Prairie Public Broadcasting

indicates programs distributed nationally to other public television stations

Prairie News Journal, a regional news digest hosted by Darrel Dorgan, combined stories submitted by regional television, radio and newspaper journalists with mini-documentaries produced by Prairie Public. The program, which aired for 8 seasons, won an Iris award, an Emmy nomination and multiple awards from the Northwest Broadcasters News Association.

When The Well’s Dry: Protecting The Prairie looked at conserving our natural resource in this Earth Day special presentation.

Set Forth God’s Blessing was broadcast of the 65th annual Concordia College Christmas Concert. Produced in conjunction with Concordia College and distributed nationally, it receives a Gabriel Award given in recognition of programs which uplift and nourish the human spirit.

Hablemos espanol!, Prairie Public Television’s live interactive Spanish language program, premiered. The series received CEN awards for excellence in educational television.

Prairie Town Meeting series of 4 specials used satellite uplinks and remote broadcast technology to bring audiences around the state together to explore topics of interest to rural communities.

• Not My Brother’s Keeper investigated the services needed to ensure independent living for seniors in small communities. The program receives an Award of Merit from the Retirement Research Association.
• At the Heart of Our Town explored the impact of school consolidation.
• Not in My Backyard examined the volatile issue of a hazardous waste disposal facility proposed as a economic opportunity for a small rural community.
• Going To The Well examined how–or if – the state should use water from the Missouri River to meet the growing water needs of remote communities.

Bill of Rights Symposium at Minot State University brought together panels to discuss Constitutional topics in honor of the 200th anniversary of the signing of the Bill of Rights.

Prairie Places: Manitoba short features took viewers on a tour through some of the beautiful, historic, and quirky locations throughout the province.

Val Farmer presented the renowned mental health specialist’s keynote address at the historic Fargo Theatre as he talked about the stress of the rural farm crisis and its impact on individuals, families, businesses, and rural communities.

Folk Story: Backstage at the Winnipeg Folk Festival was a behind the scenes look at the province’s largest annual event.

Hablemos espanol! 2, live interactive Spanish language series provided instruction to second year Spanish students in rural classrooms.

1992 ND All State Band, Chorus, and Orchestra televised concert showcased the talents of the best of high school musicians.

Native View, a 1/2 hour weekly interview showshowcased the music, arts, culture, and public issues impacting Native Americans.

Ask A Lawyer allowed viewers to call in questions to a panel of attorneys who addressed the hot legal topics.

Base Economy: North Dakota After The Cold War examined the economic consequences a base closing would have on North Dakota’s rural economy.

Face Off presented face-to-face debates between candidates for the North Dakota governor, Senate, and Congressional seats.

The Kids Show, produced in conjunction with KTHI, aimed to help student viewers skate through the first weeks of school by addresses topics that plaque most student: making new friends, dealing with cliques and bullies, how to dress to fit in while still standing out, and how to have FUN.

Time To Imagine documentary followed students from Trollwood Park’s performing arts exchange program as they tour Beijing, Moscow, and Washington, D.C.

A Woman’s Perspective: North Dakota Women in Politics was a candid conversation among four prominent North Dakota women in political office: Heidi Heitkamp who served as Attorney General, Sarah Vogle who held the office of Commissioner of Agriculture, and Representatives Janet Wentz and Kathy Rydel.

Hablemos espanol! 3, live interactive Spanish language series provided instruction to third year Spanish students in rural classrooms.

1993 ND All State Band, Chorus, and Orchestra concert once again featured the talented young musicians drawn from orchestras, bands, and choirs around the state.

Prairie Town Meeting: Business Edition, a series of four programs using satellite technology, discussed the basics of starting and growing a small business.

Pyramids on the Prairie, a one-hour documentary, featured the history and architecture of the Winnipeg Exchange District—one of the most intact historically important commercial districts on the continent. The program was awarded an Preservation Award of Excellence by the Winnipeg Heritage Foundation.

Transportation: North Dakota’s Link to the World documentary and call-in program gave viewers an opportunity to learn the components of ND Department of Transportation’s Intermodal Transportation Plan and to respond to recommendations.

Prairie Places: North Dakota took viewers along to some of the enchanting locations in the state through a series of short features.

Entrepreneurs North Dakota and Let’s Talk Business was an innovative 26-program series delivers entrepreneurial training to current and aspiring North Dakota small business owners using a combination of broadcast television and the 33 Prairie Satellite Network locations. The series received a Bronze Plaque Award at the Columbus Film and Television Festival.

Router Workshop introduced home woodworkers to techniques and tips building projects using their router through this entertaining and informative how-to series. The program is continuing to air new seasons.

Online with Prairie Online introduced viewers to Prairie Public’s fledgling online service.

Buying a Computer discussed the pitfalls and issues of selecting a home computer. The program received a Bronze Plaque Award at the Columbus Film and Television Festival.

Farm Management for Profit provided farmers and ranchers with training on topics ranging from financial management to marketing to retirement planning.

Treasures of Manitoba took viewers on a tour of the Hudson’s Bay Company Archives.

Tech Day broadcast a demonstration program that interconnected five satellite and interactive video networks in this display of technology and an examination of technology’s implications for rural communications.

Rivers, Roads, Rails and Air examined the transportation changes in the state’s history and how North Dakota history has been tied to those changes. The program received an Honorable Mention at the Columbus Film and Television Festival.

CyberBusiness, a series of four free seminars on the Prairie Satellite Network and two broadcast television programs, provided small business owners throughout North Dakota training on using computers to maximize business potential.

Painting With Paulson Series 1 introduced a national audience to Minnesota-born artist Buck Paulson whose how-to series teaches acrylic painting techniques to beginning and advanced artists.

Legislative Review began providing a weekly wrap-up analysis of the North Dakota legislative session. The series will continue with original broadcasts during each biennial legislative session.

Face To Face presented studio debates between candidates for the North Dakota governor and Congressional seats.

Our Town Minot featured resident-filmed segments on the features, attractions, and slices of life in their North Dakota community.

Conversation With Governor Ed Schafer began a popular quarterly series of call-in programs with North Dakota’s governor.

Celebration of Hope for the Valley presented the live performance of gospel singer Robert Robinson and the Minneapolis Community College Gospel Choir concert at Concordia College. The program was nominated for a regional Emmy award in recognition of excellence in live directing.

Let Heaven and Nature Sing highlighted the performance of Concordia College’s renowned annual Christmas Concert.

Liberty Minutes produced as a companion to PBS program Liberty! The American Revolution gave snapshots of ways the revolution impacted life in North Dakota.

Lewis and Clark Minutes presented slices of life encountered by Lewis and Clark on their historic exploration through the Mandan Nation territory in what was to become North Dakota.

Marketplace took viewers on a tour of the events, people, and ideas presented to rural residents at the annual Marketplace of Ideas.

Personal Perspectives on Justice Brennan presented members of the legal community discussing the impact of the Supreme Court Justice’s career.

Prospering spotlighted alternative agricultural opportunities being explored by farm families in North Dakota as they look beyond the ordinary and find ways to not only survive but prosper. The documentary was awarded a bronze Telly Award.

Red Horse’s Pictographs portrayed the art and text in which the Lakota chief recorded his eye witness account of the Battle of Little Big Horn.

Winds of Honor documented Native American flautist Keith Bear’s preservation of ancient tribal music tradition.

Brian Glow Magic Show presented Winnipeg magician Brian Glow presenting the wonders of magic to children.

Grand Forks: The Next Flood allowed viewers to call-in to a panel of experts in the Prairie Public studio and ask questions about flood mitigation and clean up efforts after the 1997 flood.

Flood Minutes short features included a series of how-to videos to help flood victims clean up after the historic 1997 Red River flood.

Prairie News Journal: Flood Special traced the causes of the historic Red River flood and its aftermath.

Clean Clear Water examined the history, personalities and process behind water filtration and distribution in Fargo as it celebrated the retirement of the historic Fargo Filtration plant and the inauguration of its state-of-the-art replacement.

Diabetes: The Invisible Epidemic was the first in the Healthworks series of call-in programs looked at the causes and treatment of a rapidly rising health problem afflicting one in seven Americans.

Healthworks: Healthy Heart was the second in the Healthworks series and examined the prevention and treatment of heart diseases.

PlainsTalk, a weekly television/radio interview program hosted by Matt Olien, examined a range of issues from the arts to the farm crisis, marked the return to Prairie Public Television of a regularly scheduled series.

Mennonites of Manitoba told the story of a German-speaking group of Dutch farmers from Russia who came in 1874 to the fertile land of Manitoba to create a new life practicing their traditional religion. The documentary was awarded a bronze Telly Award and a Bronze Plaque Award at the Columbus Film and Television Festival.

Painting With Paulson Series 2 provided more tips and techniques for fledgling oil painters from artist Buck Paulson.

Call In About Addiction: Closer To Home gave viewers the chance to voice their questions and concerns about addiction treatment on the prairie, and to ask questions of a panel of experts. This call in program was produced as a companion to the PBS special Moyers On Addiction.

How To Raise Flea Beetles informed prairie farmers and ranchers how to fight infestations of the invasive weed leafy spurge through a program of establishing and propagating flea beetles.

Adwatch, as part of the nationwide PBS initiative The Democracy Project, examined key political ads of the season and analyzed the techniques and issues candidates used to appeal to voters.

Debate Night provided viewers a televised debate in conjunction with the League of Women Voters and interactive website as part of the North Dakota Voters Interactive Project.

Healthworks: The Change examined the health issues, symptoms, and impact of menopause.

Healthworks: Asthma panel of medical experts provided viewers with advice on the management of childhood and adult asthma.

Prairie Renaissance short features and studio discussion program brought viewers the stories of North Dakota communities that learned to forge a shared vision for their future and help revive the rural landscape.

Start @ Home presented home business ideas for rural North Dakotans seeking ways to pursue their careers without leaving the communities they love.

Paying For College documented critical issues in a student’s search for financial aid and incorporated step-by-step direction on how to complete the all-important FAFSA forms.

Germans From Russia: Children of the Steppe, Children of the Prairie was the story of the agricultural pioneers whose quest for land and peace led them across several continents and shaped them into a distinctive and enduring ethnic group. This documentary was a finalist in the U Siebe International Film Festival, the only American documentary to be invited to participate in the juried competition. It also received a platinum Best of Show Telly Award, and was awarded a Bronze Plaque Award at the Columbus Film and Television Festival.

This Old Image documented the makeovers of four North Dakota businesses that were renovating their outmoded logos and marketing materials.

Net Profit: Marketing on the Web explored how businesses can put together a good web site and expand their marketing through Internet sales.

Painting With Paulson Series 3 brought popular artist Buck Paulson back to public television for more how-tos for oil and acrylic painters looking to improve their technique.

Prairie Public Cooks: P is for Pasta was the first cooking special from Prairie Public’s studios featuring viewers cooking up their favorite recipes. A cookbook was produced as a companion to the program.

Prairie Quilts showcased the work of contemporary North Dakota quilters who express their creative impulses through needle, thread and fabric.

Keep the Faith presented the final performance of a musical written as an inspirational celebration of community following the historic Red River flood. The concert program was awarded a bronze Telly Award and Honorable Mention at the Columbus Film and Television Festival.

Healthworks presented three new call-in programs to provide advice from panels of medical experts

More to See

Award-winning radio, television, and public media services that educate, involve, and inspire the people of the prairie region.