KRPR to broadcast emergency alerts in both English and Spanish

Rochester-based KRPR announced Monday it will begin broadcasting all emergency alert system messages in both English and Spanish.

In doing so, the classic rock station becomes the first in the region to provide emergency updates in the area's two most spoken languages. In addition to bilingual service, KRPR will also relay alert messages in written form on text-enabled radios.

"We are very proud to be the first station in Rochester offering severe weather alerts, Amber alerts, and the like in two languages," said KRPR's Brian Taylor. "We saw a need for this and feel it addresses our increasingly diverse market and an underserved population."

KRPR 89.9 has a 50-mile coverage radius extending across southeast Minnesota. It is the city's only locally-owned nonprofit station.

Cover photo courtesy Rochester Public Radio