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KNOM News: Delving Deeper

Children hold a large cloth near a reindeer herd on a sunny day on the tundra.

The challenges of continuing Alaska Native subsistence traditions in the modern era have been highlighted in recent KNOM News stories — such as reports on ivory artworks and reindeer herding.

Preparing for winter

We broadcast 24 hours a day, and into our late summer weeks, it is still light well into the evening. There are many community activities to keep everyone busy, and away from the cities and villages, KNOM helps to create a positive way to make great family memories. These families are working together at fish […]

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 […]

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 […]

The difference weather can make

What a difference the weather can make: especially in Western Alaska, and especially at this time of year. On cloudy days, the dull light blurs the snowy landscape, and depth perception, over long distances, is more difficult. This “flat light” is a challenge for all who travel on land and the frozen sea. On sunny […]

In the frigid air, construction continues

The moon shines from a pale blue sky as ice crystals dance across the tundra, carried by a fierce North wind. The sun makes the snow on the land and sea ice sparkle like a billion diamonds. The ice has stopped shifting (for now), and a few brave souls are setting their crab pots through […]

Amid the deep winter, 5th graders take their turn in KNOM Studios

The frozen tundra sparkles with many shades of blue; the renewed sunlight shines across the snow covered landscape. The Bering Sea is covered with huge chunks of ice, pushed to the surface as the icepack shifts and thickens in subfreezing temperatures. Steam rises from exposed sea water. Last week, a local 5th grade class visited […]

At year’s end, gratitude and service

As 2012 comes to an end, we thank the entire KNOM family for keeping positive programming beaming to thousands of families. Your support affects listeners across 100,000 square miles of snow-covered tundra and the frozen Bering Sea. The KNOM staff and volunteers appreciate the opportunity to serve remote listeners, 24 hours a day! We wish you […]

Halloween, 1970: The AM tower is complete

October 31, 1970 The AM tower construction is complete. Nome Joint Utilities runs a power line across the tundra to the tower, and it is lighted. It’s finished just in time. Two days later, blizzards shut down Nome for almost three weeks.

In Western Alaska, winter’s coming – and quickly

The snow covers mountains, hills, and the tundra. On clear nights, we are blessed with colorful auroras as the night sparkles with stars and planets. The scenic majesty of bush Alaska is breathtaking during the day and at night. As the seasons change and the thermometer falls towards zero, we thank all who help us […]