Prairie Public Television

Credits

Captures by
Doctorine Dark

Video captures courtesy of
RW-TV: RetroWinnipeg

Background

Prairie Public Television is the statewide PBS affiliate for North Dakota. The main headquarters are located in Fargo, where the flagship station KFME is located.

1st ID (1980-1986)

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Visuals: Just a random nature or North Dakota-related picture (like trees, flowers, etc) on a black background with "Prairie Public Television" below in white.

Variant: Sometimes, the picture takes up the whole screen and the network's name would be written above or to one side (aligned vertically) in white or purple.

Technique: A still printed image.

Audio: Just an announcer saying "This is Prairie Public Television; KSRE, channel 6, Minot, KFME, channel 13, Fargo, KGFE, channel 2, Grand Forks, and KBME, channel 3, Bismarck.".

Audio Variants: The announcement varies depending on the ID (such as mentioning the stations in a different order, mentioning only Grand Forks and Fargo, saying "Prairie Public TV, refreshing television." at the beginning, etc...).

Availability: Only used as a local ID within North Dakota.

2nd ID (1984)

Visuals: Unknown

Technique: Unknown

Audio: Unknown

Availability: Unknown ^[Examples?]

3rd ID (1986-1989?)

Visuals: Against a gray background with objects carved into the background (it's unknown what they are at the time due to the low quality of the capture), the words "Prairie Public TV" are seen in a slim Korinna font with a red line behind it. In the center of the screen is a photo of a program broadcast on the network. Underneath is the title of the show in a white Helvetica font with black shadows. Underneath that is the day and time it broadcasts in a smaller italicized Helvetica font with shadows.

Technique: A still computer graphic.

Audio: A male announcer says "This is Prairie Public Television, KGFE, channel two, Grand Forks, and KFME, channel thirteen, Fargo."

Availability: Same as the first logo.

4th ID (1989)

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Visuals: On a space background, there is a cube containing clips of PBS shows, which then spins into place, showing us former North Dakota senator Quentin N. Burdick congratulating Prairie Public Television for its 25th anniversary. Then a dust transition fades into a space background with a tan cube that spins and rotates and moves all over the screen. On each face of the cube are pink call letters, numbers and words for each area PPT serves:

• KDSE 9 Dickinson
• KBME 3 Bismarck
• KFME 13 Fargo
• KWSE 4 Williston
• KGFE 2 Grand Forks
• KSRE 6 Minot
• Cable 3 Winnipeg

As the cube leaves the screen, a dark lavender rectangle with steel on its side drops down, then rotates into place while some lines similar to the 1989 PBS Glass logo wipe in top, center, and bottom. Finally, "Prairie Public Television" (outlined in yellow) and "25 YEARS" (in white) zoom out and place themselves in the center.

Technique: CGI.

Audio: A triumphant synthesized orchestra fanfare with chimes.

Availability: This was only seen as a "You're Watching" local ID for PPT around that time.

5th ID (1987-1991)

Visuals: Like most local PBS station IDs of its time, this takes place on a black-steel blue gradient background, identical to WHRO's logo (all of which were part of the "TV Worth Watching" campaign). Here, some curved green-colored boxes with the stations, which go in order based on channel number (with "Cable 3 Winnipeg" not included, KGRE, KBME, and KWSE in sea green, KSRE and KDSE in spring green, and KFME in army green, and in a much bigger box than the rest), zoom out quickly, then flip out, with "Prairie Public Television" in the Korrina font (the same font as the Jeopardy! answer text) fading in. As with WHRO's ID, the white banner flies in, then turns red with the words "TV Worth Watching" in a cursive font on it.

Technique: Computer animation.

Audio: The "TV Worth Watching" jingle, though an instrumental this time.

Availability: Only used as a local ID for the viewing area.

6th ID (1990-1996)

Visuals: On a dark blue background, many golden slabs fly in. Once they settle in place, the station names come in and fly over it before the slabs spread out and form the Dakotas (North and South), Montana, Minnesota, Manitoba, and Saskatchewan, which is the area where it broadcasts. A star appears on North Dakota, representing its main area and "Prairie Public Television" appears in a waving fashion before moving into position in the top left corner of the screen.

Variants:

• For Halloween, only one gold slab slides in with an orange circle and the words "Happy Halloween" written on it. A silhouette of a witch on a broomstick flies past the circle and slab. Then the logo forms as normal.
• A holiday version exists. Yet again, only one slab slides in, with a Christmas tree and the words “Happy Holidays” below it in cursive. Snowflakes fall in the background.
• Beginning in 1994-1995, the bumper was given a makeover. This time, only one slab slides in, and the font showing the station names are bolder and move faster.

Technique: CGI.

Audio: A very peaceful jazz piece that sounds very similar to the ALF theme song.

Audio Variant: Sometimes, an announcer (Jim Solum) can be heard saying “Prairie Public Television is seen in Valley City, North Dakota on K02FO, Channel 2, and in Lisbon, North Dakota on K07NE, Channel 7.”