Inside HPPR

It’s summer time – your renewal time.  

Summer is renewal time – taking vacations, catching up on reading, tending a garden, enjoying hobbies, getting to long-awaited projects.

Make renewing your HPPR membership a part of your personal summer renewal so public radio can be there with you when things start getting really busy again.

Update: HPPR Connect, 94.9-Amarillo is back on the air. Thank you loyal listeners once again for your patience! 

UPDATE: Tuesday, July 9 - HPPR Connect 94.9 in Amarillo is back on the air! Thanks again for your patience!

And don't forget, you can always stream HPPR Connect or HPPR at hppr.org.  

The Kansas News Service, a collaboration of HPPR, KCUR, Kansas Public Radio and KMUW covering health, education and politics, has a question for you: What’s your question?

So meta, right?

More precisely, the Kansas News Service wants to know, “What questions do you have about modern life in Kansas?” Your questions could very well turn into news stories.

How’d you spend Thursday?

Was there a cake? Party balloons? A little dancing?  

No? Well there could have been.

On June 27, 1945 — 74 years ago — the Federal Communications Commission set aside space on the FM dial for noncommercial educational use. Thus, one-fifth of FM channels — the ones on the left of the dial (88-92MHz) — are dedicated to noncommercial use.

Thanks to everyone who visited High Plains Public Radio’s Garden City offices Thursday. The occasion was  the Garden City Area Chamber of Commerce’s June After-Hours event.

Our guests were treated to the musical stylings of  Ruth Ellen Lynch and Stephen Johnson, two of HPPR’s talented staffers.

Here are a few photos and videos from last night:

KTOT 89.5, serving Spearman, Perryton, Pampa and Canadian, Texas, is currently off the air while air conditioning units are being repaired.

Service is expected to be restored by the end of the day Wednesday. 

Thanks for your patience. 

We hope you’ll join us Thursday, June 20, for an open house at the High Plains Public Radio offices in Garden City. (210 North 7th St., Garden City, KS)

We are the site for the Garden City Area Chamber of Commerce’s June After-Hours event.

Please come by between 5 p.m. and 6:30 p.m. Don’t miss a musical performance by HPPR’s Ruth Ellen Lynch and Stephen Johnson from 5:30-6.

My 12 months with High Plains Public Radio are a vivid illustration of the close relationship between this community-focused radio station and the community it serves.

This weekend the “TEXAS Outdoor Musical” makes its 2019 debut.

The first performance of the season is Saturday, June 1, at 8:30 p.m. The location is the Pioneer Amphitheater in Palo Duro Canyon. More information about this classic production in its 54th season can be found here.

Exciting news, right? Well, there’s more.

About one-third of Americans listen to at least one podcast a month, according to a 2019 survey. That figure represents a significant increase in the number of podcast-users over the previous year, reports The Infinite Dial, a survey conducted earlier in 2019.

“It’s about time for a fishing show.”

With that, Luke Clayton kicked off his weekly High Plains Outdoors segment last weekend.

What followed was a description of a recent trip to Texas’ Lake Tawakoni “to catch a bunch of ‘eater’ size blue catfish.”

Here are some fun facts to know and share from this week’s news on High Plains Public Radio and HPPR Connect:

“Walk into your local medical clinic and you’re increasingly likely to be seen by a nurse practitioner instead of a physician. In the span of about a decade, the number graduating from nursing schools has more than tripled.”

Your decoder ring should spell out:

The 2019 Spring Read on-air book discussion is Sunday, May 5 from 6 p.m.-8 p.m.

Don’t miss it!

(Pro tip: You can catch up on all the books and reviews here.)

Also, Don't Miss So. Much. Music.

HPPR's Living Room Concerts In Amarillo and Garden City: Nikki Talley and Jason Sharp perform Friday, May 3, at the Gallery on 7th (Monroe & 7th) in downtown Amarillo.

High Plains Public Radio was recognized for its coverage of the arts by the Amarillo Convention and Visitor Council Golden Nail Awards Arts Committee at the Derrick Event Center in downtown Amarillo Thursday night.

A can-do spirit is built into the DNA of the High Plains.

It was this pioneering mindset that inspired a set of dreamers four decades ago to create something the naysayers predicted was impossible - community-supported public radio on the High Plains.

5/4/19 UPDATE

KANZ now at 30% of normal power. New components have been installed allowing  the main transmitter to be connected to the backup antenna and line. Repairs will continue with the goal of reaching 100% of licensed power.

!!!UPDATE 4/18/19!!!

Tower climbers are scheduled to assess the damage to the KANZ transmission tower on Friday, April 19, 2019. During the time when climbers are near the antenna, the transmitter power will have to be reduced or shut off. Work is expected to begin around 11 am central time on Friday. The transmitter may be off for as long as two hours. This outage will affect a large area of southwest Kansas including Garden City, Liberal, Tribune, Ashland and the surrounding areas. Listeners in Dodge City can tune to KONQ, 91.9 fm. We will post an update as soon as new information becomes available

Spring is planting time on the High Plains. It’s a season of hope.

Seeds are placed in the ground with the expectation that over time a hearty crop will emerge, decorating the landscape and nourishing those in need.

Place defines us.

One of the first questions we usually ask after meeting someone for the first time is, “Where are you from?”

C'mon, Folks, I Mean Show Us Your Photos Of HPPR Land

Two of your faithful correspondent’s favorite things are (a.) riding his bicycle and (b.) taking pictures of places he rides his bicycle. (You can find most of the pics on my blog - www.editorbobdavis.com.)

TUNED IN: News and notes from High Plains Public Radio

Students and teachers - grades 5 through 12 - have until March 31 to enter the first-ever NPR Student Podcast Challenge. More info from NPR:

Here's how it works: Put together a podcast with your class or extracurricular group. Then your teacher can submit it to us.

.... High Plains Public Radio offers two services?

High Plains Public Radio is a mix of news and unique musical offerings. Call it Public Radio Classic. 

This week I stumbled upon some fascinating research about people who listen to National Public Radio stations like High Plains Public Radio. Among the findings in a 2018 report:

TUNED IN: Notes from Bob Davis, executive director of High Plains Public Radio

It’s March already.

Today we offer a  few quick recaps of shows even the most loyal listener of High Plains Public Radio might have missed in February.

When it comes to public radio, we all have our favorites, right?

Of course, HPPR’s locally hosted music shows - take a bow,  High Plains Morning, Songbirds, Open Range, Western Swing & Other Things, and so on - fill my speakers with a bounty of awesome tunes.

But, my heart and ears are devoted to On The Media, the WNYC program heard on High Plains Public Radio on Sundays at 6 p.m. (Central) and Mondays at 3 a.m. (Central).

Music To Fill Our Living Rooms:

Up first is Paul & Lezlee (of En Power & Light) on Friday, February 15 at the HPPR Studios—Garden City (210 N. 7th St.)

Show starts at 7 p.m. (Central).

Suggested Donation: $15 (Make life easy. Please bring cash!)

Some dude named Phil promises an early spring. In the meantime, enjoy this snowy scene of your favorite radio station.  

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Valentine's Day approaches. (Psst. It's this coming Thursday, Feb. 14!) Looking for ideas on how to celebrate? We've got you covered.