There has been a new development regarding the KIOS antenna and transmitter and there is also news about the KIOS.org website. Station Manager Ken Dudzik posted the following message to update listeners and staff alike on the status of the KIOS transmission signal issues:
“To our KIOS listeners, thank you for your patience as we operate our transmitter at a lower power. We know it has affected listeners in particular areas of Omaha and near the edges of our broadcast signal. We appreciate those who have turned to our online broadcast, through a computer or mobile device.
As we have shared, the KIOS antenna was damaged in severe storms during the summer of 2021. Much of the equipment, including our transmitter, was already near, or at, the end of its useful life. Our team and Omaha Public Schools have worked collaboratively through recent months to ensure repairs and replacements provide our listeners with the best-quality public broadcasting for many years to come.
We are happy to report that the first of two phases to make necessary repairs and replacements is underway. Though the work could take some time with global supply chain issues, we can anticipate further progress this spring. A stronger KIOS signal is right around the corner.
Your financial support helped make this project possible. We are grateful for a significant contribution to this work from the Friends of KIOS. Public service broadcasting builds a special community of engaged citizens, and we are proud to celebrate more than 50 years of service to greater Omaha, in partnership with Omaha Public Schools.”
And just to keep things interesting, NPR is upgrading and moving our website to new servers on a brand-new software platform. That change will “go-live” at noon on Thursday, January 27th. This is a decision that NPR made with NPR also controlling the timeline. We have been working very hard to have everything ready from our side for the transfer and look forward to some of the new functionality that comes with the new platform. As always, we appreciate your support and look forward to continued improvements on our offerings to you!