American Public Media Group

American Public Media Group (APMG), formerly Minnesota Communications Group, is the non-profit organization that is the parent of non-profits Minnesota Public Radio, Southern California Public Radio (KPCC 89.3 FM), and Classical South Florida (WKCP 89.7 FM), along with the for-profit Greenspring Company, as well as MPR's Fitzgerald Theater. Profits from the Greenspring Company are funneled through the company and used to shore up the public funding of MPR, although SCPR apparently does not receive any funding from APMG. Bill Kling is president.

Based in Saint Paul, Minnesota, American Public Media Group is ultimately a parent organization of—but distinct from—American Public Media, the distribution arm of Minnesota Public Radio that produces shows like Speaking of Faith and Marketplace and distributes A Prairie Home Companion.

APMG directly operates the Pretty Good Goods Catalog, The Lake Wobegon USA Store at the Mall of America, and Public Radio Market, an Amazon.com affiliate. Again, money from these operations appears to feed into Minnesota Public Radio.

Critics have complained that Minnesota Public Radio promotes content that is available through its affiliated organizations at the expense of others, though the business model has proved to work well and elements of it are being duplicated by other public radio organizations around the country.

In 2004, the combined revenue of APMG, MPR and Greenspring was US$84.9 million, making it the largest non-profit in Minnesota's arts and culture sector. [1]

External links

• American Public Media Group
• Pretty Good Goods Catalog
• Public Radio Market