If we had a frequently asked section on our website, this would be question numero uno. An easy, direct question, which we’re thankful to answer. See, if people are looking for the show, it must mean we’re doing something right, right? That’s my interpretation of the situation, anyway.
The easy answer is on Pioneer Public Television, Sunday nights at 7:30 p.m., with the new season starting January 27, 2019. The subsequent answers would include at least five other channels, with airtimes ranging from multiple times a day to multiple times per week.
I was sitting in a barber chair the other day, (do they still call them that?), when I was asked about the sweatshirt I was wearing. It said “Prairie Sportsman” (or “PS”) on the front, so I explained that it was the greatest TV show in the history of television, but I carried a weighty bias. With the amount of outdoor television that is displayed in this particular establishment, I quickly googled what time they’d be able to watch the show in that area. The “MN” (or Minnesota) channel is carried by all the PBS stations in Minnesota, so finding the show can be simple from Luverne to Lake of the Woods. While normally I just tell people to search for “Prairie Sportsman” on their on-screen guide, I recognized an opportunity to get the show to a new audience with partially shorter hair in front of me.
The Minnesota Channel offers plenty of viewing opportunities for PS, with timeslots Tuesdays and Thursdays at 12 a.m., 6 a.m., 12 p.m. and 6 p.m. Since this particular day in question was a Thursday, I mentioned that you could watch the show in a couple of hours. Hopefully, we gained a new group of viewers with their ears lowered.
The episode featured wildlife artist Nicole Larson of Battle Lake. Earlier in the year, her husband Brent had inquired about when he’d be able to see the show. This seemed like another great opportunity to share PS with the world, so I sent him a message explaining that his wife would be on statewide (and across North Dakota) “tonight at 6 p.m.” That, in turn, brought a cascade of follow up questions wondering what number the channel would be in their area. A quick search of the TPT website revealed a variety of numbers to find the MN Channel depending on your TV provider and I was able to answer everyone’s question about where to find the show. In this day and age of splintered viewing options, you can find our show pretty much everywhere, you just need to know where to look.
That’s why we try to list all the channels and air-times here on our website. Occasionally stations will go “rogue” and run the show at random times, (with our blessing of course) so it’s possible we won’t have all the times listed, which is why I recommend searching your guide for times and setting the DVR. It just makes life easier.
We also offer our shows here on the site, on YouTube, on Facebook, on PBS station websites all over the country, on the PBS app and, of course, by antenna if you’re near Appleton, Fergus Falls or Worthington. While the TV age continues to evolve, we’re evolving with it, so you can always be assured you’ll be able to find our episodes, no matter where you look.
