NPR Launches New Breed Of News App, Available Now In iTunes App Store

Innovative App Offers Unique Simultaneous Reading And Listening Experience, Plus Access To More Than 1,000 NPR Station Streams

Washington, D.C. - NPR, an award-winning multimedia news organization and one of America’s largest podcasters, today announced the launch of its NPR News App in the App Store. The NPR News App is the first news oriented app that offers iPhone™ and iPod touch™ users the option to read, browse or listen to a robust selection of news stories and programs, or read and listen simultaneously if they choose.

“Longtime fans of NPR will find that our app delivers the quintessential NPR experience they’ve come to expect on the radio with even more convenience,” said Kinsey Wilson, senior vice president and general manager of NPR Digital. “For those just discovering NPR, they’ll find a uniquely engaging news experience - one that allows them to read the latest stories of the day or, if they prefer, listen to NPR’s programming while they’re on the go - or do both at once. From in-depth news coverage to breaking news to local station programming, our goal is to keep our audience connected throughout the day wherever they are.”

The NPR News App, developed by the NPR Mobile team and Bottle Rocket Apps, uses location-based technology or a zip code search to let users locate their nearest NPR station. Users can also search by station or program and then connect to more than 1,000 live or on-demand streams from more than 600 NPR stations, including NPR programs such as Morning Edition, All Things Considered, Car Talk and Wait, Wait Don’t Tell Me! An “on-air” indicator will appear next to any program currently on the air. The user can then choose which station stream to access live. The NPR News App is also equipped with a customizable playlist, which lets users select, organize and time-shift their favorite NPR programs or stories.

The NPR News App is available for free from the App Store on iPhone and iPod touch or at http://iphone.npr.org/recommendnprnews.

NPR’s Weekend Edition host Scott Simon demonstrates key features of the NPR News App in a video available on NPR.org.

Custom made for the NPR News fan
- Allows users to listen to programs and read news at the same time.
- News’ section showcases six prime topics (U.S., World, Politics, Business, Science, Health). Dozens of other NPR.org topics available in the ‘Programs’ section.
- One-tap access to 5-minute audio newscasts updating every hour.
- Future versions of the app will offer live news-event coverage, NPR Music live concerts, and other enhancements.

More NPR station listening choices
- Easy to find and bookmark more than 600 favorite NPR stations.
- More than 1,000 stations’ on-air, HD and on-demand streams.
- Real-time display of NPR News programs on the air at that time, allowing users to listen directly to their station of choice.

Special features
- Customizable playlist lets users select and organize as many stories as they want to hear. App will cache text and photos for offline use and will flag stories that have been listened to.
- Built-in location based services allow users to locate their nearest NPR station using zip code or GPS.

NPR Mobile
Building on the portable media success of NPR Podcasting (http://www.npr.org/podcasting), NPR Mobile launched in August 2007 and operates in partnership with 55 NPR Member stations nationwide. NPR Mobile (http://www.npr.org from any mobile device), awarded a 2009 Webby for “Best Mobile News”, connects NPR News, Music and Member station programs to users’ phones. Via the mobile web or click-to-call, users can listen to the latest newscast from NPR or their local station, read full-length articles, enjoy NPR Music’s ‘Song of the Day’ or take the daily Wait, Wait... Don’t Tell Me! news quiz. NPR Mobile’s ongoing expansion includes the planned addition of live news events coverage as well as technical improvements to support an increasing number of mobile audio formats.

About NPR
NPR is an award-winning, multimedia news organization and an influential force in American life. In collaboration with more than 880 independent public radio stations nationwide, NPR strives to create a more informed public - one challenged and invigorated by a deeper understanding and appreciation of events, ideas and cultures.

About Bottle Rocket Apps
Bottle Rocket Apps (http://www.bottlerocketapps.com) is dedicated to creating high quality iPhone applications and mobile solutions. Known for such Top 100 iPhone apps as Voxie and the Wings series, Bottle Rocket Apps also develops custom apps for companies. With extensive design and development know-how, Bottle Rocket Apps, based in Dallas, TX is a highly accessible, mobile media company.