KSUT
Encyclopedia
KSUT is a non-commercial radio station
licensed
to serve the community of Ignacio, Colorado
, USA. The station is owned by KSUT Public Radio, a non-profit corporation, and licensed to KUTE, Inc. KSUT Public Radio operates as a member-supported service of the Southern Ute Indian Tribe.
from the Federal Communications Commission
and was assigned the call letters KSUT. Originally licensed as a 10 watt
community radio station serving the Southern Ute Indian Reservation
, KSUT began regular broadcasting in June 1976 with a mix of tribal news and personal messages for the residents of the reservation. At the time, it was one of only 8 Native American
radio stations operating in the United States.
A May 1979 relocation of the broadcast transmitter and increase in signal strength allowed KSUT to begin serving the larger surrounding community as well. In 1984, the station joined National Public Radio and added other programming sources to broaden the appeal of the station beyond the original mission of Native news and cultural programming. Four Corners Public Radio, as it came to be known, added several affiliates and broadcast translators to serve the greater Four Corners region and continued to add more conventional public radio shows like Car Talk
and A Prairie Home Companion
.
In June 1998, KSUT split its program stream so that Four Corner Public Radio could continue to serve the larger regional audience while KSUT, now branded as "Southern Ute Tribal Radio" could return to its original mission of serving the Southern Ute Reservation, plus the towns of Ignacio and Bayfield, with more Native-focused programming and facilitating communication on the reservation. In 2002 a full-time news department was added to the station's lineup.
music format plus National Public Radio and AIROS Native Radio Network programming. This programming lineup, branded "Southern Ute Tribal Radio", is similar to their more widely distributed "Four Corners Public Radio" program stream but with specific Native American
programming in the mornings, mid-days, and some evening hours. Local programming includes Tribal Radio Morning Show featuring music and public affairs plus the Native America Calling live call-in talk show every weekday, a mix of weekly mid-day shows including Rez Rhythms and Voices in the Wind featuring traditional and contemporary Native music, plus a nightly mix of music and news called AlterNAtive Voices. Network programming includes Latino USA
, NPR's All Things Considered
, Fresh Air
with Terry Gross
, World Cafe
, and BBC World News overnight.
In March 2008, KSUT executive director Beth Warren was honored as the Colorado Broadcast Citizen of the Year by the Colorado Broadcasters Association for her "community volunteer work, her advocacy for area non-profits and her involvement in local, regional and national public radio excellence." The station also received top honors for 2007 in the areas of community service campaign, best news feature report, and best sales promotion for an advertiser.
to upgrade to a class C2 broadcast license with an increase in effective radiated power
to 2000 watt
s and in height above average terrain
to 497 meters (1631 feet). The new transmitter location at 37°11'03"N, 107°29'06"W would be slightly northeast of the current site. This permit expires on July 17, 2010.
Radio station
Radio broadcasting is a one-way wireless transmission over radio waves intended to reach a wide audience. Stations can be linked in radio networks to broadcast a common radio format, either in broadcast syndication or simulcast or both...
licensed
City of license
A city of license or community of license, in American and Canadian broadcasting, is the community that a radio station or television station is officially licensed to serve by that country's broadcast regulator....
to serve the community of Ignacio, Colorado
Ignacio, Colorado
The Town of Ignacio is a Statutory Town located in La Plata County, Colorado, United States. The population was 669 at the 2000 census.Located within the boundaries of the Southern Ute Indian Reservation, the town is the capital of the Southern Ute Indian tribe. It was named for their...
, USA. The station is owned by KSUT Public Radio, a non-profit corporation, and licensed to KUTE, Inc. KSUT Public Radio operates as a member-supported service of the Southern Ute Indian Tribe.
History
On May 7, 1975, this station received its original construction permitConstruction permit
A construction permit or building permit is a permit required in most jurisdictions for new construction, or adding on to pre-existing structures, and in some cases for major renovations. Generally, the new construction must be inspected during construction and after completion to ensure compliance...
from the Federal Communications Commission
Federal Communications Commission
The Federal Communications Commission is an independent agency of the United States government, created, Congressional statute , and with the majority of its commissioners appointed by the current President. The FCC works towards six goals in the areas of broadband, competition, the spectrum, the...
and was assigned the call letters KSUT. Originally licensed as a 10 watt
Watt
The watt is a derived unit of power in the International System of Units , named after the Scottish engineer James Watt . The unit, defined as one joule per second, measures the rate of energy conversion.-Definition:...
community radio station serving the Southern Ute Indian Reservation
Southern Ute Indian Reservation
The Southern Ute Indian Reservation lies in southwestern Colorado, USA, along the northern border of New Mexico. Its territory consists of land from three counties; in descending order of surface area they are La Plata, Archuleta, and Montezuma Counties. The reservation has a land area of 1,058.785...
, KSUT began regular broadcasting in June 1976 with a mix of tribal news and personal messages for the residents of the reservation. At the time, it was one of only 8 Native American
Native Americans in the United States
Native Americans in the United States are the indigenous peoples in North America within the boundaries of the present-day continental United States, parts of Alaska, and the island state of Hawaii. They are composed of numerous, distinct tribes, states, and ethnic groups, many of which survive as...
radio stations operating in the United States.
A May 1979 relocation of the broadcast transmitter and increase in signal strength allowed KSUT to begin serving the larger surrounding community as well. In 1984, the station joined National Public Radio and added other programming sources to broaden the appeal of the station beyond the original mission of Native news and cultural programming. Four Corners Public Radio, as it came to be known, added several affiliates and broadcast translators to serve the greater Four Corners region and continued to add more conventional public radio shows like Car Talk
Car Talk
Car Talk is a radio talk show broadcast weekly on National Public Radio stations throughout the United States and elsewhere. Its subjects are automobiles and repair, and it often takes humorous turns...
and A Prairie Home Companion
A Prairie Home Companion
A Prairie Home Companion is a live radio variety show created and hosted by Garrison Keillor. The show runs on Saturdays from 5 to 7 p.m. Central Time, and usually originates from the Fitzgerald Theater in Saint Paul, Minnesota, although it is frequently taken on the road...
.
In June 1998, KSUT split its program stream so that Four Corner Public Radio could continue to serve the larger regional audience while KSUT, now branded as "Southern Ute Tribal Radio" could return to its original mission of serving the Southern Ute Reservation, plus the towns of Ignacio and Bayfield, with more Native-focused programming and facilitating communication on the reservation. In 2002 a full-time news department was added to the station's lineup.
Programming
KSUT broadcasts an adult album alternativeAdult album alternative
Adult album alternative is a radio format. A spinoff from the album-oriented rock format, its roots trace to the 1960s and 1970s from the earlier freeform and progressive formats....
music format plus National Public Radio and AIROS Native Radio Network programming. This programming lineup, branded "Southern Ute Tribal Radio", is similar to their more widely distributed "Four Corners Public Radio" program stream but with specific Native American
Native Americans in the United States
Native Americans in the United States are the indigenous peoples in North America within the boundaries of the present-day continental United States, parts of Alaska, and the island state of Hawaii. They are composed of numerous, distinct tribes, states, and ethnic groups, many of which survive as...
programming in the mornings, mid-days, and some evening hours. Local programming includes Tribal Radio Morning Show featuring music and public affairs plus the Native America Calling live call-in talk show every weekday, a mix of weekly mid-day shows including Rez Rhythms and Voices in the Wind featuring traditional and contemporary Native music, plus a nightly mix of music and news called AlterNAtive Voices. Network programming includes Latino USA
Latino USA
Latino USA is a nationally syndicated public radio program produced by KUT-FM radio in Austin, Texas and distributed nation-wide by National Public Radio . As a radio magazine, the weekly, half-hour radio program focuses on issues of concern to the Latino community while maintaining the technical...
, NPR's All Things Considered
All Things Considered
All Things Considered is the flagship news program on the American network National Public Radio. It was the first news program on NPR, and is broadcast live worldwide through several outlets...
, Fresh Air
Fresh Air
Fresh Air is an American radio talk show broadcast on National Public Radio stations across the United States. The show is produced by WHYY-FM in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Its longtime host is Terry Gross. , the show was syndicated to 450 stations and claimed 4.5 million listeners. The show...
with Terry Gross
Terry Gross
Terry Gross is the host and co-executive producer of Fresh Air, an interview format radio show produced by WHYY-FM in Philadelphia and distributed throughout the United States by National Public Radio....
, World Cafe
World Cafe
World Cafe is a two-hour long, nationally syndicated music radio program that originates from WXPN, a non-commercial station licensed to the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. The program began in 1991 and was originally distributed by Public Radio...
, and BBC World News overnight.
Honors and awards
In November 1999, KSUT Four Corners Public Radio took top honors in the "Special Projects" category by the El Pomar Foundation for its annual Awards for Excellence. Based in Colorado Springs, the El Pomar Foundation is the state of Colorado's largest private foundation and funds numerous programs throughout the state.In March 2008, KSUT executive director Beth Warren was honored as the Colorado Broadcast Citizen of the Year by the Colorado Broadcasters Association for her "community volunteer work, her advocacy for area non-profits and her involvement in local, regional and national public radio excellence." The station also received top honors for 2007 in the areas of community service campaign, best news feature report, and best sales promotion for an advertiser.
Translators
Construction permit
On July 17, 2007, KSUT was granted a construction permitConstruction permit
A construction permit or building permit is a permit required in most jurisdictions for new construction, or adding on to pre-existing structures, and in some cases for major renovations. Generally, the new construction must be inspected during construction and after completion to ensure compliance...
to upgrade to a class C2 broadcast license with an increase in effective radiated power
Effective radiated power
In radio telecommunications, effective radiated power or equivalent radiated power is a standardized theoretical measurement of radio frequency energy using the SI unit watts, and is determined by subtracting system losses and adding system gains...
to 2000 watt
Watt
The watt is a derived unit of power in the International System of Units , named after the Scottish engineer James Watt . The unit, defined as one joule per second, measures the rate of energy conversion.-Definition:...
s and in height above average terrain
Height above average terrain
Height above average terrain is used extensively in FM radio and television, as it is actually much more important than effective radiated power in determining the range of broadcasts...
to 497 meters (1631 feet). The new transmitter location at 37°11'03"N, 107°29'06"W would be slightly northeast of the current site. This permit expires on July 17, 2010.