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| Programming | |
|---|---|
| Subchannels |
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| Affiliations | PBS, APT |
| Ownership | |
| Owner | Kentucky Authority for Educational Television |
| History | |
First air date | September 23, 1968 |
| Links | |
| Website | ket.org |
Kentucky Educational Television (KET) is a statewide television network serving the U.S. commonwealth of Kentucky, 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.
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 the Corporation for Public Broadcasting and supporting viewers.