Today, I'm thinking about how the plants, in my garden, are similar to public radio on the prairie. Some of my plants come from seeds, some are off-shoots of parents plants, some started as cuttings or grafts relocated from other gardens and plants. Some are divisions, where I have dug up the parent plant, divided it, and then planted the "kids" in a new spot.
High Plains Public Radio is like that. The original seed was planted in Southwest Kansas over 30 years ago in a leaky schoolhouse. This venture produced a fledgling flower of community radio that began to put down deep roots in the tiny town of Pierceville, and the surrounding area. From there, the concept of public radio on the prairie began to grow, branching to adjacent communities. Each year, the seeds were literally broadcast through our translator sites. Eventually a new station was created by transplanting HPPR's programming excellence into Northwest Kansas. More off-shoots of the parent plant were transported south, east, west, and the original idea of public radio bringing news, music, and public information to a large radio community took root in the Texas Panhandle.
Our public radio garden continues to grow in size and content. Up from the roots, it has spread in all directions, and continues to produce a year round harvest of information and entertainment. Like all good gardens, it needs regular maintenance. Our engineering and programming staff is pretty good at weeding out any broadcast problems that might occur, but a regular supply of water and soil supplements are necessary for any growing thing. That's where our fund drive comes in. We've weathered the challenges of many growing seasons by relying on a little t.l.c. from our underwriters and your pledges of support. Whether you're an old hand, or a new comer to our garden of audio delights, we hope you'll roll up your sleeves, and do you part to keep the high plains radio garden growing strong.
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