Friday,  May 11, 2012 • Vol. 12--No. 302 • 6 of 39 •  Other Editions

New Transmitter Covers Watertown, Milbank

• SDPB Radio will be coming in crystal clear this spring in the Watertown-Milbank area. SDPB Radio's newest transmitter - KJSD-FM at 90.3 - is expected to be up and running by May 17. Testing has been under way since late April.
•  KJSD is the South Dakota Public Broadcasting's 11th full-power radio transmitter in the state. The new transmitter, located near South Shore, will serve the Watertown and Milbank regions and the Lakes Area.
•  The Friends of SDPB have been raising funds over the past five months to help provide funding for the transmitter, bringing in more than $30,000. The remainder of the $175,000 to $200,000+ in costs will come from grants and SDPB's budget.
•  "This is a true indication not only of the power of public radio, but also the generosity of the people of Northeastern South Dakota," said Carol Johnson of Watertown. "We thank every individual and business that recognized the importance of this project," said Tom Pagel of Milbank. Johnson and Pagel, both board members of Friends of SDPB, led the fund-raising campaign.
•  Until now, the Watertown and Milbank regions and the Lakes Area have had marginal coverage from transmitters to the northwest and south. But the challenges of distance and terrain have made uninterrupted reception difficult. The new transmitter will resolve those problems.
•  "We are excited that listeners will have the chance to tune into what the Watertown Public Opinion once called 'a brilliant beacon of hope for those looking for and expecting excellence in programming,'" said Julie Andersen, Executive Director of South Dakota Public Broadcasting.
•  SDPB Radio offers some 42 hours of locally produced programming each week, in addition to programs on the national and international levels from providers such as NPR, American Public Media, Public Radio International and the BBC. Programming is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. SDPB Radio is live-streamed at SDPB.org and many local and national programs are archived online. SDPB Radio's award-winning staff recently earned six first-place and three second-place awards in the AP's 2012 Great Plains Broadcast contest.
•  The new transmitter will allow listeners in the region to hear some of the country's most-trusted news programs, such as "Morning Edition" and "All Things Considered," as well as popular programs in many categories, including:
• Talk - A chance to join the national conversation with "Talk of the Nation" and tune into SDPB Radio's own must-hear talk program "Dakota Midday."
• Storytelling - Fascinating and compelling programs like "This American Life,"

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