

We thank you for your ongoing support of the show’s mission to serve as America’s weekday conversation — please reach out to the station services team at PRX with any questions. 

Onwards, 

Sean Nesbitt
Senior Director of Industry Partnerships at PRX

A note from Al Letson regarding a new multi-part series airing from “Reveal”

Dear public media colleagues, 

I’m writing about a new series we will soon be airing on “Reveal.” Our new seven-part serialized investigation, titled “Mississippi Goddam: The Ballad of Billey Joe,” will air as weekly episodes of “Reveal” starting October 16 and ending December 4. 

In the series, we follow an event in 2008, when a teenager named Billey Joe Johnson left his house in a small town in Mississippi before dawn but was pronounced dead later that day following a traffic stop. The series will weave between the history of racial injustice in America to our current reckoning around policing, and it’s personal to me. We believe this will be powerful listening. For this reason, I’m sharing more context with you, here:

When Nina Simone wrote her battle cry for justice, “Mississippi Goddam,” some states banned it. But they couldn’t silence the person known as the voice of the civil rights movement. Now, nearly 60 years later, we at “Reveal” are invoking Simone’s anthem in “Mississippi Goddam: the Ballad of Billey Joe.” Simone and her work are inspirations for this series because the wrongs she sang about still exist today.

I first came across this story a decade ago while I was on a reporting trip in rural Mississippi. People told me about the case of a 17-year-old Black high school student, who died during a traffic stop with a white sheriff’s deputy. Billey Joe Johnson was a football star with scholarship offers from top universities. His family never believed the official story that he had died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound, fired either accidentally or on purpose. 

When we started looking into the case, we realized immediately that there was a hole in the investigation that was the size of the family. They were barely interviewed and their concerns were not addressed. So, I made a promise to the family that our investigation would ask the questions that went unanswered. What we uncovered was a deeply flawed death investigation, with law enforcement failing to follow leads, explore inconsistencies, corroborate witness accounts or complete crucial forensics tests. 

This series is not a true-crime investigation. We don’t know what happened to Billey Joe, and it’s not our job to find out. Our job is to ask the questions that investigators never did and to finally give the Johnson family something that they have been yearning for: to be heard. 

This story pulled me in immediately because it reminded me of growing up as a Black kid in the south, where justice looks different for different people. It’s about the Mississippi Nina Simone sang about, but also very much about America. So while our series is called “Mississippi Goddam,” really it should be called “America Goddam.” 

As always, thank you for your support, and for giving these stories the air they need to breathe.

If you have any questions about the series or “Reveal,” please reach out to the station services team at PRX.

Light, 
Al Letson, host of “Reveal”

Connect with PRX at PRPD 2021!

Colleagues, 

We're so excited to virtually convene with all of you at PRPD 2021! This year's agenda is full of great conversations and opportunities to strengthen relationships and learn from each other as we continue to reimagine the industry following the disruptions of the pandemic.

It's our honor to help sponsor this year's conference and host a few sessions over those three days. Here's when and how you can connect with PRX at PRPD 2021:

• Networking with PRX

  Throughout the conference!

  Check the PRX virtual booth schedule to see who is dropping by each day, including the PRX Station Relations Representatives and hosts and producers from our broadcast shows. 

• Public Radio's Got Talent: Virtual Talent Show

  Tuesday, September 14
  5:00 pm ET / 4:00 pm CT / 3:00 pm MT / 2:00 pm PT

  This show will have up to 12 acts and will include a combination of live and taped performances from station representatives and other conference attendees. Our esteemed panel of judges includes:
  — Luke Burbank, “Live Wire”
  — Abby Goldstein, PRPD
  — Al Letson, “Reveal”
  — Glynn Washington, “Snap Judgment”
  — Marco Werman, “The World”

• Evolving Partnerships Between Networks and Stations

  Wednesday, September 15
  2:15 pm ET / 1:15 pm CT / 12:15 pm MT / 11:15 am PT

  We’re at an inflection point in public media. The broader media landscape is rapidly shifting. New partnerships form almost daily. Similarly, listeners are discovering content in new ways. This makes the competitive landscape more complex and difficult for stations to navigate. Simultaneously, the role of program directors is evolving to accommodate the changing role of public media in their local communities; stations are evolving multi-platform publishers that provide unique engagement opportunities. So, as stations evolve, networks evolve, too. That makes the context and collaboration that networks provide even more important. This session will be a foundational conversation for how we collaborate and create across the industry in new ways that lead to successful outcomes for all of our institutions.

If you can't make it to any of the sessions, don't fret! Each session will be recorded and posted for you to watch later. You can also request one-on-one time with any of our reps through the Socio platform.

Let's redefine public media!

See you soon,

Sean Nesbitt
Senior Director of Industry Partnerships at PRX

Tanzina Vega to depart "The Takeaway" — Melissa Harris-Perry to serve as interim host

Colleagues, 

We’re writing with news regarding the daily national news program “The Takeaway” from WNYC in New York and PRX. 

Beginning this Monday, broadcast journalist Melissa Harris-Perry will become the interim host of “The Takeaway” through the end of 2021. Public radio audiences have become connected and familiar with Melissa’s brilliant work as guest host on the show for the past two months. Many also know her as an esteemed scholar, social media maven, columnist, and for the massive following she built over the years as host of MSNBC’s Melissa Harris-Perry. In addition to having earned her Ph.D. in political science, Melissa is also the Maya Angelou Presidential Chair in the Department of Women, Gender, and Sexuality Studies at Wake Forest University. More information about Melissa is available here.

“The Takeaway” will continue to deliver its distinct journalism in the form of daily mind-expanding conversations that prompt people to locate themselves within the narratives that bring us together and sometimes divide us, paying special attention to criminal and social justice, the economy, and racial disparities. 

Over the last three years, Tanzina Vega and the “The Takeaway” team have worked together to produce an essential daily national news program that champions diverse perspectives and now airs on more than 290 stations and reaches many listeners online. Today, we are announcing that Tanzina is leaving her position as host of “The Takeaway.” We wish her the very best on her next chapter.

In Tanzina’s words: “As the first Latina to host “The Takeaway,” I’m very proud of the work I did transforming the show into a national success that explored the societal gaps of wealth, empathy, and truth in our daily lives. During my tenure, we increased our digital audience, plowed through a global pandemic, and introduced fresh perspectives from communities that are often ignored in the media. After three years, I’ve decided to leave the show. My goal has always been to balance the nuance and rigor that is critical to making high-quality journalism. I’m grateful to those who’ve supported me on this journey and to the thousands of listeners and guests who shared their insights and experiences. I also want to thank The Takeaway staff for their work on the show and wish them the best.”

Thank you for your ongoing support of the mission of “The Takeaway” to serve as America’s weekday conversation––please reach out to the station services team at PRX with any questions. 

We wish you a healthy and restful rest of the summer,

- Sean Nesbitt, Senior Director of Industry Partnerships at PRX and Lee Hill, Executive Producer of “The Takeaway”

WATCH: "Live Wire" Hosts Exclusive Virtual Event for Program Directors

"Live Wire" opened its virtual doors for a happy hour exclusively for the public radio community! Host Luke Burbank and announcer Elena Passarello welcomed program directors for an intimate virtual event with laughter, conversation, and exclusive footage from their interview with rapper Dessa.

Programming for anyone, any time, anywhere

Hey there,

As you likely know, PRX skews a little towards the unconventional side of public media. We’re an organization with roots in technology and broadcast and a pioneer in the podcast industry. Our origins inform our perspective, how we show up in the world, who we partner with, and why. There’s no old-media gravitas that turns people away from us, and we don't subscribe to any formula. We’re open and willing to bet on new ideas, fresh perspectives, and stories that matter.

PRX’s Approach to Content

It’s in our mission to be “public media for all.” That means getting as many shows to as many people as possible (that’s where you come in!). It also means that the programs we offer should be diverse in tone, topic, and time.

Ironically, a few of our premier programming have unconventional radio starts too. Here are a few fun facts:

• “Latino USA” is one of our newest portfolio additions, but they’ve been reporting stories from the Latino community for nearly 30 years. This show started as an experiment with English-language, Latino-focused public radio programming in 1993.

• PRX Remix is our 24/7 stream and one-hour weekly show of creative spoken-word programs, amazing podcasts, and fascinating interviews, unlike anything else on public radio.

• “The Moth” began in 1997 as an intimate gathering in a living room in Georgia. Now, they tour nationwide and sometimes even overseas.

• A recipient of multiple Peabody Awards, an Edward Murrow Award, an Alfred I. duPont–Columbia University Award, and many, many more, “Reveal” is public radio’s first-ever, one-hour weekly program dedicated to investigative reporting. To think, it was sparked from a few specials!

• Who can forget Glynn Washington star power at the 2007 Public Radio Talent Quest that landed “Snap Judgment” on the airwaves?

What does this mean for you?

What we’re trying to say here, is that there is no one — or right — way to be public radio. And, the result of embracing something new is creating opportunities for listeners to feel connected to your station. Don’t just take our word for it. Here’s what some of our station clients and their listeners had to say:

"It looks like the decision to carry Remix is a good one. After less than 2 weeks I have received more than usual responses, all positive."

- KCUR in Kansas City, Missouri

“‘The World’ provides a global perspective on the news that is essential for our listeners, especially in challenging times like these. When we added ‘The World’ to follow ATC and Marketplace, we received a number of positive comments from our listeners. Here are a few: ‘Very good show,’ ‘I like [the] expansion of focus,’ and ‘Great addition to the line up!’”

- Connecticut Public Radio

“WVXU added ‘Latino USA’ to its Saturday schedule in the Fall of 2020, placing it after ‘All Things Considered.’ Its commitment to telling the diverse stories found nowhere else in mainstream media as well its thoughtful mix of news, culture and current events makes it an excellent follow up to ATC. The WVXU audience has responded well to its addition with the station experiencing substantial increases in CUME for its hour when compared to months prior to its addition.”

- Cincinnati Public Radio

Thank you for being a partner in our mission to broaden the scope of public media. By choosing PRX and our programs, you’re choosing the real, the creative, the curious, the original, and the quirky! Your continued support helps each of these shows do what they do best: tell stories that matter.

If you want to discuss our broadcast offering, please reach out to your Station Services Representative. We are more than happy to help!

Best,
PRX Station Services Team

Remembering our colleague, Cathy Twiss

Since we shared the news of her passing, many of you have written wonderful things about our dear friend Cathy Twiss. She was indeed lovely to work with and made people feel welcome in her world. Cathy was tenacious and dedicated to creating a lasting impact in all that she did. She served as a trusted colleague, friend, and mentor to so many of us across the organization. She was determined to help all of us better understand and appreciate the nuances of the public radio system. She also loved her team like a family. 

Below, we – the members of her team – share what we’ve learned from Cathy as we continue to do the work that was so close to her heart.

Be aggressively realistic

Cathy was one of the smartest and kindest persons I’ve ever known and had the pleasure to work with for many years. What I’ll remember about Cathy are the facial expressions, the quick knowing glances, and most of all, the laughter — the bust-a-gut, bent over sideways, loud, joyous laughter. 

When it came to work, she could see things three or four steps ahead of everybody else. The insight, incredible judgment, and thoughtfulness were always just amazing.  Cathy could distill anything, any conversation or discussion, down to the bare essentials and bring meaning to it. She held it together for so many at PRI/PRX, juggling station and producer relations, operations, contracts, pricing discussions, budget planning, etc. All in the name of serving the listener and supporting human dialogue and connection. She was a rock and an inspiration.  

One more thing I will always remember about Cathy was that she had a way of encouraging all of us to be “aggressively realistic,” especially when it came to setting department and personal goals. She would use this phrase not only because she knew that is what the organization needed, but also because it was one way to get the best out of you, and the best “for you as a human being.” She would encourage you to go for it, but within reason. From there, you could dig in and move forward with the important work that we do or with some new exciting, strategic plan.  

During the last year, I know Cathy was always aggressively realistic, fighting her fight and the battle day-to-day. She continued to graciously share her knowledge and wisdom with all of us through Zoom calls, witty Slack messages, and the occasional phone call. That was her gift to us. She will indeed be greatly missed by the entire public media family. 

While some days it’s tempting to just reach for the low-hanging fruit, Cathy was always reaching for the sky. And I know that’s what she would really want us to do. 

— Mike Pfeifer, Associate Director, Station Services

 

Stay in the moment

Our friendship taught me the importance of being present in every moment. We both valued family and especially being mothers. We'd share stories about our childhood and the beauty of watching it come full circle in raising our girls. We also were pretty clumsy and would spill something on our clothes by the end of the day. We'd send each other photos throughout the day, laughing hysterically at ourselves. That was so like Cathy: to find the humor and a reason to smile in the smallest of things. Looking back, I now realize it kept us in the moment. I value motherhood even more because of my friendship with Cathy. 

I think of her every day. To her family and friends, thank you for sharing her with us. She was truly a gift. 

— Sierra Reed, Senior Manager, Station Services 

Prioritize human relationships

A couple months ago, a group of colleagues were talking about equity and culture in the workplace. I remember Cathy saying that one of the common pitfalls of work culture is the valuing of work product over relationships.

Then, one month ago at an all-staff meeting, I shared an audio slideshow with photos from a vacation my partner and I took to Maui. After the presentation, colleagues said nice things about the presentation or about wanting to go to Hawaii. Cathy said something different: She enjoyed the presentation, she said, because it showed how much I loved my family and my partner.

I believe this was the last time she and I spoke directly, and it was such a touching thing to hear from her.

Cathy prioritized human relationships, and it showed in how she related to us and the impact she had on us. I am incredibly grateful for our time together.

— Jagmeet Singh Mac, Senior Manager, Station Services

Elevate each other

It’s hard to articulate what Cathy meant to me. Her presence was a gift. Her leadership was remarkable. Her love of people was exemplary. You see, Cathy saw the humanity in everyone; she knew how to draw out your best qualities and how to make you laugh!

Cathy was more than a colleague. She was a wellspring of wisdom, humor, empathy, curiosity, and strength — even when faced with unimaginable feats. Those qualities are what made Cathy an extraordinary person. Not only was she a brilliant colleague, but she was also a friend, a mentor, a person who toiled lovingly to elevate me. 

Rarely do you find that in the workplace. It's also rare that I remember many of our conversations. Often they were filled with rousing intellect, roaring laughter, and elegant realness. And despite our various (and very visible) differences, Cathy always treated me as an equal. 

Our time together was well spent. The memories we created are incredibly powerful. They’re enduring. They’re indelible. For in them, she will live on. 

— Sean Nesbitt, Director, Station Services

No words can adequately express our sadness at Cathy’s death or our gratitude for the opportunity to work with her. Our thoughts go out to Cathy’s family, which we know she held above all else and meant the world to her.

---

PRX is gathering memories to share with Cathy's family. We would love for you to share your memories and thoughts by sending an email to membership@prx.org. 

Sincerely,
PRX Station Services Team