Changes and Challenges

by markjohnson on April 6, 2018

We’ve all experienced changes in our lives. Some small, others significant.

In the next 15 months, Pioneer 90.1 KSRQ will be changing, as part of a new path forward.

In July of 2019, KSRQ radio will become a true community radio station – ownership will transfer from Northland Community & Technical College to our own 501c3 non-profit.

The station will continue to broadcast from Northland’s campuses, but KSRQ’s staff will no longer be employees of Northland Community & Technical College. And in order to continue operations as a community non-profit, Pioneer 90.1 must be self-supporting.

We have a challenge ahead of us.

In October of this year, the grant that has enabled the station to grow since 2008 is going away.

The Corporation for Public Broadcasting’s new threshold for non-federal financial support has tripled in recent years.  As a result, we will no longer receive CPB funds for staffing, equipment maintenance, and syndicated programs.

The grant is more than one-third of KSRQ’s budget.

We’re sharing this news with you because we know you value the programming on Pioneer 90.1 and want it to continue.

In a few weeks, we will begin our annual membership drive. And this will be the most important drive we’ve ever had!

If we can meet our goal of raising $100,000 between now and next year, we can re-apply for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting funds.

We have only two ways of reaching that goal: membership contributions and business underwriting.

Over the ten years of the CPB grant, KSRQ has grown in every way that a rural non-commercial station can.

Pioneer 90.1 has more volunteers, more listeners, more local business underwriters, and more individual donors than any time in its 46 year history.

We’ve come too far to stop now!

If you’ve ever thought about making a pledge, NOW IS THE TIME!

If your business has ever considered becoming an underwriting partner, NOW IS THE TIME!

We sincerely thank you for being a part of Pioneer 90.1. We’re proud of this non-profit radio station and what it means to people in our rural corners of Minnesota and North Dakota.

For more information on how you can help us prepare for the future and sustain community radio for years to come, please call us at (218) 683-8588, text the word GIVE to (218) 683-8588, or donate online (Make sure to select KSRQ Listener Support).

The time to help secure the future of OUR community radio station is now. Together, we can keep building OUR community radio station!

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