Public radio show Marketplace navigates an uncertain market

Weekday afternoons, millions of Americans -- many stuck in rush-hour traffic -- learn the business news of the day from Kai Ryssdal, a former Navy pilot and host of the public radio show Marketplace. "I spend almost as much time with Kai Ryssdal as I do with my own husband," joked Sally Kilbridge of Scottsdale, Ariz., who toughs out her more than two-hour-a-day commute by listening to public radio. Marketplace, which is produced in downtown Los Angeles by American Public Media, is the most popular business program broadcast in the U.S., with an average of 14.6 million listeners a week. In the last year, the 28-year-old program has seen its audience grow 16% -- benefiting from Americans' increased appetite for news. Hoping to capitalize on its success, Marketplace has launched an ambitious plan to remain a vital source for economic information as consumers' listening habits change, putting a strain the traditional broadcast model.