KUAT-TV

'KUAT-TV' is the PBS member station in Tucson, Arizona, United States. Owned by the University of Arizona, it broadcasts from the facilities of KUAT Multimedia, located on campus in the Harvill 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.
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.

Contents

History

Programming

Digital television

KUAT-DT

KUAS-DT

External links

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. Additionally, Mount Lemmon is much taller than Mount Bigelow, and KUAT's 33,900-watt signal is not nearly strong enough to carry across the terrain. 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, U of A decided to bring channel 27, the other noncommercial license in the Tucson area, on the air as a satellite of KUAT. U of A was originally granted a construction permit for KUAS on July 25, 1985. After two failed attempts, the station finally went on the air on July 22, 1988 under Program Test Authority. U of A sought a license to cover the permit on the same day, which was granted on December 20.
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. 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.

Digital television

KUAT-DT

The digital signal of KUAT is multiplexed: [1]

'Digital channels'

Channel	Name	Programming
6.1 / 30.1	KUAT-DT	HD broadcasts of PBS and KUAT programming, 8PM to 1AM
6.2 / 30.2	KUAT-TV	Same schedule as the analog service, 6AM to 8PM
6.3 / 30.3	PBS Kids	Children's programming, 6AM to 8PM ''(Ceased operation in October 2005; it is unclear if this was replaced.)''
6.4 / 30.4	Create	Create, 6AM to 8PM
6.5 / 30.5	KUAT Dimensions	Repeats of selected PBS and KUAT programming, 6AM to 8PM

KUAT's digital signal is off the air between 1AM and 6AM.

KUAS-DT

[2]

'Digital channels'

Channel	Name	Programming
27.1 / 28.1	KUAS-DT	HD broadcasts of PBS and KUAT programming, 24 hours at day

External links

★ KUAT website

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