Branding PBS 6 Affiliations PBS (1970–present) | Translators K20GG-D Duncan | |
Channels Digital:
KUAT: 30 (UHF)
KUAS: 28 (UHF)
Virtual
KUAT: 6 (PSIP)
KUAS: 27 (PSIP) Subchannels Until 10/11/16:
6.1/27.1 PBS
6.2 V-me
27.2 PBS Kids
6.3 ReadyTV
27.3 World
Beginning 10/11/16:
6.1/27.1 PBS
6.2/27.2 PBS Kids
6.3/27.3 ReadyTV/World Owner University of Arizona
(Arizona Board of Regents for the benefit of the University of Arizona) | ||
KUAT-TV, virtual channel 6 (UHF digital channel 30), is a Public Broadcasting Service member television station located 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 atop Mount Bigelow. KUAT operates a full-time satellite KUAS-TV (virtual channel 27, UHF digital channel 28), also licensed to Tucson, that covers northwest Tucson and the communities west of Mount Lemmon that are shielded from KUAT's signal. Its transmitter is located on Tumamoc Hill, west of downtown Tucson. KUAT is also rebroadcast on one low-power translator: K20GG-D (channel 20) in Duncan.
Contents
KUAT-TV's audio signal was heard on 87.75 MHz until March 31, 2009.
History
KUAT-TV launched on March 8, 1959 as the first public television station in Arizona. It was an affiliate of National Educational Television (NET), forerunner to PBS, from 1959 through 1970, when PBS replaced NET.
Like the other 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 activated Tucson's second noncommercial license on UHF channel 27, and opened KUAS as a satellite of KUAT. The construction permit was granted on July 25, 1985, and after two failed attempts, the station went on the air on July 22, 1988 under Program Test Authority, and was licensed 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.
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.
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.
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 (hosted for its first few seasons by veteran Western TV and film actor Don Collier). 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.
In addition to its primary programming, KUAT operates two digital subchannels on channel 6, V-me and Create and two subchannels on channel 27, KUAT Kids and PBS World. V-me is a Spanish-language public television network offering programming focused on the Latino culture, while Create focuses on home improvement, do-it-yourself, arts and crafts, cooking and travel. KUAT Kids, formerly known as PBS Kids, offers youth-focused educational and entertainment programming, while World features non-fictional programming.
Arizona Public Media also operates The UA Channel, which is only available on Cox and Comcast cable systems in the Tucson area. The UA Channel offers programming of specific interest to the University of Arizona community and includes many locally produced programs.
Digital channels
Both stations' digital channels are multiplexed. Beginning October 1, 2016, KUAT and KUAS changed their subchannels, with both stations airing PBS Kids on their second digital subchannels and both ReadyTV and World on their third digital subchannels. V-me on KUAT was dropped. As a result, KUAS is technically a full-time satellite of KUAT, as it will have no differences in programming from KUAT, including subchannels.
Analog-to-digital conversion
KUAT-TV discontinued regular programming on its analog signal, over VHF channel 6, on June 12, 2009, as part of the federally mandated transition from analog to digital television. The station's digital signal remained on its pre-transition UHF channel 30, using PSIP to display KUAT-TV's virtual channel as 6 on digital television receivers.