New York, October 1, 2009 -- Rachel Zoll, national religion correspondent for the Associated Press, welcomed members of the National Council of Churches Communication Commission to the eighth building the news service has occupied since 1849. (See box below.)

The AP's new location at 450 W. 33rd Street in Manhattan, also the home of U.S. News & World Report and PBS' Channel 13 among others, is a New York city block filled with the most up-to-date technology to cover breaking news in print, radio, television and on the Internet.

The Associated Press is an essential organ for any government, business or organization that has news to report -- including the 35 member communions that compose the Communication Commission. The AP has 243 bureaus in 97 countries, 1,700 U.S. daily, weekly, non-English and college newspapers, 5,000 radio and television outlets depending on AP services, 850 AP Radio News audio affiliates, and 550 international broadcasters who receive AP's global video news service, APTN and SNTV, a sports joint venture video service.

The Associated Press has been covering national news since before the Civil War and sets the standard for reliability in news reporting.

NCC News contact:  Philip E. Jenks, 212-870-2228 (office), 914-589-6948 (cell) , pjenks@ncccusa.org