The Corporation for Public Broadcasting has awarded a grant to PRX to pilot its Dovetail podcast publishing and monetization platform at 30 public media stations.
The $359,600 grant enables free access for these stations to deliver their on-demand content to multiple platforms. According to a CPB press release, Dovetail also gathers real-time audience data and metrics. It also has the capability to manage advertising delivery and, in the case of non-commercial stations, identify underwriting and fundraising opportunities.
“Public media needs its own shared platforms and services to ensure universal and equitable access, efficient operation, innovation and collaboration,” said Kerri Hoffman, CEO of PRX, in the release. “Dovetail from PRX is infrastructure that can connect these dots.”
Dovetail’s website also advertises features such as the ability to preview audio with ads stitched in before publishing, and to see episode-level forecasts of future listenership. Ads can be inserted at any break in a show or as a “bookend” at the time of a user’s download.
In the pilot program, the 30 public media stations will test Dovetail’s impact on audience engagement and station revenue. Public stations already using Dovetail include 89.7 WGBH Boston, 89.9 KCRW Santa Monica, 90.1 KERA Dallas, 88.5 WAMU Washington, D.C., and 90.3 WPLN Nashville.
“CPB is committed to investing in innovative technologies that allow us to increase our reach and serve the American people with the trusted content important to their lives now and for the future,” CPB President and CEO Patricia Harrison said in the press release.
