KAET
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| KAET | |
|---|---|
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| Phoenix, Arizona | |
| Branding | Eight, Arizona PBS |
| Slogan | Eight is... |
| Channels | Analog: 8 (VHF) |
| Translators | (see article) |
| Affiliations | PBS |
| Owner | Arizona State University (Arizona Board of Regents) |
| First air date | January 30, 1961 |
| Call letters’ meaning | Arizona Educational Television (AET also resembles the pronunciation of eight) |
| Former affiliations | NET (1961-1970) |
| Transmitter Power | 316 kW (analog) 1000 kW (digital) |
| Height | 536 m (analog) 527 m (digital) |
| Facility ID | 2728 |
| Transmitter Coordinates | |
| Website | www.azpbs.org |
KAET is a full-service television station in Phoenix, Arizona, owned by the Arizona Board of Regents and operated by Arizona State University (ASU) as a PBS member station. It broadcasts in analog on VHF channel 8 and in digital on UHF channel 29 in the Phoenix metropolitan area from its transmitter on South Mountain. KAET can be viewed by approximately 80% of the households across the state through a network of over fifteen translators, or through cable and home satellite delivery systems. The station originates from Stauffer Hall on the Tempe campus of ASU, but is scheduled to relocate to downtown Phoenix along with the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication in 2008 as the ASU Downtown Phoenix campus expands.
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[edit] History
KAET was launched on January 30, 1961. Its programming originally consisted of educational programming directed at students attending ASU, but its focus eventually widened along with that of PBS. In the mid-1990s, when the Phoenix market was undergoing a significant realignment of network affiliations, KAET was one of two major English-language stations (the other being KPNX) that did not change. In June 1999, KAET was issued a permit to construct digital television facilities on UHF channel 29. KAET-DT went on the air in April 2001 and was licensed on June 12, 2001, becoming the fifth licensed digital television station in Arizona.
In 2006, the station underwent a major rebranding campaign, which saw the end of the long-used "Channel 8" on-air identity. The station moniker, now known as Eight, Arizona PBS revives a logo concept originally used by stations like KFMB-TV in San Diego, WJW in Cleveland and WMTW in Portland, Maine. The official website of the station identifies the station as "Eight/KAET". The moniker, when spoken, is also similar to Five in the United Kingdom.
[edit] KAET today
Eight consistently remains one of the most-viewed PBS stations, per capita, in the nation. More than 66% of the station's funding comes from its members. The station advertises its close association with ASU, identifying as "a service of Arizona State University", along with the inclusion of the ASU name on the bottom of the station "bug" logo.
[edit] Programming
Eight produces several of its programs in-house. It is well known for its current events program, Horizon, its Hispanic-focused current events counterpart, Horizonte, and its Arizona Collection documentaries about the people, places and history of the state. The Emmy Award-winning Over Arizona, produced in 1995 with KCTS (Seattle), is an aerial adventure over Arizona's diverse landscapes and was the first high-definition television program produced by an Arizona broadcast entity.
[edit] Digital television
KAET-DT has been on-air since 2001 on channel 29 and carries four subchannels, under the Eight Digital Broadcasting brand. Channel 8.1, Eight HD, broadcasts in high-definition and carries the majority of the PBS HD lineup along with some locally-produced content. Channel 8.2, Eight Create, carries mostly lifestyle programs on topics such as travel and cooking, from the Create network. Digital channel 8.3, Eight World, was launched on November 1, 2007, and broadcasts current affairs and documentary programs from PBS World. Channel 8.4, Eight Classical, simulcasts local Classical music station KBAQ. After the completion of the digital transition, scheduled for February 2009, KAET will move its digital broadcast to channel 8.
[edit] Station names and slogans over the years
- KAET TV-8: Arizona's Very Own Public Station (1970s)
- KAET TV-8: TV Worth Watching (1980s)
- KAET TV-8: Turn to Us (Early 1990s)
- KAET Channel 8, Phoenix: The Station You Support (Until 2000s)
- KAET Channel 8: Programs You Count On -- Count On You! (Until 2005)
- Channel 8, Arizona PBS (2005-2006)
- Eight, Arizona PBS (2006-present)
- Eight is a service of Arizona State University supported by viewers like you. (2006-present)
[edit] Translators
KAET is rebroadcast on a network of more than fifteen translator stations:
[edit] External links
- PBS website
- KAET website
- Query the FCC's TV station database for KAET
- BIAfn's Media Web Database -- Information on KAET-TV
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