Jaclyn Sallee was honored with an award for Media Excellence at the 8th Annual Native Media Summit on July 13th in Santa Fe, NM

Jaclyn Sallee is the President and CEO of Koahnic Broadcast Corporation, the nation’s leading producer of Native public radio programs, including National Native News, Native America Calling and Earthsongs. Koahnic also operates the national Native radio distribution service, Native Voice One (NV1). Koahnic is headquartered in Anchorage, Alaska, with a satellite office and production center in Albuquerque, New Mexico.

The Award for Media Excellence was given to Ms. Sallee by Native Public Media, a Native media organization with the mission to promote healthy, engaged and independent Native Communities through media access, control and ownership.

“The Media Excellence Award celebrates essential institutions and their positive impact on Native media serving tribal communities. The honoree must demonstrate the leading use of technology or new media platforms in providing meaningful and relevant programming that strengthens and supports our Native voice and storytelling,” explains Sydney Beane, who serves on the Native Public Media Board of Directors.

Loris Taylor, President and CEO of Native Public Media, states: “Sallee has blazed the way for satellite distribution of Native programming in an environment where Native media continues to struggle in its efforts to reach Native audiences that remain largely unserved and underserved. Koahnic operates Native Voice One and delivers programming on a daily basis to our entire network of Native stations. NV1 is a core and essential service and without it, our stations will not be able to receive important, relevant and national programming as part of their service to Indian Country.”

Said Sallee,“This recognition is truly an honor. I am grateful for this acknowledgement of the services we provide with our programs that advance our mission to be the leader in bringing Native voices to Alaska and the nation.”

As Koahnic’s President and CEO, Sallee provides leadership for the national programming division that includes production and distribution of Native America Calling, National Native News, Earthsongs, Native Voice One and public radio station KNBA in Anchorage, Alaska. Sallee, who is Inupiaq, oversees the national and local development efforts and has seen increased station carriage of growing products resulting in a network of over 400 radio stations, repeaters and translators throughout the United States and Canada.

Sallee’s experience includes service on several community and industry boards and committees including the Alaska Press Club, Native Public Media, YWCA, The CIRI Foundation Board of Directors, The Foraker Group and the Alaska Broadcasters Association Equal Opportunity Committee. Sallee has developed many award-winning programs including Earthsongs, “Native Word of the Day,” “Stories of our People,” National Native News, and KNBA news programs. Sallee is instrumental in breaking new ground in developing Koahnic’s first ever international broadcast in multiple languages. Sallee works in sustaining Alaska’s Native languages through creative radio programming and is a recipient of YWCA’s Women of Achievement and Anchorage Chamber of Commerce’s “Top 40 Under 40” Award.

Koahnic Broadcast Corporation, established in 1992, is a non-profit, Alaska Native/Native American media center headquartered in Anchorage. The mission of Koahnic is to be the leader in bringing Native voices to Alaska and the nation.

Koahnic Broadcast Corporation produces the award-winning programs Native America Calling and National Native News at its national production and distribution center in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Koahnic’s program service NV1 (Native Voice One is the Native distribution service for the Native public radio system, linking 400 Native and non-Native stations across the country to Native radio programming.

For more information about Koahnic Broadcast Corporation or NV1, visit www.knba.org or www.nv1.org