Download a photo of the Granite Falls tower.
Download a photo of new interim general manager Nancy Straw.
Download a photo of the Watson tower.
GRANITE FALLS, Minn. — Several significant developments are taking place at Pioneer PBS -- the 54-year-old public television station serving millions of viewers in western and southwestern Minnesota, the eastern Dakotas and northwestern Iowa. The station has appointed a new interim general manager, hired a new director of engineering, constructed two new towers and is launching a new channel. And Pioneer PBS is saying goodbye to long time employee, Jon Panzer, who is taking a new position as engineer with sister station WDSE in Duluth.
The Pioneer PBS board of directors has engaged Nancy Straw to serve as interim general manager while the board continues its national search for a permanent general manager/CEO. A native of southwest Minnesota, Straw is the former president/CEO of West Central Initiative and executive director of United Community Action Partnership. She has a wide range of experience with for-profit and nonprofit organizations, rural community development, and philanthropy. She lives in Marshall where she provides individualized consulting services and specializes as an interim CEO for organizations in transition. The national search for a general manager for Pioneer PBS continues. Interested candidates can apply at https://g.co/kgs/5F1vkx.
Straw is stepping in to serve Pioneer PBS as long time director of engineering Jon Panzer, who was also acting as the interim general manager, is departing to take a new job with public television station WDSE in Duluth. “Everyone at Pioneer PBS will miss Panzer as his long-term commitment to the station and to his colleagues has been a big part of Pioneer’s success,” stated Mark Olson, Board Chair of Pioneer PBS. Panzer has overseen the move to the new studio in Granite Falls, the installation of new equipment and the development of several new methods (broadcast and online) to receive the station’s signal. A new director of engineering, Paul Fisher, who grew up in Sacred Heart and most recently worked as an engineer at KSMQ in Austin, MN, has been hired to replace Panzer.
A major milestone toward completing the transition of moving the Pioneer PBS master control operation from Appleton to Granite Falls was accomplished this past week with the erection of two new towers -- one near Watson and one next to the new studio in Granite Falls. These towers will allow Pioneer PBS studios in Granite Falls to have a microwave link to the 1200-foot head end tower in Appleton, enabling the remaining staff to relocate and new master control equipment to be installed in Granite Falls.
In other developments,Pioneer PBS is launching a new sixth channel for viewers who receive the broadcast signal with an antenna. The First Nations Experience (FNX) will be viewable starting October 1, 2020 on channel 10.6 in Appleton, 20.6 in Worthington and 8.6 in Fergus Falls. Some viewers may have to re-scan their televisions to view this new channel. Anyone experiencing problems can call 1-800 726-3178 or email the station at yourtv@pioneer.org.
“All of these developments are coming at a time of great promise for a new era at Pioneer PBS and I am thrilled to be a part of them,” said interim CEO Straw. “We are exceeding our goals for new members, online giving is up and our locally produced documentaries are being picked up and broadcast by PBS stations throughout the country. The future is bright for Pioneer PBS as we work on our mission to foster civil discourse and improved quality of life through thought-provoking and inspiring media productions that connect people to rural stories and shared values,” she added.
