A radio station that went on the air this week may soon be the most diverse in the state and could become one of the most diverse in the nation. K-P-V-L is broadcasting to the northeast Iowa community of Postville. Mark Grey, a professor of anthropology at the University of Northern Iowa, is director of the “New Iowans” program, which includes the radio station. Grey says the station has been in the works for a few years now.Grey says the station is broadcasting public radio programming for now but they’re already producing such things as the weather, public service announcements and school closings in four languages — English, German, Hebrew and Russian. Grey says the people of Postville are from 29 countries. While critics point to the town’s diversity as the root of some community problems, Grey says Postville is a special place and the residents are meshing and working together. The Postville Chamber of Commerce owns the radio station license. Funding comes from outside sources like the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
