Dear YPR Listeners,
We are excited to announce that Yellowstone Public Radio is part of a new journalism collaborative, joining five other public radio stations to launch a regional news consortium.
The Collaboration in the Mountain West, a partnership of six public radio stations across five states, has received a grant of $475,000 from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting to launch a long-term, news initiative to better serve the people of the region.
The grant provides seed funding for Yellowstone Public Radio to add journalists and share news content across the region. A Managing Editor housed at Boise State Public Radio will lead a team of six reporters across five states covering vital regional issues.
The participating stations are:
Boise State Public Radio (based in Boise, Idaho)
KRCC (based in Colorado Springs, Colorado)
KUNC (based in Greeley, Colorado)
KUER (based in Salt Lake City, Utah)
Wyoming Public Media (based in Laramie, Wyoming)
Yellowstone Public Radio (based in Billings, Montana)
This project focuses on the unique issues in the urban and rural areas of the Rocky Mountain West.
The four main areas of editorial focus are:
-Land & Water: Resource Management
-Issues of Growth in the Expanding West
-Issues Facing the Rural West
-Western Culture & Heritage
The stations will work collaboratively to highlight these issues for a broad range of listeners. Boise State Public Radio will serve as the lead station on the grant. General Manager Tom Michael says, "Here in the West, we're watching the fast growth of new American cities, but we're also seeing significant changes in the rural outposts. This partnership will explore this national contrast and share these compelling news stories to a wide audience in the distinctive voice that is public radio today."
“Collaboration is a force multiplier; together stations can do more and innovate faster to provide the local journalism that is part of the bedrock of public media’s valued service to our country," said Kathy Merritt, CPB senior vice president, journalism and radio.
The editorial partnership will share content across their media markets and also work closely with national media distributors, such as NPR, APM, PRI, and PRX.
Sincerely,
Kurt Wilson
YPR General Manager