Alaska Public Media

What Alaska Public Media does

Alaska Public Media is a nonprofit public media organization headquartered in Anchorage, Alaska, founded in 1975, and licensed to operate broadcast television (KAKM and KTOO 360TV), FM radio (KSKA 91.1), and a network of TV translator stations serving communities across Alaska including Homer, Sitka, Kenai, Ninilchik, Kasilof, Girdwood, and Unalaska. The organization distributes PBS and NPR content alongside original local programming such as Alaska Insight, Indie Alaska, Alaska Morning News, Alaska News Nightly, Talk of Alaska, Line One, and Hometown, Alaska. Underlying technology consists of conventional public broadcasting infrastructure — over-the-air transmitters, FM radio transmission, and digital streaming platforms — supplemented by a mobile app (AKPM) and video streaming portals.

The organization's business model combines three revenue streams: federal grants from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB), recurring individual donor memberships (including the Fund the Gap Campaign and AK Passport premium tier), and corporate sponsorships. Content is provided free over-the-air and online, with premium on-demand access gated behind membership. A $936,000 CPB grant awarded in June 2024 funds the Alaska Desk, a statewide collaborative journalism initiative that embeds reporters at 12+ regional partner stations to expand local news coverage in rural and remote communities where commercial journalism is sparse or absent. Distribution is multi-platform (broadcast, FM, digital streaming, social media, podcast), and go-to-market is direct-to-consumer with no enterprise sales motion.

Name

Alaska Public Media

Legal name

Alaska Public Media

Website

https://alaskapublic.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1975

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Alaska Public Media is a nonprofit public media organization operating KAKM television, KSKA FM radio, and digital platforms to deliver local news, PBS/NPR programming, and original content to Alaska residents, particularly rural communities, funded by CPB grants, donor memberships, and corporate sponsorships.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Public Broadcasting Services

NAICS

Radio and Television Broadcasting Stations (5161), Radio Broadcasting Stations (51611), Television Broadcasting Stations (51612)

SIC

Radio Broadcasting Stations (4832), Television Broadcasting Stations (4833)

akta.pro primary industry

State/Regional Public Broadcasting Networks & Consortia (MPABADAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

National Public Radio Networks & Member Stations (NPR-style) (MPABADAB), National Public Television Networks & Member Stations (PBS-style) (MPABADAA), Public/Noncommercial Radio Broadcasting (NPR, Community, Campus) (MPAIAEAB), Public Media Digital Platforms & Streaming (Apps, On-demand, Podcasts) (MPABADAG)

Keywords

• Public broadcasting services
• Public radio programming
• Local news coverage
• Educational television content
• Public media network

Headquarters

HQ city

Anchorage

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices12 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Government Grants: Funding from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB) and other public media grants to support journalism operations, reporters, and infrastructure development across Alaska.
2. Donor Membership: Individual donor contributions and membership programs supporting public media operations, including 'Fund the Gap Campaign' and benefits of membership.
3. Corporate Sponsorship: Corporate sponsorship relationships with businesses supporting public media programming and content.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Alaska Public Media operates a non-profit public broadcasting network in Alaska, delivering local news, PBS/NPR programming, and original content via broadcast television (KAKM), FM radio (KSKA 91.1 FM), digital streaming, and a statewide collaborative news network (Alaska Desk). The organization is funded through government grants (CPB), individual donations/memberships, and corporate sponsorships, with content freely accessible over the air and online.

Product overview

Alaska Public Media operates as a unified public media platform combining broadcast television (KAKM), FM radio (KSKA 91.1), and digital services. The organization delivers news, educational content, and entertainment through multiple channels including the core Alaska Public Media platform, the Alaska Desk statewide news collaboration, the Indie Alaska video series, and the Alaska at Work workforce initiative. Additional offerings include radio programs such as Alaska Insight, Alaska Economic Report, Alaska News Nightly, Alaska Morning News, Talk of Alaska, Line One, and Hometown Alaska, as well as the Anchorage Weekender events guide and a mobile app.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Indie Alaska: Original video series produced by Alaska Public Media in partnership with PBS Digital Studios, capturing diverse lifestyles of everyday Alaskans.
• Alaska at Work

Products and services

• Alaska Public Media (main platform) The unified Alaska Public Media platform combining broadcast television (KAKM), FM radio (KSKA 91.1 FM), and digital services that deliver local and statewide news, radio programs, TV shows, and educational content to Alaska residents.
• Alaska Desk A statewide collaboration initiative that increases news creation capacity across Alaska, especially in rural and remote communities, through reporters, editors, and infrastructure funded by a CPB grant, partnering with 12+ regional stations.
• KAKM (Alaska Public Television) The main TV station operated by Alaska Public Media, broadcasting PBS shows, local programming including Alaska Insight, and offering live streaming of PBS KIDS 24/7 to Alaska viewers.
• KSKA Radio Alaska Public Media's FM radio station at 91.1 FM, featuring news programs such as Alaska Morning News, Alaska News Nightly, Talk of Alaska, and various music shows for Anchorage and surrounding communities.
• Indie Alaska An original video series produced by Alaska Public Media in partnership with PBS Digital Studios, capturing diverse lifestyles of everyday Alaskans at work and at play and distributed nationally through PBS Digital Studios and YouTube.
• Alaska at Work A workforce development resource helping young people find career paths in Alaska that do not require a four-year degree, featuring videos and connecting to training and job opportunities in trades and technical fields.
• AK Passport Premium streaming membership providing extended access to PBS on-demand content, available as a benefit of Alaska Public Media membership.
• AKPM App Mobile application providing access to Alaska Public Media content, news, and programs on iOS and Android devices.

Quantifiable outcome

• Expanded local journalism coverage across rural Alaska through Alaska Desk collaborative network

Named customers1 record

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• PBS Digital StudioscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for original video series production. Indie Alaska is produced by Alaska Public Media in partnership with PBS Digital Studios, bringing authentic Alaska stories to national audiences through PBS platforms and YouTube.
• Saltchuk family of companiesminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCollaboration supporting Alaska at Work workforce development initiative, helping young Alaskans find career paths in trades and technical fields.

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• KTOO (Juneau): KTOO operates public radio and 360TV in Southeast Alaska—a sister station in the Alaska Desk network with essentially the same combined TV + radio + digital public-media operating model in a different Alaska region.
• KQED (San Francisco): KQED operates as both a PBS television station and NPR-affiliated radio broadcaster in the San Francisco Bay Area, offering the same combined broadcast-TV + radio + digital public-media model that Alaska Public Media runs, including original documentaries and news.
• Oregon Public Broadcasting (OPB): OPB is a combined PBS/NPR state-level public broadcaster serving Oregon and southwest Washington—same dual TV/radio distribution model, similar statewide mission, similar mix of CPB funding plus members and sponsors, and similarly rural/urban coverage split.
• Minnesota Public Radio (MPR) / American Public Media: Minnesota Public Radio is a multi-station regional public-radio network producing national programming (Marketplace, A Prairie Home Companion)—comparable as a state-level NPR-style broadcaster with member station relationships and original content distribution beyond local geography.
• Montana PBS / Montana Public Radio: MontanaPBS and Montana Public Radio serve a low-population, geographically large state with combined public TV and radio—a structural analog to Alaska Public Media's statewide, low-density, rural-heavy coverage mandate.
• KUAC (Fairbanks): KUAC is a partner station in the Alaska Desk network that operates public TV and radio in Fairbanks for Interior Alaska—directly comparable as a fellow PBS/NPR licensee serving Alaska and participant in the statewide news collaboration.

Broad incumbents

• WGBH (Boston): WGBH is a flagship PBS station and large public-media producer (Frontline, NOVA, American Experience) with a statewide Massachusetts service footprint—comparable in function as a combined broadcast + content-production public-media entity, though at larger scale.
• WETA (Arlington, VA): WETA is a major PBS affiliate operating flagship national productions (PBS NewsHour) alongside regional broadcast service—functionally analogous as a combined broadcast/editorial civic-media operation, but with heavier national content responsibilities.

Others

• Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB): CPB is the federal funding agency and ecosystem enabler for all U.S. public broadcasters including Alaska Public Media; while not a competitor, it is the single most important institutional partner—its grant-making defines the operating context for AKPM and its peers.
• PBS (Public Broadcasting Service): PBS is the national distribution and content partner for Alaska Public Media's television programming (and co-producer via PBS Digital Studios); while not a direct peer, the network relationship is core to AKPM's content supply, brand, and AK Passport offering.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/alaskapublic
• YouTubeyoutube.com/@alaskapublic
• Facebookfacebook.com/alaskapublic
• Instagraminstagram.com/alaskapublic
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/alaska-public-media

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Subsidiaries4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Alaska Public Media