NASHVILLE, Tennessee – March 10, 2008 – It takes a lot of food to fuel a typical Nashville Public Television on-air membership drive. These drives, often two to three weeks in length three or four times a year, involve a cast of over two dozen people each night, including phone bank volunteers, camera operators, control room staff, producers, directors and on-air talent.  The call to local area restaurants to donate food for these drives has now been completely answered by Whole Foods Market & Wild Oats, which have agreed to be the station’s exclusive Membership Drive Food Partner.

Whole Foods Market® (NASDAQ: WFMI), the world's leading retailer of natural and organic foods, recently opened its first Nashville location in the Green Hills area. The retailer is also the parent company of Wild Oats in Cool Springs.

“I was thrilled when Whole Foods Market came to Nashville,” said NPT President and CEO Beth Curley. “In addition to its quality products and service, the company’s dedication to doing business responsibly and sustainability, and to its active role in the communities it serves, makes it the perfect partner for our membership drives.”

As part of the partnership, Whole Foods Market & Wild Oats will provide meals for each night during each NPT Membership Drive. In exchange, NPT will acknowledge Whole Foods Market’s contribution both on-air during pledge drives and online.

“Whole Foods Market is proud to be the exclusive Membership Drive Food Partner for NPT,” said Jolie Yockey, Marketing Team Leader for Whole Foods Market in Green Hills. “In striving to inspire, educate, and provide the highest quality experience for the community we serve; NPT and Whole Foods Market simply make a great team.  Having the opportunity to support the talented and hardworking staff and volunteers of NPT is truly an honor and pleasure.”  

On-air membership drives are the signature fundraising events for NPT and public television stations nationwide. Through these drives, which take place several times a year, individuals and families all over America become members of their local PBS stations, constituting public television's single largest source of revenue. In fiscal year 2007, 45% percent of NPT’s revenue came through individual support.

About Whole Foods Market®
Founded in 1980 in Austin, Texas, Whole Foods Market (www.wholefoodsmarket.com) is the world’s leading natural and organic foods supermarket and America’s first national certified organic grocer. In fiscal year 2007, the company had sales of $6.6 billion and currently has more than 270 stores in the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom. The Whole Foods Market motto, “Whole Foods, Whole People, Whole Planet”™ captures the company’s mission to find success in customer satisfaction and wellness, employee excellence and happiness, enhanced shareholder value, community support and environmental improvement. Whole Foods Market, Fresh & WildTM, and Harry’s Farmers Market® are trademarks owned by Whole Foods Market IP, LP.  Wild Oats® and Capers Community MarketTM are trademarks owned by Wild Marks, Inc. Whole Foods Market employs more than 53,000 Team Members and has been ranked for 11 consecutive years as one of the “100 Best Companies to Work For” in America by FORTUNE magazine.

 

CONTACT: Joe Pagetta (615) 259-9325, x211
email: jpagetta@wnpt.net.