REPORT TO THE COMMUNITY FOR WORK IN 2019
On Air Online In the Community WE ARE STRONG Dear Community Member,
The media landscape – both content and delivery – changes constantly. Nevertheless, another constant clarifies our vision and sustains our mission here at Alaska Public Media.
We are committed to connecting Alaskans and encouraging a life informed.
Through your ongoing support in 2019, and despite the unprecedented challenges in this era, Alaska Public Media stayed true to that mission by providing trusted, fact based statewide news coverage, and public affairs programming.
We expanded early childhood education and workforce development efforts supported by partners that empowered programs aimed at helping young Alaskans and their families find preschool success or rewarding careers as they enter adulthood. We delivered and connected you with the very best PBS and NPR programs available while producing and curating uniquely Alaskan television and radio features, documentaries, and children’s programming.
Through numerous community events and screening opportunities we demonstrated to those who love the stories we tell that they are not alone in this adoration. Together, we form a community that can learn, grow, and have challenging conversations.
For 45 years you have trusted us to deliver honest video and audio content that engages, educates, and informs. We are your PBS and NPR services localized to meet the needs of our viewers, listeners, and, now more than ever, digital streaming and reading users.
In the next decade, we endeavor to do more by continuing to elevate civic engagement and dialogue, educate the curious of all ages, and ensure communities all over Alaska remain safe. As always, we are not alone in this work. Our members, major donors, corporate funders, and community partners made everything in this report possible. We are proud to have them by our side as we enter another wonderful year at Alaska Public Media. Thank you. Sincerely,
Ed Ulman, President & CEO
2 WE ARE INFORMING
PUBLIC Our statewide news coverage keeps Alaskans informed on POWERED the topics that matter most. We capture the attention of JOURNALISM our state and interest nationwide.
TOP STORIES OF 2019
Friends went looking for a missing Senior employee, APD officer Protest interrupts governor at AFN, Southeast Alaska artist. Instead, embezzled $7.3M from ConocoPhillips, reveals fissures over appropriate they found a note according to civil filing dissent among attendees
‘Do they know that it’s that bad?’ Passenger on Unalaska flight A soldier tried to buy a motorcycle Drivers describe ‘hellfire’ on Sterling recounts crash landing: ‘He’s not in Anchorage. His lawyer says he Highway Sunday going to stop — we’re going into was targeted by a ‘yo-yo scam’ the water’ EXCELLENCE REWARDED
Alaska Public Media journalism was recognized with multiple awards for great work: →→ 8 awards from Alaska Press Club →→ 1 regional Edward R. Murrow award →→ 1 Goldie award from Alaska →→ 1 award from Associated Press Broadcasters Association Television and Radio Association Our journalists and their stories were featured in national programs: →→ 12 stories on NPR →→ 3 stories on NPR newscasts →→ 3 stories on NPR.org →→ 2 Stories on Here & Now
3 WE ARE INFORMING SPECIAL NEWS COVERAGE
MENTAL HEALTH Mental health reporting on suicide prevention, addiction treatment and the need for more treatment beds for Alaskans has been featured on all news programs, including Alaska News Nightly and Alaska Morning News. The statewide call-in program Talk of Alaska also tackled these issues, as did our television public affairs program Alaska Insight. Line One included mental health topics on television, radio and on alaskapublic.org.
RURAL HEALTH A new rural health reporting initiative featured a wide range of stories from across the state. Reports on water quality, piped water and sewer infrastructure installations or upgrades, food security, off-road community electrical system improvements and build outs for broadband connection for rural Alaska were carried on Alaska News Nightly, Alaska Morning News and Talk of Alaska. Video stories on food security and garden micro economies in Anuktuvuk Pass, water conservation measures in Metlakatla and a first ever hook-up for in-home piped water in Lower Kalskag were all featured on Alaska Insight, and PBS NewsHour is considering national distribution.
ALASKA'S ENERGY DESK This statewide collaboration expanded to five new partner stations in 2019: Ketchikan, Haines, Dillingham, Kotzebue and Kodiak. Combined with the continued partnerships in Unalaska and Bethel, the Juneau- and Anchorage-based Energy Desk now has reporters in nine communities across the state. A new editor in Anchorage, Julia O’Malley, oversaw this growth.
RETRO LOCAL Alaska Public Media was selected by PBS to participate in Retro Local, a component of the new series Retro Report. We recorded two special Alaska Insight episodes with live studio audiences, covering immigration and restorative justice.
4 WE ARE INFORMING ORIGINAL ALASKA TV & VIDEO ALASKA INSIGHT Alaska Insight wrapped Season 2 in 2019 and began Season 3, covering a wide range of issues from politics to workforce development to economics. The show has featured candidates for public office, ballot initiative supporters, and community and business leaders who participated in discussions on some of the biggest issues facing Alaska.
INDIE ALASKA This unique video series is produced in partnership with PBS Digital Studios. It captures the diverse and colorful lifestyles of everyday Alaskans. Season 8 released with 23 new episodes. The INDIE ALASKA series had over 660,000 total views online and reached a total of 14,000 subscribers on YouTube.
RUNNING 2019 The series featured 14 videos of candidates running for Anchorage city assembly and school board. All candidates were invited to AKPM's television studio to outline their priorities if elected. For Anchorage Assembly, nine candidates vying for seats in five districts were recorded. For Anchorage School Board, two board seats were up for election and a total of five candidates ran for them.
POLAR PLAYLISTS PBS selected us to produce special local programming around Ken Burns' Country Music, We created Polar Playlists, a video series of local Alaska bands performing original songs in our television studio. We featured three local bands in six videos for TV and digital with a total of 40,300 web views on Facebook and YouTube.
LINE ONE HEALTH TIPS Twenty-two Line One: Your Health Connection video shorts were launched featuring Line One hosts addressing health concerns. These aired on TV and digital and have received 800 web views.
5 WE ARE INFORMING ORIGINAL ALASKA RADIO & PODCASTS LINE ONE: YOUR HEALTH CONNECTION Line One welcomed two new hosts to join Prentiss Pemberton. Dr. Justin Clark is an Anchorage surgeon and the Director of Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery at Providence Alaska Medical Center. Dr. Jillian Woodruff is an Anchorage OB/GYN and owns her own practice, Modern Gynecology. Together, their expertise has helped expand the breadth of coverage Line One has to offer.
MIDNIGHT OIL: THE NEIGHBORS Alaska is on the verge of a new oil boom — and the village of Nuiqsut is right in the middle. Oil development is affecting Nuiqsut more than any other indigenous community in Alaska. And the village faces tough choices. How do you maintain a way of life when the oil industry is knocking on your door? This bonus podcast episode of Midnight Oil received 11,500 downloads.
IDITAPOD: SEASON 3 Reaching mushing and outdoor enthusiasts in Alaska and across the Lower 48 and abroad, Season 3 of Iditapod had 17 unique episodes, plus 20 bonus episodes. In total, Iditapod's latest season had more than 200,000 downloads, a huge expansion over the first two seasons of the podcast.
STATE OF ART Since its inception in 2019, State of Art has covered topics from local theater productions and art exhibits to literature and classical music performances. Anchorage has a large arts community relative to its size and State of Art works to provide its audience with new ways to connect with our city’s culture.
TALK OF ALASKA: HOLIDAY CALL-IN SHOW Hosted by Steve Heimel, this annual tradition devoted a special two-hour episode of Talk of Alaska to good wishes sent out statewide by local community members and for the first time on Facebook Live. This year107 calls from 54 communities across the state were received.
6 WE ARE SUSTAINABLE 80% OF Alaska Public Media is community supported. IS Individual members, corporate sponsors, foundations FUNDING and partners contribute 80% of funds needed for COMMUNITY making news, programming and services available PROVIDED throughout Alaska.
2019 SNAPSHOT Membership →→Over 9,770 total members →→40% of members are sustainers
Gifts →→$325,000 received as bequests →→69 vehicles donated →→Top recipient of Pick. Click.Give.
Corporate Philanthropy →→210 total corporate sponsors
A REMARKABLE YEAR In 2019, public media lost state funding. This affected all public media stations and meant a loss of $400,000 to Alaska Public Media. Financial reserves were used to cover expenses for crucial infrastructure costs. These necessities include annual fiber link fees, statewide equipment including the ARCS system that reaches rural towns and villages and distributing radio content statewide. The community responded resoundingly to help cover the lost funding, allowing us to replenish our financial reserves.
7 WE ARE COMMUNITY 4,570 Alaska Public Media crafts media experiences in the community through screenings, discussions and special ATTENDEES events. These engagements provide an opportunity to come together to learn from one another, to celebrate shared ACROSS 27 passions and to participate in respectful dialogue about EVENTS important issues.
ASK A WASHINGTON DC INDIE ALASKA SCREENING KEN BURNS' COUNTRY CORRESPONDENT & FUNDRAISING EVENT MUSIC FREE SCREENING MEMBER EVENT An original series from This new documentary Alaska has just one full-time Alaska Public Media, INDIE series by Ken Burns explores journalist reporting home ALASKA, captures the questions such as “What is from the nation’s capital: diverse and colorful lifestyles country music?”, and “Where Alaska Public Media’s own of everyday Alaskans at did it come from?“ while also Liz Ruskin. Members joined work and at play. This focusing on the fascinating Liz and News Director, Lori special event premiered new characters who created Townsend, for a discussion episodes, encored some old and shaped it. It premiered on what its like covering favorites and invited story alongside Polar Playlists, a Alaska’s Washington ideas for new shows. music video series filmed in our studios featuring local delegation in the current bands. political climate.
INDIE LENS POP-UP VICTORIA SEASON 3 LAKSMI SINGH RECEPTION FREE SCREENINGS FREE SCREENING WITH LEADERSHIP CIRCLE In collaboration with It is 1848, and revolution is Award-winning NPR our community partner, breaking out across Europe. newscaster Laksmi Singh the University of Alaska In Britain, one woman stands was the key note speaker for Anchorage, Independent between order and chaos: the annual Alaska Press Club Lens films were screened in Queen Victoria. This popular conference. Alaska Public the college's Multicultural PBS MASTERPIECE series Media Leadership Circle Center, and discussions were thrilled hundreds at its latest members were invited to held immediately following. season premiere. attend a special reception to Films screened included the meet this legendary public popular documentary Won't media journalist. You Be My Neighbor.
8 WE ARE COMMUNITY WILD KRATTS LIVE 2.0 ATTLA FREE SCREENING READING RENDEZVOUS Presented by the Anchorage The Anchorage Museum PARTICIPATION Concert Association, Wild hosted a screening of ATTLA, Hosted by the Z.J. Loussac Kratts Live 2.0 is a theatrical an Independent Lens film Library, this family-friendly stage show based on the hit which tells the gripping story day promotes literacy and PBS KIDS' animated TV show of the late George Attla, reading. Our booth featured an Alaska Native dog sled fun PBS KIDS games and Wild Kratts. Stars Martin and racer who, with one good activities from shows Chris Kratt, zoologists by leg and a dream, dominated including the new PBS KIDS training, engaged Anchorage the sport for five decades. series, Molly of Denali. audiences and met with local Catherine Axley, the film's Alaska Public Media Ready director, conducted a Q&A to Learn families. session after the film.
MOLLY OF DENALI LAUNCH BREAKFAST: CHAMPIONING EDUCATION Alaska Public Media welcomed the & WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT launch of the new PBS KIDS series Molly Two working breakfasts were held as of Denali, the first national animated part of Alaska @ Work, an Alaska Public children’s program to feature an Alaska Media initiative. A collaboration between Native lead character. With the help of community partners, this event included community partners, the series kicked educators, nonprofit support workers, off with screenings at over 17 venues in government program representatives 10 communities across Alaska with over and interested community leaders. 1,400 attendees. Additionally, content was Together we shared information, ideas shared with 40 Athabascan villages for local and networked for new connections screenings. united in addressing this topic.
GOVERNOR'S HUMANITIES & ARTS AWARD: DISTINGUISHED SERVICE IN THE COMMUNITY Congratulations to Bede Trantina, who's voice has been a staple of public radio and KSKA for nearly 40 years. In this time, she helped contribute to Alaska's profound sense of identity, and in 2019 was honored for these efforts. Bede received the Governor's Humanities & Arts Award, which recognizes Alaskans that have helped strengthen communities by forging connections between people across race, class, and cultural divides.
9 WE ARE COMMUNITY WAYS TO BE INVOLVED
MEETINGS Meetings of the board of directors, committees and advisory groups for AKPM are open to the public. A schedule of meetings is listed at alaskapublic.org/publicmeetings. Meetings are held at the Elmo Sackett Broadcast Center, 3877 University Drive, Anchorage.
BOARD OF DIRECTORS Seats on the board of directors and committees become open each year. The board con- siders all applicants. Those interested should submit a statement of interest and a bio. Call 907-550-8498 to learn more.
COMMUNITY ADVISORY BOARD This volunteer group meets four times a year to review programming goals established by the station, service provided by the station and significant policy decisions rendered by the station that relate to addressing the specialized educational and cultural needs of the communities served by AKPM. The Community Advisory Board adds members year-round and represents the diverse needs and interests of the communities served. WAYS TO ENJOY
WATCH KAKM (7.1, GCI 7 & 657, MTA 7 & 807, Dish 6 & 7, YouTube TV) Create TV (7.2, GCI 94, MTA 307, Dish 8) 360 North (7.3, GCI 15, MTA 302, Dish 9) PBS KIDS 24/7 (7.4, GCI 97, MTA 14, Dish 10, YouTube TV, AKPM App) PBS KIDS (pbskids.org, PBS KIDS App, AKPM App) PBS Video & AK Passport (pbs.org, PBS Video App, AKPM App) Alaska Public Media App (iOS and Android)
LISTEN KSKA (91.1 FM, Seward 88.1, Girdwood 91.9, alaskapublic.org, AKPM App) NPR One (one.npr.org, NPR One App) Alaska Public Media App (iOS and Android) Statewide News (on our various member stations) Alaskapublic.org
10 WE ARE ESSENTIAL
Alaska Public Media provides non-commercial radio, OVER 97% OF television and web communications across the state, reaching 97% of Alaskans — including much of the ALASKANS state's rural areas. Additionally, we provide free, reliable, REACHED redundant access to potentially lifesaving public safety information and alerts.
ALASKA PUBLIC MEDIA’S EMERGENCY AWARN/EAS RESPONSE PLAN AWARN/EAS provides a diverse, additional In the event of an emergency, AKPM path between FEMA and cellular service stands ready to respond with critical, providers. Using one-to-many satellite lifesaving information from local, state distribution and terrestrial broadcast, PBS and national agencies. Under the direction AWARN reaches cellular carriers over the of AKPM’s news department, broadcast air. If a cybersecurity incident or internet radio, television and online platforms have disruption to a carrier facility breaks the and can deliver timely, accurate news and primary connection to FEMA, the PBS information to ensure public safety and AWARN system provides an immediate awareness. AKPM’s Emergency Response alternate source of inbound Wireless Plan, which is reviewed and updated Emergency Alert (WEA) messages. Going annually, takes full advantage of our 24/7 beyond industry standard best practices for broadcast and online capabilities to system design and operation, PBS AWARN serve should a natural and/or man-made ensures WEA availability to all cellular emergency occur. service providers. INFRASTRUCTURE UPDATES BY OUR ENGINEERS →→ The transmitter serving the Kasilof area was replaced in July. This was necessitated by the FCC's new nationwide channel assignment changes.
→→ Internal IT wiring, servers and desktop computers were replaced to bring us up to date with current technology.
→→ A new video archive system was installed mid-year to increase storage capacity for TV program material.
→→ We joined 100 other public broadcasting stations in a first-time venture for streaming PBS station programming. Our local and most of our national content is now available to watch live on the paid subscription service YouTube TV.
11 WE ARE EDUCATION
children and parents participated in camps EARLY 300 and family sessions local partners facilitated with venues, invite EDUCATION: 10 lists, resources and additional funds
READY TO diverse geographic low-income areas in 4 Anchorage covered LEARN
Molly of Denali Education Pop-up Ready Jet Go Space Camp at Play and Learn with Science Family Workshop at Woodlands Park Boys event at Alaska Native Heritage Anchorage Museum and Girls Club. Center
Many children lack the basic early learning skills required to succeed in school. Educational television and digital media targeted at preschool and early elementary school children and their families, especially those who live in low-income communities, can help children become ready to learn.
Ready to Learn camps and Family & Community Learning sessions give children and families a way to learn together through play and are built upon the themes of popular PBS Learning Media shows. Ready to Learn seed funding is from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting and the U.S. Department of Education. In 2019 we focused on bringing educational experiences to underserved, high-need communities. We provided over 300 instructional hours of digital media and hands-on and personalized, adaptive learning to children and parents. We worked with libraries, museums, schools, Boys & Girls Clubs and additional partners to improve school readiness and increase literacy skills through children’s camps, family learning evenings, field trips and a PBS STEM technology lab.
Over the year we worked with families in Bethel, Alaska to develop Molly of Denali rural education materials revolving around informational text.
12 WE ARE EDUCATION
WORKFORCE 4.8 on broadcast television MILLION video views DEVELOPMENT: attendees in collaboration and ALASKA 3,400 listening sessions @ WORK 35 videos produced
"Training for a Career in Auto and "Youth In the Hospitality Industry" "Ironworkers' Apprenticeship" Diesel Technology" Alaska ProStart Iron Workers Local 751 University of Alaska, Anchorage
Workforce development has a major impact on multiple aspects of our community. A thriving economy has both a skilled workforce and opportunity. Alaska has high-demand jobs – meaning a good number of annual openings that pay a good wage – that also offer pathways to rewarding careers, which do not require four-year degrees. Through multimedia content and promotion, Alaska Public Media helps students, parents, educators and businesses become aware of and connect with training, apprenticeships, resources and job searches to jump start such careers. Alaska @ Work seed funding is through a grant from the American Graduate: Getting to Work initiative and the Corporation for Public Broadcasting. The efforts in 2019 were focused on providing young Alaskans with tools and resources they need to get into rewarding careers without a four-year degree.
In 2019, Alaska Public Media engaged over 300 partners, convened over 160 community participants in listening and working sessions and held or presented at six other community events reaching 3,135 attendees. Our production team created 35 videos, and the news team produced three current affairs programs centered on workforce development issues.
13 COMMUNITY COMMENTS "I appreciate all of the various programs. I am never disappointed when I listen." - Susan G. & Ralph B., Soldotna
"Public radio has shaped me and my family for the better, so please know that the work you do is not in vain." - Makenzie D., Sitka
"Alaska News Nightly on the radio and PBS NewsHour and BBC America News are essential. My wife and I also enjoy other programs such as Frontline and Endeavour when possible." - Michael J., Barrow
"I love all of our local programming - especially Hometown Alaska, AK News Nightly, and Outdoor Explorer - and I also love all of the national and international programming. This wide range of perspectives keeps me informed and entertained. Thanks! " - Joe S., Anchorage
"Thank you so much for the invaluable service you provide to Alaska!" - Joseph A., Wasilla
"Thank you so much for the Hometown Alaska piece on the Anchorage Climate Plan... Also thanks for other climate coverage, like Ask a Climatologist, The Big Thaw, and others. It's so critical for media to be engaged in this, possibly the biggest threat humanity has ever faced." - Kendra Z., Sutton
"I rely on this station for the beautiful work that you do. " - Barbara D., Soldotna
14 COMMUNITY POWERED
Alaska Public Media is community supported.
The work summarized in this report is accomplished in partnership with our members, sponsors, staff, board and the Corporation for Public Broadcasting.
Thank you for your engagement, generosity and trust.
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