KUAC receives digital conversion grant

Submitted by Gretchen Gordon
Phone: (907) 474-1891
03/04/04

KUAC TV9/FM 89.9 and Alaska One Public Television has been awarded a $703,000 equipment grant from the U. S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to fund digital translators and digital television (DTV) distribution equipment to aid in the conversion to digital broadcasting. "KUAC plans to fund four rural DTV translators and purchase a video distribution server which can be used to distribute multiple Standard Definition and High Definition Video Streams to the stations transmitters, translators and other Alaska One sites," said Petrowich.

The grant will allow KUAC to deliver a digital public television signal to four rural areas already served by KUAC’s analog signal. KUAC will also eventually produce a more enhanced stream for UATV (educational television for the University of Alaska) and its educational content.

To assist stations with the digital conversion, Congress recommended in the USDA Rural Development 2003 appropriation bill that $15 million of the $51.9 million in distance learning and telemedicine funds be utilized in support of the transition effort. USDA Rural Developments mission is to deliver programs in a way that will support increasing economic opportunity and improve the quality of life of rural residents.

"These grants will help bring digital-age broadcasting to rural America," Agriculture Secretary Ann M. Veneman said. "Many rural communities depend on public television stations for services ranging from educational course content in their schools to local news, weather and agricultural reports. The recipients selected for the competitive grant program have significant needs in their communities."

"No where is the need more evident than in rural Alaska," said UAF Chancellor Marshall Lind. "This grant is a critical first step in providing the technological infrastructure for increased communication services and for distance delivery of educational courses that would otherwise be out of reach."

Serving Interior Alaska, KUAC 89.9 FM/Alaska One TV 9, public radio and public television is a multiple-media organization with a mission to provide quality noncommercial programming and services that enlighten, inspire, educate and entertain. KUAC is licensed to the University of Alaska Fairbanks.