'A Prairie Home Companion with Garrison Keillor' Signs with Toyota

TORRANCE, Calif., Nov. 21, 2005 -- Lake Wobegon has a new member in the community. Toyota, with its Hybrid Synergy Drive campaign, has begun national broadcast sponsorship of A Prairie Home Companion with Garrison Keillor, the popular weekly radio program heard weekends on public radio stations across America.

Garrison Keillor, host and creator of A Prairie Home Companion, said of Toyota's sponsorship, "we've had the good fortune of finding some friends at Toyota, a great company. Together, we're moving forward."

A Prairie Home Companion, carried on 580 public radio stations, has more than 4.3 million listeners each week. Now in its 30th broadcast year, the two-hour radio variety show features music and comedy and Garrison Keillor's beloved "The News From Lake Wobegon" monologues. Shows are broadcast live from the Fitzgerald Theater in St. Paul, Minnesota, and on tour from cities across the country. Recent Prairie Home Companion tour venues include the Hollywood Bowl, Town Hall in New York City; the Tanglewood, Wolf Trap, and Blossom music festivals, and the Minnesota, Iowa, and Kansas State Fairs.

"A Prairie Home Companion with Garrison Keillor appeals to people who are looking for common sense solutions in a busy world," said Toyota Vice President of Marketing Jim Farley. "We like to think our Hybrid Synergy Drive, which powers the Prius and Highlander Hybrid, also is a common sense solution. It allows people to get better fuel economy while reducing emissions at least 80 percent."

Hybrid Synergy Drive banners are on A Prairie Home Companion's website and are displayed at the live performances which include Garrison Keillor, the Guy's All-Star Shoe Band with Rich Dworsky, sound effects man, Tom Keith, and radio actors Sue Scott and Tim Russell. Recent A Prairie Home Companion guest performers include Randy Newman, Renee Fleming, Mark Knopfler, Emanuel Ax, Odetta, Ricky Scaggs, Diana Krall, Ralph Stanley, the Juilliard String Quartet, Mike Gordon of Phish, and many others.

A Prairie Home Companion is produced by Prairie Home Productions, and presented by American Public Media.