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Kentucky Educational Television
Kentucky Educational Television
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Kentucky Educational Television (KET) is a statewide television network serving the U.S. commonwealth of Kentucky as a member of PBS. It is operated by the Kentucky Authority for Educational Television, an agency of the Kentucky state government, which provides more than half of its annual funding. KET is the dominant public broadcaster in the commonwealth, with transmitters covering the vast majority of the state as well as parts of adjacent states; the only other PBS member in Kentucky is WKYU-TV (channel 24) in Bowling Green. KET is the largest PBS state network in the United States; the broadcast signals of its sixteen stations cover almost all of the state, as well as parts of Illinois, Indiana, Missouri, Ohio, Tennessee, Virginia, and West Virginia. The network's offices, network center, and primary studio facilities are located at the O. Leonard Press Telecommunications Center on Cooper Drive in Lexington; KET also has production centers in Louisville and at the Kentucky State Capitol Annex in Frankfort.

Key Information

The plan for a statewide educational broadcaster was first conceived in 1959 by O. Leonard Press, who served as the founding director for the Kentucky Authority for Educational Television when it was established in 1962 and remained with KET for three decades. Broadcasting began on September 23, 1968, and the network grew into a force in educational, cultural, and public affairs broadcasting in the state. Some of its educational programs, such as distance learning and adult education, attracted national interest. In 1997, KET took over WKPC-TV, which had formerly been a separate public television station in Louisville; in the years that followed, KET became the first digital broadcaster in Kentucky. In addition to offering national programming from PBS and other distributors, KET produces programs on Kentucky public affairs and culture as well as educational content. One of its four channels is the Kentucky Channel, which covers the Kentucky General Assembly. Beyond state government support, it receives funding from supporting viewers and, until 2025, the Corporation for Public Broadcasting.

History

[edit]
A red-and-white tower topped by a red cylindrical antenna
The KET tower in New Albany, Indiana, broadcasts WKPC-TV and WKMJ-TV to the Louisville area.

Creation of the network

[edit]

Interest in educational television in Kentucky existed but was later compared to some other states. In 1953, an educational figure in Louisville told Bill Ladd of The Courier Journal, "I just hope that Arkansas, Mississippi, and Tennessee don't get so far ahead of us that we can't ever catch up. I hope that Kentucky doesn't start off 48th in educational television."[1] While Jefferson County, home to Louisville, began the process to build what became WFPK-TV (now WKPC-TV) on channel 15 in 1957, and the station signed on the next year,[2][3] the impetus for what became KET came on July 22, 1959, when O. Leonard Press, the director of the radio department at the University of Kentucky (UK)—owner of educational radio station WBKY, on air since 1940—proposed a statewide educational television network that would include studios at the university, interconnection with other universities, and a transmitter system to deliver educational programs to schools. This service was conceived along the lines of Alabama Educational Television, which had started in 1955 as the first statewide educational network.[4] Press touted a system incorporating WFPK-TV as well as complete coverage of the Commonwealth with the capacity to "stamp out illiteracy" and ensure universal teaching of basic school subjects.[5] He also pushed for the entire network to be built at once to ensure that rural areas, which most needed such a service, were just as well-served as Kentucky's population centers.[6]

The network took an important step forward when the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) agreed to designate 10 new UHF television channels in the state for non-commercial educational use in August 1961; the original design did not include the transmitters at Elizabethtown or Owenton (as the existing WFPK-TV was included), though it did provide for programs to originate from Lexington, Louisville, or Murray.[7] The plan gained the support of governor Bert T. Combs,[8] and the 1962 Kentucky General Assembly passed a trio of bills to set up the Kentucky Authority for Educational Television, enable the State Board of Education to lease facilities, and allow the state to issue revenue bonds to finance construction.[9] It was hoped to begin KET broadcasts by December 1963,[10] but difficulties mounted, including the refusal of the Midwest Program on Airborne Television Instruction (MPATI) to sign a contract to furnish programs until schools enrolled in its service.[11] In October 1963, the Kentucky Authority for Educational Television applied for the first construction permits to build the network after clarifying grant rules that initially seemed to make the state government ineligible for funding from the United States Department of Health, Education, and Welfare.[12]

However, a two-year setback was experienced in 1964 when the General Assembly—which budgets on a biennial basis—refused to fund construction of the transmitters.[13] Other state needs were prioritized: in education, these included issues in Jefferson County, low teacher pay, and transportation problems.[14] Planning activities continued during the period. The Elizabethtown transmitter had been added to the proposed network by 1965, when a feature article in the Sunday Herald-Leader noted that Kentucky's plan for transmitter construction had been adopted by other states, notably Georgia.[15] Schools, meanwhile, continued to depend on sources such as MPATI and commercial stations in bordering states, such as WSAZ-TV in Huntington, West Virginia. However, MPATI increased its fees,[15] and WSAZ-TV dropped the mathematics program it was carrying due to scheduling difficulties, affecting 2,700 students in eastern Kentucky.[16] Schools in south-central Kentucky continued to utilize educational programs from WDCN-TV in Nashville, Tennessee;[17][18][19] Glasgow had been among the charter users of WDCN educational programming when it began in 1962,[20] and Bowling Green followed suit in 1964.[21]

The 1966 General Assembly budget provided the necessary funds to start work on building KET by including a $359,000 (equivalent to $3,479,170 in 2024) appropriation.[22] Another impetus was given by the Stuart Blazer Foundation, set up by Ashland Oil founder Paul G. Blazer in memory of his deceased son. The foundation began buying and deeding transmitter sites to the state, beginning with the Somerset site in April 1966.[23][24] Federal matching funds were applied for and received from the Department of Health, Education, and Welfare and the Appalachian Regional Commission,[25] while the FCC granted the 12 construction permits later in the year.[26][27] After awarding WCVN-TV in Covington in late September,[28] the commission awarded the remaining construction permits in November, the largest single award of permits to one applicant in its history.[29] Ground was broken on the Lexington production center in June 1967,[30] followed by bids for the equipment needed at the studios and transmitters.[31]

By May 1968, work on the Lexington and Somerset transmitters had been completed,[32] and KET had announced its initial array of 19 in-school programs, mostly for elementary school students.[33][34] However, site problems snarled work in Covington. Ashland Oil had provided property in the Taylor Mill area, though the city of Covington also provided sites.[35] However, Taylor Mill met with citizen protest despite being approved by the city council, while sites in Covington would interfere with a new instrument landing system for the Greater Cincinnati Airport.[36][37] As a result, KET opted to return to Taylor Mill, in spite of opposition whipped up by a local housewife who fretted the facility would be a hazard to aviation and generate interference to reception of other TV stations.[38]

The O. Leonard Press years (1968–1992)

[edit]

KET finally went on the air for the first time on September 23, 1968,[39] at 7:30 a.m. Eastern Time (6:30 a.m. Central Time).[40] The first broadcast started with Governor Louie B. Nunn speaking at the network's dedication ceremony;[41][42] Nunn himself turned the dial to officially put the network on the air.[40] That first day, eight transmitters opened, at Ashland, Bowling Green, Elizabethtown, Lexington, Madisonville, Morehead, Owenton, Somerset, plus two dependent translators at Hopkinsville and Owensboro.[40] Initially unable to produce its own programs, the original set of courses broadcast by KET were leased or purchased from other producers.[43][44][45] The initial broadcast was viewed by about 1,400 schools.[46]

The Hazard, Murray and Pikeville transmitters, construction of which was delayed by weather, were not ready in time for the start of the network;[47] Murray went into service on October 7,[48] and the Hazard and Pikeville transmitters went on the air near the end of the year. WCVN-TV in Covington began broadcasting on September 8, 1969.[49] Approximately 72 percent of the state's school districts were equipped to utilize KET programs at launch, a figure that grew to 85 to 90 percent within a year.[50] After exclusively providing programs for schools, KET initiated evening broadcasting utilizing programs from National Educational Television on January 6, 1969, a delay that allowed time to train personnel and complete the studio setup.[51][52][53] KET transitioned to become a member station of PBS in 1970 upon its creation.[54] That same year, it debuted its first instructional series, the 17-lesson Kentucky Is My Land for use in 7th-grade history classes.[55]

After the initial twelve-transmitter network was completed, three more stations were added between 1970 and 1980. Network reception turned out to be poor in the Louisville area,[56] prompting the network to launch WKMJ-TV channel 68 on August 31, 1970.[54] In Paducah, unsuccessful commercial station WDXR-TV was donated to the network; it was rebuilt and returned as WKPD in 1979,[57] and a full-power Owensboro transmitter, WKOH-TV channel 31,[58] started operating on February 14, 1980.[59] After the sign-on of WKOH, the network was broadcasting over a total of 15 transmitters throughout the state and on eight low-power translator stations, primarily in eastern Kentucky.[60] By this time, however, the production of programs from studios at the state universities had ceased except for taped content, with Lexington serving as KET's only studio site.[61] KET began to receive PBS programming via satellite on April 15, 1978.[62]

During the 1970s, KET also matured in the area of programming and structure. Friends of KET, a non-profit volunteer organization supporting KET's fundraising, was incorporated in 1971.[63] Three years later, Comment on Kentucky, one of KET's flagship public affairs shows, debuted.[64] In March 1975, KET broadcast the network's first telethon, dubbed Festival '75, a 10-day-long programming schedule that temporarily converted the network to an alternative channel to commercial outlets; this was done in hopes of expanding regular programming to a seven-day basis.[65] Three months later, KET began broadcasting seven days a week with the debut of a Saturday schedule.[66] In 1978, KET initiated nightly coverage during the sessions of the Kentucky General Assembly.[63] In expanding its public affairs remit, KET had to deal with political controversy, notably around its legislative coverage.[67]

These increased public affairs and other programs did not detract from KET's educational mission. By 1977, 75 percent of Kentucky schools used KET programming, primarily in elementary classes, including 99.3 percent of the state's special needs students. The network produced a GED adult education series sold to stations in 25 states and the Department of Defense.[68] The nationally regarded GED program in several iterations has continued to be a part of KET. In 1989, country musician Waylon Jennings earned his GED by watching tapes of the KET programs on his tour bus.[69]

The early 1980s were a time of budget cuts for many public broadcasters, including KET. The network was in part insulated by a timing quirk: federal construction credits from the new facilities in Paducah and Owensboro accrued to KET in 1980 and 1981 and offset most of the state's budget cuts.[70] Despite this environment, Press continued to push for ambitious expansion. KET etc. began broadcasting on Lexington's new cable system in 1981 with adult education programs as well as replays of KET programming.[71][72] In order to make the service more widely available in Lexington and statewide on translators, KET applied for the then-open commercial channel 62 in the area,[73][74] but after three commercial groups also sought the channel,[75] KET withdrew its proposal in June 1982.[76] Despite budget cuts, Press was reluctant to cede to commercializing inroads. KET did not air regular annual pledge drives until 1981,[77] and underwriting announcements were modest and did not use company logos.[78]

I think of us as an educational institution that uses television as its method of reaching its clientele. Our business is education, not broadcasting. Broadcasting is just our means of accomplishing our mission.

O. Leonard Press[79]

Later in the decade, Press proposed that KET begin satellite delivery of its in-school programming directly to schools.[79] This system began to take shape in 1988 under the name KET Star Channels. Schools were outfitted with satellite dishes as well as keypads designed to provide two-way communication between instructors in Lexington and students throughout the state, inspired by a football play predictor game at a Lexington sports bar;[80] KET reached an agreement with the maker, NTN Communications, to use its technology.[81] Additionally, ground was broken on an expansion to the KET facility.[82] The first Star Channels course, on statistics and probability, was taught in January 1989 to 24 Kentucky high schools and another 41 high schools in 16 states.[83][84] The program was then rolled out statewide in the wake of the Kentucky Supreme Court finding the state's education system unconstitutional.[85] Star Channels attracted international attention, including delegations from China and Kuwait.[80]

In 1990, the General Assembly established the KET Fund for Independent Productions, a grant program to support the development of independent films in Kentucky.[86]

Press announced his retirement from KET effective June 30, 1992.[87] He would be replaced by Virginia Gaines Fox of Campbellsville, whom Press had hired to KET at the network's launch in 1968.[88] By his retirement, Press had been honored as national public television manager of the year[89] and had also served as chair of the National Association of Educational Broadcasters and the PBS board of directors and the vice chair of the National Association of Public Television Stations.[90] That October, KET opened a 67,000-square-foot (6,200 m2) expansion of its Lexington facility, which was dedicated as the O. Leonard Press Telecommunications Center in this honor.[89]

Acquisition of WKPC-TV and digitalization

[edit]
Main article: WKPC-TV

Since opening WKMJ-TV in 1970, KET had competed with Louisville's WKPC-TV for viewers and supporters in that market. Attempts in the 1980s to reduce the duplication of programming between WKPC and KET had been largely unsuccessful.[91][92] However, WKPC's owner, locally based Fifteen Telecommunications, Inc., had suffered a series of financial mishaps in the 1990s.[93] As a result, in April 1996, the WKPC-TV board of directors opted to begin pursuing a merger into KET.[93]

An agreement was reached between WKPC-TV and the Kentucky Authority for Educational Television in December 1996,[94] by which KET acquired certain technical assets, including the land on which their shared transmission tower in New Albany, Indiana, sat, and the license.[95] On July 1, 1997, KET's main programming moved to WKPC-TV. WKMJ-TV simultaneously suspended operations for a transmitter overhaul;[96] it returned a month later at increased power, carrying a new service called KET2, which was designed with the Louisville metropolitan area in mind and initially featured additional children's programs, adult education programming and local productions.[97] Outside of Louisville, KET2 was seen on cable systems statewide,[95] and it replaced the former KET Etc. channel in Lexington.[98] The state network also added to its schedule several programs that WKPC-TV had aired in the Louisville area but not KET in the rest of the state.[96]

KET was the first Kentucky television station to begin digital broadcasts, with WKPC-DT in Louisville being activated on August 19, 1999, by governor Paul E. Patton as part of the opening day festivities of the Kentucky State Fair.[99] This transition also placed KET among the first 10 public broadcasters to begin digital broadcasts.[100] By late 2002, KET had completed digital rollout from all of its main transmitters and had begun multicasting four channels.[101]

Gaines Fox retired at the end of 2002, having led KET through its digital television deployment and increased private support for the broadcaster. Local programming funding had tripled from 1989 to 2002, and the Kentucky independent film program ranked among the national leaders; 11,000 Kentucky high school students were enrolled in KET's distance learning classes.[102] Fox was replaced by Malcolm "Mac" Wall, the executive director of the Oklahoma Educational Television Authority.[103] Wall sought to improve engagement with Louisville by hiring a director of Louisville operations, the network's first executive based in the city, and opening an office there in addition to sharing studios with the Jefferson County school system.[104] The network ceased analog broadcasting from all main transmitters on April 16, 2009.[105] Later that year, KET opened a high-definition TV production center in Lexington.[106] However, KET was one of the harder-hit PBS members by the Great Recession; in 2008, it lost $1.8 million in funding from the state of Kentucky and cut its staff by 18 percent.[107]

Shae Hopkins leadership

[edit]

To replace Wall, KET tapped Shae Hopkins, who had been a senior executive for the network and had been a staff member since 1986; unlike with Wall, executives opted not to conduct a national search in order to save money during major state budget cuts.[108][109]

KET consolidated its separate Louisville offices and studios in 2011, adding the second streetside studio in American public television to its Main Street facility.[110]

On January 29, 2014, the United States Department of Agriculture awarded KET a grant worth $357,700, as part of its Public Television Digital Transition Grant program, to upgrade 20 analog microwave relays for WKSO, WKMR, WKHA and WKPI to digital, in order to provide digital television service to rural areas of Kentucky.[111]

KET's distance learning offerings transitioned to online-only delivery before being discontinued in 2018 after 30 years due to state budget cuts in Kentucky. Enrollment had dwindled to 648 students; four full-time and 14 part-time employees lost their jobs as a result.[112] On September 18, 2018, the Kentucky Historical Society dedicated a historical marker at the network's studio facility in observance of the network's 50th anniversary.[39]

In 2025, the Corporation for Public Broadcasting was defunded by Congress. As a result, KET laid off 15 employees and eliminated 21 other positions.[113]

Funding

[edit]

In fiscal year 2022–23, KET raised $32.5 million in operating revenue, 52% of which was represented by $16.8 million in funding from the Kentucky state government. The Corporation for Public Broadcasting accounted for another 12% of revenue, with the remainder split between grants (15%) and private donations (21%).[114] KET had 35,883 members in fiscal year 2021–22.[115]

Programming

[edit]
Main article: List of programs broadcast by Kentucky Educational Television
Refer to caption
Bill Goodman interviews chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Michael Mullen on KET's One on One in 2008

KET's local programs generally center around one of three topics: Kentucky public affairs, Kentucky history and culture, and education.

Public affairs

[edit]

On November 15, 1974, KET debuted Comment on Kentucky, a weekly public affairs program and political roundtable hosted by Al Smith, a newspaper publisher from Russellville.[64] Smith hosted the program from 1974 to 1979 and again from 1982 to 2007, taking leave from KET when he was named to co-chair the Appalachian Regional Commission.[116] By the time of his retirement, Smith was the longest-tenured host of a public affairs program on public television. The program was credited with bringing the state together, utilizing KET's statewide reach to discuss Kentucky issues.[117] After Smith's retirement, Ferrell Wellman hosted Comment on Kentucky until 2013;[118] he was replaced, first on an interim and then on a permanent basis, by Bill Bryant, news anchor for Lexington commercial station WKYT-TV.[119]

Comment on Kentucky was joined in 1994 by Kentucky Tonight, which originally was a nightly statewide newscast before being retooled into an interview program.[120][121] In addition to Kentucky Tonight, KET public affairs director Renee Shaw hosts Connections, a community affairs and interview program that began production in 2005,[122] and Kentucky Edition, a new nightly news program that premiered in 2022.[123]

KET also organizes political debates. Its first gubernatorial debate took place in 1975 and was moderated by Smith.[124][125] In each gubernatorial election year from 1979 through 1995, KET organized and broadcast two gubernatorial debates; in 1999, incumbent governor Paul E. Patton faced weak opposition, and no debate was organized.[126]

History and culture

[edit]

In 1985, KET began airing Kentucky Afield, an outdoors show produced by the Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources. The program had been on the air for more than 30 years and was previously syndicated for air by local commercial stations around the commonwealth.[127]

1995 saw the debut of Kentucky Life, a feature magazine originally hosted by Byron Crawford of The Courier-Journal and later by Dave Shuffett from 1999 to 2015.[128] From 2015 to 2022, former baseball player Doug Flynn was host;[129] he was replaced by Chip Polston, a frequent on-air volunteer during KET's pledge drives, starting with season 28 in January 2023.[130]

Other KET productions over the years have covered diverse aspects of Kentucky culture. In 2020, KET debuted The Farmer and the Foodie, an educational food show with hosts traveling the state.[131]

Education

[edit]

While most of KET's educational content is now delivered outside of television, its production continues at KET. The network was one of the first PBS LearningMedia partners when the service was created in its present form in 2011;[132] KET content on PBS LearningMedia generated 3.5 million views, more than half outside of Kentucky, in KET's 2020–21 fiscal year. KET also continues to offer GED education services under the brand FastForward.[133]

In 1987, the KET Enterprises unit began syndicating Learn to Read, an adult literacy program produced by commercial station WXYZ-TV in Detroit for people with a fourth-grade education or less, to public television stations.[134]

Stations

[edit]

KET broadcasts from 16 main transmitters and three low-powered translators on the ultra high frequency (UHF) band. In the Louisville area, KET has two transmitters: WKPC-TV (channel 15) and WKMJ-TV (channel 68), a legacy of when WKPC-TV was a separate station before being bought by KET in 1997. The latter converted to ATSC 3.0 (NextGen TV) operation on September 19, 2022. WCVN-TV in Covington began ATSC 3.0 broadcasts on June 5, 2023, as part of a partnership with Public Media Connect, the public broadcaster serving the Cincinnati area; KET provides transmission capacity in 3.0 format for WCET and WPTO (as well as datacasting capabilities for both organizations) and vice versa in 1.0 format, with fiber delivering signals between Lexington and Dayton, Ohio. This was the first partnership between separately owned public broadcasters.[135]

Map all coordinates using OpenStreetMap Download coordinates as KML
Kentucky Educational Television transmitters
Station City of license
Facility ID ERP HAAT Transmitter coordinates First air date Public license information
WCVN-TV Covington 54 (22) 34204 39.9 kW 132 m (433 ft) 39°1′51″N 84°30′23″W / 39.03083°N 84.50639°W / 39.03083; -84.50639 (WCVN-TV) September 8, 1969
WKAS Ashland 25 (36) 34171 63.2 kW 156 m (512 ft) 38°27′44″N 82°37′12″W / 38.46222°N 82.62000°W / 38.46222; -82.62000 (WKAS) September 23, 1968
WKGB-TV Bowling Green 53 (29) 34177 32.4 kW 248.3 m (814.6 ft) 37°5′23″N 86°38′5″W / 37.08972°N 86.63472°W / 37.08972; -86.63472 (WKGB-TV) September 23, 1968
WKHA Hazard 35 (33) 34196 55.9 kW 384.8 m (1,262.5 ft) 37°11′35″N 83°11′17″W / 37.19306°N 83.18806°W / 37.19306; -83.18806 (WKHA) 1968
WKLE Lexington 46 (35) 34207 35.8 kW 268 m (879.3 ft) 37°52′45″N 84°19′33″W / 37.87917°N 84.32583°W / 37.87917; -84.32583 (WKLE) September 23, 1968
WKMA-TV Madisonville 35 (31) 34212 36.7 kW 316 m (1,037 ft) 37°11′21″N 87°30′49″W / 37.18917°N 87.51361°W / 37.18917; -87.51361 (WKMA-TV) September 23, 1968
WKMJ-TV Louisville 68 (34) 34195 40 kW 257 m (843 ft) 38°22′1″N 85°49′54″W / 38.36694°N 85.83167°W / 38.36694; -85.83167 (WKMJ-TV) September 2, 1970
WKMR Morehead 38 (30) 34202 60.5 kW 297.2 m (975.1 ft) 38°10′38″N 83°24′17″W / 38.17722°N 83.40472°W / 38.17722; -83.40472 (WKMR) September 23, 1968
WKMU Murray 21 (17) 34174 32.7 kW 199.8 m (655.5 ft) 36°41′34″N 88°32′11″W / 36.69278°N 88.53639°W / 36.69278; -88.53639 (WKMU) October 7, 1968
WKOH Owensboro 31 (17) 34205 37.3 kW 142 m (466 ft) 37°51′7″N 87°19′44″W / 37.85194°N 87.32889°W / 37.85194; -87.32889 (WKOH) February 14, 1980
WKON Owenton 52 (24) 34211 28.7 kW 231 m (758 ft) 38°31′32″N 84°48′39″W / 38.52556°N 84.81083°W / 38.52556; -84.81083 (WKON) September 23, 1968
WKPC-TV Louisville 15 (30) 21432 58 kW 266.1 m (873.0 ft) 38°22′1″N 85°49′54″W / 38.36694°N 85.83167°W / 38.36694; -85.83167 (WKPC-TV) September 8, 1958[a]
WKPD Paducah 29 (23) 65758 90 kW 159 m (522 ft) 37°5′40″N 88°40′20″W / 37.09444°N 88.67222°W / 37.09444; -88.67222 (WKPD) May 31, 1971[b]
WKPI-TV Pikeville 22 (23) 34200 45.1 kW 427.7 m (1,403.2 ft) 37°17′6″N 82°31′28″W / 37.28500°N 82.52444°W / 37.28500; -82.52444 (WKPI-TV) 1968
WKSO-TV Somerset 29 (17) 34222 49.1 kW 452 m (1,483 ft) 37°10′3″N 84°49′30″W / 37.16750°N 84.82500°W / 37.16750; -84.82500 (WKSO-TV) September 23, 1968
WKZT-TV Elizabethtown 23 (23) 34181 33.7 kW 192.8 m (632.5 ft) 37°40′55″N 85°50′31″W / 37.68194°N 85.84194°W / 37.68194; -85.84194 (WKZT-TV) September 23, 1968
  1. ^ As a separate non-commercial educational station. WKPC-TV joined KET on July 1, 1997.
  2. ^ As commercial independent station WDXR-TV, which operated until October 22, 1975. The license was sold to KET and the facility rebuilt and returned to service as WKPD on September 9, 1979.[57]

Translators

[edit]

KET also operates three translator stations:[136]

KET translators
City of license Call sign Channel Facility ID ERP HAAT Transmitter coordinates First air date Translating
Augusta W16EB-D 16 167571 0.8 kW −18.2 m (−59.7 ft) 38°46′4.2″N 84°0′34.7″W / 38.767833°N 84.009639°W / 38.767833; -84.009639 (W16EB-D) October 11, 2007 WKMR
Falmouth W23DM-D 23 167570 0.8 kW 26.7 m (87.6 ft) 38°40′9.2″N 84°19′34.7″W / 38.669222°N 84.326306°W / 38.669222; -84.326306 (W23DM-D) January 12, 2007 WKON
Louisa W32FD-D 32 167569 0.12 kW 21.8 m (71.5 ft) 38°6′36.3″N 82°36′34.5″W / 38.110083°N 82.609583°W / 38.110083; -82.609583 (W32FD-D) January 12, 2007 WKAS

KET previously had translators in other communities throughout the state. The original network design included translators at Hopkinsville and Owensboro.[137] Another four were added by 1973, including Barbourville, Cowan Creek, Pineville, and Whitesburg.[138] The Owensboro translator was taken out of service in 1974 when its location, the Daviess County Vocational School, was demolished; no good local KET signal was available there until WKOH-TV was built in 1979.[58]

Network map

[edit]
Kentucky Educational Television is located in Kentucky
Louisville
Lexington
Cincinnati
Huntington
Nashville
Evansville
Bowling Green
Knoxville
Cape Girardeau
W16EB-D
W16EB-D
W23DM-D
W23DM-D
W32FD-D
W32FD-D
WCVN
WCVN
WKAS
WKAS
WKGB
WKGB
WKHA
WKHA
WKLE
WKLE
WKMA
WKMA
WKMR
WKMR
WKMU
WKMU
WKOH
WKOH
WKON
WKON
WKPC-TV, WKMJ-TV
WKPD
WKPI
WKPI
WKSO
WKSO
WKZT
WKZT
class=notpageimage|
Map of all of KET's satellites in Kentucky

Subchannels

[edit]

KET's transmitters broadcast four subchannels in most areas:[139]

  • The main KET channel;
  • KET2, a secondary service created in 1997 in the wake of the Louisville merger, with an emphasis on how-to and travel programs and replays of PBS programs;
  • The Kentucky Channel (KET KY), established in 2008,[140] which covers the Kentucky General Assembly and broadcasts programs about Kentucky topics and independently produced programs;
  • and KET PBS Kids, which was introduced in 2017.[141]

The ATSC 3.0 transmitters at Louisville and Covington also make available the World Channel as subchannel 5.

KET multiplex[142]
Channel Res. Aspect Short name Programming
xx.1 720p 16:9 KET PBS
xx.2[A] KET2 KET2
xx.3 480i KETKY Kentucky Channel
xx.4 KETKIDS PBS Kids
  1. ^ In Louisville, 68.1 instead of 15.2

In northern Kentucky, WCET broadcasts subchannels 54.1 and 54.3 of WCVN-TV in ATSC 1.0 format, while WPTO broadcasts subchannels 54.2 and 54.4.[135]

Subchannels of WKMJ-TV[143][144]
Channel Res. Aspect Short name Programming
68.1 720p 16:9 KET2 PBS ("KET2")
68.2 KET KET
68.3 480i KETKY Kentucky Channel
68.4 KETKIDS PBS Kids
68.5 KETWRLD World


Subchannels of WCVN-TV[135][145]
Channel Res. Aspect Short name Programming
54.1 720p 16:9 KET
54.2 KET2
54.5 World
14.1 WPTO 14.1
48.1 WCET 48.1

From 2007 to 2010, KET broadcast KET ED, the Education Channel, which provided professional development and instructional programming.[146] Until 2008, dedicated KET5 and KET6 subchannels carried live coverage of the Kentucky House of Representatives and Senate.[147][148]

Bibliography

[edit]

References

[edit]
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Kentucky Educational Television

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Kentucky Educational Television (KET) is the statewide public television network serving the of Kentucky as the largest PBS member station in the United States. Established by the in 1962, it began broadcasting on September 23, 1968, with the explicit purpose of equalizing educational opportunities and access to information for all citizens through television. KET operates a network of sixteen digital transmitters that provide near-complete coverage of , extending into portions of surrounding states, and delivers programming via broadcast, online streaming, and mobile applications. The network reaches more than one million viewers weekly, offering a mix of national content, locally produced educational series, public affairs discussions, and cultural documentaries focused on 's history, arts, and communities. Its instructional programming has pioneered statewide distance learning initiatives, including early GED preparation courses and in-school resources that transformed access to in rural and underserved areas. Among KET's notable achievements are its role in distributing acclaimed series such as ' The Civil War and ' The Joy of Painting, as well as earning national recognition like the Innovations Award for advancing innovations. From initial school-hour schedules, KET expanded to 24-hour operations by 2002 and adopted in 1999, enhancing its capacity for multiple channels including KET Kids and public affairs feeds. Funded primarily through state appropriations, viewer donations, and federal grants, the network maintains a commitment to non-commercial, public-interest content amid challenges like recent federal budget reductions impacting operations.

History

Founding and Initial Launch (1960s–1968)

The concept for a statewide network in originated in the late , driven by O. Leonard Press, a faculty member in broadcast television who identified the need to bridge educational disparities, particularly in rural areas lacking access to quality instructional resources. Press, who had relocated to in 1952 and observed challenges in eastern schools, advocated for leveraging television to deliver uniform educational content across the state, enlisting support from educators, legislators, and officials. In 1962, the enacted legislation establishing the Kentucky Authority for Educational Television as a public corporation to oversee the development and operation of the network, appointing Press as its inaugural . Under Press's leadership, the Authority secured federal and state funding, initiated planning for a microwave-linked system of transmitters, and constructed in Lexington, aiming to create one of the nation's pioneering statewide educational broadcast networks despite logistical hurdles in terrain and infrastructure. Kentucky Educational Television launched its initial broadcasts on , , operating weekdays during school hours with a 15-transmitter network—the second-largest land-based television system in the world at the time—designed to reach nearly all households and equalize instructional opportunities. Early programming focused on in-school educational content sourced from national producers and local initiatives, marking the realization of Press's vision to standardize curriculum delivery amid Kentucky's varied regional educational capacities.

O. Leonard Press Era and Network Expansion (1968–1992)

O. Leonard Press served as the founding executive director of the Kentucky Authority for Educational Television from 1962 until 1992, overseeing the network's initial launch and subsequent growth into a comprehensive statewide system. Under his leadership, Kentucky Educational Television (KET) began broadcasting on September 23, 1968, utilizing a pioneering 15-transmitter microwave-linked network that made it the second-largest land-based television network in the world at the time, designed to deliver educational programming to remote areas including the Eastern Kentucky mountains. Initial operations focused on weekday school-hour instructional content, with the first locally produced program, Kentucky Is My Land, airing that year to address geographic and educational disparities across the state. Network expansion accelerated in the early , including the activation of WKMJ-TV in Louisville on September 2, 1970, which extended coverage to the state's largest metropolitan area and supplemented existing local educational outlets. Broadcast schedules broadened to include evenings by 1969 and full seven-day programming by 1975, enabling a shift from purely instructional to broader educational and public affairs content while maintaining ties to the after its 1970 establishment. Press directed the construction of KET's Network Center in Lexington, featuring two production studios and administrative facilities, which supported increased local programming production and statewide signal distribution via microwave relays. Key innovations during this period included the launch of GED® on TV in 1975, which achieved national syndication and served adult learners across multiple states, demonstrating KET's role in scalable educational outreach. In 1978, KET initiated gavel-to-gavel coverage of the , establishing it as a for legislative proceedings and public affairs . Financial and operational diversification followed with the 1981 creation of the KET Fund for Excellence to solicit private donations and the 1982 formation of an enterprise division for programs nationally, enhancing revenue beyond state appropriations. By the late 1980s, technological advancements under Press included the 1989 rollout of interactive distance learning services, allowing real-time student-teacher interaction via and cable integrations, which expanded access for rural schools. In 1991, KET's Star Channels Distance Learning system received a national Innovations Award from the , recognizing its effectiveness in delivering curriculum to over 1,000 schools statewide. Press's tenure culminated in 1992 with the dedication of the O. Leonard Press Telecommunications Center in Lexington, solidifying KET's infrastructure for future digital transitions while having established it as the nation's largest contiguous statewide public television network, serving more than 90% of households.

Acquisition of WKPC-TV, Digitalization, and Technical Upgrades (1990s–2000s)

In 1997, Kentucky Educational Television (KET) merged with WKPC, the standalone public television station on channel 15 serving Louisville, thereby incorporating it into the statewide network. The Kentucky Authority for Educational Television acquired the license for WKPC-TV on May 30, 1997, from its local non-profit operator, with independent operations ceasing on July 1, 1997, and KET programming commencing on the channel thereafter. This acquisition included key technical assets such as the transmitter tower in Floyds Knobs, Indiana, which bolstered KET's signal strength and coverage in the Louisville metropolitan area, Kentucky's largest media market. Pioneering in , KET activated the state's first digital transmitter with WKPC-DT in Louisville on August 19, 1999, under the auspices of Governor . This early adoption positioned KET as a leader among public broadcasters in transitioning to digital formats, enabling improved picture quality, datacasting potential, and preparation for multicasting services. By 2002, KET had activated a full statewide digital transmission system, extending 24-hour broadcasting across its network and facilitating broader access to educational content. Technical upgrades in the further modernized KET's infrastructure, including the launch of online video-streaming for live legislative coverage in 2004, which expanded beyond traditional over-the-air signals. In 2009, coinciding with the federal mandate for the end of analog , KET transitioned the O. Leonard Press Telecommunications Center to high-definition production and broadcast facilities, ceasing analog transmissions and delivering three digital channels 24/7 via 16 statewide transmitters. These enhancements improved production efficiency, content quality, and viewer accessibility amid evolving broadcast standards.

Shae Hopkins Leadership and Recent Developments (2010s–2025)

Shae Hopkins, a long-time KET employee with over 25 years of experience at the network prior to her promotion, assumed the role of and CEO on March 28, 2012, succeeding Malcolm Wall as the fourth leader in KET's history. Her tenure has emphasized strengthening KET's role as 's primary public media provider, building on her prior positions in senior executive roles since joining the organization around 1986. Under Hopkins, KET has prioritized expanding local content production to better serve audiences, including the launch and maintenance of specialized channels and series focused on state-specific issues. Key initiatives during the 2010s and early 2020s included the development of the Channel, a dedicated service featuring regional programming, and the nightly public affairs series Kentucky Edition, which provides in-depth coverage of local politics, culture, and events. These efforts aimed to enhance KET's multimedia footprint, extending reach across broadcast, digital platforms, and community engagement initiatives, while maintaining core educational services amid shifting viewer habits toward streaming and online access. has overseen adaptations to digital technologies, ensuring KET's continued delivery of instructional content to schools and adult learners, though specific metrics on audience growth or production volume during this period remain tied to internal reports not publicly detailed beyond general expansions. In recognition of her 39 years of service and 15 years as CEO, Hopkins received the PBS Dan Miller Station Leadership Award on May 19, 2025, highlighting her contributions to public media sustainability. She was also elected co-chair of the Organization of State Broadcast Executives board for a two-year term, underscoring her influence in national public broadcasting circles. Recent developments have centered on fiscal pressures, particularly the 2025 elimination of federal funding from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, prompting Hopkins to announce significant operational adjustments, including the elimination of 36 positions—comprising 15 layoffs and 21 other cuts—representing a 22% workforce reduction, effective September 4, 2025. Hopkins described these measures as unavoidable to address the funding shortfall, which threatened core services reaching over two million Kentuckians annually.

Governance and Leadership

Organizational Structure and Oversight

The Kentucky Authority for Educational Television (KAET) serves as the governing body for Kentucky Educational Television, functioning as a state agency within the Kentucky Education and Workforce Development Cabinet. Established under Kentucky Revised Statutes Chapter 168, the KAET board holds responsibility for setting policies, approving budgets, and ensuring alignment with the network's educational mission. The board comprises nine members, with five appointed by the , two by the lieutenant governor, and two by the ; terms typically last four years, though specific durations and qualifications are outlined in KRS 168.040. The board appoints the and CEO, currently Shae Hopkins since 2018, who reports directly to it and oversees operational divisions including services, finance, , and content production. Senior management under the CEO includes directors such as Shanon Maggard for finance, Amy Grant for , and Devetta Jackson for , managing a staff that operates nine broadcast stations and digital platforms across the state. As a agency, and KET are subject to legislative oversight by the , including review by the Legislative Oversight and Investigations Committee, which monitors agency performance and fiscal . Board meetings are open to the , with agendas and minutes published for transparency, and the network files annual reports to the community and Corporation for , detailing service impacts and finances. A 2023 Senate bill (SB 104) to restructure the board—disbanding the existing one and mandating Senate confirmation for gubernatorial appointees—passed the Senate but did not advance to enactment, preserving the current appointment process.

Key Executives and Board Composition

Shae Hopkins has served as Executive Director and Chief Executive Officer of Kentucky Educational Television (KET) since 2017, overseeing operations, strategic direction, and programming for the statewide public media network. The senior management team under Hopkins includes specialized directors responsible for key functions such as technology, content, education, finance, human resources, marketing, external affairs, and the Commonwealth Fund. Notable executives comprise Tim Bischoff as Chief Technology Officer, Nancy Southgate as Chief Content Officer, Tonya Crum as Chief of Staff, Elaine Crawford as Chief Executive Advisor, Amy Grant as Senior Director of Education, Devetta Jackson as Senior Director of Human Resources, Shanon Maggard as Senior Director of Finance, Todd Piccirilli as Senior Director of Marketing and Communications, Julie Schmidt as Senior Director of External Affairs, and Michele Ripley as President of the Commonwealth Fund for KET. KET's primary governing body is the Kentucky Authority for Educational Television, which functions as the Board of Trustees and appoints the executive director while providing oversight on policy and finances. The board includes ex officio members such as the Kentucky Commissioner of Education, Dr. Robbie Fletcher, and Associate Commissioner David Couch from the Kentucky Department of Education. As of the latest available composition, the board is chaired by Robert M. Beck, an attorney at Stites & Harbison in Lexington, with Dan Griffith, retired former CEO of the Owensboro Symphony Orchestra, serving as vice chair and Leah Adkins, director and officer at RJA Enterprises in Catlettsburg, as secretary.
PositionNameAffiliation
ChairRobert M. BeckAttorney, Stites & Harbison, Lexington
Vice ChairDan GriffithRetired, former CEO, Owensboro Symphony Orchestra, Owensboro
SecretaryLeah AdkinsDirector and officer, RJA Enterprises, Catlettsburg
Executive Committee Karyn HooverRetired, former elementary education teacher, Jamestown
Executive Committee Kevin WeaverAttorney, Hoskins Law Offices, PLLC, Lexington
MemberDavid CouchAssociate Commissioner, Kentucky Department of Education, Frankfort (ex officio)
MemberDr. Robbie FletcherKentucky Commissioner of Education, Frankfort (ex officio)
MemberSenior Accountant, PCF Insurance Services, Murray
MemberKerri RichardsonVice President, C2 Strategic Communications, Louisville
Supporting entities include the KET Foundation Inc., which overlaps with the Authority board and incorporates representatives like Rebecca Rose from Friends of KET, and the Board, chaired by Nick Nicholson, retired former president of , focused on fundraising and endowments. These boards meet regularly, with public sessions scheduled for dates such as August 8 and October 24, 2025, at KET's Lexington headquarters.

Funding and Finances

Primary Revenue Sources

Kentucky Educational Television (KET) derives its primary revenue from state appropriations, federal grants through the (CPB), and private contributions, including viewer memberships and corporate underwriting. In 2024, KET's operating totaled $28.9 million, with state general funds accounting for the largest share at 59%. Federal grants, primarily from the CPB, constituted 13-14% of the budget, equating to approximately $3.9 million, supporting local productions and statewide services. Private contributions, encompassing individual donations and corporate support, similarly comprised 14% of revenues, bolstering educational and community programming initiatives. Additional minor sources include the Kentucky Educational Television Foundation, which raised $17.1 million in contributions for FY2024 to fund specific projects, though this operates separately from core operations. State allocations have historically prioritized infrastructure and content distribution, with recent biennial budgets providing targeted increases, such as $750,000 annually for digital enhancements in FY2025-2026. These streams reflect KET's status as a state agency reliant on public and philanthropic support to maintain non-commercial broadcasting across .

Dependency on Public Funds and Efficiency Concerns

Kentucky Educational Television's operating budget, approximately $30 million annually, derives the majority of its revenue from public sources, with Kentucky state appropriations forming the largest share. In fiscal year 2023-24, the state allocated $16.2 million from the General Fund to KET, representing over half of its typical budget and enabling statewide operations. Federal grants from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB) contributed an additional 13-14%, equating to roughly $3.9-4.2 million prior to cuts in 2025. The remaining funds come from private donations (about 14%) and other grants (14%), highlighting KET's structural dependency on taxpayer-supported allocations that exceed 60% of total revenue. This reliance has raised efficiency concerns among fiscal conservatives, who argue that public broadcasting entities like KET inefficiently allocate resources to content increasingly available through commercial and digital alternatives, potentially crowding out priorities such as or tax relief. The 2025 congressional elimination of CPB —slashing KET's federal support entirely—exposed these vulnerabilities, prompting the network to lay off 15 employees and eliminate 21 additional positions on September 4, 2025, reducing its workforce by 22%. KET officials described the cuts as necessitating a "difficult process" that halted most original programming, suggesting prior operations may have been calibrated to subsidized levels rather than self-sustaining efficiency. State-level debates have intensified scrutiny, with some Kentucky lawmakers questioning sustained appropriations amid budget surpluses and competing demands; for instance, post-2025 federal cuts, discussions emerged on whether to maintain or redirect KET's state funding, which had previously buffered against revenue shortfalls. Absent diversified revenue models, KET's model risks recurring instability, as evidenced by canceled political coverage and production halts following the federal rescission of over $1 billion nationwide for public media. Critics, including proponents of government efficiency reforms, posit that such dependencies foster complacency, advocating for privatization or reduced subsidies to incentivize leaner operations aligned with viewer-driven demand.

2025 Federal Funding Cuts and Operational Impacts

In July 2025, the U.S. approved a rescissions package that eliminated federal appropriations to the (CPB) for fiscal years 2026 and 2027, rescinding over $1 billion in previously allocated public media funding and abruptly defunding CPB effective July 24, 2025. This action, led by Republican majorities, terminated annual CPB grants to public television stations, including Kentucky Educational Television (KET), which received approximately $4.2 million per year from CPB—constituting a significant portion of its budget that primarily supported original productions and about 25% of its workforce. The loss prompted KET to implement immediate cost-saving measures, announcing on September 4, 2025, a 22% reduction in its staff through the of 15 employees and the elimination of 21 additional positions, totaling 36 jobs. These cuts directly affected production capabilities, as the CPB funds had underwritten the majority of KET's original programming, including Kentucky-specific educational and public affairs content. Operationally, KET shifted focus to alternative revenue sources such as state appropriations, viewer donations, and corporate underwriting to sustain core services, though executives described the process as "difficult" and warned of reduced output in classroom resources and statewide coverage. No station closures were reported, but the funding elimination exacerbated longstanding dependencies on public funds, prompting internal reviews of programming priorities and potential partnerships with national distributors like PBS to mitigate service disruptions.

Programming

Educational Programming for Schools and Lifelong Learning

Kentucky Educational Television (KET) has provided instructional programming for K-12 schools since its launch on September 23, 1968, when it debuted its first production, Kentucky Is My Land, as part of a statewide network aimed at equalizing educational opportunities across the commonwealth. Early efforts focused on broadcast-based instruction, evolving in 1976 with the national distribution of Universe & I, KET's inaugural instructional series on topics. By , KET introduced interactive learning and live seminars for educators, followed in 1991 by the Star Channels system, which earned a national Innovations Award for facilitating remote classroom connectivity. In the digital era, KET's school offerings expanded through platforms like EncycloMedia in 2005, a precursor to PBS LearningMedia launched in 2013 with KET contributions, providing free curriculum-aligned videos, interactives, and lesson plans for all subjects and grades. Current K-12 resources include the weekly News Quiz program, now in its 41st season, which delivers 15-minute episodes covering , , , , and via kid-friendly news stories and quizzes to enhance classroom instruction. Additional tools encompass Cursive Connection for elementary handwriting instruction and the Arts Toolkit for integrating , drama, , and , supplemented by PBS LearningMedia's resources during initiatives like Media Literacy Week. KET maintains an in-school channel broadcasting instructional videos and professional development series, with adaptations for non-traditional instruction days, such as PBS KIDS content aligned to literacy, math, and critical-thinking goals during events like the school closures in 2020. For lifelong learning and , KET offers at-home and community-based programs emphasizing self-paced skill-building, reaching adults statewide through television, online tools, and partnerships with . The FastForward® platform, introduced in , provides multiplatform preparation for high school equivalency tests like the GED®, including online test-prep modules. Workplace readiness resources focus on essential skills for high-demand careers, with offline print series covering basic education, equivalency prep, and workforce competencies. includes four self-paced online courses on GED® strategies and subjects, supporting educators and adult learners during observances like National Adult Education and Family Literacy Week. These initiatives position KET as a key provider of accessible, non-credit , distinct from formal K-12 structures.

Public Affairs and Kentucky-Specific Content

KET's public affairs programming emphasizes coverage of , , and debates, with a focus on providing in-depth analysis of Kentucky-specific issues. The network's flagship series, Comment on Kentucky, launched in 1974, features host Bill Bryant moderating discussions among journalists from across the on the week's top news stories and legislative developments, marking it as KET's longest-running public affairs program. Kentucky Tonight, introduced in 1994, convenes panels of legislators, experts, and stakeholders for moderated debates on pressing topics such as , , and healthcare access, hosted by Renee Shaw. In September 2022, KET debuted Kentucky Edition, a weekday half-hour program hosted by Shaw, which delivers news summaries of Commonwealth events alongside features on local communities, innovations, and personalities, expanding the network's daily public affairs footprint. Complementing these talk formats, KET provides unedited, gavel-to-gavel broadcasts of sessions, oral arguments, gubernatorial inaugurations, and election night results, ensuring direct access to primary governmental proceedings without editorial filtering. Kentucky-specific content extends to documentaries and series illuminating the state's history, culture, and regional identities, often produced in-house to foster . Programs like Kentucky Life, an award-winning magazine-style series, profile historical sites, traditional crafts, and contemporary figures from rural to urban Louisville, airing weekly to showcase the 's diverse heritage. KET also develops targeted initiatives, such as legislative recap videos and online archives of past debates, to contextualize state-specific challenges like opioid recovery efforts and infrastructure needs, drawing on primary footage for factual recounting. These offerings, distributed statewide via KET's 16 stations and digital platforms, reached over one million viewers weekly as of recent metrics, prioritizing empirical reporting on verifiable events over interpretive commentary.

Cultural, Historical, and National Distributed Programs

Kentucky Educational Television produces and broadcasts programs emphasizing 's cultural heritage, historical narratives, and select series distributed to other public television stations. Kentucky Life, a flagship magazine-style series launched in 1995, features segments on the state's traditions, arts, landscapes, and communities, with episodes covering topics from to historical sites. The program entered its 30th season in October 2024, maintaining a focus on underreported stories that preserve regional identity. Historical programming includes documentaries such as Lexington: 250 Years, a three-hour production aired in 2022 that traces the city's development from its founding along Town Branch Creek through events like the Civil War, , and post-World War II growth. Similarly, Belle Brezing and the of the Bluegrass examines the life of a 19th-century Lexington brothel operator, detailing her rise amid economic and social shifts in late Victorian . These works draw on archival footage and expert interviews to document without broader national syndication noted. For national distribution, KET has offered series like The Farmer and the Foodie, a culinary program spotlighting Kentucky's traditions and regional ingredients, which has been carried by public stations beyond the state since its . Earlier efforts include Universe & I, KET's inaugural nationally distributed instructional series from 1976, though it leaned toward science rather than pure cultural or historical content. Distribution partnerships with , NETA, and facilitate select KET-originated content reaching wider audiences, prioritizing educational value over commercial appeal.

Broadcast Infrastructure

Main Stations and Statewide Coverage

Kentucky Educational Television (KET) operates a network of 16 primary broadcast stations strategically positioned to deliver comprehensive over-the-air coverage throughout and into portions of seven bordering states: , , , , , , and . These stations transmit four main channels—KET (primary PBS programming), KET2 (adult education and how-to content), KET KY (Kentucky-specific public affairs), and KET —in both high-definition and standard-definition formats, ensuring redundancy and signal reliability across diverse terrain including the and western lowlands. The network's design eliminates most coverage gaps within state boundaries, with overlapping signals from key urban hubs like Lexington and Louisville extending reception into adjacent media markets such as and Nashville. The flagship station, WKLE-TV (channel 46), is based in Lexington and serves as the production hub for much of KET's original content, broadcasting from the network's main studios at 600 Cooper Drive. Other primary stations anchor coverage in major population centers:
LocationCall SignChannel
AshlandWKAS25
WKGB53
CovingtonWCVN54
ElizabethtownWKZT23
WKHA35
LexingtonWKLE46
LouisvilleWKPC15
MadisonvilleWKMA35
MoreheadWKMR38
MurrayWKMU21
OwensboroWKOH31
PaducahWKPD29
PikevilleWKPI22
WKSO29
This configuration, established progressively since KET's inception in 1968 with initial stations in Lexington, Louisville, and other areas, supports statewide access without reliance on a single transmitter, mitigating risks from localized outages or weather interference. Signals are available free via antenna, with carriage mandated on cable and satellite providers serving under federal public interest obligations, though actual penetration varies by rural remoteness. As the largest PBS state network by transmitter count in the United States, KET's infrastructure reaches over 99% of households directly or via rebroadcast.

Translators, Subchannels, and Digital Extensions

Kentucky Educational Television (KET) broadcasts its programming via digital subchannels on its 16 primary UHF transmitters statewide, enabling multiplexed delivery of multiple services simultaneously. The standard subchannel lineup includes the main KET feed on .1, featuring national programming alongside Kentucky-produced public affairs and educational content; KET2 on .2, emphasizing how-to instructional programs, travel documentaries, and repeats; KET KY (the Kentucky Channel) on .3, dedicated to local history, cultural features, and live coverage of the and proceedings; and KET on .4, a 24/7 service launched in 2017 offering non-commercial children's educational animation and series from PBS.
SubchannelProgramming Focus
.1 KETPBS national, Kentucky public affairs, adult education, and cultural programs
.2 KET2How-to, travel, lifelong learning, PBS encores, and Kentucky repeats
.3 KET KYKentucky-specific content, legislative coverage, history, and issues
.4 KET PBS Kids24/7 PBS children's educational programming
To address coverage gaps in remote or fringe areas, KET maintains three low-power digital translators owned by the Kentucky Authority for Educational Television: W16EB-D (channel 16) in Augusta serving northern Kentucky; W23DM-D (channel 23); and W32FD-D (channel 32), which rebroadcast select subchannels like the Kentucky Channel to enhance statewide reach without full-power infrastructure. Digital extensions extend KET's accessibility beyond over-the-air signals through internet-based platforms. Live streams of all four channels, plus supplementary feeds like NHK World Japan and event-specific coverage, are available 24/7 via ket.org/live and the free KET mobile app for iOS and Android devices. Integration with the PBS App provides on-demand access to recent episodes, while KET content appears on streaming services including YouTube TV, Hulu Live TV, Prime Video Channels, and DIRECTV Stream, with KET Passport offering extended archives for members. These services, operational since at least 2019 for major platforms, support mobile, smart TV, and web viewing without geographic restrictions within the U.S.

Technical Specifications and Accessibility

Kentucky Educational Television (KET) operates a statewide digital terrestrial broadcast network using the ATSC 1.0 standard for its primary over-the-air signals, with select markets upgraded to (NextGen TV) for enhanced video quality, audio, and interactive features. implementation began in Louisville in 2022 via station WKMJ-TV (virtual channel 68), enabling multiple subchannels including KET (68.2), KET2 (68.1), KET KY (68.3), and KET (68.4), with improved reception and on-demand capabilities requiring compatible receivers and antennas. Expansion to /Cincinnati followed on June 5, 2023, through WCVN-TV (virtual 54), supporting similar subchannels and cross-border partnerships for broader coverage. KET completed its full transition to high-definition (HD) broadcasting on its main channel in 2009, eliminating standard-definition (SD) formats network-wide. Submitted programs for broadcast adhere to specific technical parameters to ensure compatibility and : video in 1920x1080i resolution at 29.97 per second, using 4:2:2 color sampling and a constant 50 Mbps bitrate in MPEG-2 Long GOP MXF OP1a format (XDCAM50). Audio tracks are delivered in 24-bit, 48 kHz stereo at 1152 kbps, with loudness normalized to -24 LKFS ±2 LU and true peak limited to -2 dBTP per ATSC A/85 standards. Programs include embedded closed captions compliant with CEA-608 and CEA-708 standards, as required by FCC regulations, and are packaged with standard run times such as 26:40 for half-hour slots to accommodate broadcast interstitials. Accessibility features emphasize compliance with federal mandates and best practices for viewers with disabilities. All KET-produced content includes certified for accuracy and synchronicity, embedded directly in the broadcast signal to support deaf and hard-of-hearing audiences. The KET website meets (WCAG) 2.1 Level AA standards, incorporating keyboard navigation, compatibility, and alternative text for images to aid visually impaired users. Ongoing evaluations ensure digital platforms remain inclusive, with support available via dedicated contact channels for reporting barriers. As a member, KET aligns with national requirements for described video on qualifying programs, though specific implementation details for are handled per production guidelines.

Impact and Reception

Achievements in Educational Outreach

Kentucky Educational Television (KET) reaches over two million people weekly through television, online platforms, and mobile services, with resources integrated into all 171 public school districts to support K-12 curriculum across subjects including , , , and . Its programming and digital tools, such as PBS LearningMedia's free videos, interactives, and lesson plans, enable educators to deliver curriculum-aligned content, particularly benefiting rural and underserved areas where access to supplemental materials may be limited. KET's statewide network, established in 1968 to promote , has sustained initiatives like the 41st-season News Quiz, a weekly current events program for K-12 students featuring quizzes on , , and to foster . A cornerstone of KET's outreach is the FastForward GED preparation system, an online platform used nationwide that achieves a 90% pass rate for completers, exceeding the 2015 national average by 11 percentage points according to GED Testing Service data and independent evaluation. This self-paced program supports adult learners in acquiring high school equivalency credentials, with two-thirds of users reporting improved confidence in core skills like reading and mathematics, contributing to workforce readiness in Kentucky's high-demand sectors. Additionally, over 200,000 children engage with KET's educational content weekly, including PBS KIDS programming and early childhood resources like Let's Learn KY, which provide parents and caregivers tools for pre-K development in literacy and social-emotional skills. KET has earned multiple National Educational Telecommunications Association (NETA) awards for its educational innovations, including recognition in 2016 for two programs and in recent years for media collections that enhance instructional quality. These honors underscore the network's effectiveness in producing content that aligns with state standards, such as the Arts Toolkit for integrating , , and into classrooms, and Cursive Connection videos aiding elementary instruction. Through partnerships with the Kentucky Department of and community events, KET extends via for educators and campaigns, reinforcing its role as 's primary statewide educational broadcaster.

Criticisms of Effectiveness and Alternatives

Critics of Kentucky Educational Television (KET) have questioned its cost-effectiveness, noting that its approximately $30 million annual budget—14% derived from federal (CPB) grants—supports programming reaching over 2 million people weekly in a state of 4.5 million residents, yet yields uncertain marginal educational gains amid abundant free digital alternatives. The 2025 congressional rescission of CPB funding, eliminating KET's $4.2 million annual federal allocation and prompting a 22% workforce reduction (36 positions, including 15 layoffs), underscored vulnerabilities in a model reliant on taxpayer support, with detractors arguing such dependency reflects inefficient in an era of widespread broadband access. Historical reviews, such as a 1978 Legislative Research Commission report, identified operational inefficiencies at KET, including governance conflicts between state and federal mandates that threatened programming delivery and administrative effectiveness. Empirical assessments of KET's educational impact remain limited and dated; a 1976 evaluation of its GED preparation series found mixed perceptions among participants, with some viewing televised instruction as supplementary rather than primary, though later internal studies claimed high pass rates (90%) for users of updated materials—results attributable in part to self-selection among motivated learners rather than causal proof of superiority over non-televised methods. Broader critiques of public highlight passive viewing's lower retention compared to interactive formats, with Kentucky's stagnant K-12 proficiency rates (e.g., 2024 NAEP scores showing 37% math proficiency for 8th graders, below national averages) offering no clear that KET's contributions outweigh opportunity costs. Alternatives to KET emphasize market-driven and digital options, including free platforms like , which delivered over 1 billion lessons globally in 2023 with adaptive algorithms enhancing engagement, or state-supported online curricula via Kentucky's Continuous Learning program, accessible without broadcast infrastructure. Private edtech firms such as IXL or provide data-driven personalization, often at lower per-user costs than public broadcasting's fixed overhead, while community colleges and homeschool cooperatives offer localized, flexible instruction unburdened by federal strings. These options, proponents argue, foster competition and innovation, potentially yielding higher outcomes through user choice rather than subsidized uniformity.

Debates on Public Broadcasting's Role in Kentucky

In 2025, federal funding cuts to the (CPB) eliminated approximately $4.2 million annually for Educational Television (KET), representing 14% of its $30 million budget and prompting renewed scrutiny of public broadcasting's necessity in the state. These reductions, part of a broader $1.1 billion nationwide rescission approved by , led KET to cancel coverage of events like the Fancy Farm Political Picnic and implement staff cuts affecting 36 positions (22% of workforce), including 15 layoffs. Proponents of sustained public support argue that KET fills critical gaps in rural , where access lags—delivering free over-the-air educational content, alerts, and programs like FastForward GED with a 90% pass rate, at a per-person federal cost under $1 annually. Critics, including fiscal conservatives and Republican lawmakers driving the cuts, contend that taxpayer subsidies for public broadcasting are outdated in an era of abundant digital alternatives like streaming services and online educational platforms, which provide comparable content without government intervention. They highlight potential ideological biases in public media, citing instances like KET's 2014 exclusion of a Libertarian gubernatorial candidate from a debate, which the candidate attributed to viewpoint discrimination, and broader national concerns over partisan coverage despite mandates for neutrality. Such arguments frame public funding as inefficient, potentially crowding out private innovation and contributing to federal debt, with rural Republicans acknowledging local value but prioritizing spending restraint. At the state level, the cuts have fueled discussions over Kentucky's biennial appropriations to KET, which supplement federal and private sources but face pressure amid competing priorities like and . While some advocate for increased state support to preserve KET's role in statewide civic discourse and school outreach, others question the government's proper involvement in media, suggesting reliance on donations—which already form the majority of KET's revenue—would enhance accountability and reduce fiscal burdens on taxpayers. These debates underscore tensions between public broadcasting's empirical contributions to underserved audiences and first-principles skepticism of state-subsidized entities in a competitive media landscape.

References

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  10. https://www.current.org/2019/08/kentucky-educational-television-founder-o-leonard-press-dies-at-97/
  11. https://alchetron.com/Kentucky-Educational-Television
  12. https://www.newspapers.com/article/68614787/
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  14. https://www.facebook.com/KET/posts/10150893005726038/
  15. https://www.pbs.org/about/about-pbs/blogs/news/pbs-honors-shae-hopkins-ket-executive-director-ceo-with-dan-miller-station-leadership-award/
  16. https://ket.org/about/leadership-ceo/
  17. https://ket.org/pressroom/release/ket-executive-director-shae-hopkins-to-co-chair-osbe-board-of-directors/
  18. https://ket.org/pressroom/release/ket-announces-staff-reductions-in-response-to-federal-funding-elimination/
  19. https://ket.org/pressroom/release/statement-from-shae-hopkins-ket-executive-director-and-ceo/
  20. https://kentuckylantern.com/2023/02/22/bill-to-disband-current-ket-board-require-senate-confirmation-for-some-appointments-advances/
  21. https://apps.legislature.ky.gov/law/statutes/chapter.aspx?id=37950
  22. https://ket.org/ket-senior-management/
  23. https://ket.org/about/leadership-boards-meetings/
  24. https://current.org/2023/03/kentucky-senate-passes-bill-to-revamp-ket-board/
  25. https://ket.org/about/reports-and-filings/
  26. https://ket.org/about/leadership-boards/
  27. https://apps.legislature.ky.gov/lrc/publications/ResearchReports/rr189.pdf
  28. https://commonwealthpolicycenter.org/ket-to-cut-staff/
  29. https://kentuckylantern.com/briefs/kentucky-public-television-announces-layoffs-in-response-to-loss-of-federal-funds/
  30. https://www.theasburycollegian.com/2025/09/ket-undergoes-significant-staff-reductions-due-to-lack-of-federal-funding/
  31. https://www.lex18.com/news/covering-kentucky/ket-reacts-to-senate-approved-cuts-to-public-broadcasting-cancels-some-political-coverage
  32. https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/610722558
  33. https://current.org/state-funding-guide/
  34. https://ket.org/about/
  35. https://apps.legislature.ky.gov/recorddocuments/bill/22RS/hb1/bill.pdf
  36. https://kentuckylantern.com/2025/07/18/difficult-process-ket-public-radio-stations-slammed-by-end-of-federal-funding/
  37. https://www.kentucky.com/news/politics-government/article311350655.html
  38. https://kypolicy.org/doge-cuts-in-kentucky/
  39. https://cpb.org/spotlight/impact-federal-rescission-public-media
  40. https://current.org/2025/09/kentucky-educational-television-eliminates-36-positions/
  41. https://www.kentucky.com/news/state/kentucky/article311972465.html
  42. https://www.wuky.org/text/wuky-news/2025-09-04/ket-announces-deep-staff-cuts-amid-federal-funding-cuts
  43. https://education.ket.org/
  44. https://ket.org/program/k-12-instructional-video-offerings/
  45. https://education.ket.org/for-educators/adult-education/
  46. https://elc.ky.gov/Agencies/Pages/Kentucky-Educational-Television.aspx
  47. https://ket.org/program/comment-on-kentucky/
  48. https://ket.org/program/kentucky-tonight/
  49. https://ket.org/program/kentucky-edition/
  50. https://ket.org/pressroom/release/kets-new-kentucky-edition-covers-commonwealths-top-stories-each-weekday-evening/
  51. https://ket.org/public-affairs/
  52. https://ket.org/programs/
  53. https://ket.org/program/ket-online-public-affairs-video-archive/
  54. https://issuu.com/ketv/docs/visions_october_2024
  55. https://www.pbs.org/show/lexington-250-years/
  56. https://ket.org/program/belle-brezing-and-the-gilded-age-of-the-bluegrass-14397/
  57. https://ket.org/how-to-submit-a-program-to-ket/
  58. https://ket.org/tv-where-to-watch/
  59. https://ket.org/tv-channels/
  60. https://ket.org/how-to-watch/
  61. https://ket.org/ket-pbs-kids-channel/
  62. https://www.rabbitears.info/search.php?request=network_search&network=Kentucky%2BChannel
  63. https://en.everybodywiki.com/List_of_former_Kentucky_Educational_Television_translators
  64. https://ket.org/live/
  65. https://ket.org/pressroom/release/ket-now-live-on-youtube-tv/
  66. https://ket.org/nextgen/
  67. https://www.lpm.org/news/2009-09-30/ket-1-going-entirely-hd
  68. https://ket.org/technical-requirements/
  69. https://ket.org/about/fcc-closed-captions/
  70. https://ket.org/accessibility/
  71. https://ket.org/impact/
  72. https://ket.org/pressroom/release/independent-research-declares-90-percent-pass-rate-for-kets-ged-test-prep/
  73. https://education-ga.ketcloud.ket.org/wp-content/uploads/Arroyo-Fast-Forward-Evaluation.pdf
  74. https://ket.org/pressroom/about-ket/
  75. https://www.kentuckyteacher.org/bulletin-board/special-recognition/2016/10/two-ket-programs-win-national-awards/
  76. https://ket.org/pressroom/release/kets-early-childhood-education-resources-win-national-neta-award/
  77. https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/ED139990.pdf
  78. https://www.kentucky.com/news/politics-government/article310884510.html
  79. https://www.bizjournals.com/louisville/news/2025/09/05/ket-announces-staff-reductions.html
  80. https://www.courier-journal.com/story/news/2025/07/16/how-potential-npr-pbs-funding-cuts-could-affect-kentucky/85198454007/
  81. https://thehill.com/homenews/house/5215749-public-broadcasters-bias-allegations/
  82. https://www.kentuckytoday.com/perspectives/commentary-will-npr-and-pbs-change-course-in-face-of-federal-funding-cuts/article_bd4e676f-710c-480f-8ae5-5cffe95a9e8a.html
  83. https://current.org/2014/10/ket-debate-proceeds-without-libertarian-candidate-who-challenged-exclusion/
  84. https://hoptownchronicle.org/trump-drive-to-defund-npr-pbs-resisted-by-republicans-from-rural-states/
  85. https://www.lanereport.com/183014/2025/08/oped-ket-deserves-our-voice-and-our-support/
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