WKMU

WKMU, virtual channel 21 (UHF digital channel 17), is a Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) member television station licensed to Murray, Kentucky, United States. Owned by the Kentucky Authority for Educational Television, the station is operated as part of the statewide Kentucky Educational Television (KET) network. WKMU's transmitter is located near Farmington, Kentucky.

WKMU
Satellite of WKLE, Lexington, Kentucky
CityMurray, Kentucky
ChannelsDigital: 17 (UHF)
Virtual: 21 (PSIP)
BrandingKET PBS (general)
KET: The Kentucky Network (secondary)
SloganWhere Learning Comes to Life
Programming
Affiliations21.1: KET/PBS
21.2: KET2
21.3: KY Channel
21.4: KET PBS Kids
Ownership
OwnerKentucky Authority for Educational Television
History
First air date
September 23, 1968 (1968-09-23)
Former channel number(s)
Analog:
21 (UHF, 1968–2009)
NET (1968–1970)
Call sign meaning
W Kentucky Murray
Technical information
Licensing authority
FCC
Facility ID34174
ERP56.9 kW
32.7 kW (CP)
HAAT187 m (614 ft)
199.8 m (656 ft) (CP)
Transmitter coordinates36°41′34″N 88°32′11″W
Links
Public license information
Profile
LMS
Websitewww.ket.org

History

The station signed on the air on October 9, 1968, as part of the Kentucky Educational Television (KET) network. The station became the twelfth educational television station in Kentucky, and the eleventh KET satellite to sign on (16 days after the sign on of the network flagship WKLE Lexington and the network's nine other charter satellites).[1] Two other satellite stations followed, WCVN-TV Covington in September 1969 and WKMJ-TV Louisville in September 1970.

These satellite stations were strategically located to serve as much of the state as possible. WKMU was the default KET-aligned television station to serve the Paducah area and the Jackson Purchase region until 1978, when WDXR-TV (now WKPD) was acquired and converted into an additional KET satellite station.

Digital television

The station's digital television companion signal, WKMU-DT, began broadcasting in May 2002, as with thirteen other KET stations – all except WKPC-TV (acquired in 1997) and WKMJ-TV (which became KET2).[1]

Digital channels

The station's digital signal is multiplexed:

Channel Video Aspect PSIP Short Name Programming
21.1720p16:9KETMain KET programming / PBS
21.2480i4:3KET2KET2
21.3KET KYKentucky Channel
21.4KETKIDSPBS Kids

[2]

Analog-to-digital conversion

WKMU shut down its UHF channel 21 analog signal as part of the mandatory analog-to-digital television transition of 2009 on April 16, 2009, along with all other KET stations.[3] The station's digital signal remained on its pre-transition UHF channel 36. Through the use of PSIP, digital television receivers display the station's virtual channel 21.

Spectrum incentive auction results

As part of KET's participation in the 2016–17 FCC Spectrum incentive auction, WKMU moved its digital signal onto UHF channel 17 on October 18, 2019.[4][5]

Programming
Main article: List of programs broadcast by Kentucky Educational Television

Station IDs

Although Murray is the city of license for WKMU, its broadcast station ID identifies itself as "Channel 21, WKMU, Murray/Mayfield, Kentucky". Mayfield is included in the legal ID due to the transmitter site of WKMU being located in Graves County, with Mayfield being the closest city to the transmitter.

Availability

Over-the-air coverage

WKMU's transmitter is located along Merit Road just north of KY 80 near Farmington, in eastern Graves County.[6] Although Murray is the city of license for WKMU, its legal station ID identifies itself as "Channel 21, WKMU, Murray/Mayfield, Kentucky". Mayfield is included in the legal ID as the closest city to WKMU's transmitter in Graves County.

WKMU serves much of western Kentucky's Jackson Purchase region, which comprises the eight westernmost counties of the state. Additionally, the signal also covers western Trigg County, much of Lyon County, and central and southern portions of Livingston County. The signal also serves southern Massac County in southern Illinois, and Henry, Weakley, and parts of Obion counties in northwestern Tennessee, including Paris, Martin, and the Union City–South Fulton areas. The signal also serves parts of western Stewart County in Middle Tennessee.[7] This benefits residents of Tennessee counties that could not receive Lexington-licensed WLJT-DT (from the Jackson, Tennessee market).

WKMU's signal coverage overlaps with that of other KET stations: WKMA-TV Madisonville covers the eastern fringes of WKMU's signal coverage area, and WKPD Paducah largely overlaps WKMU's signal (with the exception of Fulton County, which is exclusively served by the WKMU).

Cable carriage

KET is offered on all cable systems in the state of Kentucky. The statewide cable coverage includes Mediacom systems, Zito Media, and the WK&T Cable systems in the region, as well as Murray Electrical Systems.[8] Mediacom lists WKMU as the KET station serving Cadiz, in Trigg County on its cable systems in that area even though that area is completely within range of WKMA instead. Only WKPD, along with Carbondale, Illinois-based WSIU-TV, are available on satellite television within the Paducah–Cape Girardeau market.

See also

References
  1. ”Directory of Radio Stations in the United States and Canada”. Broadcasting Yearbook 2003-2004. Washington, DC: Broadcasting Publications, Inc. 2003-04.pp. B37-B39.
  2. "Digital TV Market Listing for WKMU". Archived from the original on 2018-10-17. Retrieved 2018-10-16.
  3. "Calls come after KET, WKYT digital TV transition". Lexington Herald-Leader. April 17, 2009. Archived from the original on May 8, 2014. Retrieved May 8, 2014.
  4. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2018-10-17. Retrieved 2018-10-16.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  5. "Post Incentive Auction Television Data Files". Archived from the original on 2018-02-09. Retrieved 2018-10-16.
  6. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2018-10-17. Retrieved 2018-10-16.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  7. Signal coverage maps of all full-power stations -- Paducah, KY/Cape Girardeau, MO/Harrisburg-Mt. Vernon, IL Archived 2010-05-27 at the Wayback Machine. (Federal Communications Commission, 2009)
  8. "KET Cable and Satellite Company Channel Listings" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2016-06-05. Retrieved 2018-10-16.
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