Concord, NH - New Hampshire Public Radio begins construction of its new state-of-the-art broadcast facility at 2 Pillsbury Street in Concord, New Hampshire this week.  NHPR is in the final stage of a successful $6.5 million capital campaign that has surpassed the $5 million benchmark set by the board to commence the building process.  Over 175 individual, corporate, and foundation contributors have donated $5.1 million to date. The new broadcast center doubles the square footage of the station's 10,000 square foot current location at 207 North Main Street.
 
According to Betsy Gardella, President and CEO of New Hampshire Public Radio, the new broadcast center will upgrade dated studio and production facilities and allow the station to remain competitive in a rapidly changing media landscape.  "Listeners tell me over and over again how important our service is ­ that NHPR connects them to the world and to one another.  This campaign will secure public radio in New Hampshire for many, many years and ensure that we meet the needs and expectations of our current and future audiences."  In addition to the new state-of-the-art studios and office space, NHPR's new home will include a large community forum where local shows will be broadcast with in-studio audiences and special events such as performances and lecture series will be held.
 
"One of the most exciting aspects of this undertaking  are the many efficiencies achieved by purchasing a condominium rather than owning or leasing a free-standing building," comments William Chapman, a Concord attorney with Orr and Reno, former chair of the NHPR Board of Trustees, and co-chair of The Campaign for New Hampshire Public Radio.  "This fiscally responsible approach provides us with the room to expand not only our broadcast facility, but also, over time, our programming and our staff."
 
NHPR is in the process of raising the remaining $1.4 million of the campaign to complete the project. "We are so proud of the region-wide support from individuals, corporations, and foundations for The Campaign for New Hampshire Public Radio," comments Barbara Couch, of Hypertherm located in Hanover, NH, and co-chair of the capital campaign. "This effort reflects the broad commitment our listeners have to our public service mission, offering balanced and in-depth news and information throughout the region."
 
NHPR has received significant support from Lincoln Financial Group Foundation in recognition of NHPR's arts and cultural reporting, from Stonyfield Farms in support of environmental coverage, and from Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center for their support of health news and information. "These cornerstone gifts are essential to the success of this campaign," says Gardella. "The NHPR board and staff are thrilled to join with these remarkable companies at this important moment for public media in New Hampshire."
 
The construction contract for the project has been awarded to North Branch Construction of Concord, New Hampshire. Robert MacLeod of The Bigelow Company in Portsmouth, NHPR Trustee and chair of the Building Task Force overseeing the construction process commented on NHPR's decision to work with the well-known construction company. "North Branch has an impressive resume. They've bid competitively and have a history of completing projects on time and on budget." said MacLeod. The construction process is expected to take six months and NHPR is planning on moving into its new home mid-December 2008.
 
NHPR's production and broadcast center will be home for up to 60 reporters, producers, hosts, and administrative staff, a venue where live call-in programs, in-depth interviews, and sound-rich feature stories can be easily produced.  A state-of-the-art technological operations center will facilitate the distribution of our programs to and beyond our network of transmitters and satellite uplinks.  It will also allow us to create a "sound bank" of programs for on-demand and online distribution.
 
Fully digital studios will improve the sound quality of our broadcasts; create more parity between local and national broadcasts, and the technological innovations will give listeners control over their media choices, both in programming and mobility, essential in an increasingly consumer-driven environment.  At the same time, these innovations allow the editorial and engineering staff to better report, time-shift, edit and archive material from more diverse and time-sensitive sources.  They also offer expanded online and on-demand services, social networks and citizen journalism opportunities.
 
NHPR serves more than 153,300 listeners each week through a network of eleven full power stations and low power translators. NHPR is the only statewide source of radio news, information, and entertainment for the Granite State, offering in-depth reporting of the issues facing New Hampshire residents. NHPR's staff sees the importance of providing a comprehensive information source for New Hampshire as one of the station's highest priorities. Contributions from listeners and businesses in New Hampshire make up more than 90 percent of the revenue necessary to operate NHPR.
 
NHPR broadcasts in Concord and Manchester at 89.1 FM, Nashua at 88.3 FM, Keene at 90.7 FM, Littleton at 91.3 FM, Plymouth at 97.3 FM, Hanover at 91.3 FM, Jackson at 99.5 FM, Portsmouth at 103.9 FM, Dover at 104.3 FM, Gorham at 107.1 FM, Colebrook at 105.9 FM and on the Internet at www.nhpr.org.