The IPTC launched the ProgramGuideML initiative first as RadioTV-NewsML project in February 2002, as part of a larger effort to track or create specialized vocabularies for data of interest to the news industry.

The Specialized Content Working Party has reported on XML developments in financial services, weather, event listings, TV Listings, election results reporting, and governmental data as a service to its members, and has served as a vehicle for delivering feedback to other publishers and standards bodies regarding the evolution of formats for these subjects.

These are the key elements of ProgramGuideML:

ProgramTable-NewsML: Gives groups of programs (program table) for each station in newspaper

ProgramCommentary-NewsML: Gives commentary of programs

ProgramPicture-NewsML: Gives pictures used in commentary

BroadcastNews-NewsML: Gives news related to broadcasting programs

Program-NewsML: Gives information per program for Internet, etc.