Salyer is the president of Public Radio International, the Minneapolis-based organization that provides a wide variety of programming to public radio stations in the United States and abroad. His job, in part, is to keep track of technological trends and make sure PRI isn't left behind. Salyer was in Bismarck Thursday to speak to a gathering of Prairie Public Television and North Dakota Public radio supporters. Another technological trend that could have implications for North Dakota radio listeners actually has its genesis in public television.
All television stations are under the gun to convert to broadcasting a digital signal.
The downside for the stations is that the conversion will be expensive. The upside is that a number of digital signals can fit into the same space that one analog signal now takes up. Combine that with the Internet, he said, and public radio could have the elements in place to become more than just a purveyor of content. Public stations could become an important force in providing a vehicle for comment and debate on issues of the day. Small stations, such as North Dakota's, he said, will need some help getting launched into interactive operations.