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From the GM’s Desk (June 2018)

“As God creates the seeds to be planted, you are the sower opening spaces for Christ to enter each home and heart,” Margaret DeMaioribus writes in the end-note to the June “Static.”

When It’s Springtime in Alaska…

An aerial view of Nome, Alaska, its airport runways, and nearby mountains, covered in snow in late winter 2017.

Extreme weather tends to persist well into springtime in Western Alaska. It’s a season of transformation — during which accurate radio broadcasting remains vital.

On Thin Ice

Ice Camp Sargo

As springtime arrives in the sub-Arctic, the melting of our region’s ice cover is one of the clearest signs of the new season. It’s no surprise that ice — especially the lack of it — been a frequent subject of KNOM News’ recent stories.

New Light

LED light

New light is beaming down on our mission these days: both indoors and out. Not only are Western Alaska’s daylight hours increasing rapidly, but we’re also continuing our initiative to replace our studios’ fluorescent lights with brighter and more energy-efficient LEDs.

A DIY solution for an askew building

We’ve been working hard to stretch our financial resources. Sometimes, that means being creative in problem-solving, even when the ground is literally shifting underneath us – as it has, in recent weeks, at our AM transmitter site. KNOM’s AM transmitter building and tower sit on the outskirts of Nome, about 3 miles east of town. From one season to […]

In the wind

You’ll often find KNOM’s dedicated news team – including volunteers Eva DeLappe and Margaret DeMaioribus, pictured – reporting on location in Nome, despite our region’s often-inclement weather. Last month, however, the news was the weather. As Margaret reported, a shifting wind pattern called Pacific Decadal Oscillation (PDO) has been at least partly to blame for […]

Breakup, mail delays, and Communicator Awards

All across Western Alaska, it’s the season known as “breakup”: the slow, on-again/off-again period of melting that signals the gradual approach of summer. Some days are bright and sunny, and others are cloudy and snowy. The sun melts ice on rooftops as the tundra gives up its blanket of white snow, little by little. Spring […]

Spring’s slow arrival, and a special nod from the Alaska Legislature

In rural Alaska, spring is arriving in stops and starts. As our daylight hours rapidly increase – by more than six minutes each day – our skies alternate between sunshine, clouds, and heavy fog. Temperatures hover near the freezing point during the day, and the snow and ice are beginning to recede. Perhaps most noticeably, […]

Happy Easter!

From all of us at KNOM, a very Happy Easter! In Western Alaska, there are already a few signs of spring. The temperatures are warming slightly, the days are rapidly becoming longer, and the moon looms large in the night sky, casting a soft light upon the frozen Bering Sea and ice-covered tundra. The stunning […]