Iowa Public Radio has received a $200,000 Legacy Grant from Prairie Meadows to update critical broadcast infrastructure for its WOI-FM signal. The effort is part of Iowa Public Radio’s $6.5 million campaign, A Resounding Future.
“We are so grateful to Prairie Meadows for their support,” said Myrna Johnson, executive director of Iowa Public Radio, in a news release. “This is a critical investment in our infrastructure and the state’s emergency alert system that will allow us to better serve our listeners here in central Iowa.”
WOI-FM is Iowa Public Radio’s largest FM signal, covering 15 Central Iowa counties and reaching an average of 62,000 weekly listeners. The signal operates 1,400 feet above the ground on a tower south of Alleman in North Polk County.
The Legacy Grant will support a multi-phase multi-year project to replace the signal’s transmitter, build a new back-up site, and complete the transmission line and antenna to minimize disruption to services.
In addition to upgrading its aging infrastructure, IPR’s A Resounding Future campaign will grow reporting capacity, build resiliency through an endowment, develop public media professionals, and invest in new broadcasting and digital technology.
For more information about the A Resounding Future campaign, visit ipr.org/future.
