KSTK Local Content and Services Report –  February, 2023

 

  1. Describe your overall goals and approach to address identified community issues, needs, and interests through your station’s vital local services, such as multiplatform long and short-form content, digital and in-person engagement, education services, community information, partnership support, and other activities, and audiences you reached or new audiences you engaged.

Our goals include being the core source for all local news and community information for Wrangell, Alaska.  Other goals are to produce quality content, address local issues, present multiple community voices and viewpoints and encourage community participation.  KSTK provides fact based news and information that is relevant to the lives of those who live here. KSTK delivers accurate health, education, community service, native issue, arts and culture information through our reporting, programming and public service announcements.  KSTK is Wrangell’s LP1, providing essential Emergency Alert Services to the community when emergencies happen. We provide a full featured website and mobile platform and live stream in addition to our radio broadcast.  KSTK’s staff is engaged with individuals, organizations, businesses and local government on a daily basis, keeping our attention focused on the needs of the public and paying attention to events that impact the daily lives of the people who live in Wrangell.  We encourage and welcome the public to participate and be represented through our reporting, community conversations and on-air volunteer opportunities.  This connection with community members guides us in making programming decisions.

  • Describe key initiatives and the variety of partners with whom you collaborated, including other public media outlets, community nonprofits, government agencies, educational institutions, the business community, teachers and parents, etc. This will illustrate the many ways you’re connected across the community and engaged with other important organizations in the area.

Key initiatives this year include collaboration with Wrangell Public Schools. KSTK works with Tlingit language instructor and students on Tlingit Language and Culture projects focused on recognizing, celebrating and preserving the local Tlingit culture.  Other student projects include production and broadcast education.  The station broadcasts the High School boys and girls basketball games.  KSTK collaborates with media partners CoastAlaska, Alaska Public Media and National Native News. We contribute news reports to, and receive news reports from, Alaska Public Media and the CoastAlaska news team. We are members of Wrangell’s Chamber of Commerce and work to promote the missions of local non-profits. We work with a variety of agencies to get the word out about services including the State Department of Transportation, Department of Environmental Conservation, Department of Fish and Game, the US Coast Guard and many health care service non-profits and governmental agencies. KSTK collaborates with the City and Borough of Wrangell with our Borough Media Project where KSTK records and archives all Regular Assembly Meetings on our website so interested individuals can listen to recent or past assembly meeting recordings. Every spring through fall, we partner with the U.S. Forest Service on a weekly Recreation and Road Report that is produced at KSTK by Wrangell Ranger District staff. KSTK works with the local Indian Environmental General Assistance Program (IGAP) to provide water quality updates and information on projects such as fishing net recycling, electronic waste recycling programs and community garden and composting programs.

  • What impact did your key initiatives and partnerships have in your community? Describe any known measurable impact, such as increased awareness, learning or understanding about particular issues. Describe indicators of success, such as connecting people to needed resources or strengthening conversational ties across diverse neighborhoods. Did a partner see an increase in requests for related resources? Please include direct feedback from a partner(s) or from a person(s) served.

The student lead Tlingit Language and Culture podcast exposed and expanded awareness of our indigenous local language and culture throughout the community and the state.  The lead student of the project won several awards and scholarships for her podcast and radio module including Spirit of Youth, Summer of Hero’s and a grant to continue her work from the Sitka Conservation Society.  This recognition shines a light on the Tlingit language and culture and helps bring awareness in an authentic way.  KSTK receives continued appreciation from all members of the community for the work of this student and her teacher through the studios of KSTK.  This work has inspired some in the community to start taking classes and broadening their knowledge and understanding of the people who have lived on and around Wrangell Island for thousands of years.

  • Please describe any efforts (e.g. programming, production, engagement activities) you have made to investigate and/or meet the needs of minority and other diverse audiences (including, but not limited to, new immigrants, people for whom English is a second language and illiterate adults) during Fiscal Year 2022, and any plans you have made to meet the needs of these audiences during Fiscal Year 2023. If you regularly broadcast in a language other than English, please note the language broadcast.

KSTK regularly asks for community input and stays connected with schools and service organizations to understand who is in the community and let community members know how to connect with KSTK.  The station has an open door policy and encourages participation.  KSTK offers Tlingit language programming and one Spanish language program.  Inclusion continues to be a KSTK practice.  Moving forward we hope to expand indigenous language and culture programming.

5. Please assess the impact that your CPB funding had on your ability to serve your community. What were you able to do with your grant that you wouldn’t be able to do if you didn’t receive it?

CPB funding is critical to KSTK’s existence. KSTK serves a rural Alaskan island community of just over 2,000 people.  Our population base and economic opportunities are not robust enough to fund the station through membership, underwriting, special events or local grants. Alaska’s Governor Dunleavy continues to veto funding that our state legislators appropriate every budget session.  Since Governor Dunleavy has been in power, Alaska Public Broadcasting has received zero funding. If KSTK’s federal funding also goes away, KSTK will not survive and the people of Wrangell will be without a local Emergency Alert System, daily local fact based news and information as well as the cultural connections the station provides.