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The Rochester-Mason City-Austin DMA spans Mayo Clinic’s medical hub, agricultural co-ops, wind farms, and river towns along the Minnesota-Iowa border. Audiences follow health innovation, agribusiness, and workforce development while preparing for severe winters and spring flooding. Streaming grows alongside Rochester’s tech employers, yet over-the-air TV and radio remain essentials for rural farms, meat processing communities, and cross-border commuters navigating U.S. 63 and I-35.
Gray Television owns KTTC (NBC) and CW Rochester, while Allen Media Group operates ABC 6 News KAAL from studios shared with Hubbard Broadcasting. CBS affiliate KIMT is held by Allen Media, and KXLT FOX 47 belongs to SagamoreHill Broadcasting with news produced by KTTC. Public broadcaster KSMQ PBS serves southeastern Minnesota with educational programming, and Univision Minnesota reaches Spanish-speaking households across the state.
The Federal Communications Commission coordinates spectrum among Minnesota, Iowa, and Wisconsin towers to maintain Emergency Alert System coverage during blizzards and derecho events. State emergency management offices in Minnesota and Iowa conduct joint weather and flood drills with broadcasters, while the Minnesota Broadcasters Association advocates for NextGen TV transitions, newsroom apprenticeships, and rural translator support.
KTTC’s Gray Digital Desk produces FAST channel content on Roku and Samsung TV Plus, including weather cams, Farm to Table features, and Vikings coverage. KIMT News 3 leverages OTT apps and VUit streams for court briefs and Mayo medical research explainers. ABC 6 News invests in bilingual social video, and KSMQ’s public affairs lineup streams on PBS Passport, amplifying civic forums and Minnesota Original arts programming.
Rochester Public Utilities’ fiber network teams with Charter Spectrum, Metronet, and LTD Broadband to expand gigabit service, while the Border to Border Broadband program funds fiber-to-farm builds across Mower and Freeborn counties. Iowa’s Empower Rural Iowa grants and electric co-ops extend fixed wireless south of Mason City, and Smart North projects pilot edge sensors for smart transit data feeding newsroom traffic dashboards.
Mayo Clinic staff and medical travelers rely on KTTC, KIMT, and KROC push alerts for traffic, research milestones, and community health events. Connected TV usage is high in Rochester apartments, with Hulu + Live TV and YouTube TV providing access to local news and Vikings or Timberwolves games. Podcasts from Minnesota Public Radio, Mayo’s News Network, and Med City Beat feed professional audiences seeking deeper context.
Mason City and Austin manufacturing corridors use radio and streaming to track supply chain updates, union negotiations, and workforce training opportunities. Employers share KTTC weather briefings and Iowa DOT updates across factory screens and internal Slack channels, while bilingual newsletters from KAAL and La Raza circulate safety bulletins.
Farms across Freeborn, Fillmore, and Mitchell counties combine OTA antennas with station apps for drought monitoring, commodity prices, and cooperative news. Winter weather boosts viewership as households follow Blizzard Warnings, school closings, and River Watch flood forecasts on Weather 24/7 and KIMT First Alert.
Podcast listening rises among commuters traveling to Rochester and Waterloo, with downloads of The Rochester Rundown, Cardinal News agriculture series, and Iowa Public Radio’s River to River. Outdoor enthusiasts stream Destination Duluth and Explore Minnesota content while planning trips to state trails, lakes, and bike routes.
| Indicator | Latest Figure | Source |
|---|---|---|
| DMA population | approximately 514,000 residents (2023) | U.S. Census Bureau |
| Television households | about 225,000 TV homes, rank 153 (2024-2025) | Nielsen DMA Rankings |
| Median household income | roughly $75,200 across the Rochester MSA (2022) | U.S. Census Bureau ACS |
| Broadband availability | 87% of households with 100 Mbps access | Minnesota DEED / Iowa OCIO |
| Mayo Clinic employment | about 41,000 employees in Rochester (2023) | Mayo Clinic |
| Renewable energy capacity | over 1.9 GW of wind power in the region | Midcontinent ISO |
| Hormel Foods economic impact | approximately $2.4 billion in annual activity | Hormel Foods Corporation |
The 2024 Center for Rural Policy & Development survey reports 66% of southern Minnesota residents trust local TV and public radio for health and weather information. Stations publish transparency reports detailing storm track data, pandemic guidance, and supply chain investigations, reinforcing confidence among healthcare workers and farmers.
Community listening sessions organized by KSMQ, Rochester Diversity Council, and Iowa’s Cerro Gordo County Emergency Management gather feedback on language access, floodplain mapping, and broadband affordability. Newsrooms integrate findings into bilingual explainers, agricultural safety campaigns, and highway project coverage shared across social media and newsletters.
Sports consumption combines local coverage of Rochester Honkers baseball, schools in the Big Nine Conference, and regional teams like the Minnesota Vikings, Twins, and Iowa Hawkeyes via Bally Sports North, BTN, and streaming packages. Outdoor and wellness content—from biking on the Root River Trail to hunting seasons—performs strongly on station apps and YouTube channels.
Podcast and streaming audio usage centers on MPR’s Minnesota Today, KROC’s Rochester Today replay, and KIMT’s Close Up. Younger audiences engage with TikTok creators covering food incubators, arts festivals, and Mayo life, while faith communities and nonprofits stream services and town halls on Facebook Live to reach rural audiences.
