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>>> HELLO, AND WELCOME TO "PRAIRIE PULSE".
COMING UP LATER IN THE SHOW WE
WILL MEET A POETRYOUTLOUD COMP
COMPETITOR FROM COUG CAVALIER, H DAKOTA.
BUT, FIRST, OUR GUEST IS PRAIRIE PUBLIC DIRECTOR OF TELEVISION
THANKS FOR BEING HERE.
>> YOU ARE HERE CELEBRATING THE 50TH YEAR, 50TH ANNIVERSARY, WE
WILL GET INTO THAT BUT BEFORE YOU DO, TELL THE FOLKS ABOUT YOURSELF AND YOUR BACKGROUND.
>> I GREW UP IN NEW JERSEY AND THEN WENT TO COLLEGE IN DAYTON,
OHIO, GRADUATE SCHOOL AT THE UNIVERSITY OF IOWA IN
COMMUNICATIONS AND TELEVISION.
I'VE BASICALLY WORKED IN PAUL
BUNYA --WORKED IN PUBLIC TELEVIT OF MY LIFE.
I'VE LIVED IN KANSAS, LAS VEGAS
BEFORE I CAME UP IN 1984 TO "PRAIRIE PULSE".
>> YOU GAVE US THE YEARS BUT HOW DID YOU END UPCOMING TO PRAIRIE PUBLIC.
>> MY WIFE AND I WERE BOTH RECRUITED, MORE MY WIFE THAN ME
BUT I CAME ALONG FOR THE RIDE
AND WE ARRIVED HERE LABOR DAY OF 1984.
IT TOOK US INTO BISMARCK, WE DROVE ACROSS THE STATE WHEN THE
SUN FLOWERS WERE BLOOMING WHICH IS A WONDERFUL SITE, WE DROVE
DOWN 8TH STREET IN FARGO WHICH WAS A WONDERFUL SITE, WE ARE
FROM LAS VEGAS SO I THINK THE LANDSCAPE MADE AS BIG AN IMPACT AS THE JOB OFFER.
WE ARRIVED IN A BLIZZARD LAST DAY OF NOVEMBER, 1984 AND WERE
STRANDED IN A HOTEL ROOM WITH 20
BELOW WEATHER AND WE STAYED.
>> PRAIRIE PUBLIC IS CELEBRATING
50 YEARS IN 1964, JANUARY, THE 19TH, WAS THE FIRST TELEVISION
BROADCAST BUT HOW DID PRAIRIE PUBLIC GET ITS START.
>> IN THE LATE 1950s, DR. TED DONAY HAD VISITED THE PUBLIC
TELEVISION STATION IN MINNESOTA
AND HE CAME BACK WITH WHY NOT FARGO.
IN 1959 HE ACTUALLY ORGANIZED PRAIRIE PUBLIC, IT WASN'T CALLED
PRAIRIE PUBLIC BACK THEN, IT WAS CALLED NORTH DAKOTA EDUCATION
ASSOCIATION, SOMETHING LIKE THAT, AND THEY HAD THE MISSION
TO TRY TO GET PUBLIC TV ON THE AIR.
THEY SPUT ERDA LONG FOR A NUMBER
OF YEARS AND THEN IN 1961 THEY GOD A $50,000 GRANT FROM THE
NORTH DAKOTA LEGISLATURE, USED HALF OF IT FOR A FEASIBILITY
STUDY, THE OTHER HALF TO BUY THE FIRST TRANSMITTER.
THEY ONCE AGAIN WERE RAISING MONEY, TRYING TO RAISE MONEY.
WDAY CAME ALONG AND DONATED OUR FIRST FACILITY WHICH WAS DOWN IN
SOUTH FORK, NEAR ROSE CREEK WHERE IT IS, WE WERE AT THE BASE
OF THEIR TRANSMITTER, BASICALLY IN THEIR TRANSMITTER BUILDING,
WE HAD HAD A LOCATION.
1963, THE FIRST GENERAL MANAGER WAS HIRED AND THEY THOUGHT THEY
WERE GOING ON THE ERRO AIR EARL, THEY THOUGHT IT WOULD BE NOVEMBER 1963.
THAT SLID TO DECEMBER, THEN THEY ANNOUNCED JANUARY 5TH AND THEN
IT WAS THE 19TH IT WENT ON THE AIR.
FOR THE NEXT COUPLE YEARS I THINK THE THING THAT HAPPENED
THE MOST WAS HOW DO WE RAISE
ENOUGH MONEY TO KEEP THIS THING AFLOAT.
THEY THOUGHT THEY NEEDED $100,000 EACH YEAR TO KEEP
PRAIRIE PUBLIC ON THE AIR, KEEP KFME ON THE AIR, WHICH WE WERE
ONE STATION BACK THEN.
AND IT WAS A CONSTANT STRUGGLE.
THEY -- IN THE 60s, THEY DIDN'T HAVE MUCH OF A PROGRAM SCHEDULE.
THEY BROADCAST ORIGINALLY FOR 27.5 HOURS A WEEK.
THEY HAD A SCHEDULE IN THE MORNING THAT WAS -- ACTUALLY THE
AFTERNOON FROM 1:00 TO 3:00 THAT WAS FOR EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMS AND
THEN FROM 6:30 TO 10:00 AT NIGHT FOR WHAT WE SEE NOW, A LOT OF
NATURE AND SCIENCE PROGRAMMING, AND THAT MEANT THERE WERE NO
PROGRAMS ON THE WEEKEND, NO PROGRAMS IN THE MORNING, THEY
WOULD SIGN ON AT THOSE TIMES, THEY WOULD STOP IN THE AFTERNOON
AND WAIT UNTIL IT WAS TIME TO BROADCAST THE EVENING SCHEDULE.
THERE WERE A COUPLE LOCAL PRODUCTIONS, THEY GOT SOME
EQUIPMENT ACTUALLY IN '67, THEY STARTED WITH SOME COLOR CAMERAS
AND THEY HAD A LITTLE FACILITY DOWN ONCE AGAIN IN SOUTH FORK
AND THE FIRST PROGRAM THEY
PRODUCED WAS A 60 HOUR ENGLISH
LITERATURE COURSE WITH CONCORDIA COLLEGE.
THE SECOND PROGRAM WAS IN 1964-65.
IN '66 THEY PRODUCED A PROGRAM CALLED RED RIVER LAND WHICH WAS
A HISTORY OF THE RED RIVER VALLEY AND INTERESTINGLY ENOUGH
THEY USED PUPPETS AND PROPS, THEY ARE NOW AT THE HISTORICAL
SOCIETY, THERE'S A DISPLAY IF ANYONE WANTS TO GO SEE THEM.
>> IN '64, EDUCATION WAS PROBABLY THE ROOT IN WHAT PUBLIC
BROADCASTING WAS FOUNDED ON AND THEN PBS CAME ALONG WITH SESAME
STREET, ELECTRIC COMPANY AND OTHER PROGRAMS.
IS THAT WHAT KIND OF HELPED TELEVISION FIND ITS WAY?
>> WELL, FROM THE VERY BEGINNING THEY THOUGHT THAT THE FUNDING
MECHANISM FOR PRAIRIE PUBLIC WOULD BE THEY WOULD CHARGE A
SERVICE TO THE SCHOOLS THAT WERE USING IT.
FARGO PUBLIC SCHOOLS CAME ON BOARD AT THE VERY BEGINNING AND
WERE PAYING PER HEAD CHARGE, IF YOU WOULD, FOR STUDENTS.
BUT WITH THE COVERAGE AREA AND WITH THE STATE OF EDUCATION AND
FUNDING FOR EDUCATION, THEY NEVER GOT ENOUGH MONEY FROM THE
STUDENTS THEY WERE SERVING AND THE SCHOOLS THEY WERE SERVING TO
REALLY MEET ALL THE COSTS THAT ARE ASSOCIATED WITH THE
BROADCAST AND STAFFING OF PRAIRIE PUBLIC.
IN 1967 THE PUBLIC BROADCASTING ACT WAS PASSED, CORPORATION FOR
PUBLIC BROADCASTING WAS FORMED AND THEY GOT A HUGE INFLUX OF
MONEY WHEN WE QUALIFIED FOR THE
FEDERAL MONEY THAT FIRST TIME, $134,000, WHICH WAS, AS I
MENTION, MORE MONEY THAN THEY THOUGHT WOULD REQUIRE IT TO RUN.
THAT WAS A BIG YEAR FOR PRAIRIE
PUBLIC, 1967, '68, WHEN THE CORPORATION WAS FOUNDED AND WHEN THEY GOT THE MONEY.
>> ARE THERE ANY OTHER TRANSITIONS IN THE LATE 60s INTO THE 70s?
>> I THINK THE BIGGEST ONE WAS 1971.
IN 1971, A LONG TIME, GENERAL MANAGER AND PRESIDENT DENNIS
CAME HERE, DENNIS WAS HERE FOR ABOUT 23 YEARS AND OVERSAW THE
BUILDUP OF THE ENTIRE PRAIRIE
PUBLIC NETWORK AND THE -- WELL, THE REAL -- HE REALLY WORKED
HARD TO GET STAYED FUNDING FOR NORTH DAKOTA FOR THIS ORGANIZATION.
HE WAS VERY INVOLVED IN GETTING STATE FUNDING FROM MINNESOTA TO
BE PART OF OUR FUNDING MIXTURE.
>> WE'LL TALK ABOUT THE COVERAGE AREA LATER ON.
THEN, OF COURSE, YOU CAME ON BOARD ABOUT 1985 AND WHAT WAS THE STATION LIKE AT THAT TIME?
>> WELL, IF YOU WERE TO GO LOOK BACK, I CAME AT THE END OF WHAT
HAD TO BE THEIR BIGGEST TRANSITION, MAYBE BIGGER THAN US
GOING TO DIGITAL A COUPLE YEARS AGO WITH OUR HIGH DEFINITION.
DURING THE TIME PERIOD OF 1977
TO ABOUT 1985 PRAIRIE PUBLIC FOUR TIMES WENT TO THE LEGISLATURE TO TRY TO GET FUNDING.
THE THIRD TIME THEY WENT THEY LOST BY ONE VOTE, IT WAS
ACTUALLY A TIE BUT ONE OF OUR FORMER BOARD MEMBERS WAS THEN
THE LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR WHO BREAKS THE TIES AND HE HAD TO
EXCUSE HIMSELF FROM VOTING SO IT WAS EVEN CLOSER THAN THAT.
1977 WE FIRST GOT MONEY, A LARGE AMOUNT OF MONEY FROM THE STATE
OF NORTH DAKOTA AND THAT MONEY WAS NOT FOR OPERATION, IT WAS
FOR BUILDING UP THE SYSTEM, TO BUILD AT THAT TIME FOUR
TELEVISION STATIONS IN THE WESTERN PART OF THE STATE.
PUBLIC RADIO WASN'T PART OF THE MIX AT THAT TIME BUT BETWEEN
1977 AND 1985 WE BUILT FOUR TV STATIONS.
THEY STARTED PUBLIC RADIO, GOT A BUILDING IN BISMARCK, THIS
BUILDING WE'RE IN TODAY WAS PURCHASED AND THEN RENOVATED
DURING THAT TIME PERIOD.
ONE OF THE TRANSMITTERS THAT WE PUT UP WENT DOWN IN AN ICE STORM
AND HAD TO BE REBUILT DURING THAT TIME PERIOD.
THEY STARTED SOME LOCAL PRODUCTION, WE REALLY HAVEN'T
HAD A LOT OF LOCAL PRODUCTION BEFORE THAT, SO THEY WERE
INVOLVED WITH A LOT OF THINGS, A LOT OF BUILDING PROJECTS AND TO
HAVE THAT ACCOMPLISHED AT THE SAME TIME.
THEY GOT FUNDING FROM THE STATE OF NORTH DAKOTA IN '77 BUT THE
NEXT LEGISLATIVE ROUND IT WAS CUT IN HALF AND THAT WAS THE
SAME TIME THE NATIONAL FUNDING TO THE STATIONS WAS CUT IN HALF AS WELL.
SO, AS THE FUNDING WAS GOING DOWN, WELL, YOU KNOW, THE BUILDING CAME UP.
THE OTHER PART OF IT WAS THAT WE
HAD TO LOOK FOR NEW REVENUE, THAT'S WHEN CHARITABLE GAMING
CAME ON BOARD AND THAT'S WHEN WE DID THE RAMP UP FOR THE REVENUE
WE GOT FROM CHARITABLE GAMING AT THAT TIME.
A BUSY TIME FOR PRAIRIE PUBLIC.
I ARRIVED AT THE END OF THIS, SO MOST OF THIS HAS BEEN BUILT AND
WHAT WE REALIZED IS WE HAD NO MONEY TO PRODUCE LOCAL PROGRAMMING, WE BARELY HAD
ENOUGH MONEY TO PURCHASE THE PROGRAMS WE GOT FROM PBS.
WE COULD NOT GET THE ENTIRE PBS PACKAGE, WE HAD TO DROP "THE
NEWS HOUR" FOR A NUMBER OF YEARS BECAUSE THE FINANCIAL SITUATION
WAS THAT BAD IN '84, '85 AND '86.
>> PLEDGE DRIVES, PEOPLE ASSOCIATE PUBLIC BROADCASTING WITH PLEDGE DRIVES.
WHEN AND HOW DID THEY COME ALONG?
>> WELL, THERE'S A LITTLE HISTORY.
FIRST THING THAT HAPPENED IN 1963 RIGHT BEFORE THEY WENT ON
THE AIR, PRAIRIE PUBLIC NEEDED
MONEY, SO THEY SENT OUT APPEALS, LETTER APPEALS, PAPER APPEALS
AND IN THEM THEY SAID THAT THIS WAS THE LAST TIME THEY WOULD BE
ASKING FOR MONEY BASICALLY FROM THE PUBLIC.
SO FOR A NUMBER OF YEARS WHEN THEY HAD TO GO BACK AND ASK
MONEY, NOT ON THE AIR BUT BEHIND THE SCENES, THE FARGO FORUM AND
OTHER PAPERS WOULD RUN THIS AS A HEADLINE, THEY HAD SAID THEY
WERE NOT ASKING FOR MONEY AND NOW THEY WERE ASKING FOR MONEY AGAIN.
1971, DENNIS GETS HERE, HE'S HERE FOR A COUPLE MONTHS AND
REALIZES THAT UNLESS WE GET $44,000 LIKE IN THE NEXT 10 DAYS
THEY WOULD HAVE TO SHUT DOWN PRAIRIE PUBLIC, LOCK THE DOORS.
SO HE WENT ON THE AIR AND IT WASN'T THE FIRST TIME ANYONE
WENT ON THE AIR IN PUBLIC BROADCASTING BUT THE FIRST TIME HERE.
HE WENT ON THE AIR AND IN THE NEXT SIX DAYS THEY MANAGED TO RAISE $44,000.
THAT WAS THE FIRST ONE, 1971.
DURING THE LATE 60s AND EARLY 70s WE DID AN AUCTION, AND THE
AUCTION WAS VERY SUCCESSFUL, BUT
WHAT HAPPENED WAS WHEN WE -- LET ME SEE, WHEN WE ADDED GRAND
FORKS AND ADDED WINNAPEG FROM GRAND FORKS, AT THAT TIME WE
REALIZED WE HAD TO DROP THE AUCTION BECAUSE WE COULDN'T GET
THE PRODUCT INTO CANADA.
PEOPLE WOULD BID ON STUFF AND WE COULDN'T GET IT THERE, IT WAS
COSTING MORE THAN THE STATION WAS MAKING.
THAT WAS '75.
IN '75 WE STARTED DOING THE PLEDGE DRIVES, ON-AIR APPEALS YOU SEE TODAY.
BACK THEN WE WERE DOING A LITTLE LESS AMOUNT OF DAYS WE WERE ON
THE AIR BUT NOT A LOT.
>> IT'S PRETTY SAFE TO SAY IT STAYED THE SAME.
HOW HAS PRAIRIE PUBLIC STAYED RELEVANT OVER THE YEARS?
>> I THINK ONE OF THE THINGS HAS TO BE OUR CHILDREN'S
PROGRAMMING, BEYOND A DOUBT WE PROVIDE THE BEST CHILDREN'S
PROGRAMMING AND HAVE SINCE 1970
WHEN SESAME STREET WENT ON THE AIR, ELECTRIC COMPANY, MR. ROGERS HAD BEEN ON THE AIR BEFORE THAT.
I SHOULD MENTION WE GOT OUR PROGRAMMING IN THE EARLY DAYS,
WE DIDN'T GET INTERCONNECTED TO ANYONE UNTIL 1966 WHEN WE HAD A
WIRE BASICALLY GOING TO MINNEAPOLIS AND WE COULD TRADE PROGRAMS.
THE OTHER BASIS WE WOULD GET TAPES SENT TO US IN THE MAIL,
WE'D BE WAITING FOR DELIVERY, SOMETIMES THE TAPES DIDN'T COME
ON TIME AND THE SCHEDULE DIDN'T GET TO BE MET.
WHEN THAT HAPPENED IN THE EARLY YEARS, THE PROGRAMS DIDN'T GET
HERE ON TIME OR THE SCHOOL PROGRAMS THAT WE RAN DURING THE
DAY WENT SHORT, THEY HAD AN AQUARIUM WITH FISH AND GRAPH
HE'LL, THEY HAD A CAMERA ON IT AND A CLOCK IN THE BACKGROUND.
YOU COULD SEE WHEN IT WAS TIME FOR THE NEXT PROGRAM MIGHT BE
COMING ON OR THIS WAS INSTEAD OF DEAD AIR, YOU WOULD SEE THE FISH
SWIMMING AROUND ON THIS.
>> LIVE FISH?
>> LIVE FISH AND LIVE TV.
SO, ANYWAY, THE OTHER PARTS WERE THE CHILDREN'S PROGRAMMING WAS
IMPORTANT, OUR EDUCATIONAL PROGRAM HAD BEEN IMPORTANT
THROUGHOUT PRAIRIE PUBLIC, WE STARTED OUT, IT WASN'T UNTIL THE
70s WE WERE CALLED PUBLIC TELEVISION, WE WERE EDUCATION,
IT CHANGED OVER THE YEARS THE WAY WE LOOK BUT WE HAVE
MAINTAINED THAT OVER THE 30
YEARS I'VE BEEN HERE AND INCREASED IT.
ONE OF THE THING OUR EDUCATION DEPARTMENT JUMPED ON QUITE EARLY
WAS THE ONLINE COMPONENTS.
SO WE HAVE BEEN DOING THAT FOR A LONG TIME, PROVIDING RESOURCES
FOR THE TEACHERS IN THE AREA ONLINE.
WHEN WE TALK ABOUT SOME OF OUR LOCALLY PRODUCED PROGRAMS WE
HAVE PRODUCED A NUMBER OF EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMS THAT ACTUALLY HAVE BEEN USED
NATIONALLY, NOT BROADCAST PROGRAMS BUT PROGRAMS TO BE
DISTRIBUTED DIRECTLY TO SCHOOL CLASSROOMS.
>> SPEAKING OF PROGRAMS, I KNOW THE TV DEPARTMENT HAS PRODUCED
WONDERFUL DOCUMENTARIES TALKING ABOUT THE ARTS, HISTORY AND
CULTURE OF OUR REGION.
HOW DO THESE COME ABOUT AND HOW DO THEY GET STARTED?
>> THERE'S A LITTLE HISTORY ON THAT TOO.
YOU MENTIONED EARLIER WE REALLY WEREN'T INTO A LOT OF LOCAL
PRODUCTION WHEN I CAME HERE, THERE WERE A COUPLE PROGRAMS
THAT HAD BEEN HERE AND LEFT.
GUIDELINES AND SPIN WERE TWO, WE HAD BOYD CHRISTIAN'S INTERVIEWS.
BUT IN 1991 WE WENT OUT AND APPLIED FOR MONEY FOR THREE
DIFFERENT PROGRAMS, ONE OF THEM WAS PRAIRIE NEWS JOURNAL WHICH
WAS ON THE AIR FOR A NUMBER OF YEARS HERE.
ANOTHER WAS THE STAR SCHOOLS INITIATIVE WHICH WAS OUR SPANISH
LANGUAGE PROGRAMMING.
AND ANOTHER ONE WAS AN AGRICULTURE DEPARTMENT, U.S.
DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE DEMONSTRATION GRANT, PILOT
PROKING WRAPS LOOKING AT, FOR US, LOOKING AT ENTREPRENEURSHIP,
SMALL BUSINESS, WE HAD PRAIRIE TOWN MEETING AS TIME OF THAT.
I REMEMBER LARRY WHITE, MY BOSS AT THE TIME, TURNING TO ME, I
WAS IN CHARGE OF PROGRAMMING AND PRODUCTION. HE SAID ONE OF THESE WOULD BE
GREAT BUT HELL WOULD GREAT LOOSE IF WE GOT ALL THREE.
WE GOT ALL THREE.
IT CHANGED US, WE BECAME A DAY-TO-DAY PRODUCTION, PRODUCING
AG SHOWS AND DALEY SPANISH SHOWS.
ONE TIME WE PRODUCED FOUR DAILY SPANISH SHOWS, BEAMED DIRECTLY
TO SCHOOLS ALL ACROSS THE COUNTRY AND IT WAS ALWAYS A
LITTLE COMICAL FOR ME WE WERE PROVIDING SPANISH TEACHERS AND
SPANISH LESSONS FOR PEOPLE IN SOUTH TEXAS WHERE YOU WOULD
THINK FINDING A SPANISH TEACHER WOULD BE AN EASY THING TO DO.
BUT THAT PROGRAM LASTED FOR ALMOST 10 YEARS, PRAIRIE NEWS
JOURNAL EIGHT YEARS AND THE DEMONSTRATION PROJECT WITH
DIFFERENT PROGRAMS INVOLVED WITH IT LASTED INTO ABOUT FIVE OR SIX YEARS AGO.
SO THESE WERE THINGS WE DID.
1996, KATHLEEN CAME ON BOARD AS THE GM AND ONE OF THE FIRST
THINGS SHE DID WAS COME DOWN AND
SAID YOU HAVE DONE PEE PYRAMIDSN
THE PRAIRIE, YOU WHAT I WANT YOU TO CONCENTRATE ON IS ONE HOUR
SINGLE PART DOCUMENTARIES ABOUT THE HISTORY OF ARTS AND CULTURE OF THE REGION.
SO THAT WAS A LARGE TASK BUT WE ARE FOR GNAT WE WERE ABLE
FIND MULTIPLE PARTNERS THROUGHOUT THE REGION AND THAT
IS WHAT -- WE HAVE WON EMMY AWARDS, NUMEROUS AWARD BECAUSE
OF THE PARTNERS WE HAVE BEEN ABLE TO ESTABLISH LIKE MICHAEL
MILLER AT USMDU AND RUSSIAN COLLECTION, THE ARTS AND HUMANITIES.
WE HAVE DONE A NUMBER OF PROJECT
WITH THE ERC ON ENVIRONMENTAL RELATED PROJECTS.
PARTNERSHIPS WITH DUCKS
UNLIMITED WITH THE U.S. AND CANADA.
MD-DOT UNIVERSITY, THE WINNIPEG FOUNDATION.
LATELY THE MONEY WE GET FROM THS MADE THE AMOUNT OF PROGRAMS WE
CAN PRODUCE IN MINNESOTA REALLY, REALLY -- THEY ARE IMPORTANT AND
MADE POSSIBLE BY THE PARTNERSHIPS.
>> BOB, WE DON'T HAVE A LOT OF TIME AND I HAVE A LOT OF QUESTIONS I'D LIKE TO ASK YOU.
THERE HAVE BEEN LEGISLATIVE EFFORTS OVER THE YEARS TO DEFUND
PUBLIC TELEVISION AND GO COMMERCIAL.
WHY IS IT IMPORTANT TO KEEP THE PUBLIC IN PUBLIC TELEVISION?
>> BECAUSE OF THE TRACK RECORD, WHEN THE WONDERFUL CABLE AND
SATELLITE CAME ON BOARD AND WE WERE SUPPOSED TO WATCH THE
BLOSSOMING OF ARTS PROGRAMMING AND CHILDREN'S PROGRAMMING.
IT REALLY HASN'T HAPPENED, PLACES FOR ARTS AND ENTERTAINMENT STARTED THAT WAY
BUT THEY FOUND THEY CAN MAKE MORE MONEY DOING OTHER TYPES OF PROGRAMMING.
CAN YOU IMAGINE SESAME STREET AND MR. ROGERS BROKEN UP BY COMMERCIALS FOR TOYS?
THAT'S JUST NOT WHAT WE ARE ABOUT.
WHO ELSE?
THE LOCAL NEWS STATIONS DO A GOOD JOB COVERING TOPICAL DAY-TO-DAY NEWS.
NOBODY IS PROVIDING IN-DEPTH DOCUMENTARIES ABOUT TOPICS,
HISTORY, THINGS THAT ARE IMPORTANT AND INVOLVE ALL OF US IN THIS REGION.
>> WHAT'S THE BEST PART ABOUT WORKING AT PRAIRIE PUBLIC.
>> I TELL MY WIFE WHEN I WAS IN GRADUATE SCHOOL IF I COULD HAVE
DESIGNED MY EYE DEAL JOB, WELL, THAT'S WHAT I HAVE HERE AND HAVE
HAD FOR WELL OVER 30 YEARS.
PEOPLE LIKE JOHN, THE GENERAL MANAGERS HAVE REALLY GIVEN
SUPPORT TO THE LOCAL PROGRAMMING AND I ENJOY THE GREAT PROGRAMS
WE GET FROM PBS BUT I REALLY ENJOY THE FACT WE ARE ABLE TO
PRODUCE HOURS AND HOURS AND HOURS OF PROGRAMMING ABOUT THE REGION EACH AND EVERY YEAR.
>> BOB, IF PEOPLE WANT MORE INFORMATION, WHERE CAN THEY GO?
>> TO OUR WEBSITE, WWW.PRAIRIE PUBLIC.ORG.
IF YOU HAVE QUESTIONS CALL STEVE, OUR PROGRAM MANAGER AND
IF YOU ARE ON THE WEBSITE YOU CAN FINE THE TOLL FREE NUMBER.
>> BOB, THANKS FOR JOINING US.
>> THANK YOU, JOHN.
>> POETRYOUTLOUDEN COURAGES THE
YOUTH TO MASTER PUBLIC SPEAKING
SKILLS, BUILD SELF-CONFIDENCE.
BETHANY WAS A FINALIST IN THE COMPETITION.
SHE LEARNED MORE ABOUT POETRY
>> POETRY OUTLOUD IS A HIGH SCHOOL COMPETITION WHERE
STUDENTS PICK A PIECE OF POETRY, MEMORIZES IT BUT ALSO LEARN WHAT
IT MEANS AND LEARN HOW TO SAY IT, HOW THE AUTHOR WOULD HAVE LIKE IT TO BE SAID.
IT ALL STARTS AT THE CLASSROOM LEVEL.
YOUR TEACHER APPROVES A POEM
THAT YOU PICK AND YOU RECITE THE POEM FOR YOUR CLASS AND THE
WINNER OF THE CLASSROOM COMPETITION GOES TO THE SCHOOL COMPETITION.
THEY PICK ONE WINNER OUT OF ALL THE CLASSROOM COMPETITIONS TO
REPRESENT THE SCHOOL AT THE STATE COMPETITION.
THEY HAVE A WEBSITE, POETRY OUT OUTLOUD.ORG.
YOU HAD TO HAVE ONE 25 LINES OR
FEWER AND ONE THAT WAS PRE18TH CENTURY.
THERE ARE HUNDRED AND HUNDRED OF POEMS YOU CAN PICK ON THE DATA BASE.
THROUGH THOSE I FOUND THREE THAT STUCK OUT TO ME.
YOU LOOK AT THE AUTHOR'S PERSPECTIVE AND NOT TAKE
EVERYTHING SO LITERAL BECAUSE A LOT OF POETRY ISN'T VERY
LITERAL, YOU HAVE TO LOOK AT THE IMAGERY BEHIND IT AND KEEP IN
MIND THINGS AREN'T SO CONCRETE, IT'S LIKE ARTWORK, ABSTRACT
THE SEA IS CALM TONIGHT.
THE TIDE IS FULL.
THE MOON LIES FAIR UP ON THE STRAIGHT.
ON THE FRENCH COAST THE LIGHT GLEAMS AND IS GONE.
THE CLIFFS OF ENGLAND STAND, GLIMMERING AND OUT IN THE TRANQUIL BAY.
COME TO THE WINDOW, SWEET IS THE NIGHT AIR.
ONLY FROM THE LONG LINE OF SPRAY
WHERE THE SEA MEETS THE MOON'S LAND.
>> WHILE I WAS PERFORMING MY POEMS I FELT VERY, VERY NERVOUS.
THE STATE COMPETITION IS THE WORST FOR THAT JUST BECAUSE THE
LIGHTS ARE DIMMED LOW AND YOU HAVE THE SPOTLIGHT AND THERE ARE
ALL THESE REALLY GOOD COMPETITORS, SO IT'S MORE NERVE-WRACKING THAT WAY, BUT IT
WAS KIND OF COOL AT THE SAME TIME THAT I HAD REACHED THAT
LEVEL AND THAT PEOPLE WERE LISTENING TO ME BECAUSE THEY
THOUGHT THAT I WAS GOOD.
>> BEFORE I ENTERED POETRY OUTLOUD I HAD THIS IDEA THAT
POETRY WAS KIND OF UNREACHABLE AND UNUNDERSTANDABLY.
I DIDN'T SEE IT ASSOCIATOR BUT NOW I CAN SEE HOW POETS CREATE
THIS PIECE THAT REALLY IS ART, IT'S SOMETHING THAT IS SO
SOMETIMES I SAY I'M GOING TO MEET MY SISTER AT THE CAFE.
EVEN THOUGH I HAVE NO SISTER, JUST BECAUSE IT IS SUCH A BEAUTIFUL THING TO SAY.
I'VE ALWAYS THOUGHT SO.
EVER SINCE I READ A NOVEL IN WHICH TWO SISTERS WERE
CONSTANTLY MEETING IN CAFES.
TODAY, FOR EXAMPLE, I WALKED ALONE ON THE WEST SIDE WALK
WEARING MY RAIN BOOTS, EXPECTING SOMEONE MIGHT ASK WHERE I WAS
I WOULD ENCOURAGE OTHER STUDENTS TO PARTICIPATE IN POETRY OUTLOUD
BECAUSE YOU GET IN TOUCH WITH YOURSELF IN A WHOLE NEW WAY.
I GAINED A NEW PERSPECTIVE ON LEARNING AND LIFE, MORE CONFIDENCE IN WHO I AM.
IF I WOULDN'T HAVE DONE POETRY OUTLOUD, I PROBABLY WOULD HAVE REGRETTED IT.
THE FIRST POEM WAS BY JOHN DUNN.
I WANTED ONE LINE TO INCORPORATE MY FAITH.
IT'S A MAN WHO IS POURING OUT HIS HEART TO GOD AND HE'S VERY
FRUSTRATED BECAUSE HE HAS NO CONTROL OVER GIVING HIS WHOLE HEART TO THE LORD.
WE ARE IN THE BACK OF MY GRANDMA SHIRLEY'S YARD AND I CHOSE THIS
LOCATION BECAUSE THE BEAUTY IN THIS AREA REMIND ME OF THE
BEAUTY I SEE IN THE POEM.
BATTER MY HEART, THREE PERSON
GOD BY JOHN DUNN.
BATTER MY HEART, THREE PERSON GOD.
FOR YOU AS YET BUT KNOCK,
BREATHE, SHINE AND SEEK TO MEND,
THAT I MAY RISE AND STAND OR
THROW ME AND BEND YOUR FORCE TO BREAK, BLOW, BURN AND MAKE ME NEW.
I, LIKE I UUSURP TOWN TO ANOTHER
DO, LABOR TO ADMIT YOU, BUT, OH,
TO KNOW END, REASON YOUR VICEROY IN ME, ME, SHOULD DEFEND.
BUT IS CAPTIVE AND PROVES WEAK OR UNTRUE.
YET DEAR DEARLY I LOVE YOU, BUE TROAFD ON ENEMY.
DIVORCE ME OR UNBREAK IT, TAKE
ME TO YOU, IMPRISON ME, FOR I
ACCEPT YOU, NEVER SHALL BE FREE,
NOR EVER CHASED EXCEPT YOU RAVISH ME.
>> THAT'S ALL WE HAVE ON "PRAIRIE PULSE" THIS WEEK
FUNDED BY THE NORTH DAKOTA COUNCIL OF ARTS AND BY THEMEMBERS OF PRAIRIE PUBLIC