View source for AIROS Native Radio Network

{{Use American English|date=February 2025}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=January 2025}}
'''American Indian Radio on Satellite''' or '''AIROS''' was a service that transmitted Native American radio programs between producers and radio stations via satellite. It also distributed radio programming directly to listeners via the Internet. Its satellite service ran from 1994 to 2006. It was operated by [[Native American Public Telecommunications]].

== Programming ==
AIROS carried a variety of Native American radio programming, including news and music. Although primarily a distributor, it produced some of its own programming.<ref>{{Cite news|last=May|first=James|date=April 13, 2005|title=New radio organization appoints two leaders|work=Indian Country Today, Oneida NY}}</ref>

Two of the programs AIROS carried have become among the longest-running Native American radio programs. The music program ''Native Sounds Native Voices'' originated in the studios of KZUM. It was first broadcast in [[Lincoln, Nebraska]], in 1994.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Intern|first=KZUM|title=Native Sounds Native Voices|url=https://kzum.org/nativesoundsnativevoices/|access-date=2020-06-17|website=KZUM 89.3 FM – Local Radio in Lincoln, Nebraska {{!}} Music, Arts, Culture and Community|language=en-US}}</ref> ''Native American Calling'' is a call-in talk show. AIROS carried its national premiere on June 5, 1995. Initially, it was jointly produced by AIROS and the Alaska Public Radio Network and originated from the studios of [[KUNM]], [[Albuquerque, New Mexico]].<ref name=":1">{{Cite news|date=June 6, 1995|title=Indian Call-In Show On Air Across Nation|work=Daily Sitka Sentinel, Sitka Alaska}}</ref> In 2001, [[the New York Times]] described ''Native American Calling'' as very popular.<ref name=":2" /> By 2006, it was produced by [[Koahnic Broadcast Corporation|Koahnic]] and was one of the best-known Native American radio programs.<ref name=":3">{{Cite news|last=Lee|first=Tanya|date=Aug 23, 2006|title=Just a click away from home|work=Indian Country Today, Oneida NY}}</ref>

== Distribution ==
In the 1990s, satellite communications were considered especially useful for reaching radio stations in remote locations that did not have access to services like special high-quality telephone lines or the Internet. AIROS started its satellite distribution network in 1994.<ref name=":4">{{Cite news|last=Adams|first=Jim|date=July 18, 2001|title=Grant saves American Indian radio service: Pushes expansion of Internet streaming|work=Indian Country Today, Oneida NY}}</ref> AIROS used the [[Public Radio Satellite System]]. As a result, its programming was available to public radio stations across the United States, not just Native American stations.<ref name=":5">{{Cite news|date=June 21, 2000|title=American Indian radio program receives award|work=Arlington Heights Daily Herald (serving suburban Chicago IL)}}</ref> The number of stations AIROS served grew from 29 in 1995 to 50 in 2000 and 77 in 2001, including Native American and other stations in the United States and Canada.<ref name=":1" /><ref name=":5" /><ref name=":4" /> In 2001, the New York Times described AIROS as the "primary distribution system for (Native American) public radio".<ref name=":2">{{Cite news|date=4 Feb 2001|title=Indian Country Sends a Stronger Signal: Television/Radio|work=The New York Times}}</ref> AIROS satellite operations ended in 2006, when Koahnic won the contract to distribute Native American programming over the Public Radio Satellite System.<ref name=":3" />

By 2014, Koahnic's [[Koahnic Broadcast Corporation#Native Voice One|Native Voice One]] and [[Radio Bilingüe]] were the two indigenous radio networks in the United States. Like AIROS, both used the Public Radio Satellite System.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Radio Organizations|url=http://filmcatalog.nmai.si.edu/organization/4/|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171226132633/http://filmcatalog.nmai.si.edu/organization/4/|archive-date=26 December 2017|website=National Museum of the American Indian|publisher=Smithsonian Institution}}</ref>

AIROS also used the Internet to connect producers, radio broadcasters and listeners. In 1997, AIROS initiated webcasts, reaching the large urban Native American population out of reach of Native American radio stations.<ref name=":4" /> AIROS claimed it had one of the first web sites to provide [[Streaming media|live-streaming]].<ref name=":0">{{cite web |date=2016 |title=NAPT Three Decades |url=http://www.visionmakermedia.org/sites/default/files/resources/Three_Decades_Report.pdf |access-date=March 29, 2020 |publisher=Native American Public Telecommunications}}</ref> Broadcast stations continued to be the primary means of reaching American Indians on reservations lacking reliable Internet. AIROS live streaming ended in December 2010.<ref>{{Cite web|date=Dec 14, 2010|title=NAPT's AIROS Audio Programming Prepares for Some Heartfelt Goodbyes and a New Beginning for 2011|url=http://airos.org/files/AIROS_PressRelease_12-14-10.pdf|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110120002944/http://airos.org/files/AIROS_PressRelease_12-14-10.pdf|archive-date=January 20, 2011|access-date=July 8, 2020|website=AIROS}}</ref> Podcasts continued for a few more years.

== See also ==
*[[NATV Native American Television]]
*[[Radio Bilingüe|Satélite Radio Bilingüe]], which distributes native and other Spanish language programming via satellite
*[[Z. Susanne Aikman]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

[[Category:Native American radio]]
[[Category:Public radio in the United States]]
[[Category:Companies based in Lincoln, Nebraska]]
[[Category:Defunct radio networks in the United States]]
[[Category:Defunct community radio stations in the United States]]
[[Category:Radio stations established in 1994]]
[[Category:Radio stations disestablished in 2006]]
[[Category:Defunct radio stations in the United States]]