Television - Local Productions

Public Affairs

Issues and concerns that shape life in the prairie region.



The Bank of North Dakota: During the early 1900s, North Dakota’s economy was dangerously dependent on a single industry – agriculture, an industry controlled by financial interests outside the state. To diversify the economy and regain control of its financial future, North Dakota created a unique asset: the state-owned Bank of North Dakota. North Dakota is the only state in the union with a state-owned bank.
Building Our Future: What factors lead to the outmigration of young talent from North Dakota and what will entice more of our best and brightest to stay? Building Our Future examines the issues and presents options for stemming the tide.
The Changing Face of Agriculture: Agriculture has always been changing, but recently it had been buffeted by world markets, federal farm policy, increased costs, and the weather -- wiping out profits for many farmers and ranchers. In response, they've begun to take some bold steps to keep ahead of the wave of change.
Closer To Home: Alcohol and drug abuse is a serious but not hopeless problem. The good news is that we can get help -- but it's up to us to take those first important steps by asking for help for those we care about and for ourselves. On this companion site, you'll find information to help you understand substance abuse and how to help someone you care about.
Energy: Powering North Dakota's Economy: What is the future for North Dakota’s energy industry? Is the state as attractive as it could be for alternative energy developers? “Energy: Powering North Dakota’s Economy,” investigates the budding renewable fuels potential for North Dakota and reviews the state of our existing coal and oil resources. Prairie Public producer Matt Olien has investigated the boons and busts of the past and explored the state’s current issues.
Life Support: The Economics and Politics of Rural Health Care: Communities in North Dakota are taking innovative steps to ensure that the rural population receives health care, even though it often entails some very nontraditional approaches. Prairie Public Television examines the causes for the crisis in rural health care and solutions that may help to improve the lives of rural residents.
Matters of Life and Death: A great divide separates the kind of care Americans say they want at the end of life and what our culture currently provides. Americans say they want to die at home, with their loved ones, and free of pain. But despite the best in medical care and technology, our last days often reflect a quite different reality. Will we ever be able to die on our own terms?
More Precious Than Gold: Examine the important issues facing North Dakota and the questions the region must answer about its future. What must we do to improve the supply and quality of water on the Indian reservations, to rural residents, to small communities with antiquated infrastructure, and to large population centers outgrowing their current water sources? How will we supply water to our growing population centers in times of drought? Will we be able to meet our own water needs and the demands of upstream and downstream concerns? How can we answer concerns about biota transfer? What can be done to ensure that every North Dakotan has an adequate supply of high quality, affordable water?
Nature in the Balance: CO2 Sequestration: Focuses on the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) National Energy Technology Laboratory's (NETL's) seven Regional Carbon Sequestration Partnerships and describes their role in assessing opportunities for reducing CO2 emissions worldwide to reduce the risk of global warming.
The New Pioneers: North Dakota is worrying about the great number of people leaving our pastures for greener ones. In the midst of our concern about out-migration, North Dakota is quietly experiencing a new wave of settlers. Prairie Public Television's local documentary "The New Pioneers" finds that these settlers, like the state's first pioneers, are able to see North Dakota's wide-open spaces are full of opportunity.
Paying For College: Follow two teens as they search for ways to finance their college educations. Our heroes get advice on how to select a school that's right for them, locate financial aid programs to help pay for college, and maneuver through the ins and outs of paperwork. Check the program's companion site for links to financial aid resources available on the web.
Prairie Renaissance: North Dakota's smaller cities have been faced with shrinking populations and gaping holes in their main streets. However, many of these towns have used some sophistication, planning, work and confidence to create a new life for themselves -- a Prairie Renaissance. Prairie Public features the stories of eight communities that are making a difference in their residents' lives.
Red River Divide: Red River Divide investigates the history of the Red River Valley’s geology and landscape to get a better view of the future of the region. The
show’s producer, Hope Deutscher, has focused on the hydrology of the valley, the tools available for flood forecasting and the preparations underway for drought relief. It also explores the positive side of our communities’river development — a greenway, the recreation the river provides and the fishing that’s known worldwide.

Can't find what you're looking for?

Visit PBS Online: To locate the web sites that accompany many of your favorite PBS programs carried on Prairie Public, log on to www.pbs.org.
Visit NPR Online: To learn more about the stories heard on All Things Considered, Marketplace, and Morning Edition with Bob Edwards, visit www.npr.org.

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