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The Kentucky Network
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KET
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''(various, see article)''
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''(various, see FCC data in "External Links")''
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PBS
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September 23 , 1968
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Statewide Kentucky
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Kentucky Authority for Educational TV
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NET (1968-1970)
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''(see FCC data in "External Links")''
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ketorg
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The network, a.k.a. '''"KET, The Kentucky Network"''', is
Kentucky 's statewide public television network. It delivers the
PBS national schedule plus a wide range of local programming, adult education and college credit courses. The network, headquartered in
Lexington, Kentucky is operated by the Kentucky Authority for Educational Television. It is the largest PBS network in the nation, operating all of the PBS affiliates licensed to Kentucky, with the sole exception of
WKYU-TV channel 24 in
Bowling Green .
KET was the brainchild of O. Leonard Press, a
Public Relations employee at the
University Of Kentucky . In the mid-1950s, he taped a popular anthropology course, and the response was enough for him and two of his colleagues to consider founding an educational television station at UK. When they couldn't get the money, they decided to try for a statewide educational television network.
The idea gained little momentum until
1959 , when Press addressed the local
Rotary Club in the state capital,
Frankfort , and a story about it appeared in the
''Louisville Courier-Journal'' . After landing support from UK officials, what was supposed to be a short meeting with
Governor Bert T. Combs turned into a proposal to start the network. The Kentucky Authority for Educational Television was created in
1962 , with Press as executive director (a position he held until
1991 ). However, the project made little progress until
1965 , when a donation from
Ashland Oil founder Paul Blazer allowed the authority to acquire its first 13 transmitters. KET finally took to the air on
September 23 ,
1968 .
KET is best known for its video courses in basic skills and workplace education. It also began expanding its programming well before the
Digital Television era, when its acquisition of
Louisville PBS station WKPC-TV allowed it to start a second service on the Louisville station it already owned.
KET's television service consists of six channels plus a high definition broadcast service in Louisville. Its original service, is its largest, consisting of 16 transmitters and 3 translators covering all of Kentucky and portions of
Arkansas ,
Illinois ,
Indiana ,
Missouri ,
Ohio ,
Tennessee ,
West Virginia and
Virginia .
- Ashland (also serves Huntington - Charleston, WV and Portsmouth, OH )
- ---Callsign meaning: entucky '''AS'''hland ( September 23 , 1968 )
--Repeated in Louisa on W10AR ch.10
- Bowling Green
- ---Callsign meaning: entucky '''G'''reen '''B'''owling or entucky's '''G'''ood '''B'''owling Green; WKBG was not available in 1968. ( September 23 , 1968 )
- Covington (also serves Cincinnati, OH )
- ---Callsign meaning: o'''V'''ingto'''N''' ( February 8 , 1969 )
--Repeated in Falmouth on W56AM ch.56
- Elizabethtown
- ---Callsign meaning: entucky Eli'''Z'''abeth'''T'''own ( September 23 , 1968 )
- Hazard
- ---Callsign meaning: entucky '''HA'''zard ( September 23 , 1968 )
- Lexington - Richmond - Frankfort (flagship station)
- ---Callsign meaning: entucky '''LE'''xington ( September 23 , 1968 )
- Louisville
- ---Callsign meaning: entucky '''P'''ark '''C'''entral (for Central Park) or entucky '''P'''ublic '''C'''ommunications ( September 15 , 1958 (as separate station; acquired by KET in 1998 ))
- Madisonville
- ---Callsign meaning: entucky '''MA'''disonville ( September 23 , 1968 )
- Morehead
- ---Callsign meaning: entucky '''M'''o'''R'''ehead ( September 23 , 1968 )
--Repeated in Augusta on W56AT ch.56
- Murray - Mayfield
- ---Callsign meaning: entucky '''MU'''rray ( September 23 , 1968 )
- Owensboro - Henderson (also serves Evansville, IN )
- ---Callsign meaning: entucky '''OH'''io Valley, or entucky '''O'''wensboro '''H'''enderson ( September 10 , 1978 )
- Owenton
- ---Callsign meaning: entucky '''O'''we'''N'''ton ( September 23 , 1968 )
- Paducah (also serves Harrisburg, IL & Cape Girardeau, MO )
- ---Callsign meaning: entucky '''P'''a'''D'''ucah ( August 14 , 1971 as commercial independent WDXR-TV; acquired by KET January 3 , 1981 )
- Pikeville, Kentucky
- ---Callsign meaning: entucky '''PI'''keville ( February 24 , 1968 )
- Somerset, Kentucky
- ---Callsign meaning: entucky '''SO'''merset ( September 23 , 1968 )
based on KET's original Louisville station, '''WKMJ channel 68''' airs the national PBS schedule, local programming including shows focused on the Louisville area, children's shows, how-to series, documentaries and public affairs programs. Outside of Louisville, KET2 can be seen on cable, as well as on KET's digital signals.
is the statewide instructional television service. Available on digital.
offers KET's digital service in prime time and the Annenberg/CPB Channel at other times. Available on digital. In Louisville, this service was also available around-the-clock on WKMJ's digital signal, but has since been discontinued, due to PBS's increase of fees for the usage of the national PBSHD channel. Instead, KET will reinvest the money for new digital equipment, plus the ability to presnt local and delayed programming in high-definition. This increase of PBSHD fees has also led to KET scheduling HD programming themselves, rather than merely picking up the national feed.
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and '''KET6''' feature live coverage of the
Kentucky House Of Representatives and
Senate respectively. Available on digital while the state General Assembly is in session.
KET was affiliated with
NET when the network was first established on
September 23 ,
1968 .
Louisville's WKPC and WKMJ are the only KET stations to have their transmitters outside of Kentucky -- their transmitters are located in Indiana, just north of
New Albany .
