Prairie Public
Prairie Public Broadcasting is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit PBS and NPR member station providing free television, radio, and digital public media services to North Dakota, western Minnesota, and parts of Canada through 9 TV and 11 radio stations, supported by memberships, underwriting, and government funding.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1967
- HeadquartersFargo, United States
- Headcount101–250
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Prairie Public does
Prairie Public Broadcasting is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit public media organization operating as a member station of PBS and NPR. Founded in 1967 and headquartered at 207 N 5th St in Fargo, North Dakota, with a secondary office in Bismarck, the organization delivers television and radio programming to North Dakota, western Minnesota, and parts of Canada through a network of 9 television stations and 11 radio stations. Its service territory spans cities including Fargo, Bismarck, Grand Forks, Minot, Williston, Devils Lake, Dickinson, Ellendale, Jamestown, and Crookston.
The organization's core offerings include broadcast and streaming television (Prairie Public Television with a Passport premium tier priced at $5/month or $60/year), three-format FM radio programming (NPR News/Classical, Roots/Rock/Jazz, NPR News/AAA Music), and a portfolio of original regional productions such as Prairie Mosaic, Prairie Pulse, Prairie Musicians, Painting With Paulson, and the Germans from Russia documentary series. Digital extensions include podcasts (Dakota Datebook, Main Street, Prairie Beat, Natural North Dakota, Plains Folk, WHY?), PBS Kids educational resources, community programming (PBS Kids Writers Contest, Be My Neighbor Day), and a travel club. The technical foundation is over-the-air broadcast transmission infrastructure supplemented by streaming via the PBS App and Prairie Public's own video portal.
Prairie Public's revenue model is listener- and viewer-supported, drawing from three core streams: individual and sustaining memberships, corporate/business sponsorship and underwriting, and government and foundation grants, including Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB) funding and the Minnesota Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund (Legacy Amendment). Additional revenue is generated through planned giving, IRA distributions, vehicle donations, and the Prairie Public Passport subscription benefit. The organization is governed by a Board of Directors and Community Advisory Board with open meeting policies. Notably, the company's own website acknowledges that federal funding cuts are reshaping public media nationally, indicating meaningful budgetary pressure on the CPB-supported portion of its revenue base.
Prairie Public firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Prairie Public
- Legal name
- Prairie Public Broadcasting
- Website
- https://prairiepublic.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1967
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 101–250 employees
- Short description
- Prairie Public Broadcasting is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit PBS and NPR member station providing free television, radio, and digital public media services to North Dakota, western Minnesota, and parts of Canada through 9 TV and 11 radio stations, supported by memberships, underwriting, and government funding.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Prairie Public industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Public Broadcasting Services
- NAICS
- Television Broadcasting Stations (516120), Radio Broadcasting Stations (51611)
- SIC
- Television Broadcasting Stations (4833), Radio Broadcasting Stations (4832)
- akta.pro primary industry
- National Public Television Networks & Member Stations (PBS-style) (MPABADAA)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- National Public Radio Networks & Member Stations (NPR-style) (MPABADAB), Public Media Digital Platforms & Streaming (Apps, On-demand, Podcasts) (MPABADAG), Public Broadcasting Production Units & Studios (In-house/Member) (MPABADAF), Public Media Partnerships & Content Co-productions (NGO/Cultural) (MPABADAN)
Keywords
Where Prairie Public is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Fargo
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices2 records
Markets served
Prairie Public business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- Membership and Individual Contributions: Listener and viewer-supported public media model where individuals become sustaining members through monthly or annual donations. Prairie Public encourages memberships starting at various levels with benefits including Prairie Public Passport access.
- Corporate/Business Sponsorship: Business sponsorship program where companies underwrite specific programming or services. Includes recognition inWidgets Magazine and other promotional materials.
- Government and Foundation Funding: Receives funding from Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB), Minnesota Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund (Legacy Amendment), and other government/charitable sources. Annual financial reports submitted to CPB.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Monthly | Prairie Public Passport subscription for extended streaming access |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels4 records
Prairie Public product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Prairie Public Broadcasting is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) public media organization that operates television and radio stations across North Dakota, western Minnesota, and adjacent regions of Canada. It provides free over-the-air broadcast access to PBS and NPR programming, produces original regional content (Prairie Mosaic, Prairie Pulse, Prairie Musicians, Dakota Datebook), distributes podcasts, and offers educational resources for parents and educators through PBS Kids and PBS LearningMedia. Funding comes from sustaining memberships, individual donations, corporate sponsorships, and grants from CPB and the Minnesota Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund.
Product overview
Prairie Public Broadcasting is a PBS and NPR member station providing public media services across television, radio, and digital platforms. Its core product portfolio includes broadcast and streaming television (Prairie Public Television with Passport premium tier), multi-station radio programming (three FM channels with online streaming), and original local programming series such as Prairie Mosaic, Prairie Pulse, Prairie Musicians, and German from Russia. The offering extends to podcasts, PBS Kids educational resources for parents and educators, community programs including the PBS Kids Writers Contest, and a travel club. The Prairie Public Passport is a subscription add-on (donation-funded) providing extended streaming access to PBS content via the PBS app.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Prairie Mosaic: A Prairie Public original music program featuring regional musicians and cultural content from the prairie region.
- Prairie Musicians
- Prairie Pulse
- Dakota Datebook
- Prairie Beat
- Main Street
- Natural North Dakota
- Plains Folk
- Painting With Paulson
- The Great American Folk Show
- Into the Music
- Prebys on Classics
- WHY? Philosophical Discussions
Products and services
- Prairie Public Television Broadcast and streaming television programming including local Prairie Public original documentaries, PBS national programs, and live TV streaming via the PBS app and prairiepublic.org, available free over-the-air to viewers across North Dakota.
- Prairie Public Radio Multi-station FM radio programming including NPR News/Classical, Roots/Rock/Jazz, and NPR News/AAA Music formats, plus online listening with shows such as Dakota Datebook, Main Street, Prairie Beat, and The Great American Folk Show.
- Prairie Public Passport Premium membership benefit offering extended access to past seasons of PBS shows, early releases of new series, and on-demand streaming via the PBS app for sustaining donors.
- Prairie Mosaic Signature Prairie Public arts and culture magazine show showcasing the people, culture, and creativity of the prairie region, broadcast on television and available via the Prairie Public video platform.
- Prairie Pulse Television magazine show covering news, culture, and feature stories from the prairie region, available for streaming on prairiepublic.org and PBS platforms.
- Prairie Musicians Original Prairie Public television series showcasing musicians from the prairie region.
- Prairie Public Education Resources Educational resource hub offering PBS Kids materials for parents (activities, games, apps) and educators (PBS LearningMedia, professional development, free services), plus the PBS KIDS Writers Contest and Cook & Create Kits.
- Prairie Public Podcasts Digital audio series including Dakota Datebook, Main Street, Prairie Beat, Natural North Dakota, Plains Folk, WHY? (philosophical discussions), Into the Music, and Prebys on Classics, available via NewsRoom and podcast platforms.
- Lawrence Welk: A North Dakota Farm Boy Original Prairie Public documentary about Lawrence Welk's humble upbringing and rise to stardom, streaming on YouTube and the PBS app.
Companies that use Prairie Public
Customer profileNamed customers2 records
Segments1 record
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Prairie Public technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Prairie Public partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Two partnerships are on record, tiered core.
- PBS (Public Broadcasting Service)corePrairie Public is a member station of PBS, receiving and distributing national PBS programming including Masterpiece, Ken Burns documentaries, PBS NewsHour, and children's programming. The relationship includes access to PBS streaming platforms and Passport content.
- NPRcorePrairie Public is a member station of NPR, distributing national NPR news and cultural programming. Includes NPR+ Podcast Bundle subscription benefit for members.
Scale indicators3 records
Recent moves5 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Prairie Public competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Vermont Public: Combined PBS/NPR member station serving Vermont with comparable scale, rural-state audience, and integrated television/radio/podcast offerings.
- Oregon Public Broadcasting (OPB): Regional PBS/NPR member station of comparable scale serving Oregon. Similar dual-network membership, original local programming focus, and digital/membership revenue diversification.
- MontanaPBS: Regional PBS member station serving Montana with very similar rural-state demographics, sparse population coverage, and CPB funding dependency. Comparable small-market transmitter footprint.
- Wisconsin Public Radio (WPR): Regional public radio network serving Wisconsin with comparable NPR-affiliated programming, sustaining-membership funding model, and Upper Midwest geographic profile.
- Iowa PBS: Regional PBS member station serving Iowa with similar rural/agricultural-state demographics, comparable educational programming emphasis, and parallel CPB funding structure.
- South Dakota Public Broadcasting (SDPB): Closest peer — a regional PBS and NPR member station serving South Dakota with a comparable mix of TV/radio transmitters, rural coverage footprint, and dependence on CPB funding. Operates with similar scale and mission profile.
- Minnesota Public Radio (MPR / American Public Media): Direct geographic overlap — MPR serves western Minnesota, which is also part of Prairie Public's service territory. Same NPR membership, classical/news format mix, and Legacy Amendment state funding source.
- NET Nebraska (Nebraska Public Media): Comparable regional PBS member station serving Nebraska with similar rural-state coverage and educational programming mission. Same CPB funding model and broadly analogous transmitter footprint.
Broad incumbents
- KQED: Larger flagship PBS/NPR member station serving the San Francisco Bay Area. Operates with substantially bigger budget, audience, and content production capacity but shares the same member-station business model and public-broadcasting mission.
- WGBH (Boston): Major PBS member station and prolific content producer (Frontline, American Experience, NOVA). Much larger in scale but operates the same PBS member-station model and produces comparable public-affairs and educational programming.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Prairie Public social profiles
Digital presencePrairie Public compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance1 record
Prairie Public financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Prairie Public leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
Prairie Public funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Prairie Public M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Prairie Public
What does Prairie Public do?
Prairie Public Broadcasting is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) public media organization that operates television and radio stations across North Dakota, western Minnesota, and adjacent regions of Canada. It provides free over-the-air broadcast access to PBS and NPR programming, produces original regional content (Prairie Mosaic, Prairie Pulse, Prairie Musicians, Dakota Datebook), distributes podcasts, and offers educational resources for parents and educators through PBS Kids and PBS LearningMedia. Funding comes from sustaining memberships, individual donations, corporate sponsorships, and grants from CPB and the Minnesota Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund.
Is Prairie Public a public or private company?
Prairie Public is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Prairie Public founded?
Prairie Public was founded in 1967. It employs 101 to 250 people.
Where is Prairie Public based?
Prairie Public is headquartered in Fargo, United States, in the North America region.
How does Prairie Public make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Membership and Individual Contributions are the primary driver. The others are corporate/Business Sponsorship and government and Foundation Funding.
Who are Prairie Public's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Vermont Public, Oregon Public Broadcasting (OPB), MontanaPBS, Wisconsin Public Radio (WPR), Iowa PBS, South Dakota Public Broadcasting (SDPB), Minnesota Public Radio (MPR / American Public Media) and NET Nebraska (Nebraska Public Media). Broad incumbents are KQED and WGBH (Boston).
Does Prairie Public have an API?
No public API is recorded for Prairie Public.
What industry is Prairie Public in?
Prairie Public's product category is Public Broadcasting Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is MPABADAA, National Public Television Networks & Member Stations (PBS-style), with a secondary code of MPABADAB, National Public Radio Networks & Member Stations (NPR-style). Its NAICS code is 516120 and its SIC code is 4833.