Prairie Public Broadcasting

News Summary:

Prairie Public received an award in the Special Events category at the 58th annual Public Media Awards on September 14, 2026, hosted by the National Educational Telecommunications Association (NETA), for its event "State of the Station: The Road Ahead for Prairie Public." Previously, in August 2026, Prairie Public Broadcasting deployed "Ask Prairie Public," a chatbot on its website, which launched in April to assist its audience. On May 15, 2026, the broadcaster announced the winners of the 2026 PBS KIDS Writers Contest, an annual program designed to encourage children’s creativity and strengthen reading and writing skills. Earlier in May 2026, Prairie Public invited the community to a special evening featuring Steve Inskeep, co-host of NPR’s Morning Edition and Up First, on June 24, as part of NPR’s “America In Pursuit” initiative, exploring life, liberty, and happiness over 250 years. This event followed a grant of $1,156,279 from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB) on November 2, 2025, to establish the Upper Midwest Newsroom. This regional journalism collaboration is led by Minnesota Public Radio (MPR) and includes Prairie Public Broadcasting as a partner, alongside South Dakota Public Broadcasting (SDPB) and Wisconsin Public Radio (WPR).