KAET

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KAET
Phoenix, Arizona
Branding	"Eight, Arizona PBS"
Channels	8 (VHF) analog, 29 (UHF) digital
Affiliations	PBS
Owner	Arizona Board of Regents
Founded	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
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.

Contents 1 History 2 KAET today 3 Programming 4 Digital television 5 Station names and slogans over the years 6 Translators 7 External links

[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, revives a logo concept originally used by stations like KFMB-TV in San Diego, WJW-TV in Cleveland and WMTW-TV 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, hosted by Michael Grant; its Hispanic-focused current events program, 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. Both Horizon and Horizonte have been broadcast in high definition since 2004.

[edit] Digital television

KAET-DT has been on-air since 2001 on channel 29 and carries two feeds. Channel 8.1 (called Digi8.1) broadcasts in high-definition and offers programming focused on children, adult learners and ASSET (Arizona School Services through Educational Technology) [1], while channel 8.2 carries a simulcast of the analog feed. In addition to the analog channel, the HDTV channel is available via Cox Communications high-definition service to their digital cable subscribers [2]. 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 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 over fifteen translator stations:

• K33FD Blythe, California
• K02HR Bullhead City
• K47IK Camp Verde
• K32DW Chloride
• K42AC Cottonwood
• K14KK Flagstaff
• K43IB Globe/Miami
• K49GE Kingman
• K31GZ Lake Havasu City
• K49BX Martinez Lake
• K36FZ Meadview
• K47GQ Parks/Williams/Ash Fork
• K55DB Prescott
• K03FB Snowflake/Show Low
• K42EU Topock/Bullhead City
• K61AX Wellton

[edit] External links

• PBS website
• Query the FCC's TV station database for KAET