Kentucky Educational Television: A Legacy of Education and Public Service

Kentucky Educational Television (KET) stands as the dominant public broadcaster in the Commonwealth of Kentucky and a vital resource for education, culture, and public affairs. As the largest PBS state network in the United States, KET's sixteen stations broadcast signals that reach almost all of Kentucky, as well as parts of Illinois, Indiana, Missouri, Ohio, Tennessee, Virginia, and West Virginia. KET is a member of PBS and 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. The network's offices, network center, and primary studio facilities are located at the O. Leonard Press Building in Lexington.

Conception and Early Development

The vision for a statewide educational broadcaster in Kentucky began in 1959. O. Leonard Press, then the director of the radio department at the University of Kentucky (UK), proposed a statewide educational television network. This network would include studios at the university, interconnection with other universities, and a transmitter system to deliver educational programs to schools. Press's plan gained the support of Governor Bert T. Combs and marked 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.

However, the project faced a setback in 1964 when the General Assembly declined to fund the construction of transmitters, prioritizing other state needs such as education issues in Jefferson County, low teacher pay, and transportation problems. Despite this, planning activities continued, and by 1965, the Elizabethtown transmitter had been added to the proposed network.

Launch and Expansion

The 1966 General Assembly budget provided the necessary funds to start building KET, including a $359,000 appropriation. Additional support came from the Stuart Blazer Foundation. By May 1968, work on the Lexington and Somerset transmitters had been completed, and KET announced its initial array of 19 in-school programs, primarily for elementary school students.

KET officially began broadcasting on September 23, 1968, at 10 a.m. Central Time. The first broadcast started with Governor Louie B. Nunn. The Hazard, Murray, and Pikeville transmitters were delayed by weather and were not ready for the network's launch. Murray went into service on October 7, and the Hazard and Pikeville transmitters went on the air near the end of the year.

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After the initial twelve-transmitter network was completed, three more stations were added between 1970 and 1980.

Programming and Structure

During the 1970s, KET matured in programming and structure, adding public affairs and other programs without detracting from its 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 that was sold to stations in 25 states and the Department of Defense.

The early 1980s brought budget cuts for many public broadcasters, but KET was partially insulated by federal construction credits from new facilities in Paducah and Owensboro. Despite this environment, Press continued to push for ambitious expansion. KET began broadcasting on Lexington's new cable system in 1981 with adult education programs and replays of KET programming.

Leadership and Innovation

O. Leonard Press retired from KET on June 30, 1992, after three decades of service. He was replaced by Virginia Gaines Fox, who had been with KET since its launch in 1968. By his retirement, Press had been honored as national public television manager of the year and had served as chair of the National Association of Educational Broadcasters and the PBS board of directors, as well as vice chair of the National Association of Public Television Stations.

In October 1992, KET opened a 67,000-square-foot expansion of its Lexington facility, dedicated as the O. Leonard Press Building.

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Acquisition of WKPC-TV and Digital Transition

Since opening WKMJ-TV in 1970, KET had competed with Louisville's WKPC-TV for viewers and supporters in that market. In December 1996, an agreement was reached between WKPC-TV and the Kentucky Authority for Educational Television, by which KET acquired certain technical assets, including the land on which their shared transmission tower in New Albany, Indiana, sat, and the license.

On July 1, 1997, KET's main programming moved to WKPC-TV. WKMJ-TV simultaneously suspended operations for a transmitter overhaul and returned a month later at increased power, carrying a new service called KET2. KET2 was designed with the Louisville metropolitan area in mind and initially featured additional children's programs, adult education programming, and local productions. Outside of Louisville, KET2 was seen on cable systems statewide and replaced the former KET Etc.

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.

Virginia Gaines Fox retired at the end of 2002, having led KET through its digital television deployment and increased private support for the broadcaster.

Recent Developments

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.

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.

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.

Programming Highlights

KET offers a diverse range of programming, including national content from PBS and other distributors, as well as original productions focused on Kentucky public affairs, culture, and education. Some notable programs include:

Comment on Kentucky: A weekly public affairs program and political roundtable that debuted on November 15, 1974. Hosted by Al Smith, a newspaper publisher from Russellville, the program featured discussions on Kentucky politics and policy.
Kentucky Afield: An outdoors show produced by the Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources, which began airing on KET in 1985.
KET Newservice: a KET-produced newscast for students in Grades 3-6.
GED (Get it!): The nationally regarded GED program in several iterations has continued to be a part of KET.
Kentucky Collectables: Showcases unique and interesting collections from across the state.
Kentucky Life: Explores the diverse people, places, and stories of Kentucky.
Louisville Life: Focuses on the arts, culture, and community events in the Louisville area.

Educational Impact

KET has a long history of providing educational content to Kentucky schools and residents. 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. KET content on PBS LearningMedia generated 3.5 million views, more than half outside of Kentucky, in KET's 2020-21 fiscal year.

Political Engagement

KET plays a crucial role in informing Kentucky citizens about political issues and candidates. The network organizes political debates, with its first gubernatorial debate taking place in 1975 and moderated by Al Smith. In each gubernatorial election year from 1979 through 1995, KET organized and broadcast two gubernatorial debates.

Kentucky to the World partnership

An important part of our mission is taking our message into “the world,” and Kentucky Educational Television is an important step in that direction. In addition to reaching almost all parts of our state, KET reaches into parts of Illinois, Indiana, Missouri, Ohio, Tennessee, Virginia, and West Virginia. This partnership is truly a game-changer for Kentucky to the World, and we’re proud to be able to help provide KET with important programming that promotes the best our state has to offer.Kentucky Educational Television - KET - is Kentucky’s largest classroom, serving more than two million people each week via television, online, and mobile. Kentucky to the World is proud to serve as the official media partner for The Soulful Sounds of Derbytown-a powerful tribute to Louisville’s legendary African American musicians and entertainers, now airing on KET.

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