AMARILLO, TX – The Mary E. Bivins Foundation has awarded High Plains Public Radio (HPPR) a $15,000 grant.

The Bivins Foundation’s grant will allow HPPR to increase the reliability, quality, and usefulness of the 94.9 Connect (HPPR Connect) program service by replacing and upgrading equipment. FM 94.9-Amarillo broadcasts regional, national, and international news; information; discussion; story-telling; and arts and culture programming 24 hours a day, 7 days a week (see schedule at www.hppr.org/schedule/week/hppr).  It is available on the radio in the Amarillo area and via the internet and mobile phones throughout the High Plains and beyond.

"We really appreciate the Bivins Foundation’s support for this project,” said Abby Killingsworth, Development Director.  “Because HPPR’s operating budget is already very tight and basic service costs (utilities, insurance, program fees, etc.) are rising, the station can’t budget for replacing and upgrading equipment.  Foundations make that possible.”

The Mary E. Bivins Foundation was founded in 1949 “to enrich the quality of life in the Texas Panhandle by supporting the elderly, funding the education of Christian ministers, and addressing critical community needs." (www.bivinsfoundation.org).

HPPR has been providing public-radio service for 43 years, starting in 1980 with the launch of its first station in southwest Kansas  Over the years, HPPR has grown to provide service to nearly 300 communities in 80 counties across four states in the High Plains region through an interconnected network of 12 FM stations and six FM translators. The Spearman-Perryton tower serves 89.50 KTOT for this part of the Panhandle,