KUAT-TV
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| KUAT-TV / KUAS-TV | |
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| Tucson, Arizona | |
| Branding | KUAT |
| Channels | Analog: KUAT: 6 (VHF) KUAS: 27 (UHF) |
| Translators | K20GG Duncan |
| Affiliations | PBS |
| Owner | University of Arizona (Arizona Board of Regents for the benefit of the University of Arizona) |
| First air date | KUAT: March 8, 1959 KUAS: July 22, 1988 |
| Call letters’ meaning | KUAT: University of Arizona Television -or- University of Arizona Tucson KUAS: KUAT Secondary |
| Sister station(s) | KUAT-FM KUAZ |
| Former affiliations | NET (1959-1970) |
| Transmitter Power | KUAT: 33.9 kW (analog) 667.5 kW (digital) KUAS: 30.2 kW (analog) 50 kW (digital) |
| Height | KUAT: 1101 m (analog) 1092.1 m (digital) KUAS: 177.9 m (both) |
| Facility ID | KUAT: 2731 KUAS: 2722 |
| Transmitter Coordinates | KUAT: KUAS: |
| Website | www.kuat.org |
KUAT-TV is the PBS member station in Tucson, Arizona, United States. Owned by the Arizona Board of Regents and operated by the University of Arizona, it broadcasts from the facilities of Arizona Public Media, located on campus in the Modern Languages Building. KUAT's transmitter is located on Mount Bigelow and broadcasts in analog on VHF channel 6 and in digital on UHF channel 30. The station can be seen in the eastern suburbs of Phoenix under the right conditions.
KUAT-TV's audio signal can be heard on 87.7 MHz on the FM dial in Tucson and surrounding areas. This is because the audio signal of channel 6 is located at 87.75 MHz. This frequency assignment applies to all channel 6 television stations in countries using the NTSC-M standard.
The station operates a full-time satellite, KUAS-TV, which covers northwest Tucson and the communities west of Mount Lemmon that are shielded from the KUAT signal. Its transmitter is located on Tumamoc Hill just west of downtown, broadcasting in analog on UHF channel 27 and in digital on UHF channel 28. KUAT is also rebroadcast on translator station K20GG in Duncan, Arizona.
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[edit] History
KUAT-TV launched on March 8, 1959 as the first public television station in Arizona, beating Phoenix' KAET to the air by two years. It was an affiliate of National Educational Television (NET), forerunner to PBS, from 1959 through 1970, when PBS replaced NET.
Like the other three stations in the Mount Bigelow tower farm, KUAT-TV is barely viewable in much of northwest Tucson and areas west of Mount Lemmon (even though its coverage area should theoretically include most of southern Arizona). The Santa Catalina Mountains abruptly end with a steep drop-off in Oro Valley, a Tucson suburb, and communities near the mountain are shielded by terrain from the signal. As a result, much of this area only got a grade B ("rimshot") signal from KUAT-TV until the arrival of cable television in Tucson in the 1970s.
Eventually, the U of A decided to bring channel 27, the other noncommercial license in the Tucson area, on the air as a satellite of KUAT. It was originally granted a construction permit for KUAS on July 25, 1985. After two failed attempts, the station went on the air on July 22, 1988 under Program Test Authority, and was granted its license on December 20.
In July 2003, the Aspen fire interrupted the KUAT transmitter's remote control system. The station was forced to remain off the air, instead of signing on in the morning, as it could not restart its transmitter. Operations on KUAS and cable distribution were unaffected.[1]
Both stations were granted construction permits to build digital facilities in August 2001, and both signed on in February 2003. KUAT-DT received Special Temporary Authorization to operate at reduced power the same month. KUAS-DT was licensed on June 5, 2003, and KUAT-DT received a license for its full facilities on September 23, 2004.
[edit] Programming
As a PBS member station, KUAT-TV televises the most popular PBS shows, such as Frontline, NOW, The NewsHour with Jim Lehrer, Washington Week and Antiques Roadshow. Children's programming from PBS Kids dominates KUAT's daytime schedule.
Two notable long-running series on KUAT are produced in-house: Arizona Illustrated, a nightly newsmagazine which has provided in-depth coverage and analysis on local public affairs issues since 1980, and The Desert Speaks, an Emmy Award-winning natural history and travel series. University students handle most of the production of Arizona Illustrated, providing them with valuable hands-on experience. The Desert Speaks is produced in high-definition, has been distributed nationally to PBS member stations and has been picked up by the high-definition television channel, HDNet. KUAT also produces Reflexiones Domingo, a Spanish-language newsmagazine that airs on Sunday mornings.
[edit] Digital television
[edit] KUAT-DT
The digital signal of KUAT is multiplexed:[2]
| Channel | Name | Programming |
|---|---|---|
| 6.1 / 30.1 | KUAT-SD | KUAT programming in standard definition |
| 6.2 / 30.2 | PBS Kids | Children's programming |
| 6.3 / 30.3 | V-me | Spanish-language programming |
| 6.4 / 30.4 | Create | How-to, cooking, arts and crafts, gardening and travel programs |
KUAT's over-the-air digital signal is off the air between 1:00 AM and 6:00 AM, weekdays, and 12:00 AM and 6:00 AM, weekends, however, KUAT programming continues during the overnight hours on cable.[2]
[edit] KUAS-DT
Source: KUAT-TV[2]
| Channel | Name | Programming |
|---|---|---|
| 27.1 / 28.1 | KUAS-DT | HD broadcasts of PBS and KUAT programming, 24 hours at day |
[edit] References
[edit] External links
- KUAT website
- Query the FCC's TV station database for KUAT
- Query the FCC's TV station database for KUAS
- Query the FCC's TV station database for K20GG
- BIAfn's Media Web Database -- Information on KUAT-TV
- BIAfn's Media Web Database -- Information on KUAS-TV
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