NETA Members
NETA Councils
NETA Staff
What is NETA?
Programming
Search
Educational
Services
Catalog
FirstView
Communication
RoadShow
PTV Acronyms
Datebook
NETA Home
KUAT's
Mike Serres serves on NETA's Communication Council.
Read his advice on Websites.
|
- by Diane Jowers |
(Posted April 1, 2002) “The Tucson-Southern Arizona area is
demographically perfect for public television. The
climate, a state university, and high-tech businesses attract retirees, visitors,
students, and professionals of all ages who are interested in what we have to offer,”
said KUAT General Manager Jack Parris.
|
| One of the
station’s most popular offerings, Arizona Illustrated, has been keeping
viewers interested for more than 20 years. The
week-nightly news magazine program covers politics, the economy, health issues,
technology, and the arts in a local context that reflects the area’s multi-cultural
audience. Reflexiones, a weekly bilingual news
magazine/public affairs program, addresses issues of special interest to Arizonans of
Latino/Hispanic heritage. |
David Yetman hosts
THE DESERT SPEAKS |
The Desert Speaks,
true adventure stories about people, plants, animals, and geology encountered in deserts
throughout the world, is now in its 12th season. The series has won 20
Emmy Awards and first place NETA awards in the Program: Documentary Series category and in
the Promotion-Print category for The Desert Speaks
press kit. The current season’s 13
episodes were produced in high-definition digital television format. |
Like all public television stations, KUAT is focused on the technical and financial
challenges of digital conversion. Although the station has received state and
federal grants, its award-winning capital campaign efforts will play a crucial role in
converting KUAT’s two transmitters and production facilities from analog to digital.
|
KUAT-TV recently won PBS Development Awards for Corporate and Foundation Support, for
Major Gifts, and for Overall Development. KUAT Communications Group won PBS
Development Awards in the Best Station for Overall Development and Major Gifts categories.
In fiscal year 2000-2001, there was a 46 percent increase in corporate and foundation
support and 40 percent growth in major-giving dollars, resulting in an overall development
revenue increase of 12 percent. The Major Giving Program achieved its highest
increase in history, due largely to special events, such as “travel along with The
Desert Speaks production crew” trips, for KUAT Leadership Society members.
Some of the most successful on-air fund-raising efforts were promotional spots featuring
local businesses and their reasons for supporting the programming on KUAT. |
As the station strives toward its digital conversion funding goals, its educational
mission is an on-going priority; that mission will enter the digital era with the
multi-casting of educational programming produced by the MultiMedia unit, PBS Kids and Ready
to Learn service, and telecourses. To smooth
the transition, KUAT’s
Ready to Learn program will conduct educational programming workshops
for K-12 teachers and work with “partner schools” to provide multi-casting
information to parents and teachers. |
KUAT-TV, which started broadcasting from the University of Arizona campus in 1958, is part
of the KUAT Communications Group, an educational broadcast and production resource of the
university that also includes KUAT radio. The
Communications Group has 90 employees, and students work in the studio and assist in field
production. KUAT-TV transmits on Channels 6
and 27 approximately 18 hours each day.
|
| Visit KUAT on the Web and take a virtual tour of the station. |
|
|
|
|
KUAT General Manager Jack Parris
ARIZONA ILLUSTRATED host Bill Buckmaster
|
