Our inspirational spot for the week:
A sacrifice is not an easy gift to give, but it may be the most valuable.
Archive | December, 2012
Sacrifice
December 2003: “No more powerful medium…”
December 26, 2003
A board member of Alaska’s Breast Cancer Detection Center writes, thanking the station for its free announcements that help to make a village mammogram program a great success:
Many of the patients reported that they had heard about it on KNOM… This was the first time we had tried to market village trips using radio, and I assure you that we will continue… There is absolutely no more powerful medium in these towns and villages than radio, and KNOM ranks at the top. I do not think any other station can top the respect and trust of your station, and it was an exciting experience for me to finally have proof!
December 2004: A Christmas storm
December 24, 2004
A deadly storm is approaching, and KNOM broadcasts ten minutes of weather warnings every hour. The gale strikes at 11 PM, dropping visibility to near zero until suppertime Christmas Day. Residents estimate that, as it funnels and gusts around the buildings of Nome, the wind’s velocity exceeds 80 MPH.
Congrats to the news crew!
It’s an exciting time for our mission: our news team is the recipient of two highly-coveted awards from the Alaska Broadcasters Association (ABA)!
The ABA Goldie Awards recognize excellence in radio and TV broadcasting across the state of Alaska, and in November, the organization honored KNOM news with awards in the categories “Service to Children” and “Service to Community.”
Both awards specifically recognize news shows produced by KNOM’s former volunteer public affairs director, Matthew Smith, who served our mission from 2010 through earlier this year. Winning the awards were Matthew’s news feature on the personal stories of Nome 8th graders and his radio spots on a mysterious disease that affected some seals in Alaskan waters this year. (The marine mammals have a special place in the subsistence lifestyle that is at the heart of our region’s traditional culture, making Matthew’s reporting not just timely but, also, vitally important.)
We share these latest awards with you: congratulations, and thanks so much for making possible the crucially-needed reporting that KNOM news does every day. Holding our latest Goldies, above, are our current news volunteers – Margaret DeMaioribus and Eva DeLappe – whose work, thanks to you, continues the standards of excellence our mission has maintained for more than 40 years. To hear one of Matt’s award-winning programs, head on over to our news page.
Openings in the heavens
An inspirational spot from the Year-End 2012 edition of our newsletter, The Nome Static:
Perhaps they are not the stars, but rather openings in the heavens where the love of our departed ones peer through and shine down upon us to let us know they are happy.
– inspired by an Eskimo legend
Studio fund: over $400,000!
Moving wood at the construction site of the Tom and Florence Busch Digital Studios.
Step by step, our studio renovation and expansion project – the Tom and Florence Busch Digital Studios – is moving forward as the calendar turns over into 2013.
As we go to press, we’re anticipating the first phases of construction to begin any day. Our contractors will use the special shipments of wood, pictured at top, to build the initial frame of our new, crucially-needed studio space. Thanks to you, the funds are there to make this first phase a reality; our digital studio funds now exceed $400,000! For the latest updates – and to help us keep our studio construction moving forward – visit this page.
Signs of the season
It’s a strikingly dark time of year in Western Alaska. On clear days, we’re treated to gorgeous sunrises and sunsets (like the one pictured above); the sun rises just shy of 12 noon and sets before 4pm.
While the sunlight is brief, the darkness allows KNOM’s Christmas star – perched atop our FM transmitter tower (pictured) – to shine all the brighter. We light the star at the beginning of each Advent, and alongside a few simple decorations inside our studios, the star has been a tangible reminder of our mission: our calling to be a light in the darkness, especially during this special season. We thank you for sustaining our mission into 2013, and we ask for your prayers: especially for our volunteers, who spend this joyful season in rural Alaska, far from home.
