🚀 go-pugleaf

The following issue is presented for discussion.

Salish Kootenai College is a tribal college located on the Flathead
reservation in northwest Montana.  The college operates SKC Television, a
low-power UHF station which offers over the air PBS service to an area that
was unable to receive it prior to SKC TV's sign-on in the late 1980's.  SKC
TV serves most of the Flathead reservation (on your map, the area extends
from Flathead Lake on the north to the town of Arlee on the south).

In 1992, the University of Montana in Missoula received FCC authorization and
an NTIA/PTFP grant to construct a full-power VHF PBS station.  The
transmitter for this station would be situated just north of Missoula and
would cover most of western Montana, including the area currently served by
SKC TV.  (Service coverage is from Flathead Lake on the north to the town of
Darby in the south.)

People at SKC TV are concerned that the availability of a full-power VHF
station will mean a loss in revenue but more importantly a loss in
viewership.  The Flathead reservation is unlike many across the country in
that the reservation was opened to non-Indian settlement many years ago.
 Political, cultural and economic conflicts persist to this day.  SKC TV has
seen itself in a bridge-building role in the community, bringing together
divergent views and educating people about their neighbors.  Now they fear
their efforts will come to an end if the University's station forces them off
the air.

Some questions raised are:

- What is the role of low-power public television in the context of
full-power stations and cable service?

- What is the relationship between full-power and low-power public stations
in a shared area?  Can such stations co-exist?

I was interim Director of SKC Media Center and SKC Television from 1992 to
1994.  Negotiations were begun with UM in 1992 and have reached a stalemate.
 Representatives of SKC TV will appear before the Montana State Board of
Regents later this month.

The timeliness of this issue prompts me to post this file to listmembers for
comments.  You may e-mail me at Harteman@aol.com or contact:

Frank Tyro
Director, SKC Media Center
Salish Kootenai College
P.O. Box 117
Pablo, Montana  59855
(406)675-4800
FAX 406-675-4801

- Paul Harte