The announcement two weeks ago that “This American Life” will part ways on July 1 from its distributor, Public Radio International, has set off a scramble among rivals for rights to the program, one of the most popular on public radio.

But reflecting the volatile nature of the public radio business, which is being upset like the rest of media by digital technology, “This American Life” is contemplating going it alone.

In an email on Friday, Ira Glass, the host and executive producer of “This American Life,” said it would soon start talks with several distributors, including NPR. But, he added, “self-distribution continues to be an option, and we’ve been looking at what that would mean in a more serious way.”

Among other details, the show would have to determine how to get its audio to local stations and handle billing, roles that distributors generally perform in exchange for part of the program’s financial underwriting. The program has already handled its digital distribution separately from PRI.