SIOUX FALLS, SD (KELO) — A member of our KELOLAND family will have a seat at the table in Pierre and on Capitol Hill when it comes to issues affecting the broadcasting industry.
KELOLAND Media Group Vice-President and General Manager Mari Ossenfort is the new chair of the South Dakota Broadcasters Board of Directors.
Ossenfort says the statewide reach of KELOLAND Media Group is a big advantage for her new role serving as an advocate for television and radio stations across South Dakota.
“We serve both sides of the state, right? And in other roles in other companies, I have also managed radio stations, so I know some of the challenges that they have,” Ossenfort said.
“She’s got a breadth of connections and a breadth of relationships. She’s also got a one-on-one relationship with every one of our congressional delegation, so she’s been around and she knows the industry,” South Dakota Broadcasters Association President Steve Willard said.
The new leadership role with the South Dakota Broadcasters Association extends to Washington, D.C., where she’ll lobby members of Congress to enact content protections for local journalists.
“There’s an act called the JCP Act (Journalism Competition & Preservation Act) that we would like to see, we would like to see that pushed through Congress so that our local journalists are protected. It’s part of our free speech,” Ossenfort said.
Artificial Intelligence is another development the industry is wrestling with.
“The technology is out there to re-create your voice, Perry. And I could take your voice and create a story, it would be all video background, it would be all video, but I could take your voice, create a story. And you wouldn’t know what words were being said,” Ossenfort said.
Ossenfort says while broadcasting stations compete against one another for market share, her job will involve bringing those stations together when it comes to sharing a commitment to serve their local audiences.
“We are just here to be all about local, local, local in supporting our communities because that’s what the backbone of our country is all about, right?” Ossenfort said.
Ossenfort served in the same position with the North Dakota Broadcasters Association when she was vice-president of broadcasting for Forum Communications in Fargo.
Broadcast stations face labor shortages, just like other industries. To that end, the South Dakota Broadcasters Association offers internship grants for students interested in pursuing careers in journalism.
