Vegas PBS has been awarded the Rural Utilities Services -Public Digital Transition Grant in the amount of $265,800 from the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) to provide digital television services in rural Nevada including 16 hours a day of educational programming. Vegas PBS will fund the remainder of the project for a total of $379,254.
Vegas PBS will replace existing analog translators with digital transmitters in Alamo, Laughlin, Jean, Mesquite, Goodsprings and Glendale, Nevada.
This digital conversion will enable Vegas PBS to provide three channels of public television to these communities. The three channels include Vegas PBS, Create and V-me, Vegas PBS Channels 10.1, 10.2 and 10.3 respectively.
“We are delighted to have the support of the USDA for the build out of our digital television services,” said Tom Axtell, general manager of Vegas PBS. “This grant, which was actively supported by the Nevada Congressional delegation, will provide universal access of three digital channels of public television throughout Clark County and a portion of Lincoln County. It will also allow the transmission of emergency response, data casting and emergency information from the county to area emergency command centers.”
“This plan reflects how the USDA’s Telephone Loan Program has incorporated and expanded new technologies throughout its 60 year history,” said USDA Rural Development State Director Sarah Adler.
The grant was presented at a ceremony in the Video Conferencing Center of the Vegas PBS Educational Technology Campus on Thursday, Nov. 12 at 2:30 pm. Adler and Axtell will announce a partnership with University of Nevada, Reno, University of Nevada School of Medicine, Nevada System of Higher Education (NSHE), Area Health Education Center (AHEC), the Clark County School District (CCSD), CCSD Virtual High School and the federal government that will increase health and education services in rural Nevada.
