ORR— When Curt Glass clicked off the power to the nonprofit television transmitter on the Gheen Hill last week, he was curious to see the reaction.

Glass, who has overseen the operation of the transmitter for nearly 30 years, said the increasing use of satellite services in rural parts of northwestern St. Louis County had reduced reliance on the aging system, operated by his small organization, known as Orr Area Minneonto II.

The organization formed back in the 1980s to make it possible for residents from Orr north to the Canadian border to watch Vikings games. Over time, the system expanded its offerings and, with the switch to digital, had been rebroadcasting more than a dozen different channels.

The transmitter was a critical link in a transmission chain that covers a wide swath of northwestern St. Louis and eastern Koochiching counties. Without it, the region goes dark, at least for over-the-air broadcasts of American television networks.

Glass said between streaming services and satellite television, he wasn’t sure whether anyone was still watching his transmitter’s broadcasts. But within minutes of flicking the switch to turn it off, the phones started to ring at the International Falls office of Voyageur Communications, which has helped Glass service his transmitting system for years. It turned out, plenty of folks were still relying on the system, and they wanted to know what happened to their television signal.

And Voyageur Communications was not alone. Allen Harmon, station manager at WDSE, the PBS affiliate in Duluth, said he started hearing from viewers in the region as well, many of whom were shocked when they turned to Channel 8 only to find a notice that PBS over-the-air broadcasts would be ending in northern Minnesota. The notice urged viewers to “Let PBS know if “YOU” care or Kiss it “Good-by” forever.”

As Glass sees it, the notice is an effort to pressure Duluth’s PBS affiliate to help support a broadcast service that has been providing a critical boost to the station’s signal for years, at no charge. But Harmon has suggested in emails to viewers in the region that the tactic amounts to blackmail and he said WDSE can’t afford to help support the transmitter’s operation. He said the communications tower operated by Glass’s organization is badly in need of painting and is out of compliance with FAA regulations. “It’s been neglected and abused,” said Harmon. “The investment hasn’t been made to keep everything up to code and regulation.”

Glass doesn’t deny that the tower needs maintenance, but he said his small nonprofit simply doesn’t generate enough revenue anymore to pay the $7,000 it would cost to repaint the tower, much less take on other repairs and upgrades. Glass said at least two other Duluth stations, ABC and Fox, have agreed to provide $150 a month to help keep the transmitter operating and those stations are back on the air north of the Gheen Hill.

Loss of funding

For years, said Glass, his nonprofit was able to keep pace with maintenance and made the transition to digital broadcasting because of two key sources of funding— a modest property tax levy assessed on residents of Orr and Leiding Township, along with a monthly check from AT&T, which used to operate its own transmitter from the Minneonto II tower. That allowed the organization to pay the monthly electric bill and to put aside reserves to pay for maintenance.

But Orr and Leiding officials discontinued the tax levy several years ago and AT&T built its own tower, which left the organization starved for funding. Glass said what reserves were left were spent to pay the power bill. With the money all but depleted, Glass said his nonprofit couldn’t continue to operate the transmitter without a new source of revenue.

Glass said the service could provide more viewing choices, including hyper-local programming, to the region if someone younger and with vision wants to get involved. Glass, who has been the only active member of the group for years, said he’s just tired of having to deal with it and would like someone else, or some other entity, to take it over.

“Right now, I’m just hoping to buy more time,” said Glass. “For three years I’ve been trying to recruit someone,” he said. “I’m sick of it.”

Shutting off the power was, in that sense, a cry for help, and it’s one that’s gotten attention.

Glass said he’s been in touch with IRRRB Commissioner Mark Phillips and is hoping that the agency might be willing to fund the cost for repainting the tower. He said if three Duluth area stations would agree to pay $150 a month each, it would be enough to pay the power bill and other incidental costs. That would give the organization some breathing space to try to find other revenue sources to, hopefully, maintain and even expand the service.

Glass said he has nothing against WDSE— in fact, he said, he’s been a member for years. He said it comes down to whether the PBS affiliate wants to serve residents in far northern St. Louis and Koochiching counties. In the end, he said, the choice for the station is straightforward.

“If WDSE feels they don’t want to support this, they can forgo the pleasure of being broadcast up here,” he said.