Kentucky Channel

KET's Star Channels 703 and 704, the network's distance learning services that were launched in the late 1980s, predated the advent of digital over-the-air television broadcasting of any kind, and they were only available to schools and libraries throughout the state. The services were so successful in education centers, that in 1991, the network earned the Innovations Award from the Ford Foundation for the star channels.[3] In the mid 1990s, the Star Channels were converted from interactive television services to direct broadcast satellite services available to C-band free-to-air satellite systems, one that provides PK-12 educational programming to public schools and libraries throughout the state, plus several other states, with the other providing Annenberg/CPB Project programming.

In early 2002, the statewide relaunch of WKMJ-TV’s KET2 signal from Louisville, along with two new digital services, KET3 and KET4, were launched over the air via digital signals of all fifteen principal KET satellites. KET3 began broadcasting as a locally programmed 24/7 PBS Kids channel programmed by KET, while KET4 began as a PBS digital sampler channel.[4] KET's second, third, and fourth subchannels, which were initially launched in May 2002, were the first ever digital subchannels in most, if not all, of the Kentucky-involved media markets (e.g. Paducah, Evansville (IN), Bowling Green, Louisville, Cincinnati (OH), Lexington, and Huntington (WV) markets), as commercial outlets typically never began to launch digital signals, let alone subchannels of their own until the mid-2000s. Beginning in August 2002, KET3 and KET4 became over-the-air relaunches of Star Channels 703 and 704 as both the then-new third and fourth subchannels began simulcasting the two respective star channels, making them available to tens of thousands of homes via the digital over-the-air signals, as well as cable television systems, which has provided a benefit to parents and teachers of home-schooled children and parochial schools (i.e. Christian and/or Catholic schools) in addition to teachers and students of public schools, as well as KET viewers that watch lifelong learning-oriented programming.[5][6][7] KET4 also carried PBS HD programming during primetime hours.

Since the inception of the Kentucky Channel, it has been broadcasting an extensive programming schedule involving dozens of programs and documentaries about Kentucky-related issues, heritage, history, people and culture from KET's vast library of original programming. The channel's programming schedule also includes encore presentations of most of the current lineup of popular local programs, including the most recent episodes of the network's most watched programs, including several reruns of Kentucky Life, including the most recent episodes, along with that program's ever-popular telethon specials that aired from 1998 through the 2000s during the network's annual telethons. The channel also airs any PBS program that has any relevancy to Kentucky as well. Original programming from KET's archives broadcast on the Kentucky Channel include several in-house productions of documentaries hosted by several Kentucky authors and media personalities. The channel also airs select archived episodes of original series such as Bywords, Distinguished Kentuckian, Run That By Me Again, and From The Ground Up, among others.

The channel also features programs and films produced by locally based independent production companies and film makers. Other television stations also produces some programs for the Kentucky Channel. For instance, in late Spring, and around the 4th of July holiday season, the channel airs some Thunder Over Louisville coverage from that city's local stations such as Fox affiliate WDRB, with the KET rebroadcast of the coverage presented commercial-free. Lexington CBS affiliate WKYT-TV even produced a documentary about former University of Kentucky basketball coach Adolph Rupp that semi-regularly rebroadcast on the channel as well.

Outside of KET's archives and independent production companies, some documentaries and short programs on the channel are also produced by the mass media divisions of some Kentucky colleges and universities. Following a similar format of public, educational, and/or Government access television stations, in addition to colleges, universities, and independent production companies, some programming is produced by Kentucky-based government agencies and non-profit organizations within the state, who can submit their programs for broadcast on the channel.[1][9]

The Kentucky Channel is broadcast over the third digital subchannel of all of KET's fifteen (15) principal broadcast relay stations, and on WKMJ-DT2. The channels is also available to several cable television systems throughout and within the state, including Mediacom, Charter/Spectrum, Comcast/Xfinity, Zito Media, Suddenlink Communications and a few dozen locally owned cable companies in the state. A few out-of-state cable television systems also carry the Kentucky Channel, along with the flagship KET service, especially those who are based out-of-state, but also serves certain Kentucky communities along its boundaries, most notably including the cable systems of Cincinnati Bell and the Lafayette, Tennessee-based North Central Telephone Cooperative.[14] Some select videos of KET's original programming (recent or archived) can also be viewed on the network's website.

• Kentucky Educational Television
• WKMJ-TV

• Kentucky Educational Television
• KET’s Kentucky Page