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>>> HELLO, AND WELCOME TO "PRAIRIE PULSE".
COMING UP A LITTLE LATER IN THE SHOW WE WILL HEAR A MUSICAL
PERFORMANCE BY ALISA KORENNE.
FIRST IS OUR GUEST WHO IS THE DIRECTOR OF RADIO FOR PRAIRIE
PUBLIC BILL THOMAS.
RADIUS A BIG PART OF WHAT PRAIRIE PUBLIC IS ABOUT.
TELL FOLKS A LITTLE ABOUT YOURSELF AND YOUR BACKGROUND.
>> I GREW UP IN SOUTHERN ILLINOIS ON THE MISSISSIPPI
WHERE THE MISSOURI RUNS INTO IT, I GOT INVOLVED IN RADIO AT MY
LITTLE COLLEGE RADIO STATION AND GOT VERY INTERESTED IN IT AND
STARTED OUT VOLUNTEERING AT NONCOMMERCIAL RADIO STATIONS, IT
WAS THE KIND THAT INTERESTED ME, I LIKED ALL KIND OF THINGS
AROUND THE RADIO BUT GOT INVOLVED THERE AND ENDED UP
WORKING IN CHAMPAGNE, ILLINOIS, WASHINGTON, D.C., LINCOLN,
NEBRASKA AND NORTH DAKOTA.
I'VE BEEN WORKING ON RADIO JUST PRETTY MUCH MY WORKING LIFE.
>> AS I MENTIONED THE RADIO DIVISION IS NOT 50 YEARS OLD,
BUT TELL THE FOLKS A LITTLE ABOUT THE HISTORY OF THE RADIO SIDE OF PRAIRIE PUBLIC.
>> WHEN PRAIRIE PUBLIC WAS GOING ACROSS THE STATE AND BUILDING
OUT AS A PUBLIC TELEVISION NETWORK THERE WERE PEOPLE WHO
HAD TRAVELED TO OTHER PARTS OF THE COUNTRY, THEY HAD HEARD
PUBLIC RADIO, THEY HAD HEARD RADIO IN GRAND FORKS, PEOPLE
FROM BISMARCK AND THEY WERE INTERESTED IN THE IDEA OF
BRINGING RADIO TO THE CENTRAL PART OF THE STATE.
THERE WAS PUBLIC RADIO IN THE RED RIVER VALLEY FROM THE UNIVERSITIES.
SO THEY STARTED WORKING, THEY ORGANIZED A GROUP, THEY LOBBIED
THE LEGISLATURE TO GIVE FUNDING AND THEY APPROACHED PRAIRIE
PUBLIC AS BEING AN IDEA FOR THE PLACE THAT COULD BE A HOME FOR
BUILDING A WESTERN PART OF PUBLIC RADIO NETWORK IN NORTH
DAKOTA AND THEY SUCCEEDED AND FINALLY DID GET A SPHAIS UNON
THE AIR IN BISMARCK, WENT ON THE AIR IN 1981, THE VERY FIRST
VOICE ON THE AIR WAS DAVE THOMPSON WHO IS STILL THE FIRST ONE ON IN THE MORNING.
I THINK THE FIRST THING HE SAID WAS: HERE WE ARE AND ARE WE GLAD.
AND PRAIRIE PUBLIC CONTINUED WITH THE IDEA OF TRYING TO REACH
ALL OF NORTH DAKOTA, AND AREAS OF SURROUNDING STATES AND
PROVINCES WITH THE RADIO SIGNAL, SO PUSHED TO ADD STATIONS IN
MINOT AND JAMESTOWN, DEVIL'S
LAKE, WILLISTON AND DICKENSON AND DID.
PEOPLE LIKE THE IDEA THE PUBLIC SERVICE BROADCASTING COULD BE
AVAILABLE TO ANYONE IN THE STATE.
>> BILL, EARLY DAYS OF PROGRAMMING ON PRAIRIE PUBLIC, ON THE RADIO SIDE, LOTS OF
CLASSICAL MUSIC IN 1981?
WHAT DID WE HAVE?
>> THERE WAS DEFINITELY A CLASSICAL MUSIC CONTINGENT THAT
WERE STRONG LOBBYISTS FOR THE STATION AND STILL SUPPORT THE
CLASSICAL MUSIC IN THE WESTERN PART OF THE STATE.
ALSO THE NEWS MAGAZINES, "ALL THINGS CONSIDERED" FROM NATIONAL
PUBLIC RADIO BUT FROM THE FIRST THERE WAS OTHER THINGS ON THE
AIR, JAZZ, FOLK MUSIC, SPECIALIZED PROGRAMS ON THE WEEKEND, THOSE WERE PART OF IT
FROM THE BEGINNING AT PRAIRIE PUBLIC.
>> I KNOW THERE HAS BEEN VARIOUS INCARNATIONS OF THE NAME, I WAS
THINKING IT MAY HAVE STARTED OFF AT PRAIRIE PUBLIC RADIO, THEN
NORTH DAKOTA PUBLIC RADIO, WE'LL TALK ABOUT THAT PROBABLY LATER
AND THEN TO THE BRAND OF JUST PRAIRIE PUBLIC.
CAN YOU TALK ABOUT THE EVOLUTION?
>> YES, THEY SORT OF REPRESENT DIFFERENT STAGES.
WHEN IT WAS PUBLIC PRAIRIE, THAT WAS THE BUSINESS TOWNS THAT WERE
LICENSED TO PRAIRIE PUBLIC AND OPERATED IN THE WESTERN PART OF
THE STATE AND THEN WE DID DEVELOP A PARTNERSHIP WITH THE
UNIVERSITY STATIONS IN THE EASTERN PART OF THE STATE AND
THAT BECAME NORTH DAKOTA PUBLIC RADIO TO DISTINGUISH IT THAT IT
WAS THIS PARTNERSHIP.
AFTER WE HAD OPERATED THAT WAY FOR A FEW YEARS WE REALIZED AND
TALKED WITH OUR UNIVERSITY PARTNERS AND THEY WERE ALL RIGHT
WITH IT, IT WAS A LITTLE CONFUSING TO PEOPLE BECAUSE
PRAIRIE PUBLIC WAS THE OPERATING PARTNER AND WAS ALL IN THE SAME
BUILDING AND UNDER THE SAME MANAGEMENT AND WE SAID HOW ABOUT
IF WE JUST CALL IT PRAIRIE PUBLIC AND OUR UNIVERSITY
PARTNERS WERE FINE WITH THAT, SO WE WENT BACK TO THAT AS KIND OF
A WAY OF INDICATING HOW THE WHOLE THINKINGS TOGETHER.
>> WITH THAT SAID CAN YOU TALK
ABOUT THE HISTORY OF THE FOUR STATIONS?
>> YES, THEY HAVE INTERESTING HISTORIES.
KFJM IN GRAND FORKS CAN MAKE A PRETTY GOOD CLAIM TO BE THE
FIRST RADIO STATION IN THE UNITED STATES.
HISTORIAN AT THE UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN LOOKED INTO IT AND
THOUGHT THEY HAD A STRONG CLAIM FOR IT.
AFTER WORLD WAR I THERE WERE ALL THESE YOUNG GUYS THAT HAD BEEN
IN THE SERVICE LEARNED ABOUT THE WIRELESS, WANTED TO EXPERIMENT
WITH IT AND THEY CONGREGATED AROUND UNIVERSITIES.
IN THE WEST IT WAS ESPECIALLY IMPORTANT, IN FARGO, IN GRAND
FOLKS THERE WERE PEOPLE PLAYING AROUND WITH THE IDEA.
AND IT DEVELOPED A LITTLE DIFFERENTLY IN THE TWO PLACES.
IN GRAND FORKS THEY PUT AN AM STATION ON THE AIR, THEY GOT A
LICENSE IN THE EARLY DAYS AND STARTED OFF WITH A LIMITED
BROADCAST SCHEDULE, THEY HAD TO GO OFF THE AREA LITTLE DURING
WORLD WAR II AND THERE WAS A FIRE THAT PUT THEM OFF BUT MOSTLY THEY WERE ON CON CITIZENNUOUSLY.
THEN THEY ADDED A FM STATION AND THEN A THIRD FM STATION AFTER
THAT, AND BECAME NORTHERN LIGHTS PUBLIC RADIO AND HAD A LONG HISTORY UP THERE.
KDSU ALSO STARTED WITH AN AM BROADCAST AND THEN THEY HAD THE
IDEA LET'S PARTNER WITH A COMMERCIAL STATION AND THEY
PARTNERED WITH WDAY IN FARGO TO DO UNIVERSITY BROADCAST ON WDAY.
AND THEY REALLY SAW IT AS PART OF THE LAND GRANT MISSION, THE
OUT REACH MISSION THAT THE UNIVERSITIES HAD THAT THEY
REALLY JUMPED ON RADIO AS A WAY TO EXTEND THE KNOWLEDGE OUT TO
THE PUBLIC WHICH WAS PART OF THE WHOLE MISSION OF NDSU AND LAND GRANT SCHOOLS.
AFTER A WHILE THEY PUT ON A LOW POWER STATION IN FARGO AND THEN
THE SCHOOL GOT BIG ENOUGH, THE LITTLE POWER STATION COULDN'T
COVER ALL THE CAMPUS AND THEY EVENTUALLY PUT A FM STATION ON
THE AIR IN 1966, THAT WAS KDSU THAT WENT ON AND CONTINUED TO
OPERATE AND GROW AND A LOT OF NDS STUDENTS WERE TRAINED THERE
AND LEARNED ABOUT BROADCASTING.
>> A LOT OF DEEP RICH HISTORY FOR THOSE TWO ORGANIZATIONS.
BUT THEN SOMEWHERE ALONG THE WAY AND WHEN WAS IT THAT WE CAME
INTO PARTNERSHIP WITH PRAIRIE PUBLIC, UNIVERSITY OF NORTH
DAKOTA AND NORTH DAKOTA STATE UNIVERSITY.
>> I WASN'T HERE FOR THAT PART OF THE STORY BUT WHAT I HEARD IN
THE 90s FOR DIFFERENT REASONS
PRAIRIE PUBLIC AND UND AND NORTH DAKOTA UNIVERSITY WAS LOOKING
FOR WAYS TO DO THEIR PUBLIC RADIO.
THERE WERE DIFFERENT PROBLEMS PEOPLE HAD IN CHANGES THEY WENT,
ALL AROUND US TO THE SOUTH AND EAST AND IN NEBRASKA AND IN THIS
REGION, WISCONSIN AS WELL AS MIE SEA STATE NETWORK.
THE IDEA HAD HAD BEEN KICKED AROUND, MAYBE WE SHOULD DO A
STATE NETWORK LIKE THE OTHER STATES DO.
IN THE 90s PEOPLE WERE LOOKING AT MAYBE THIS COULD BE A LOT
MORE EFFICIENT, WE'RE A LOW POPULATION STATE, MAYBE WE SHOULD GO TOGETHER, SO THE
CORPORATION FOR PUBLIC BROADCASTING FROM WASHINGTON, THEY ARE IN FAVOR OF MORE
EFFICIENCY, THEY HELPED SPONSOR DISCUSSIONS AND MEETINGS AMONG
THE THREE PARTIES AND THEY WORKED OUT WHAT AT THE TIME WAS
A VERY CUTTING EDGE AGREEMENT WHERE IN THE PAST IF SOMETHING
LIKE THIS WAS GOING ON, THE LICENSES WOULD ALL GO TO ONE
ENTITY AND THEY WOULD BECOME THE OPERATOR.
WHAT WE DECIDED WAS TO DO A PARTNERSHIP INSTEAD OF SOME
PEOPLE GIVING UP THEIR STATIONS.
NDSU IS STILL THE LICENSEE AND THE STATIONS ARE LICENSED TO THE
UNIVERSITY BUT THEY ARE ALL OPERATED AS ONE NETWORK CALLED
PRAIRIE PUBLIC BUT IT'S A PARTNERSHIP OF THE THREE ENTITIES.
THAT WAS THE NEW THING, FOR A WHILE WE HAD A LOT OF OTHER
STATES CALLING US UP TO SEE HOW WE DID IT, NOW IT'S BECOME AN
ARRANGEMENT THAT HAS BECOME PART OF THE STANDARD REP TI REPPOTOI.
>> THERE WAS A HOLE IN THE MIDDLE PART OF THE STATE.
>> YES, WE ADDED THE STATION AT DEVIL'S LAKE, THAT TOOK CARE OF
THAT AND WE HAD SOME GAPS OUT WEST WE PUT ON A HIGHER POWERED
STATION IN WILLISTON, AND, YOU KNOW, YOU CAN NEVER HAVE PERFECT
COMPLETE COVERAGE IF SOMEONE IS WAY DOWN IN A VALLEY BUT YOU CAN
PRETTY MUCH SAY WE COVER ALL OF THE STATE OF NORTH DAKOTA, THERE
ARE GAPS HERE AND THERE BUT SMALL.
AND SURROUNDING STATES WE GO INTO NORTHWEST MINNESOTA IN A
BIG WAY AND EASTERN MONTANA, WE GO OVER INTO CANADA A LITTLE
BIT, A LITTLE INTO SOUTH DAKOTA AND WE HAVE GOOD COVERAGE.
>> LET'S TALK ABOUT THE NEWS DIVISION AND THEN SORT OF THE
ROCK SOLID PRESENCE OF DAVE THOMPSON.
YOU SAID FIRST VOICE HEARD IN 1981 ON PRAIRIE PUBLIC.
>> YES, AND HE'S BEEN NEWS DIRECTOR SINCE 1981 AND, YOU
KNOW, SOMETIMES WHEN SOMEBODY IS IN ONE JOB FOR A REALLY LONG
TIME THEY CAN GET IN A RUT AND JUST DO THE SAME THINGS ALL THE TIME.
FOR DAVE, THE WAY IT HAS WORKED IS THIS IS THE KIND OF JOB,
BEING A NEWS DIRECTOR AT A STATE-WIDE NETWORK, THIS HAS
WORKED OUT SO WELL BECAUSE OVER THE TIME THAT HE HAS BEEN IN
THIS POSITION, AND HE WORKS IN BISMARCK, THE STATE CAPITOL, HE
HAS ACCUMULATED AND HIS MEMORY WORKS WONDERFULLY WELL, HE HAS
ACCUMULATED THIS STORE HOUSE OF KNOWLEDGE ABOUT STATE POLICY, STATE HISTORY, STATE LEGISLATION.
IF I'M ON THE AIR WITH HIM AND I BRING UP SOME IDEA THAT SOMEBODY
IS BRINGING UP IN THE LEGISLATURE OR AT AN AGENCY OR
SOME NONPROFIT OR COMPANY THAT IS DOING SOMETHING, DAVE CAN
ALWAYS PULL OUT THE -- HE WILL SAY, YOU KNOW, BACK IN 1978 THIS
IDEA FIRST CAME UP AND HE WILL TELL YOU THE WHOLE STORY AND HE
MAKES IT INTERESTING, AND WHAT HE CAN DO, BECAUSE HE HAS ALL
THIS KNOWLEDGE IS HE CAN TAKE THESE THINGS THAT A LOT OF TIMES
ARE REALLY KIND OF ABSTRACT STATE POLICY THINGS THAT SORT OF
GO RIGHT BY AND MAKE YOUR EYES GLAZE OVER AND HE CAN MAKE YOU UNDERSTAND THEM.
HE CAN PUT IT IN A STORY IN A CONTEXT WHERE YOU CAN UNDERSTAND
WHAT IT MEANS AND THAT IS A GREAT GIFT.
AND HE IS ALSO JUST WIDELY ACKNOWLEDGED AS A VERY FAIR NEWS
PERSON, INTERVIEWER WHO IS NOT OUT TO GET THE GOTCHA MOMENT
WITH SOMEBODY OR MAKE SOMEBODY LOOK BAD OR MAKE SOMEBODY LOOK
GOOD, HE WANT TO FINE THE INFORMATION AND GET IT OUT TO THE PEOPLE.
HE'S RESPECTED ON ALL SIDES IN BISMARCK FOR THAT.
>> BILL, HOW ARE YOU FUNDED?
>> WELL, THE BIGGEST FUNDING COMES FROM VOLUNTARY CONTRIBUTIONS FROM OUR AREA
BETWEEN THE MEMBERS AND DIFFERENT NONPROFIT ORGANIZATIONS AND BUSINESSES
THAT DO SPONSORSHIPS, THAT MAKES UP HALF THE FUNDING OF PRAIRIE
PUBLIC AND THE BIGGEST PART IS THE MEMBERSHIP.
WE HAVE MEMBERS FROM EVERY COUNTY IN THE STATE, WE HAVE
PEOPLE FROM OUT OF STATE AND OUR MEMBERSHIP SUPPORT HAS GROWN
STEADILY OVER THE YEARS AND AT A VERY HIGH LEVEL, WE ARE AT KIND
OF A PEAK RIGHT NOW BUT WE HOPE WE WILL GO ONTO HIGHER PEAKS AS
MORE AND MORE PEOPLE FIND OUT WHAT IT IS AND SUPPORT IT.
MEMBERSHIPS FROM ORGANIZATIONS AND BUSINESSES.
WE RECEIVE 1.5% FROM THE CORPORATION OF FEDERAL FUNDING,
WE GET FUNDING FROM THE STAT ST, WE GET FUNDING FROM THE UNIVERSITIES.
AND WE GET GRANTS AND VARIOUS OTHER FUNDING THAT KEEP US GOING AS WELL.
>> WELL, FOR MOST PEOPLE THAT WATCH AND LISTEN TO PRAIRIE
PUBLIC, THEY HAVE HEARD OF MEMBERSHIP DRIVES.
CAN YOU TALK ABOUT THE MEMBERSHIP DRIVES, HOW THEY HAVE EVOLVED OVER THE YEARS?
>> YES, THEY HAVE CHANGED A LOT.
AS WE HAVE LEARNED MORE ABOUT HOW PEOPLE REACT TO THEM.
ONE OF THE THINGS WE'VE LEARNED IS THAT PEOPLE REALLY NOTICE THE
MEMBERSHIP DRIVES AND, SO, WE HAVE DONE OUR BEST TO ACTUALLY
REDUCE THEM AND WE HAVE.
WE USED TO RUN THREE FULL LENGTH
AND ONE PART LENGTH, WE HAD A COUPLE WEEK MEMBERSHIP DRIVES
AND WE'D BE ON THE AIR FROM EARLY IN THE MORNING, STRAIGHT
THROUGH, EVERY 15, 20 MINUTES, WE'D BE IN THERE PITCHING HARD
FOR PEOPLE TO BE MEMBERS UNTIL LATE AT NIGHT AND WE HAVE REALLY
CHANGED THAT A LOT.
WE HAVE CUT BACK ON THE AMOUNT OF TIME WE SPEND ON THE AIR
ASKING PEOPLE FOR MONEY, WE HAVE TWO DRIVES THAT ARE LIKE A WEEK
AND A DAY LONG, 8 DAYS LONG.
AND WE HAVE ONE THAT IS JUST FOUR DAYS LONG, WEDNESDAY
THROUGH SATURDAY, THE SHORT AND SWEET DRIVE WITH CHOCOLATE AND
WE LIMIT THE AMOUNT OF TIME THAT WE SPEND TALKING WHEN WE ARE ON
THE AIR, WE KEEP OURSELVES TIGHT SO WE DON'T GO AND RAMBLE ON FOR
A LONG TIME LIKE WE USED TO DO.
WE HAVE LIMITED THE NUMBER OF HOURS IN WHICH WE ARE ON THE AIR ASKING FOR SUPPORT.
WE HAVE CUT BACK HUGELY IN THE AMOUNT OF TIME AND BY DOING IT
IN A SMART WAY AND BEING EFFICIENT HOW WE TALK ABOUT IT ON THE AIR AND HOW SO MANY
PEOPLE HAVE SWITCHED TO BEING SUSTAINING MEMBERS, SIGNED UP ON
AN ONGOING BASIS, WE HAVE BEEN ABLE TO REDUCE THE AMOUNT OF
TIME WE ARE ON THE AIR ASKING FOR MONEY AND YET STILL HAVE OUR
MEMBERSHIP GROW, WE ARE HAPPY ABOUT IT.
>> LET'S TURN TO A NATIONAL SCENE AND TALK ABOUT THE
IMPORTANCE OF NPR, THE ANCHOR SHOWS.
>> RIGHT, THOSE ARE THE BIG DRAWS FOR PUBLIC RADIO, THAT'S
WHAT WE SEE THAT MORE PEOPLE LISTEN TO.
THOSE SHOWS HAVE, THOSE HAVE BECOME SO WELL-RESPECTED, THEY
ARE SOMETIMES DESCRIBED BY -- I'VE HEARD THEM DESCRIBED BY
PEOPLE AT ABC AND OTHER MEDIA
OUTLETS AS THE GOLD STANDARD FOR JOURNALISM.
THEY HAVE BEEN HONORED MANY TIMES FOR THEIR BALANCE AND
IN-DEPTH REPORTING, THE TERMS THAT OFTEN COME UP ABOUT THEM IS
THAT THEY ARE IN-DEPTH AND INTELLIGENT REPPING ON A WHEEL RANGE OF ISSUES.
THE FIRST NATIONAL PUBLIC RADIO SHOW WAS "ALL THINGS CONSIDERED."
THEY DIDN'T JUST WANT TO FOCUS ON THE HARD NEWS, ALL POLITICS
AND WARS AND STRIKES AND THAT KIND OF THIC THING, SO THEY'VE S
INCLUDED ARTS AND MUSIC AND BOOKS AND FOOD AND JUST ALL KIND
OF STORIES ABOUT MANY, MANY THINGS THAT IN THOSE DAYS YOU
WOULDN'T HAVE EXPECTED TO HEAR ON A NEWSCAST AND, SO, IT REALLY WASN'T A NEWSCAST.
THAT'S WHY THEY CALL THEM MAGAZINE SHOWS.
THEY REALLY HELP PEOPLE I THINK UNDERSTAND A LOT ABOUT WHAT IS
GOING ON IN THE WORLD, PEOPLE APPRECIATE THAT AND LISTEN TO THEM.
>> WHEN DID NPR BEGIN?
>> WELL, THEY BEGAN IN 1970, THE PUBLIC BROADCASTING ACT WAS
PASSED IN 1967 THAT IS THE BEGINNING OF THE FEDERAL FUNDING
AND PUT MORE RESOURCES.
THERE HAD BEEN PUBLIC RADIO STATIONS AROUND, QUITE A FEW OF
THEM FOR A LONG TIME BUT THIS PUT MORE FUNDING INTO IT AND
SOME OF THE STATIONS GOT TOGETHER SHORTLY AFTER THAT HAPPENED AND SAID WE COULD
REALLY USE A NATIONAL ORGANIZATION.
SO 90 STATIONS JOINED TOGETHER IN FORMING THIS NATIONAL PUBLIC
RADIO, WAS NOT -- SOME PEOPLE THINK IT'S LIKE A FEDERAL
AGENCY, IT WAS FORMED BY THE STATION.
AND MANY OTHER STATIONS JOINED IT AND THE FIRST BROADCAST OF
ALL THINGS CONSIDERED WHICH WAS THE FIRST DALEY SHOW WAS IN
1971, SO IT'S BEEN GOING STRONG AND GROWING EVER SINCE THEN AND
HAS BEEN DOING PRETTY WELL.
>> BILL, WHAT DO YOU TELL PEOPLE, THOUGH, WHEN THEY SOMETIMES COME OUT AND SAY NPR
OR PUBLIC RADIO TELEVISION HAS A LIBERAL SLANT?
>> WELL, THAT'S ALWAYS -- IN ONE WAY IT'S REAL EASY TO TALK ABOUT.
EVERY KIND OF STUDY FROM EVERY KIND OF PERSON THAT HAS LOOKED
AT THE REPORTING ON PUBLIC RADIO HAS FOUND IT HAS BEEN VERY
BALANCED, IT DOES A VERY GOOD JOB OF SHOWING DIFFERENT SIDES,
THAT ALL THE DIFFERENT KIND OF WAYS THAT PEOPLE TRY TO LOOK FOR
BIAS FROM LOOKING AT THE TOPICS COVERED TO THE GUESTS, YOU HAVE
GRAD STUDENTS WRITING THEIR THESIS, GOING THROUGH AND LOOKING AT ALL THE WORD.
BY THE PUBLIC IT ALWAYS COMES UP AS VERY FAIR AND VERY BALANCED
AND A GOOD SOURCE OF NEWS.
AND EVEN PEOPLE WHO SOMETIMES ARE THE ONES WHO ARE TALKING TO
ME ABOUT THEY FEEL IT'S THE LIBERAL BIAS, THEY STILL TELL ME
THEY LISTEN BECAUSE IT'S SUCH A GOOD SOURCE FOR NEWS.
YOU KNOW, THE THING ABOUT BIAS OR SLANT OR WHATEVER, IT DEPEND
ON YOU AND WHERE YOU ARE COMING FROM AND HOW YOU LOOK AT THINGS.
AND WHAT TO ONE PERSON IS SLANTED ONE WAY TO ANOTHER PERSON MIGHT APPEAR TO BE
SLANTED ANOTHER WAY DEPENDING ON WHERE THEY ARE LOOKING AT IT FROM.
SO, ALL I CAN SAY IS, YOU KNOW, EVERYBODY WHO HAS REALLY TRIED
TO LOOK AT IT IN A HARD FACTS KIND OF WAY, IT COMES UP VERY
BALANCED, WHEN WE LOOK AT OUR LISTENERSHIP AND WE LOOK AT THE
NUMBER OF PEOPLE WHO IDENTIFY AS CONSERVATIVES AND NUMBER OF
PEOPLE WHO IDENTIFY AS LIBERALS, THEY ARE SPLIT THE SAME IN OUR
LISTENERSHIP AND WHEN YOU ASK PEOPLE WHAT THEY THINK OF IT,
MOST OF THE PEOPLE WHO LISTEN TO IT THINK IT'S GOOD, FAIR COVERAGE INFORMATION.
>> BILL, IN THIS DAY AND AGE WITH THE DIGITAL TECHNOLOGY,
SOME PEOPLE MAY SAY RADIO IS NOT AS IMPORTANT AS IT ONCE WAS, WHAT IS YOUR RESPONSE?
>> WELL, THE DELIVERY IS CHANGING, AND WE HAVE SWITCHED OUR TRANSMITTERS TO HYBRID
DIGITAL TRANSMISSION, THEY STILL TRANSMIT THE OLD ANALOG BUT NOW
THEY ARE TRANSMITTING DIGITAL, IF YOU HAVE A DIGITAL RECEIVER YOU CAN PICK IT UP.
WE ARE STREAMING OVER THE INTERNET, PEOPLE ARE TAKING
PIECES OF THE PROGRAM ON DEMAND.
I THINK SOMETHING THAT WILL CALL RADIO IN THE SENSE OF ITS MOSTLY
AUDIO, SOMETHING YOU CAN LISTEN TO IN THE CAR, WHILE YOU ARE
COOKING IN THE KITCHEN, SOMETHING YOU CAN LISTEN TO WHILE GETTING READY IN THE
MORNING OR GOING TO SLEEP, THAT WILL BE THERE.
HOW IT WILL BE DELIVERED, WELL, THE PREDICTION SEEMS TO CHANGE
EVERY SIX MONTHS BUT IT CERTAINLY IS CHALKING.
>> SO WHAT DO YOU HEAR FROM LISTENERS WHEN YOU ARE OUT IN THE PUBLIC?
>> THEY EITHER LOVE OR HATE DAVE THOMPSON'S PUNS IN THE MORNING.
THE BIGGEST THING I HEAR, THE PHRASE I'VE HEARD MORE THAN ANY
OTHER IS WINDOW ON THE WORLD.
PEOPLE REALLY APPRECIATE WHETHER IT'S IN MUSIC OR MORE OFTEN IN
NEWS AND INFORMATION, THEY FEEL LIKE PUBLIC RADIO GIVES THEM A
VIEW OUT A WIDE RANGING VIEW, IT'S NOT NARROW, JUST ON ONE
THING OF WHAT IS GOING ON OUT THERE, AND THAT IS WHAT I HEAR
MORE THAN ANYTHING ELSE, I APPRECIATE PUBLIC RADIO, IT'S MY WINDOW ON THE WORLD.
>> BILL, WHAT IS YOUR BEST PART ABOUT WORKING FOR PRAIRIE PUBLIC
AND PROVIDING THAT SERVICE.
>> THE PRAIRIE PUBLIC ORGANIZATION, PEOPLE WORKING
HERE ARE REALLY ORIENTED TOWARDS IT AS A SERVICE.
YOU DON'T FIND PEOPLE WHO COME
IN AND COLLECT THE HOURS AND COLLECT THE PAYCHECK, SAY I WANT TO MAKE MORE MONEY.
IT A SERVICE AND PEOPLE HAVE THE MENTALITY WE WANT TO PROVIDE A
GOOD SERVICE, THAT'S THE BEST PART.
>> WE ARE RUNNING OUT OF TIME, IF PEOPLE WANT TO FIND OUT MORE WHERE CAN THEY GO.
>> ON THE WEB, OR TALK TO THEM ON THE PHONE OR E-MAIL.
>> THANKS FOR JOINING US.
>>> SINGER SONG WRITER ELISA KORENNE WRITES SONGS ABOUT
UNUSUAL CHARACTERS AND OBSCURE EVENTS IN MINNESOTA.
ONE SONG FOCUSES ON DOROTHY WHO LIVED ON KNIFE LAKE NEAR ELI.
DOROTHY OWNED A RESORT AND HER
LEGACY GREW FROM THE HOSPITALITY
AND ICED COLD ROOT BEER.
TODAY A MUSEUM IS DEDICATED TO HER PASSION FOR ROOT BEER.
LIVE IN THE BOUNDARY WATERS N NORTHERN MINNESOTA I LIVED THE LIFE I WANT AND I
WOULDN'T CHANGE IT ONE IOTA LIVED HERE MOST OF THE LIFE,
MOSTLY HAPPY, MOSTLY ALONE, I'M A STRONG WOMAN IN THE WILDERNESS
AND I'M ALL ABOUT ROOT BEER ROOT BEER ROOT BEER ROOT BEER HUH.
WENT TO GET ICE, CUT IT FROM THE LAKE WITH A KNIFE, THE CUBE
WEIGHS OVER 100 POUNDS I COVER THE ICE WITH MOSS AND COVERED.
COVERED THE MOSS WITH SAWDUST PEOPLE HELPED ME BUT I'M THE BOSS OF ROOT BEER
ROOT BEER I CARRIED 100 BOTTLES OVER HUNDREDS OF MILES OF TRAIL AND I
WASHED THEM WITH A BRUSH AND PAIL I POUR ROOT BEER IN ROOT BEER
BOTTLES FOR CANOEISTS I SELL THEM ROOT BEER ROOT BEER ROOT BEER HUH.
WHEN THE LAW SAYS I HAVE TO MOVE BECAUSE MY HOME IS NOW A PARK
I'LL FIGHT THE LAW AND STAND MY MARK BUT WHEN I DON'T WIN THE
FIGHT, MY FRIENDS STAND UP TO THE GOVERNMENT FIGHT NOW I CAN LIVE HERE ALL OF MY
YEARS, I JUST CAN'T SELL ANY ROOT BEER IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO PULL UPA
CHAIR THERE IS ONLY JARS OVER THERE SOME FOLKS TRY AND FIND ME,
SOME COME GENERALLY BUT THEY ARE ALL COVERED WITH SWEAT AND THEY
WILL COVER ANYTHING THEY CAN GET ROOT BEER 20 MINUTES OR LESS,
I HAVE THE ROOTS, I BET YOU CAN GUESS THERE WON'T BE ENOUGH ROOT BEER ROOT BEER
ROOT BEER ROOT BEER
>> WELL, THAT'S ALL WE HAVE ON "PRAIRIE PULSE" FOR THIS WEEK,
.
FUNDING FOR MINNESOTA LEGACY PROGRAMS ARE PROVIDED BY A GRANT
FROM THE MINNESOTA ARTS AND CULTURAL HERITAGE FUND WITH MONEY FROM THE VOTE OF THE
PEOPLE OF MINNESOTA ON NOVEMBER 4TH, 2008.
AND BY THE MEMBERS OF PRAIRIE PUBLIC