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Radio station brings news and more to Yankton Sioux Reservation






A drum group broadcast from KDKO 89.5 FM in December 2013. Photo from Facebook

The KDKO radio station offers a unique mix of news, cultural programming and music to members of the Yankton Sioux Tribe in South Dakota and the surrounding community.

The station got its start on the Internet about 10 years ago, The Yankton Press and Dakotan reported. Now it can be found on 89.5 FM after winning a license from the Federal Communications Commission in 2010.

Recent programming included coverage of the tribal election and inauguration, a first for the station. Broadcasts from local sporting events have proven popular and there are also lessons in the Dakota language.

"It’s for the Yankton Sioux, our people," station manager Chaske Rockboy. told the paper. "But we’re also there for everyone, no matter what race. We’re all in the community and live together."

The station, with a staff of eight, relies on public funding and donations to keep running. It's housed in the offices of the Native American Women’s Health Education Resource Center.

Get the Story:
Native American Radio Station Enters A New Era (The Yankton Press and Dakotan 10/8)

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