Prairie Public Television

Last updated

Prairie Public
Programming
Subchannels
AffiliationsPBS, APT
Ownership
Owner Prairie Public Broadcasting
Prairie Public Radio
History
First air date
January 19, 1964(60 years ago) (1964-01-19)
NET (1964–1970)
Links
Website www.prairiepublic.org

Prairie Public's television service is a state network of public television signals operated by Prairie Public Broadcasting. It comprises all of the PBS member stations in the U.S. state of North Dakota.

Contents

The state network is available via flagship station KFME in Fargo and eight satellite stations covering all of North Dakota, plus portions of Minnesota, Montana, and South Dakota. It also has substantial viewership in portions of the Canadian province of Manitoba. Prairie Public is also available on most satellite and cable television outlets serving North Dakota and on Hulu.

Prairie Public is headquartered on 5th Street North in Fargo, with a satellite studio on North 15th Street in Bismarck.

History

Prairie Public television studio in Fargo, North Dakota PPTV.JPG
Prairie Public television studio in Fargo, North Dakota

In 1959, North Central Educational Television, the predecessor organization to Prairie Public, was incorporated. On January 19, 1964, KFME signed on from Fargo as North Dakota's first educational television station.

The Prairie Public name was adopted in 1974, the same year the first satellite station, KGFE in Grand Forks, signed on, marking the beginning of the statewide network. A year earlier, KFME almost shut down due to lack of funding. KFME acquired a color video tape recorder in 1967, and color cameras in 1975.

The FCC allocated educational frequencies to Bismarck, Minot, Williston and Dickinson in the 1960s. While KFME was picked up on cable in Bismarck in the early 1970s, most of the western part of the state was one of the few areas of the country without educational programming. It would be 1977 before the state legislature granted Prairie Public funding to build a statewide public television network. KBME in Bismarck was established in 1979, bringing over-the-air public television to the western portion of the state for the first time. KSRE in Minot followed suit in 1980 and KDSE in 1982. Prairie Public purchased the Fargo American Life Building in 1983 and moved its studios there in 1984. In 1989 KFME and cable feeds went to a 24-hour television broadcast schedule. The Prairie Satellite Network distance education state network, with 70 sites, was completed in 1994. Later, KWSE in Williston signed on in 1983, and KJRE in Ellendale/Jamestown signed on in 1992.

Prairie Public became the first broadcaster in North Dakota to broadcast in high definition, with KFME-DT and KBME-DT debuting in 2002. Digital-only station KCGE-DT Crookston/Grand Forks signed on in 2003, with the rest of the Prairie Public stations broadcasting in HDTV by 2004.

The transmitter for KGFE on the WDAZ-TV tower mast was damaged in May 2004, due to ice buildup on the tower, which caused very large chunks of ice to fall off and go through the roof of the transmitter building. This caused water damage to the transmitter's equipment, as well as damage to the roof of the transmitter site. [1] KGFE went back on the air in February 2005 at low power, then later became a secondary station from the KCGE tower. KMDE of Devils Lake signed on in 2006 to cover the western half of KGFE's viewing area, as KCGE covered the eastern half of KGFE's viewing area.

Manitoba

Prairie Public is carried on cable systems in southern Manitoba, including Winnipeg. Manitoba has historically been a significant supporter of Prairie Public. Indeed, the network's audience there is far larger than its American one; the Winnipeg area alone has a population greater than the entire state of North Dakota.

Prairie Public has produced numerous local documentaries, including many about southern Manitoba, including Portage Avenue: Dreams of Castles in the Sky, Red River Divide, Assiniboine Park: A Park for all Seasons, Lake Winnipeg's Paradise Beaches, among others.

Prairie Public was first available in Manitoba in 1974, when KGFE signed on VHF channel 2 from the WDAZ TV Tower in Dahlen, its signal was easily received in the Morden-Winkler area. Prairie Public has been carried on cable in Manitoba since 1975, when KGFE was picked up by cable systems in Winnipeg [2] and Brandon, Manitoba. In 1986, Prairie Public was nearly dropped from cable in Winnipeg. [3] [4] After the crisis, Prairie Public set up a fixed microwave link to carry stronger signals into Winnipeg. In 1998, a signal link failure forced PPTV off cable in Brandon for several months. [5]

Not only must Prairie Public take its large Canadian audience into account in its programming, but a significant portion of its donations during fundraising drives are in Canadian dollars. The station has opened up many of its contests for Canadian residents. It also has been involved in family events in Manitoba, including the International Friendship Festival in Winnipeg, and a Mister Rogers' Neighborhood Sweater Drive. [6]

Canadians are well-represented in Prairie Public's leadership; two directors of Prairie Public are from Winnipeg. [7] Additionally, a Manitoban chairs the television programming advisory board. [8]

Since KGFE's analog service went off the air in 2004, Prairie Public has been available only by cable in Manitoba. In 2012, MTS brought Prairie Public's signal into northern Manitoba for the first time when its Ultimate TV service launched in Thompson and The Pas. [9] [10] Coverage is not complete, however; cable systems as far south as Winkler use alternate PBS feeds. Prairie Public is also absent from the lineups of satellite providers Shaw Direct and Bell Satellite TV, making it unavailable to many rural residents and cottages.

Elsewhere in Canada, another local PBS member station is carried on cable in Kenora, Ontario, and is available over-the-air near Estevan, Saskatchewan. Prairie Public was formerly on cable throughout Saskatchewan, until 1984. [11] Cable companies in Saskatchewan largely carry Detroit Public Television instead, while SaskTel carries WGBH.

Programming

Many original Prairie Public productions are available on the broadcaster's YouTube channel. [12] The stations also carry programs from PBS, American Public Television, and other distributors, as well as from independent producers.

Local

Current programs

Archives

Weekly regional programs

  • SPIN (1976)
  • North Dakota This Week (1980)
  • Skyline (early 1980s)
  • Prairie News Journal (1990–1997)
  • PlainsTalk (1998)
  • Prairie Pulse (2004–present)

Regional

As a member of Minnesota Public Television Association Prairie Public also broadcasts Almanac from Twin Cities PBS in Minneapolis–Saint Paul, as well as Minnesota Channel on Prairie Public's digital channels throughout North Dakota.

Technical information

Transmitters

Map this section's coordinates using OpenStreetMap

Download coordinates as:

Prairie Public Television is serviced by nine full-power stations and four low-powered translators throughout North Dakota, western Minnesota and eastern Montana:

Prairie Public Television stations
Station City of license
Facility ID ERP HAAT Transmitter coordinatesFirst air datePublic license information
KFME Fargo 13 (13)5332156.2  kW 342 m (1,122 ft) 47°0′45″N97°11′41″W / 47.01250°N 97.19472°W / 47.01250; -97.19472 (KFME) January 19, 1964
KGFE Grand Forks 2 (15)5332022.6 kW186.1 m (611 ft) 47°58′38″N96°36′18″W / 47.97722°N 96.60500°W / 47.97722; -96.60500 (KGFE) September 9, 1974
KBME-TV Bismarck 3 (22)5332497.3 kW392 m (1,286 ft) 46°35′23″N100°48′2″W / 46.58972°N 100.80056°W / 46.58972; -100.80056 (KBME-TV) June 18, 1979
KSRE Minot 6 (15)53313146 kW249.4 m (818 ft) 48°3′2″N101°23′25″W / 48.05056°N 101.39028°W / 48.05056; -101.39028 (KSRE) January 25, 1980
KDSE Dickinson 9 (9)533298.35 kW243.5 m (799 ft) 46°43′35″N102°54′57″W / 46.72639°N 102.91583°W / 46.72639; -102.91583 (KDSE) August 4, 1982
KWSE Williston 4 (11)5331884.9 kW278 m (912 ft) 48°8′30″N103°53′34″W / 48.14167°N 103.89278°W / 48.14167; -103.89278 (KWSE) April 8, 1983
KJRE Ellendale–Jamestown 19 (20)5331572.3 kW162.5 m (533 ft) 46°17′56″N98°51′56″W / 46.29889°N 98.86556°W / 46.29889; -98.86556 (KJRE) May 1992 [a]
KCGE Crookston, MN–Grand Forks 16 (16)132606105 kW219.6 m (720 ft) 47°58′38″N96°36′18″W / 47.97722°N 96.60500°W / 47.97722; -96.60500 (KCGE-DT) 2003
KMDE Devils Lake 25 (25)162016134 kW244.5 m (802 ft) 48°3′47.8″N99°20′8.7″W / 48.063278°N 99.335750°W / 48.063278; -99.335750 (KMDE) 2006
  1. ↑ The Broadcasting and Cable Yearbook says KJRE signed on May 12, while the Television and Cable Factbook says it signed on May 11.
Prairie Public Television translators
CallsignCity of licenseChannel Facility ID ERP HAAT Transmitter coordinatesTranslating
K04IH-D Baker, MT 436240.015 kW9 m (30 ft) 46°18′45.0″N104°12′26.7″W / 46.312500°N 104.207417°W / 46.312500; -104.207417 (K04IH-D) KDSE
K17OB-D Plevna, MT 17528250.754 kW42 m (138 ft) 46°20′05.0″N104°30′46.8″W / 46.334722°N 104.513000°W / 46.334722; -104.513000 (K17OB-D) KDSE
K13PZ-D Poplar, MT 13530110.054 kW37 m (121 ft) 48°08′25.0″N105°07′16.9″W / 48.140278°N 105.121361°W / 48.140278; -105.121361 (K13PZ-D) KWSE
K26PD-D Scobey, MT 261913590.239 kW68 m (223 ft) 48°47′51.0″N105°21′26.3″W / 48.797500°N 105.357306°W / 48.797500; -105.357306 (K26PD-D) KWSE

Network map

Prairie Public Television
Grade A signal contours for Prairie Public Television stations and associated translators.

Subchannels

All transmitters broadcast the same four subchannels.

Prairie Public Television subchannels [13]
Channel Res. Aspect Short nameProgramming
xx.1 1080i 16:9 PPB1Main programming / PBS
xx.2 480i 4:3 PPB2 World
xx.316:9PPB3 Minnesota Channel [a]
xx.44:3PPB4 PBS Kids
  1. ↑ KGFE carries the Minnesota Channel in 1080i high-definition resolution; all other transmitters carry it in 480i standard definition. [13]

Analog-to-digital conversion

Prairie Public's stations converted to digital during the 2009 analog-to-digital transition on a staggered basis. KBME-TV, KSRE and KJRE shut down their analog transmitters on February 17, 2009, with all three remaining on their pre-transition digital signals (UHF channel 22, UHF channel 40 and UHF channel 20, respectively). KFME, KGFE, KDSE and KWSE shut down their analog transmitters on June 12, 2009. KFME's digital signal relocated from pre-transition UHF channel 23 to VHF channel 13; KGFE's digital signal relocated from pre-transition UHF channel 56 to UHF channel 15; KDSE's digital signal relocated from pre-transition UHF channel 20 to VHF channel 9; and KWSE's digital signal remained on pre-transition UHF channel 51. KCGE-DT and KMDE were digital-only stations when they signed on, but both temporarily suspended transmissions during the transition process. [14]

Cable and satellite

Prairie Public is carried on many cable systems in North Dakota, as well as on a number of cable systems in northwestern Minnesota and eastern Montana. In Manitoba, Prairie Public is carried by Shaw Cable on most systems south of the Interlake (including Winnipeg), and by Westman across southwest Manitoba. MTS carries Prairie Public on their phone-line service, MTS TV. In Ontario, Shaw Cable carries Prairie Public in Kenora. [15] [16] [17]

On satellite, KFME is carried on the Fargo/Grand Forks DirecTV and Dish Network local feeds, while KBME is carried on the Bismarck/Minot/Williston/Dickinson DirecTV and Dish Network feeds.

See also

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References

  1. ↑ "Broadcasting News-May 2004". Northpine.com. Archived from the original on April 19, 2012. Retrieved April 22, 2013.
  2. ↑ "Videon Will Offer Viewers New Fare". Winnipeg Free Press. July 11, 1975. p. 11.
  3. ↑ "The CBC as a "cultural conduit connecting our coasts"? That's so 1986! | The View from Seven". Theviewfromseven.wordpress.com. May 20, 2010. Archived from the original on July 15, 2012. Retrieved April 22, 2013.
  4. ↑ "ARCHIVED - Decision CRTC 86-184". Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission. March 6, 1986. Archived from the original on July 8, 2013. Retrieved April 22, 2013.
  5. ↑ "ARCHIVED - Decision CRTC 99-50". Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission. Archived from the original on May 31, 2013. Retrieved April 22, 2013.
  6. ↑ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on June 14, 2013. Retrieved October 26, 2012.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  7. ↑ "CDBS Print". Data.fcc.gov. Archived from the original on June 16, 2013. Retrieved April 22, 2013.
  8. ↑ "Prairie Public Broadcasting » Staff and Board". Prairiepublic.org. January 15, 2013. Archived from the original on May 27, 2013. Retrieved April 22, 2013.
  9. ↑ "MTS President and Thompson Mayor celebrate launch of fibre optic network and Ultimate TV service in Thompson | MTS". www.mts.ca. Archived from the original on October 24, 2013. Retrieved February 3, 2022.
  10. ↑ "MTS's premium Ultimate TV service now available in the Pas, Manitoba | MTS". www.mts.ca. Archived from the original on October 24, 2013. Retrieved February 3, 2022.
  11. ↑ "ARCHIVED - Decision CRTC 84-915". Crtc.gc.ca. October 23, 1984. Archived from the original on July 8, 2013. Retrieved April 22, 2013.
  12. ↑ "Prairie Public". YouTube . Archived from the original on December 30, 2013. Retrieved July 23, 2013.
  13. 1 2
  14. ↑ "DTV Tentative Channel Designations for the First and the Second Rounds" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on August 29, 2013. Retrieved March 24, 2012.
  15. ↑ http://www.mts.ca/file_source/mts.ca/Static_Files/Raw_PDF/MTS%20Ultimate%20TV%20Channel%20Packages.pdf%5B‍%5D
  16. ↑ "Shaw Television — Find the complete list of channels in your area". Shaw.ca. Archived from the original on December 24, 2018. Retrieved April 22, 2013.
  17. ↑ "Selector | Westman Communications Group" (PDF). Westmancom.com. Retrieved April 22, 2013.
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