[Congressional Record Volume 154, Number 104 (Monday, June 23, 2008)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1318]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                     PUBLIC RADIO RECOGNITION MONTH

                                 ______
                                 

                               speech of

                          HON. BETTY McCOLLUM

                              of minnesota

                    in the house of representatives

                         Monday, June 23, 2008

  Ms. McCOLLUM of minnesota. Madam Speaker, I rise today in strong 
support for H. Res. 1002, a resolution that calls for the creation of a 
``Public Radio Recognition Month'' and celebrates public radio's 
contributions to our communities and civic spirit.
  National Public Radio is a nationwide network of more than 800 public 
radio stations charged with serving the public interest. Since its 
creation in 1970, NPR has become one of the nation's leading sources 
for insightful news coverage, high quality music and locally relevant 
cultural programming.
  The local focus of public radio strengthens communities and fosters a 
sense of local identity. With an average of 85 percent of its funding 
coming from local sources, public radio remains a homegrown enterprise.
  Public radio also provides vital services for our communities. In 
Minnesota, public radio stations serve as the backbone for our 
Emergency Alert System and the AMBER Alert system for child abductions.
  My district is home to Minnesota Public Radio, a 37-member network 
that has earned distinction as one of the nation's finest public radio 
systems. MPR, as it is known to its many members and listeners, serves 
nearly 800,000 listeners every day and reaches more than 14 million 
people nationally through its original programming. MPR's humble 
beginnings as a small radio station in Collegeville, Minnesota in 1967 
helped provide the initial leadership that created National Public 
Radio.
  MPR also home to one of the most acclaimed programs in public radio, 
Garrison Keillor's ``A Prairie Home Companion.'' Launched in 1974, the 
variety show has been entertaining audiences for nearly 35 years with 
Keillor's unique wit and his beloved cast of characters. The show 
continues to broadcast Saturday nights from its home in St. Paul's 
Fitzgerald Theater to more than 4 million listeners on MPR and 580 
other public radio stations around the world.
  Public radio is thriving in Minnesota and nationwide. Since 1993, the 
national audience for public radio has doubled to 33 million listeners 
per week. To accommodate this growth, MPR recently completed a $46 
million expansion of its St. Paul headquarters and launched ``The 
Current,'' a critically acclaimed service that showcases local talent 
along with news and classical music.
  With public radio poised to grow even more in the next decade, it is 
important to recognize the history of this important media outlet and 
encourage its future prosperity. Madam Speaker, as an avid listener of 
public radio, I look forward to seeing the creation of a ``Public Radio 
Recognition Month'' and encourage my colleagues to join me in 
supporting H. Res. 1002.

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