WTIP North Shore Community Radio selected as Ampers “Station of the Year”
The Association of Minnesota Public Educational Radio Stations (Ampers) announced that WTIP North Shore Community Radio was chosen as “Station of the Year” for 2026. The award recognizes overall excellence in public radio broadcasting in Minnesota and honors the station’s work and accomplishments during 2025.
“I’m proud of our staff and volunteers for helping WTIP win this prestigious award and for highlighting the vital role our community radio station plays in our listeners’ lives,” said WTIP Executive Director Matthew Brown.
WTIP is an independent community station in Grand Marais, Minnesota on the North Shore of Lake Superior. Established in 1998, the station’s broadcast range extends from Two Harbors to the tribal community of Grand Portage, including the BWCAW region on the Gunflint Trail. This has been a good year for the station, which also received 15 awards in the small-market media category at the 2026 Midwest Broadcast Journalists Association Eric Sevareid Awards, with more award announcements forthcoming.
Development Director Katie Belanger said about the award, “What an honor! 2025 was a challenging year for WTIP, as we lost 25% of our revenue due to federal cuts. Despite the upheaval of our funding model, we have been overwhelmed by the outpouring of support from our community. Today, we are deeply honored by our fellow broadcasters across Minnesota. Thank you, AMPERS!”
Ampers is an association of 17 independent community radio stations in Minnesota with more than 300,000 devoted listeners. From Grand Marais and Thief River Falls, to Mankato and Winona, each station is locally managed and programmed by and for the local communities they serve. Ampers is not affiliated with Minnesota Public Radio (MPR) and receives no financial support from MPR.
This is the second time WTIP has been selected as “Station of the Year.” Five years ago, in 2021, WTIP was recognized for overall excellence in public radio broadcasting in Minnesota. In years past, AMPERS has also recognized the work of WTIP volunteers and staff. More recently, in 2025, long-time volunteer Tyler Howell was awarded “Broadcaster of the Year.”
For more information about WTIP’s mission and programming, visit www.wtip.org
WTIP Staff June 18, 2026
