1 minute read
The Middle of Everywhere Connecting Rural South Dakota
by SDPB
New SDPB documentary premieres this fall.
In 1878, Deadwood, South Dakota had a small operating telephone exchange. At the time, San Francisco didn’t have a major exchange. Even the White House didn’t have a telephone.
The Middle of Everywhere – Connecting Rural South Dakota, a new 60-minute documentary premiering this fall, explores the history and ongoing work of services – from basic electrical service and early telephone exchanges, to cell phone technology and broadband Internet – that keep rural South Dakota connected to the world.
The Middle of Everywhere – Connecting Rural South Dakota presents milestones in transportation, energy, and communication infrastructures. The wiring of South Dakota farms and ranches between the 1930s and 1960s changed the agriculture industry and rural life almost immeasurably. The construction of hydroelectric dams on the Missouri River provided a reliable source of renewable energy. Farm-tomarket road improvements reached a high point with the construction of I-29 and I-90, South Dakota’s intersecting Interstate connection to the rest of America.
Various people in South Dakota experimented with radio as early as 1912, and many of those stations continue to operate today, including KGFX, WNAX and KUSD. The Middle of Everywhere shares the stories of how radio, and later television, kept South Dakotans informed and entertained during both good times and bad.
SDPB’s new documentary considers ongoing communication issues in rural South Dakota. Most of the state has had cell phone service for some time, and high-speed Internet is available in most larger towns, but most rural areas still do not have broadband access. A state-backed “rural broadband initiative” has been implemented to address that issue and the success of it remains unmeasured.
South Dakotans who can access and use social media are finding creative uses for Facebook, Twitter, and other platforms. The Middle of Everywhere – Connecting Rural South Dakota shares conversations with rural people using social media to keep their communities connected during uncertain times and amid issues that include rural population loss, a new pandemic threat in the form of COVID-19, and the forever challenge of maintaining a healthy ag-based economy.
To see a preview of The Middle of Everywhere – Connecting Rural South Dakota, go to SDPB.org/connectingruralsd.
