By Chris Skorupa
More than 46 million people live in rural America, encompassing 72 percent of our country’s land area. To these communities, local radio and television stations are part of their everyday lives, providing lifesaving information during emergencies and keeping residents connected to their local news, weather, sports, entertainment and each other.
Americans who live in rural areas depend on their local broadcasters at greater levels than the general population. For example, more than 25 percent of households in Missoula, Montana, and 30 percent of households in Fairbanks, Alaska, rely exclusively on free, over-the-air TV and do not subscribe to cable or satellite service.
Broadcast shows like “America’s Heartland,” which features farmers and ranchers and their families, and “Ag Day,” a half-hour daily news program focused on agribusiness news, including updates on the weather and issues affecting the agriculture sector, amplify the voices of rural citizens and the issues that impact their lives.
As the voice of rural America, the Rural & Agriculture Council of America (RACA) understands the vital importance of local stations to rural citizens and is working with the National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) to ensure viewers are prepared as nearly 1,000 TV stations move frequencies now through 2020.
RACA is helping to spread the word that viewers who watch TV over the air with an antenna must rescan their TVs or converter boxes to keep watching their local stations when these station frequency moves occur. Without this critical link to their communities, rural Americans could be left without access to emergency updates that keep them safe during storms or important weather information that affects their crops and ranching operations.
To prepare for these station changes, we are encouraging our members to utilize TVAnswers.org, a viewer resource provided by NAB that offers helpful information on station frequency moves. The site also has a searchable database of TV stations and the timeframe when stations are moving frequencies.
Working together, we can ensure rural viewers’ do not lose their critical connection to local stations.
About the Author
Chris Skorupa is the Owner & Manager of Beartooth Fertilizer Company. Beartooth Fertilizer provides fertilizer, seeding and pesticide application for residents in South Central Montana and Northern Wyoming. Chris is a member of the U.S. Cattlemen’s Association and serves as the Vice President of the Rural & Agriculture Council.