National Science Foundation Funds Pulse of the Planet ‑
 Spanish Edition Daily Program Will Bring Science to New Audiences

The National Science Foundation has awarded Jim Metzner Productions a major three‑year grant to produce, market and distribute a Spanish‑language version of Pulse of the Planet.

Pulse is the award‑winning daily radio program, now heard on over 300 radio stations, that blends interviews and extraordinary natural sounds to create two‑minute sound portraits of Planet Earth, tracking the rhythms of nature, culture and science worldwide.

"In one stroke, El Pulso del Planeta will diversify our audience and our programming," says Jim Metzner, producer and host of the series .   "It was surprising to learn how few science and environmental radio programs are available in Spanish, so I believe that we are filling a real need."

While the Hispanic population is one of the fastest growing sectors of the U.S population ‑estimated at almost 31 million by the US Census ‑ the number of Hispanics entering science and high tech careers lags behind that of other groups.  Programs like El Pulso del Planeta aim to stimulate an interest in science by making it accessible to a broader audience.
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"Reviewers agreed that Pulse of the Planet is an exceptional radio series that presents the public with vivid, contemporary science," says Dr. Hyman Field, Director of the NSF's Informal Science and Education Division.  "It is fresh, informative, and rich in content...(with) exemplary audio quality...The new proposed Spanish‑language programming, in particular, will reach an audience that seldom hears this kind of science."

Pulse of the Planet will be adapted and produced in Spanish by the KXCR team in El Paso, Texas, that also co‑produces McDonald Observatory's UNIVERSO, the Spanish‑language counterpart to Star Date.

El Pulso del Planeta will be distributed on CD and made available to stations free in late 2000.

CONTACTS

El Pulso Del Planeta
Arturo Vasquez, KXCR, El Paso, TX
915‑542‑2900  Josearturo@aol.com

Pulse of the Planet
Matthew Payne, Murray Street Enterprise, NY, NY
212‑619‑1475   pulse@murraystreet.com