KUAT-TV

KUAT-TV / KUAS-TV
Tucson, Arizona United States

Branding	PBS 6
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
Translators	K20GG-D Duncan
Affiliations	PBS (1970–present)
Owner	University of Arizona (Arizona Board of Regents for the benefit of the University of Arizona)
First air date	KUAT: March 8, 1959 (1959-03-08) KUAS: July 22, 1988 (1988-07-22)
Call letters' meaning	KUAT: University of Arizona Television -or- University of Arizona Tucson -or even- the Indonesian word for strong KUAS: KUAT Secondary
Sister station(s)	KUAT-FM KUAZ
Former channel number(s)	Analog: KUAT: 6 (VHF, 1959–2009) KUAS: 27 (UHF, 1988–2009)
Former affiliations	NET (1959–1970)
Transmitter power	KUAT: 667.5 kW KUAS: 50 kW
Height	KUAT: 1092.1 m KUAS: 177.9 m
Facility ID	KUAT: 2731 KUAS: 2722
Transmitter coordinates	KUAT: 32°24′55.4″N 110°42′54.2″W / 32.415389°N 110.715056°W / 32.415389; -110.715056 KUAS: 32°12′51.5″N 111°0′17.8″W / 32.214306°N 111.004944°W / 32.214306; -111.004944 (KUAS-TV)
Licensing authority	FCC
Public license information:	/ KUAS-TV Profile / KUAS-TV CDBS
Website	www.azpm.org

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.

KUAT-TV's audio signal was heard on 87.75 MHz until March 31, 2009.

History

Former logo.

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.^[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.

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.^[2] The UA Channel offers programming of specific interest to the University of Arizona community and includes many locally produced programs.

Digital television

Digital channels

Both stations' digital channels are multiplexed. Beginning October 1, 2016, KUAT and KUAS will change their subchannels, with both station airing PBS Kids on their second digital subchannels and both ReadyTV and World on their third digital subchannels. V-me on KUAT will be dropped. As a result, KUAS will technically become a full-time satellite of KUAT, as it will have no differences in programming from KUAT, including subchannels.

KUAT-TV

Channel	Video	Aspect	PSIP Short Name	Programming^[3]
6.1	720p	16:9	KUAT-HD	Main KUAT-TV programming / PBS
6.2	480i	4:3	V-Me	V-me
6.3	480i	4:3	ReadyTV	Create

KUAS-TV

Channel	Video	Aspect	PSIP Short Name	Programming^[4]
27.1	720p	16:9	KUAS-HD	Simulcast of KUAT-DT1
27.2	480i	4:3	KIDS	KUAT Kids
27.3	480i	4:3	WORLD	PBS World

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.^[5] 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.

References

↑ "Aspen fire puts Tucson TV transmitter site in harm's way, causes shutdowns". BroadcastEngineering. 2003-07-15. Retrieved 2008-04-19.
↑ "The UA Channel". KUAT-TV. Retrieved 2008-10-25.
↑ RabbitEars TV Query for KUAT
↑ RabbitEars TV Query for KUAS
↑ List of Digital Full-Power Stations

External links

Broadcast television in Tucson, Arizona

Metro Tucson	KVOA (4.1 NBC, 4.2 Cozi TV) KUAT (6.1 PBS, 6.2 V-me, 6.3 Create) KGUN (9.1 ABC, 9.2 Laff, 9.3 Antenna TV) KMSB (11.1 Fox, 11.2 Movies!, 11.3 Justice) KOLD (13.1 CBS, 13.2 MeTV, 13.3 Grit) KUDF-LP 14 (AZA) KTTU (18.1 MNTV, 18.2 estrellaTV) K21CX-D 21 (HSN) KUAS (27.1 PBS, 27.2 PBS Kids, 27.3 World) KPCE-LP 29 (Daystar) KFTU-CA 34 / 48 (UniMás) KHRR 40.1 (TMD) KUVE (46.1 UNI, 46.2 KFTU-DT) KWBA (58.1 The CW, 58.2 This TV, 58.3 LATV)

Outlying area	KFTU 3.1 (Douglas, UniMás)

Defunct stations	K07YX 7/K57BD 57 (TBN) KWTA-LP 31 (JTV) K33CG 33 (Sierra Vista, TBN) KPOL 40 (Ind) KTVW 52 (UNI) Southern Arizona News Network

See also Phoenix TV, Imperial Valley TV and Agua Prieta TV

PBS member stations in the state of Arizona

KUAT 6.1 / KUAS 27 (Tucson) KAET 8.1 (Phoenix)

See also ABC CBS CW Fox Ion MyNetworkTV NBC PBS Other stations in Arizona

University of Arizona

Academics	College of Agriculture and Life Sciences College of Architecture and Landscape Architecture College of Education College of Engineering College of Fine Arts College of Humanities College of Medicine College of Nursing College of Optical Sciences College of Pharmacy College of Science College of Social and Behavioral Sciences Eller College of Management Graduate College Honors College James E. Rogers College of Law Mel and Enid Zuckerman Arizona College of Public Health Outreach College UA South

Athletics and traditions	Football Arizona Stadium Men's basketball McKale Center Baseball Hi Corbett Field Jerry Kindall Field at Frank Sancet Stadium (former baseball venue) Softball Rita Hillenbrand Memorial Stadium The Pride of Arizona Rivalries State Farm Territorial Cup Series Territorial Cup Kit Carson Rifle (defunct) Bear Down Fight! Wildcats! Fight! Wilbur and Wilma Wildcat "A" Mountain ZonaZoo

Campus	Main Campus University of Arizona South University Medical Center Libraries Student Union Memorial Center Krutch Cactus Garden Arizona State Museum Flandrau Science Center Lunar and Planetary Laboratory Steward Observatory Kitt Peak National Observatory Biosphere 2 University of Arizona Museum of Art Center for Creative Photography Centennial Hall Student Recreation Center University Boulevard (Tucson) Boyce Thompson Arboretum State Park

Media	Arizona Daily Wildcat KUAT-TV (PBS) KUAT-FM KAMP KUAZ (NPR) University of Arizona Press

People	Alumni & Faculty

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