Nebraska radio station KRVN 880 and the Rural Radio Network will add a news bureau and production studio at Nebraska Innovation Campus (NIC) this fall. NIC Executive Director Dan Duncan said, "KRVN's radio network across the state will enable NIC to connect to everyone in Nebraska and share our stories" KRVN is the 50,000-watt flagship of a nine-station network spanning Nebraska with coverage into Iowa, South Dakota, Kansas, Colorado and Wyoming. The network is owned and operated by the Nebraska Rural Radio Association, a cooperative of farmers and ranchers. KRVN will be a sponsor of The Club at NIC, a new networking, event and project space being created for entrepreneurs, faculty groups and Recognized Student Organizations. Locating a production studio at NIC will enable the station to cover stories connected to NIC partners, programs and events, as well as university-related and regional stories. The studio will also provide KRVN staff with a convenient location for university and regional leaders to record programming, participate in live interviews and create video content. "KRVN and the Nebraska Rural Radio Association have worked closely with the University of Nebraska for almost 70 years," said Craig Larson, the radio association's general manager. "Our mission is to serve agriculture and rural Nebraska. This venture is the next step as we help tell the story of agriculture in Nebraska." KRVN already works closely with the university's Institute of Agriculture and Natural Resources, hosting a weekly radio show with Mike Boehm, IANR's Harlan Vice Chancellor. NIC is a research campus designed to facilitate new and in-depth partnerships between the university and private-sector businesses. At full build-out, NIC will be a 2.2-million square-foot campus with uniquely designed buildings and amenities that inspire creative activity and engagement, transforming ideas into global innovation. For more information, click here.
Farm broadcaster and video specialist Bryce Doeschot will be working with this new venture at the Nebraska Innovation Campus. “Although I always wanted to be in the agricultural communications industry, I never considered radio until visiting KRVN Radio for an interview while serving as a Nebraska FFA State Officer. Mike Leporte, then Farm Director, joked about me taking over his job. Two years later, I began an internship (thanks to NAFB for the internship grant!) with KRVN the same week that Mike retired.” Bryce continued, “I enjoyed my time at KRVN, and they were willing to let me continue reporting while concluding my time at the University of Nebraska - Lincoln. I graduated from UNL with a degree in agricultural and environmental sciences communication and a minor in Engler Agribusiness Entrepreneurship in May 2017. Following graduation, KRVN/Rural Radio Network mentioned that they were interested in me for this project in Lincoln, and I eagerly said yes.” Like many kids in rural Nebraska, Bryce grew up in a tractor cab listening to KRVN 880 and the Rural Radio Network. He remembers hearing ag market reports come over the KRVN airwaves, but he didn’t know that one day he would be the one delivering those market reports. Bryce is on the air up to five times per day covering regional agriculture news, programs and events, as well as university-related stories. He also captures video for Rural Radio Network clients. Also, Bryce hosts the weekly segment with Mike Boehm. Bryce credits his time in the College of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources with preparing him for this communications role.