Participating Organizations

South Dakota Public Broadcasting (SDPB) is the state’s public media network, providing television, radio, online, and educational services to residents across South Dakota. Headquartered in Vermillion, SDPB has been a trusted source of news, culture, and learning for over a century. Its origins date back to 1919 when the University of South Dakota began radio broadcasts for education. Public television followed in 1961 with the launch of KUSD-TV, and in 1967 the South Dakota Legislature formally established the South Dakota Educational Television Commission, creating the foundation for today’s statewide public broadcasting system.

SDPB serves South Dakotans through a wide range of programming. On television, as a PBS member station, it delivers national and local content that highlights education, arts, culture, and public affairs. Its radio network, affiliated with NPR, provides in-depth news, talk, and music, including statewide coverage of current events. Beyond broadcasting, SDPB supports lifelong learning and offers digital platforms—such as streaming, podcasts, and mobile apps—that expand access to content anywhere. The network also plays a vital role in civic life by broadcasting gavel-to-gavel coverage of the South Dakota Legislature and distributing emergency alerts that keep communities safe.

For over twenty years, SDPB has provided live and recorded coverage of all SDHSAA-sanctioned sports championships and fine arts events, plus the South Dakota High School Rodeo. SDPB has also broadcast and streamed the All Nations Football Championships. In partnership with various organizations, SDPB has streamed and/or broadcast symphonies, hosted political debates and forums, shared electoral information and candidate profiles for state office-seekers, and presented events that encourage literacy.

To reach one of the nation’s most rural states, SDPB operates a robust network of transmitters. Its television service includes nine full-power transmitters, located in Vermillion, Aberdeen, Lowry, Faith, Reliance, Martin, Hetland, Rapid City, and Sioux Falls, supported by smaller translators that extend coverage to additional towns and reservations. On the radio side, SDPB maintains a statewide system of FM stations carrying both news and music, ensuring reliable service across South Dakota’s wide geography. This infrastructure allows SDPB to reach nearly every resident, making it a unifying presence in a state where distance often separates communities.