[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 159 (2013), Part 5]
[Senate]
[Page 7018]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                        RECOGNIZING KELOLAND TV

   Mr. THUNE. Mr. President, today I wish to recognize KELOLAND 
TV's 60th anniversary. Opening their doors on May 19, 1953, KELOLAND 
became South Dakota's first television station. Over the past 60 years, 
KELOLAND has been a source for critical information and programming to 
countless South Dakotans.
  Providing timely news, weather, and sports across the rural and vast 
South Dakota plains is no simple task, but through hard work and 
dedication, KELOLAND has served South Dakota with continuous and 
critical coverage of all the news of the day. Through challenging times 
in South Dakota, KELOLAND has been a mainstay for viewers in the region 
to turn to for up-to-date coverage of the events and happenings in 
their local communities. In October of 1954, KELOLAND offered its first 
live programming, which led shortly after to KELOLAND offering the 
first live sporting event in February of 1957. On March 11, 1955, 
``Captain 11'' signed on for the first time. Little did they know that 
``Captain 11'' would become the longest continuous running children's 
program in the world. ``Captain 11'' ran for 42 years before signing 
off for the last time on December 28, 1996.
  In September of 1968, KELOLAND added live color cameras. The year 
1997 was very busy for KELOLAND due to the September introduction of 
the Live Doppler Network, which brought live weather radar pictures to 
South Dakota homes, and the December launch of Keloland.com, which gave 
South Dakotans the ability for the first time to check their local news 
online. In 2011, KELOLAND made two more cutting-edge technology 
advancements by creating their first mobile phone app, in February, 
followed by offering full high definition broadcasting in October.
  KELOLAND has provided critical information for the State of South 
Dakota for 60 years; however, its impact on the region and the 
community it serves does not stop there. In the spring of 1998, a 
violent tornado tore through the town of Spencer, and in an effort to 
help rebuild the Spencer community, KELOLAND organized a telethon to 
assist the victims of the tragedy. The telethon was a success and 
raised more than $1 million.
  KELOLAND's commitment to excellence and to its service to the region 
has not only been recognized by South Dakotans but also on a national 
stage. Along with winning 10 regional Emmy Awards, KELOLAND, in August 
of 2000, was awarded an Emmy for its outstanding public service.
  KELOLAND's commitment to service to the State of South Dakota makes 
it an honor to congratulate them on their 60th anniversary of 
broadcasts and wish them another 60 years of success.

                          ____________________