Public Radio International acquired by Boston public broadcaster WGBH

Public Radio International, the Minneapolis-based producer and distributor of public radio content, has been acquired by WGBH in Boston. The transaction makes PRI an affiliated company of WGBH, which operates five radio and two TV stations in New England and is the largest producer of PBS programs in the nation.

WGBH programs include Frontline, Nova and many others. According to officials at both companies, PRI will remain operationally independent, based in Minneapolis, with its own distinct board and mission. WGBH President and CEO Jon Abbott said that after working collaboratively for years, the two organizations found themselves in a position where tighter integration makes sense. For the last 16 years, the two organizations have co-produced PRI's The World, which is broadcast out of WGBH studios in Boston.