KHET

KHET is a noncommercial educational television station serving Honolulu and the wider Hawaiian Islands. The station is a PBS member outlet and operates under the public-facing PBS Hawai'i identity. Its licensee is the Hawaii Public Television Foundation, a nonprofit organization responsible for the station's public-service broadcasting mission. KHET's studios are located at the Clarence T. C. Ching Campus on Sand Island Access Road near Nimitz Highway in Honolulu, while its principal transmitter is situated on Palehua Ridge north of Makakilo. The station began broadcasting on April 15, 1966, under the name Hawaii Educational Television, commonly shortened to Hawaii ETV. It was established as Honolulu's noncommercial educational television service on channel 11. The channel had previously been occupied by KONA-TV from 1952 to 1955; after KONA-TV moved to channel 2, the Federal Communications Commission ultimately designated channel 11 for noncommercial use in Honolulu. A companion full-power station, KMEB on channel 10 in Wailuku, Maui, began operation on September 22, 1966. Together, KHET and KMEB formed the core of a statewide public television network. The service changed its on-air identity to Hawaii Public Television in 1970 and adopted the PBS Hawai'i brand in 2003. Although KHET is based on Oahu, its reach extends beyond the Honolulu metropolitan area through KMEB and a network of low-power digital translators located on Kauai, Hawaii Island, Maui and other communities. This distribution model allows PBS Hawai'i programming to be received across the state's geographically dispersed island communities. KHET has carried PBS national programming alongside locally relevant educational, cultural and public-affairs content. Original productions and other materials associated with PBS Hawai'i have also been contributed to the American Archive of Public Broadcasting. The station's public-service role includes children's programming, instructional material, documentaries and programming intended to reflect Hawaii's communities and cultural life. For many years, PBS Hawai'i retained an overnight sign-off schedule on its over-the-air signals. The broadcast service generally operated from approximately 5 a.m. until midnight, while a separate cable feed carried PBS Satellite Service programming continuously beginning in 1996. This arrangement changed in July 2019. On July 15, 2019, the station introduced a DT3 service affiliated with PBS Kids 24/7 and moved to a 24-hour over-the-air schedule. The main channel added overnight PBS Satellite Service programming, and the DT2 service expanded its PBS Kids programming. KHET completed its transition from analog to digital broadcasting on January 15, 2009, when full-power television stations in Hawaii ended regular analog transmissions. The KHET digital signal moved from its pre-transition UHF channel 18 allocation to VHF channel 11, while KMEB moved from UHF channel 30 to VHF channel 10. KHET remains an active public television station and a statewide PBS service rather than a commercial television network or independently traded media company.

KHET signed on April 15, 1966, as Hawaii Educational Television, establishing a noncommercial educational television service on channel 11 in Honolulu. The channel's history was shaped by earlier frequency assignments. KONA-TV had occupied channel 11 from 1952 until 1955, when it moved to channel 2. Subsequent Federal Communications Commission allocation decisions left channel 11 as Honolulu's noncommercial television assignment. A second full-power station, KMEB, began broadcasting from Wailuku on Maui on September 22, 1966. The two stations provided the foundation for a statewide public television system, with KHET serving Honolulu and Oahu and KMEB extending full-power coverage from Maui. The service initially used the Hawaii Educational Television and Hawaii ETV names, emphasizing its instructional and educational mission. In 1970, the organization adopted the Hawaii Public Television name. Its identity later changed again in 2003, when it became PBS Hawai'i. The PBS Hawai'i brand connects the local station to the national PBS system while distinguishing its Hawaii-focused programming and community role. The station is owned by the Hawaii Public Television Foundation and operates as a nonprofit public broadcaster rather than a commercial network. KHET's statewide reach depends on a combination of full-power transmission and translator facilities. The Honolulu station's primary transmitter is on Palehua Ridge north of Makakilo. KMEB transmits from Ulupalakua on Maui, and low-power translators serve communities on Kauai, Maui and Hawaii Island, including Anahola, Hakalau, Hanalei, Hilo, Kilauea, Lihue, Mauna Loa, Naalehu, South Point, Waimea and Waipake. This network reflects the geographic challenges of providing television service across an island chain. For decades, PBS Hawai'i retained an overnight sign-off on its broadcast signals. The over-the-air service generally ran from the early morning until midnight, while a separate cable feed carried PBS Satellite Service programming during the overnight period. On July 15, 2019, the station adopted a continuous 24-hour broadcast schedule. The change coincided with the introduction of a DT3 subchannel affiliated with PBS Kids 24/7 and an expanded children's schedule on DT2. The main channel also began carrying PBS Satellite Service material overnight. The station completed the Hawaii full-power television digital transition on January 15, 2009. KHET discontinued analog transmissions on VHF channel 11 and relocated its digital signal from pre-transition UHF channel 18 to VHF channel 11. KMEB similarly ended analog service on channel 10 and moved its digital operation from UHF channel 30 to VHF channel 10. In addition to distributing national PBS programming, PBS Hawai'i has produced or carried locally significant educational, cultural and public-affairs material. Some original materials associated with the service have been preserved through the American Archive of Public Broadcasting. KHET continues to function as the Honolulu anchor of PBS Hawai'i, providing public television access to Oahu and contributing to a broader statewide service through its companion station and translator network.

• 2019

  PBS Hawai'i moves to 24-hour over-the-air broadcasting

  [1]KHETen.wikipedia.org

  The station ends its regular overnight sign-off, adds overnight PBS programming to its main channel and expands PBS Kids distribution through digital subchannels.

• 2009

  Digital television transition

  [1]KHETen.wikipedia.org

  KHET ends regular analog broadcasting and operates its digital signal on VHF channel 11.

• 2003

  PBS Hawai'i brand introduced

  [1]KHETen.wikipedia.org

  The service adopts the PBS Hawai'i name, which becomes its principal public-facing identity.

• 1996

  Continuous cable feed begins

  [1]KHETen.wikipedia.org

  PBS Hawai'i maintains a 24-hour cable feed carrying PBS Satellite Service programming while its over-the-air signals continue to sign off overnight.

• 1970

  Service adopts the Hawaii Public Television identity

  [1]KHETen.wikipedia.org

  The station's on-air identity changes from Hawaii Educational Television to Hawaii Public Television.

• 1966

  KHET begins broadcasting

  [1]KHETen.wikipedia.org

  KHET signs on in Honolulu on April 15 as Hawaii Educational Television, using VHF channel 11.

• 1966

  KMEB joins the statewide public television system

  [1]KHETen.wikipedia.org

  The companion full-power station KMEB begins service in Wailuku, Maui, on September 22.

Noncommercial, educational and community-oriented public television serving Hawaii through PBS programming, children's content, cultural coverage and statewide broadcast distribution.

• Public television service · 1966

  PBS Hawai'i main channel

  KHET's primary broadcast service from Honolulu combines nationally distributed PBS programming with locally relevant educational, cultural and public-service content. It serves Oahu directly and contributes to PBS Hawai'i's wider statewide coverage through the organization's transmission network. Since July 2019, the main service has operated continuously rather than ending its over-the-air broadcast at midnight.

• Children's television · 2019

  PBS Kids digital service

  PBS Hawai'i's digital subchannels provide expanded children's programming, including a service associated with PBS Kids 24/7. The children's offering became a central part of the station's digital television strategy when the organization adopted a continuous broadcast schedule in July 2019.

• Broadcast distribution · 1966

  Statewide PBS Hawai'i distribution network

  KHET operates as part of a statewide public television distribution system that includes the full-power Maui station KMEB and low-power translators across several Hawaiian Islands. The network extends PBS Hawai'i programming beyond metropolitan Honolulu to communities on Kauai, Maui and Hawaii Island.

• 2019

  Launch of expanded digital and 24-hour serviceProduct launch

  Background

  PBS Hawai'i had historically signed off its over-the-air signals overnight, although a separate cable feed carried PBS programming during those hours.

  Action taken

  Beginning July 15, PBS Hawai'i adopted a 24-hour broadcast schedule, added overnight PBS Satellite Service programming to its main channel, introduced a DT3 PBS Kids 24/7 service and expanded children's programming on DT2.

  Aftermath

  The change eliminated regular overnight broadcast downtime and increased the availability of PBS and children's programming through digital terrestrial television.

  Source

• 2009

  Conversion from analog to digital broadcastingStrategy

  Background

  Hawaii's full-power television stations completed their digital transition on January 15, 2009, ahead of the mainland United States transition date.

  Action taken

  KHET ended regular analog service on VHF channel 11 and moved its digital signal from pre-transition UHF channel 18 to VHF channel 11.

  Aftermath

  KHET continued operating as a digital public television station on its familiar channel 11 position.

  Source

• 2003

  Adoption of the PBS Hawai'i identityStrategy

  Background

  The service had previously operated under the Hawaii Public Television and Hawaii ETV identities while participating in the PBS system.

  Action taken

  The organization rebranded its public-facing service as PBS Hawai'i.

  Aftermath

  The PBS Hawai'i name became the principal brand associated with KHET and the related statewide public television operation.

  Source

• 2019

  PBS Hawai'i launches 24-hour broadcast schedule and PBS Kids service[1]KHETen.wikipedia.org

  Product launch

  PBS Hawai'i ended its regular overnight over-the-air sign-off. Its main service added overnight PBS programming, while a new DT3 service and an expanded DT2 schedule provided continuous PBS Kids content.

• 2009

  KHET and KMEB complete Hawaii's analog television shutdown[1]KHETen.wikipedia.org

  Other

  The stations ended regular analog broadcasts as Hawaii's full-power television stations completed the federally coordinated transition to digital transmission. KHET's digital signal moved to VHF channel 11 and KMEB's to VHF channel 10.

1. 1KHETen.wikipedia.org
2. 2PBS Hawai'ipbshawaii.org