Lakeland PBS opens Bemidji studio for public media day tour

Lakeland PBS will open its Bemidji headquarters to the public Thursday, June 4, giving residents a look inside the studio and a closer view of how local television is made at 108 Grant Ave. NE. The free open house runs from 5 to 6:30 p.m. and is tied to Protect My Public Media Day, a national campaign focused on the role public stations play in small and rural communities.

The event is designed around practical local needs, not just station promotion. Visitors will be able to see production sets and control rooms, meet reporters, producers and staff, and learn how federal and state funding affect signal towers, educational programming and public safety alerts. For families in Bemidji and across Beltrami County, that means looking beyond the broadcast schedule to the infrastructure that carries severe weather warnings, AMBER alerts and other emergency messages.

Lakeland PBS describes itself as the only locally operated television broadcaster in the region and says it is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit owned by the public it serves. The station operates two full-power digital television stations, KAWE in Bemidji and KAWB in Brainerd, from its headquarters in Bemidji and a satellite office and studio facility in Brainerd.

Its reach is substantial for a northern Minnesota station. Lakeland PBS says its signal immediately reaches about 383,500 people across an estimated 7,500 square miles, extending as far south as Little Falls, as far north as the Canadian border, as far west as Fosston and east to Bovey. The coverage area also includes the Red Lake and Leech Lake tribal communities and significant portions of the White Earth and Mille Lacs tribal communities.

The station is also using the open house to make a case for the broader public media system. FEMA says the Integrated Public Alert & Warning System delivers emergency and life-saving information through mobile phones, radio, television and NOAA Weather Radio, and Lakeland PBS points to public television’s role in helping distribute those alerts. That makes the conversation especially relevant in a region where weather, distance and limited media options can shape how quickly people get critical information.

The financial stakes are just as immediate. Lakeland PBS says it faces a $1 million annual deficit, nearly 37% of its operating budget, after losing federal funding. The station has set a goal of raising $2 million by January 2028 to replace that lost revenue and preserve its independence.

Lakeland PBS traces its roots to June 1, 1980, when it first went on air with Sesame Street as its first broadcast after a decade of local citizen effort to bring public television to northern Minnesota. The station credits founder John Yourd with helping launch KAWE in 1980 and later KAWB in 1988, a history that is likely to resonate as Bemidji-area residents walk through the studio and see how much of the region still depends on it.