Not too long ago, most people's local and statewide media choices were largely limited to three TV stations, a newspaper or two and a slew of radio stations offering a variety of programming.
Recent developments in South Dakota illustrate how changing reader habits are rewriting the state's media landscape.
"There was a time when it took 20 years to happen what’s happened in the past couple of weeks in South Dakota," said Dave Bordewyk, executive director of the South Dakota NewsMedia Association.
Here are recent changes in the state's media landscape, which includes legacy organizations as well as so-called digital-first organizations like South Dakota News Watch. It is not exhaustive and does not delve into the financial and audience habits that led to the changes.
Recent changes to radio, TV and newspapers
SDPB people and programming cuts
South Dakota Public Broadcasting last week announced that it will reduce its staff by 25% across its programs and services in response to a $2.2 million annual cut in federal funding.
The radio program "In the Moment" and TV program "South Dakota Focus" were eliminated, and output of "Dakota Life" on TV and educational resources will be reduced.
SDPB said it will prioritize news of open government and access to the Legislature. And it will continue its coverage of high school athletic championships and fine arts events. The network will also keep all its TV and radio transmitters to maintain 98% of statewide coverage.
“This is the hardest decision we've ever had to make,” said Julie Overgaard, SDPB executive director, adding that she hopes to restore some of the staff through fundraising efforts.
Four newspapers saved by new owner
As the SDPB changes unfolded, four newspapers that were abruptly shuttered weeks earlier found new life when a new owner bought the properties.
Champion Media, a family-owned community newspaper company based in North Carolina, said it was acquiring and restarting The Brookings Register, Huron Plainsman, Redfield Press and Moody County Enterprise at Flandreau.
"Every community deserves a newspaper and a voice and we feel fortunate to be able to help provide that," said CEO Scott Champion.
Other newspaper changes
The challenges of delivering a printed product have increased significantly recently because the U.S. Postal Service now processes much of South Dakota's mail in surrounding states.
Some newspaper subscribers wait a week or more for editions printed only a few miles away, Bordewyk said.
"So it’s making that ad worthless and causing advertisers to pull away," he said, adding that skyrocketing costs for labor, newsprint and other expenses also weigh on bottom lines.
“The news ecosystem in South Dakota, as it is everywhere, is at an inflection point." – Dave Bordewyk, executive director of the South Dakota News Media Association
About 75 of the roughly 100 newspapers in the state have reported delivery problems.
Larger, corporate-owned newspapers have had to cut resources because of heavy debt loads, but the issue for most smaller operators is razor-thin margins, Bordewyk said.
"I fear their delivery is being changed in such a way to the point where they won’t be able to restore it," he said.
When a local news source closes, the impact is twofold, Bordewyk said.
"Connectivity: Connecting people to know what is going on in the community and to have a trusted, reliable source for news. Accountability: Having an independent source of journalism that reports about local government, what the school board and city council (are) doing and reporting to the community. If you don't have those two things, I believe a community will suffer," he said.
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About 40 South Dakota newspapers closed over the past 30 years, but the state still has one of the highest number per capita.
SDNA changed its bylaws a few years ago to allow new media organizations like South Dakota News Watch and another statewide nonprofit, South Dakota Searchlight, to join.
Other startups include three newspapers that publish both online and print editions where Gannett-owned papers still operate: The Dakota Scout in Sioux Falls, started by two former Sioux Falls Argus Leader reporters, and the Aberdeen Insider and Watertown Current, owned by Aberdeen businessman Troy McQuillen.
TV news
In commercial television, Nexstar Media Group Inc., which owns KELO-TV in Sioux Falls, said it plans to acquire Tegna Inc. to form a new company that would serve 80% of U.S. households, if approved. (Tegna is comprised of Gannett's former broadcast and digital division.)
Besides the CBS affiliate that serves the entire state, KELO operates keloland.com, South Dakota's top news website. Nexstar also provides local news from KCAU-TV, the ABC station in Sioux City, Iowa.
Nexstar said the merger would help ensure that local news and programming continues from trusted, local sources and a diversity of local voice and opinion.
Local TV streaming
KELO also has started streaming more programming on its website, a smartphone app and services like Roku, Fire TV and Apple TV.
"What you see a lot of broadcast companies trying to do is meet the viewer where they are," said Gary Weitman, Nexstar's chief communications officer. "It’s not designed to replace or move anything off broadcast."
South Dakota's other major local TV news provider, Gray Media, broadcasts on KSFY-TV (ABC), KDLT-TV (NBC) and KTTW-TV (FOX) in Sioux Falls under Dakota News Now, on KOTA-TV (ABC) and KEVN-TV (FOX) in Rapid City as KOTA Territory News and on KTIV-TV (NBC) in Sioux City.
Chris Gross, KOTA Territory general manager, said his stations are adding to their streaming efforts to include more detailed coverage of news stories and severe weather.
"We can be live on there more in depth without breaking into over-the-air programming," he said.
KNBN-TV, the NBC affiliate in Rapid City, was bought last year by North Dakota-based Forum Communications Co., which previously purchased two Sioux Falls stations, KWSD-TV (now KSFL-TV) and KCWS-TV.
Forum also operates the Mitchell Republic newspaper and a printing plant in Sioux Falls as well as Sioux Falls Live, an online news and sports site.
Forum's latest acquisition was MetroSports TV, which it has rebranded Midwest Sports+ to provide shows and live-streamed play-by-play of high school and college games, including University of Sioux Falls football and basketball.
KNBN doesn't have a separate news app, but some sports from KNBN and KSFL will feed into Midwest Sports+, said Mary Jo Hotzler, Forum's chief content officer.
"It's all very interconnected with what we're doing. You'll see (sports writer) Matt Zimmer on Sioux Falls Live and he'll have stories and columns covering the Jackrabbits, but you'll also see him on Midwest Sports+," she said.
Commercial radio
Another company innovating how it delivers content is The HomeSlice Media Group.
It runs six Black Hills radio stations and the state’s largest podcast network and launched The Rapid City Post, a digital newspaper with more than 16,000 email subscribers that will soon have a print edition, said Brad “Murdoc” Jurgensen, chief revenue officer and executive producer.
"Our primary vision of The Rapid City Post is free, ad-supported, locally staffed community media with strong journalistic standards, available to everyone as they like to digest it," he said.
A map of the current state and looking ahead
In response to readers asking about media changes, South Dakota News Watch created the interactive Google Map below that lists all traditional and new media organizations as well as blogs and other sources of information in the state.
“The news ecosystem in South Dakota, as it is everywhere, is at an inflection point. The traditional models for gathering news and advertising, that model has been broken up in large part. And these new ways to provide that news and information, streaming and through apps that replace the traditional model, it’s really in some respects, it’s exciting," Bordewyk said. "Not to mention what AI (artificial intelligence) is going to do.
"Opportunities exist, and how communities respond and engage will be fascinating."
Carson Walker worked in radio, television, newspapers and at The Associated Press and now is CEO of South Dakota News Watch, an independent, nonprofit organization that produced this story. Read more stories and donate at sdnewswatch.org and sign up for an email to get stories when they're published. Contact him at carson.walker@sdnewswatch.org.
