Alaska Public Radio Network
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Alaska Public Media is an American
non-profit organization A nonprofit organization (NPO), also known as a nonbusiness entity, nonprofit institution, not-for-profit organization, or simply a nonprofit, is a non-governmental (private) legal entity organized and operated for a collective, public, or so ...
in
Alaska Alaska ( ) is a non-contiguous U.S. state on the northwest extremity of North America. Part of the Western United States region, it is one of the two non-contiguous U.S. states, alongside Hawaii. Alaska is also considered to be the north ...
, with member
television Television (TV) is a telecommunication medium for transmitting moving images and sound. Additionally, the term can refer to a physical television set rather than the medium of transmission. Television is a mass medium for advertising, ...
and
radio station Radio broadcasting is the broadcasting of audio (sound), sometimes with related metadata, by radio waves to radio receivers belonging to a public audience. In terrestrial radio broadcasting the radio waves are broadcast by a land-based rad ...
s that are part of
PBS The Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) is an American public broadcaster and non-commercial, free-to-air television network based in Arlington, Virginia. PBS is a publicly funded nonprofit organization and the most prominent provider of educat ...
,
NPR National Public Radio (NPR) is an American public broadcasting organization headquartered in Washington, D.C., with its NPR West headquarters in Culver City, California. It serves as a national Radio syndication, syndicator to a network of more ...
and other
public broadcasting Public broadcasting (or public service broadcasting) is radio, television, and other electronic media outlets whose primary mission is public service with a commitment to avoiding political and commercial influence. Public broadcasters receive f ...
networks. Formerly known as Alaska Public Telecommunications, Inc., it relies upon several funding sources, including member donations, state and federal funding, and grants from private foundations, the
Corporation for Public Broadcasting The Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB; stylized as cpb) is an American publicly funded non-profit corporation, created in 1967 to promote and help support public broadcasting. The corporation's mission is to ensure universal access to ...
(CPB), and other organizations. Alaska Public Media operates KAKM, a
television Television (TV) is a telecommunication medium for transmitting moving images and sound. Additionally, the term can refer to a physical television set rather than the medium of transmission. Television is a mass medium for advertising, ...
station affiliated with PBS, along with
public radio Public broadcasting (or public service broadcasting) is radio, television, and other electronic media outlets whose primary mission is public service with a commitment to avoiding political and commercial influence. Public broadcasters receive ...
station KSKA (91.1 FM). Alaska Public Media also operates the Statewide News, formerly known as Alaska Public Radio Network (APRN), a network of more than 25 radio stations in Alaska that share news and other audio content statewide; as well as Alaska's omnibus television network, the
Alaska Rural Communications Service The Alaska Rural Communications Service (ARCS) is a statewide network of low-powered television stations, serving 235 communities throughout the Alaskan Bush areas. Developed in the late 1970s, the network is based in Anchorage, Alaska, and is ...
, which is a joint venture of Alaska Public Media and Alaska's public broadcasters. The stations claim 54,000 TV viewers nightly and 37,000 radio listeners weekly in the south-central
Alaska Alaska ( ) is a non-contiguous U.S. state on the northwest extremity of North America. Part of the Western United States region, it is one of the two non-contiguous U.S. states, alongside Hawaii. Alaska is also considered to be the north ...
region. Alaska Public Television is viewed statewide except in the Fairbanks area, which is served by KUAC-TV as a locally-focused PBS station.


History

Alaska Public Media started life as KAKM channel 7 (Alaska Public Television, INC) signing on the air on May 7, 1975 at 7:07pm at the Consortium Library. The station soon outgrew their studios and with effort from then general manager Elmo Sackett had their new permanent location constructed on the Alaska Methodist University campus (today known as Alaska Pacific University). Later named the Elmo Sackett Broadcast Center. KSKA, having lived on the APU campus in Grant Hall since it went on the air in 1978 had previously expressed interest in moving into this location but didn't put any major effort into its construction; it would be later in 1993 after the building had completed its construction that they moved forward with the merger. In 2004, Alaska Public Radio Network (APRN) merged with APTI. KSKA first signed on 103.1 MHz at 3,000 W under Aurora Community Broadcasting on August 15, 1978. In 1980, KSKA moved to 91.1 MHz and increased its power to 36,000 W, then finally increasing its power level to 100,000 W in 1998. In 2007 KSKA started broadcasting in HD, but later discontinued it due to its costs. KSKA's new transmitter is capable of doing HD broadcasts, but it is unknown if or when they will start up its HD signal again. KAKM operated as a separate public television station until 2011 when AlaskaOne's board (Alaska Public Broadcasting Service) voted to move operations from KUAC in Fairbanks to KAKM in Anchorage. There are references that KAKM contributed to the "Public Television Network of Alaska" but KAKM was never part of AlaskaOne. KTOO and KYUK later merged operations with KAKM to form Alaska Public Television. In 2020 Alaska Public Media took operational control of ARCS (Alaska Rural Communications Service) from Alaska Public Broadcasting, INC. The State of Alaska owns the licenses and holds the contract to the satellite uplink to the translator network of 150+ different locations around the state. Despite the Dunleavy administration cutting funding to public media in the state, funding remains for ARCS. From 1976 to 2023, Alaska Public Media and the
National Weather Service The National Weather Service (NWS) is an Government agency, agency of the Federal government of the United States, United States federal government that is tasked with providing weather forecasts, warnings of hazardous weather, and other weathe ...
produced ''Alaska Weather'', a metrological broadcast that was transmitted through ARCS. Alaska Public Media TV shows include the public affairs show ''Alaska Insight'' and short video showcase ''Indie Alaska''.


References


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{{Authority control Mass media in Alaska American radio networks Non-profit organizations based in Alaska