Tribal radio stations receive federal funding amid public media cuts

Tribal public radio stations in South Dakota are receiving short-term federal support following the defunding of the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, according to South Dakota Searchlight.

The Bureau of Indian Affairs Office of Indigenous Connectivity and Technology announced award notices to KILI in Porcupine, KOYA in St. Francis and KDKO in Lake Andes. A funding award is also expected for KLND in McLaughlin, which serves the Standing Rock and Cheyenne River reservations. The $9.4 million in aid for 38 tribal stations follows a deal brokered by U.S. Sen. Mike Rounds after Congress rescinded $1.1 billion in public media funding in July.

KILI manager Oitancan “Oi” Zephier said the station’s BIA award matches its prior funding level but does not solve long-term financial concerns. “We need new equipment,” Zephier was quoted as saying. “We need a new emergency alert system, and that’s going to cost us about $170,000 alone.”