The NIH Radio News Service has a few new listeners — more
than 4 million of them. That's the number of subscribers claimed
by Washington, D.C.'s XM Satellite Radio. Beginning July 1, XM
began running a daily 60-second radio feature called "NIH Health
Matters," hosted by former XM broadcaster and current NIH Radio
News Service production manager Bill Schmalfeldt.
"Health Matters is a feature aimed at health care consumers that
tells the many success stories here at NIH," Schmalfeldt said. "In
July, our stories include such topics as ways to avoid Type 2 diabetes,
news about a study concerning problem drinking in colleges, and
how NIH researchers are getting closer to cures for such things
as food allergies." He said the stories include audio cuts from
NIH researchers and grantees, geared to a lay audience.
Mark Schramm, executive producer of talk programming at XM Satellite
Radio, said the subscriber- based radio service was looking forward
to airing "NIH Health Matters." He called the features "informative
and interesting" and said "they will be a strong addition to our
news/talk lineup of channels."
"Health Matters" will air up to 8 times each weekday on the nearly
two dozen news and talk channels on the satellite radio service,
which went on the air in 2001 with a lineup of commercial- free
music channels and news/talk channels including CNN, MSNBC, Fox
News and CNBC. The service is available coast to coast for a subscription
price of $12.95 per month and requires a special radio, available
from most consumer electronic stores. From 2001 to 2003, Schmalfeldt
was the program director of XM's "On Broadway" channel.
The NIH Radio News Service, supported by the Office of Communications
and Public Liaison, OD, also produces weekly features available
online (http://www.nih.gov/news/radio/index.htm)
and by telephone at 1-800-MED-DIAL.