PORCUPINE, S.D. ñ The main source of communications to an entire reservation has been silenced and out of business for more than a month.
Award-winning community radio station KILI-FM on the Pine Ridge Reservation in South Dakota fell victim to a major prairie spring storm on April 15 and has been off the air since. The tower and transmission line were struck by lightning.
Low-level transmission was possible until April 23, when engineers determined the tower would not support any transmission.
The radio stationís board of directors and many other organizations and individuals are now putting out the call for donations to match a grant for a new antenna and transmission line. The estimated cost of a new antenna and transmission line has climbed from $70,000 early on to $200,000 most recently. The radio station needs matching funds for a grant that could help them get up and running.
The station broadcasts programs related to health, education, youth, agriculture and economic development. It also broadcasts personal messages, keeps people informed about meetings, gatherings and social events and all of the Oglala Tribal Councilís meetings.
All is not completely lost. The station has an online streaming service whose listenership has grown from 1,000 in the past 30 days to more than 13,000, according to the Web site.
KILI radio is the go-to source for information around the reservation. While keeping the entire reservation and surrounding areas informed, entertainment was also part of the mix. Parents of students relied on the radio station, which provided youths an opportunity to host their own programs, to inform them of school events.
The station serves nearly 30,000 people, including residents of Pine Ridge and American Indian residents of Rapid City, which has the largest American Indian urban population in the state, and who come from many of the stateís reservations. KILI has a transmitter in Rapid City, which is also off the air because the mother station is silent.
ìSince KILI has been off we donít know anything anymore. We donít know whatís going on anywhere,î said Carrie Romero at the Community Action Program office in Kyle.
Organizations like the CAP office relied on the station to announce upcoming events, meetings and other gatherings. Romero said that an event at Kyle on June 2 may not be well attended since it canít be announced on KILI.
ìIf there are district meetings, or a land committee meeting or any meetings, we donít know what is going on anymore. The council representatives would get on there, but now we donít know about the issues,î Romero said.
A large community of listeners tuned in to KILI in the morning to listen to the elders speaks, mostly in Lakota.
ìEveryone listens,î Romero said. She added that most of the news that passes around the reservation is a week old and mostly hearsay at that point.
Dave Pourier, fifth member of the executive committee, said he had not heard too many complaints in his office. The major problem is keeping everyone informed, he said. The council meetings are not broadcast, and Pourier had not heard many complaints about that, he said. Pourier said some people were listening online.
At different times of the day a listener could listen to pow wow music, contemporary American Indian music, country, rap, rock and other styles of music.
Oglala tribal leaders and elected officials were given time on the station, as were those who opposed the administration during and after elections to discuss both sides of issues. At times, administration officials fell to criticism from tribal members, but were always able to defend themselves on the air.
The radio station had been broadcasting at a lower power for some time as a safety precaution for the station personnel after it was determined the tower built in 1983 was transmitting possibly dangerous levels of radio frequency.
KILI-FM is a not-for-profit broadcast facility, and tax-deductible donations are welcomed. For more information or to make a contribution, contact Melanie Janis or Tom Casey at Box 150, Porcupine, SD 57772; or visit www.kiliradio.org.
PORCUPINE, S.D. ñ The main source of communications to an entire reservation has been silenced and out of business for more than a month.Award-winning community radio station KILI-FM on the Pine Ridge Reservation in South Dakota fell victim to a major prairie spring storm on April 15 and has been off the air since. The tower and transmission line were struck by lightning.Low-level transmission was possible until April 23, when engineers determined the tower would not support any transmission.The radio stationís board of directors and many other organizations and individuals are now putting out the call for donations to match a grant for a new antenna and transmission line. The estimated cost of a new antenna and transmission line has climbed from $70,000 early on to $200,000 most recently. The radio station needs matching funds for a grant that could help them get up and running.The station broadcasts programs related to health, education, youth, agriculture and economic development. It also broadcasts personal messages, keeps people informed about meetings, gatherings and social events and all of the Oglala Tribal Councilís meetings.All is not completely lost. The station has an online streaming service whose listenership has grown from 1,000 in the past 30 days to more than 13,000, according to the Web site.KILI radio is the go-to source for information around the reservation. While keeping the entire reservation and surrounding areas informed, entertainment was also part of the mix. Parents of students relied on the radio station, which provided youths an opportunity to host their own programs, to inform them of school events.The station serves nearly 30,000 people, including residents of Pine Ridge and American Indian residents of Rapid City, which has the largest American Indian urban population in the state, and who come from many of the stateís reservations. KILI has a transmitter in Rapid City, which is also off the air because the mother station is silent.ìSince KILI has been off we donít know anything anymore. We donít know whatís going on anywhere,î said Carrie Romero at the Community Action Program office in Kyle.Organizations like the CAP office relied on the station to announce upcoming events, meetings and other gatherings. Romero said that an event at Kyle on June 2 may not be well attended since it canít be announced on KILI.ìIf there are district meetings, or a land committee meeting or any meetings, we donít know what is going on anymore. The council representatives would get on there, but now we donít know about the issues,î Romero said.A large community of listeners tuned in to KILI in the morning to listen to the elders speaks, mostly in Lakota.ìEveryone listens,î Romero said. She added that most of the news that passes around the reservation is a week old and mostly hearsay at that point.Dave Pourier, fifth member of the executive committee, said he had not heard too many complaints in his office. The major problem is keeping everyone informed, he said. The council meetings are not broadcast, and Pourier had not heard many complaints about that, he said. Pourier said some people were listening online.At different times of the day a listener could listen to pow wow music, contemporary American Indian music, country, rap, rock and other styles of music.Oglala tribal leaders and elected officials were given time on the station, as were those who opposed the administration during and after elections to discuss both sides of issues. At times, administration officials fell to criticism from tribal members, but were always able to defend themselves on the air.The radio station had been broadcasting at a lower power for some time as a safety precaution for the station personnel after it was determined the tower built in 1983 was transmitting possibly dangerous levels of radio frequency. KILI-FM is a not-for-profit broadcast facility, and tax-deductible donations are welcomed. For more information or to make a contribution, contact Melanie Janis or Tom Casey at Box 150, Porcupine, SD 57772; or visit www.kiliradio.org.
