Our Future
As we stand poised to fulfill the promise of the digital age, KET looks to a future which takes full advantage of new technologies to continue the vision of Len Press and others who created and brought to fruition the dream that became Kentucky Educational Television.
While technology may improve, KET’s commitment to providing the programs and services that teachers, students, viewers, and supporters need remains constant.
In the realm of education, KET’s primary mission, KET will expand use of the Internet to deliver purpose-built content, including video on demand, in a format which best meets each learner’s needs.
“We’re not doing this just because the technology is there; we’re doing it because this is the way to meet student needs,” said KET Executive Director Malcolm Wall.
“Our long-term partnership with the state Department of Education continues to make an impact on student achievement, and we’re always looking for new ways to deliver content.” Part of that educational mission, he notes, is the STEM initiative, in which KET leads a four-state collaboration addressing students’ needs in science, technology, engineering, and math.
Looking forward, KET is in the preliminary stages of designing an all-new GED preparation series, the network’s fourth such series. Each new installment has been produced in conjunction with an update of the GED exam every 10 years; the latest test will be ready in 2012.
Meeting students’ needs in alternate ways also continues to be a priority with the Arts Toolkits, which KET enriches and expands yearly. Look for more ways that these arts-based materials will be refined and enlarged to assist arts instruction in Kentucky.
A New Era of Production
Right now, the television industry and KET are in the midst of a breathtaking change—from analog to digital transmission. On April 16, 2009, KET will be broadcasting entirely in digital and has commissioned a cutting-edge HD production facility at its network center in Lexington.
With an end-to-end, digital file-based workflow, KET will house one of the nation’s most innovative public television production facilities, made possible by funding from state appropriations.
“This funding provides another milestone in our continuing efforts to fully implement high-definition production,” Wall said.
Kentuckians can also count on KET to expand its array of local content online with more streaming video and podcasts, as well as more opportunities for deeper exploration of program topics.
Key to the success to this brave new world of technology is KET’s staff, Wall said—a “talented, enthusiastic, and engaged team that now have the digital tools to accompany their skill” to create that enriched content for learners and viewers.
New programs, deeply rooted in the history and heritage of Kentucky, remain a priority at KET, Wall noted. With the funds generated by the KET Endowment for Kentucky Productions, work has already begun on Thoroughbred, the first high-definition, full-length documentary focusing on the horse industry.
Local programs, designed with community needs in mind, will soon all be produced in HD, Wall noted. Kentucky-focused magazine and arts programs will continue to reflect our common bonds, while KET’s deep slate of public-affairs programming will continue to explore the ideas and people that keep our state vital.
“By providing even more purpose-built educational content and HD programs that explore Kentucky,” said Wall, “KET will expand its commitment to make our Commonwealth stronger.”