Kentucky Life, KET’s popular weekly program that spotlights the history, people and places of Kentucky, will kick off its 28th season in January 2023 with a new host: Chip Polston.

Polston may be familiar to KET viewers. He’s been a frequent on-air volunteer during KET’s pledge drives and was the host of Mixed Media, a KET arts series produced in the early 2000s.

“We are delighted to have Chip joining KET as the new host of Kentucky Life,” said Shae Hopkins, KET’s executive director and CEO. “Given Chip’s easy-going nature and knowing what a proud Kentuckian he is, I’m certain viewers will enjoy joining him on his travels throughout the Commonwealth and seeing all the wonderful stories he’ll be sharing.”

Polston said he’s thrilled to be hosting Kentucky Life, a program he’s enjoyed for many years.

“As a lifelong Kentuckian, the opportunity to go out and tell stories about my home is beyond exciting to me,” Polston said. “I can’t wait to get out into our beautiful Commonwealth and meet the fascinating people who make this state so special. And there’s no better place this could happen for me – I’ve been a part of the KET family going back more than two decades, and to get the opportunity to work with some of the absolute best broadcast professionals in the state is incredibly exciting.”

With a background in journalism and communications, Polston was most recently a senior vice president with the Kentucky Lottery. A graduate of Western Kentucky University and the University of Louisville, Polston is also active in the community, currently serving on the Kentucky YMCA Youth Association board of overseers and previously serving on the Louisville Sports Commission board of directors.

Making its debut in 1995, Kentucky Life has been one of KET’s most popular weekly programs going on three decades. Polston will be the program’s fourth host, following in the footsteps of original host Byron Crawford, who hosted the program from 1995-1999; Dave Shuffett, the program’s longest-running host, from 1999-2015; and Doug Flynn, who hosted from 2016-2022.

The 28^th season of Kentucky Life will premiere in mid-January 2023 and will air weekly on Saturdays at 8/7 pm on KET and on Mondays at 7/6 pm on KET2. The program is also available for streaming at KET.org/KentuckyLife and the PBS Video app.

Kentucky Life is a KET production, produced by Casey Harris.

KET is Kentucky’s largest classroom, where learning comes to life for more than one million people each week via television, online and mobile. Learn more about Kentucky’s preeminent public media organization at KET.org, on Twitter @KET and at facebook.com/KET.