Public educational radio stations look to dial in key state support

Video killed neither the radio star nor their funding.

Sponsored by Rep. Cedrick Frazier (DFL-New Hope), HF1408 would appropriate $3.9 million over the 2024-25 biennium from the Legacy Fund to AMPERS Public Radio for production and acquisition grants.

The organization received the same amount last biennium.

On Wednesday, the House Legacy Finance Committee laid the bill over for possible omnibus bill inclusion.

At one of the organization’s 18 independent community radio stations, listeners may learn about anything from local government issues to safety concerns, or hear from a local artist otherwise not featured on the radio.

“Ampers and the stations have been able to produce award-winning work with these Legacy funds,” Frazier said.

Not only do they provide educational opportunities, but they also provide career paths as many employees move on to productions in larger metropolitan areas both in and out of the state.

Ampers stations primarily serve diverse, underrepresented communities, including people of color, student groups and residents of Greater Minnesota, according to an informational sheet.

“We’ve been producing diverse programming by and for underserved communities since long before BIPOC was even an acronym,” said CEO Joel Glaser.

Such programming, found in the institution’s presentation, includes segments like Strong Indigenous Women, Veterans’ Voices: The Secret War, and Traditional Ojibwe Plants, Herbs, and Teas.

Rep. Ethan Cha (DFL-Woodbury) shared the role radio has played in his life, his parents’ lives and within the Hmong community.

Since many of us work blue collar jobs and a lot of elders didn’t watch television, we, instead, listened to the radio. As we farmed with our parents, the radio acted as an essential form of news.