KAET

KAET
Market:	Phoenix, Arizona
Branding:	Eight, Arizona PBS (general) News Eight (newscasts)
Channels:	Analog: Digital: 8 (VHF) Virtual:
Subchannels:	See below
Translators:	See below
Affiliations:	PBS
Owner:	Arizona State University (Arizona Board of Regents)
Founded:
First air date:	January 30, 1961
Last air date:
Call letters’ meaning:'	Arizona Educational Television (AET also resembles the pronunciation of eight)
Sister station(s):
Former callsigns:
Former channel number(s):	Analog: 8 (1961-2009) Digital: 29 (2001-2009)
Former affiliations:	NET (1961-1970)
Transmitter Power:	25.1 kW
Height:	549 m
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 digital on VHF channel 8 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 the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication building at ASU Downtown Phoenix in 2009.

History

KAET was launched on January 30, 1961 as an affiliate for NET. 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 the "ei₈ht" 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.

KAET today

KAET consistently remains one of the most-viewed PBS stations, per capita, in the nation. More than two-thirds 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.

Financial Crisis

Due to the effects from the Late 2000s Recession, fundraising efforts at KAET has consistently fallen behind projections, resulting in two major rounds of layoffs. The first round came in late October 2008, when the station, having missed its fundraising targets by hundreds of thousands of dollars, had to layoff 6 workers. The second round of layoffs came in April of 2009, when 13 workers were laid off.

The financial crisis has also delayed KAET's move to its new headquarters in Downtown Phoenix.

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.

Digital television

Digital channels

Channel	Format	Programming
8.1	720p	Main KAET programming
8.2	480i	Create
8.3	480i	PBS World
8.4	480i	KBAQ radio

KAET-DT has been on-air since 2001 on channel 29 and carries four subchannels, under the Eight Digital Broadcasting brand. On April 29, 2009 KAET completed the analog television shutdown and digital conversion and moved its digital broadcast to channel 8.

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 is more than just a number (2006)
• Eight, Arizona PBS (2006-present)
• Eight is a service of Arizona State University supported by viewers like you. (2006-present)
• Eight is [insert program genre here] (2006-present)

Translators

KAET is rebroadcast on a network of more than fifteen translator stations:

City	Callsign	City	Callsign
Blythe, California / Quartzsite, Arizona	K33FD	Martinez Lake, Arizona	K49BX
Bullhead City, Arizona / Laughlin, Nevada	K02HR	Meadview, Arizona	K36FZ
Camp Verde	K47IK	Parks / Williams / Ash Fork	K47GQ
Chloride	K32DW	Prescott	K55DB
Cottonwood / Clarkdale /	K42AC	Snowflake / Show Low	K03FB
Flagstaff	K14KK	Topock / Bullhead City	K42EU
Globe / Miami	K43IB	Wellton	K61AX
Kingman	K49GE	Yuma	K19CX
Lake Havasu City	K31GZ

External links

• PBS website
• KAET website
• Query the FCC's TV station database for KAET
• BIAfn's Media Web Database -- Information on KAET-TV
• Program Information for KAET at TitanTV.com

Broadcast television in Phoenix

Metro Phoenix: KTVK (3.1 Ind, 3.2 This TV) • KPHO (5.1 CBS, 5.2 WX) • KAZT-CA (7.1 Ind, 7.2 RTV) • KAET (8.1 PBS, 8.2 Create, 8.3 World, 8.4 KBAQ radio) • KSAZ (10.1 Fox) • KPNX (12.1 NBC, 12.2 AW) • KNXV (15.1 ABC, 15.2 GoAz.tv) • KPAZ (21.1 TBN, 21.2 Church, 21.3 JCTV, 21.4 Enlace, 21.5 Smile) • KTVP-LP 22 (Almavision) • K25DM 25 (silent) • KCOS-LP 28 (silent) • KFPB-LP 30 (silent) • KTVW (33.1 UNI, 33.2 KFPH-CA) • KFPH-CA 35 (TFU) • KTAZ (39.1 Telemundo) • KPDF-CA 41 (AZA) • KVPA-LP 42 (Estrella TV) • KEJR-LP 43 (40.1 MTV3, 40.2 Infomercials) • KPHE-LP 44 (44.1 Multimedios / Telemax, 44.2 Esperanza / 3ABN Latino, 44.3 3ABN / Hope / LLBN, 44.4 Infomercials) • KUTP (45.1 MNTV) • KDPH-LP 48 (DS) • KPPX (51.1 ION, 51.2 Qubo, 51.3 ION Life, 51.4 Worship) • K38IZ-D 53 (38.1 Ind, 38.2 IZ classics, 38.3 IZ videos, 38.4 IZ hope) • K57HX 57 (HSN) • KDTP-LP 58 (JTV) • KASW (61.1 CW) Outlying areas: Bullhead City: K25HD 25 (COR) • K51IO 51 (TBN) Camp Verde: K18DD 18 / K23FZ 23 (3ABN/ShopNBC) • K19FD 19 (Hope) • K21GE 21 / K59BP 46 (3ABN) Casa Grande: KCAB-LP 28 (A1) Duncan: K17CM 17 (TBN) Flagstaff: KNAZ (2.1 NBC) • KTVW-CA 6 (UNI) • KCFG (9.1 A1) • KFPH (13.1 TFU) Holbrook: KNJO-LP 6 (A1) • KDTP (11.1 DS) Kingman: KMOH (6.1 MTV3) • KKAX-LP 36 (A1) Lake Havasu City: KBBA-LP 10 (silent) • K25AL 25 (TBN) • K27EC 27 (COR) • K36DU 36 (Worship) • KLHU-CA 45 (Ind) Prescott: KAZT (7.1 Ind, 7.2 RTV) Shonto: K38CX 38 (TBN) Snowflake: KWSJ-LP 12 (A1) Show Low: KWKM-LP 10 (A1) Cable-only stations: Arizona NewsChannel • FS Arizona Defunct stations: Flagstaff: KTFL 4 (FN) Winslow: KVSW-LP 38 (A1)