[New] TONA ROZUM SUPPORTER SPOTLIGHT

With SDPB’s mission to bring information and education to all corners of the state comes numerous projects to ensure this mission is possible. One of our current projects is the Mitchell Tower project which will bring ease of access to information to the greater Mitchell area. While more populated, this region of the state has had a weak signal in the past. However, this new tower and transmitter will bring a strong FM signal.

Donor support to this effort has been critical. An early donor to this project was Tona Rozum. Tona is a former legislator residing in Mitchell. She particularly enjoys the ability to follow what’s happening in Pierre.

"You can listen to what the governor's got to say. You can go in and listen to committee meetings and archived committee meetings. So, if the legislature is in session and you have wind of something that you're really concerned about or impacts your business or impacts you, you can go in after the fact."

Regardless of where South Dakota citizens live, everyone must have access to news happening in our state. "Rural South Dakota is the heart and soul of us, it's who we are,” said Tona. “Without information being able to be disseminated to people living in rural areas or access to that information, it becomes problematic." She explains that ensuring the rural areas have access to news around the state is part of maintaining connection. "Having a tower here, I believe, will extend our access to this kind of rural area that we have out here where people don't get a lot of access."

Tona says that information is a way to acknowledge the wide range of interests and needs that keep us connected. "We are a diverse state; not just East River and West River, not just rural and city, but there is just a lot of diversity in our small state of 850,000 people. The more information that you can get out there and people have access to, the better. It's a world of connectivity now."

SDPB appreciates those who support our mission to provide news to the state and keep our citizens connected. Without donors like Tona, we wouldn't be able to make those hopeful changes that impact our state. "South Dakota Public Broadcasting is local. It's our state, it's our people," praises Tona. "I love hearing other opinions because it's either going to build on your belief of a story or it's going to blow holes in it. If it blows holes in it, then you have an opportunity to figure out different ways to look at things."