Nebraska Educational Telecommunications

Nebraska Educational Telecommunications
statewide Nebraska
United States
Branding NET
Channels Digital: see table below
Affiliations Television:
PBS (1970–present)
Radio: NPR
Owner KUON: The University of Nebraska
Others: Nebraska Educational Telecommunications Commission
First air date November 1, 1954 (television)
October 10, 1989 (radio)
Call letters' meaning see table below
Former affiliations Television:
NET (1954–1970)
Transmitter power see table below
Height see table below
Facility ID see table below
Transmitter coordinates see table below
Licensing authority FCC
Public license information: Educational Telecommunications Profile
Educational Telecommunications CDBS
Website netnebraska.org

Nebraska Educational Telecommunications (NET) is a state network of public radio and television stations in Nebraska and is based in Lincoln. It is operated by the Nebraska Educational Telecommunications Commission. The television stations are all members of PBS, while the radio stations are members of NPR.

The network is headquartered in the Terry M. Carpenter & Jack G. McBride Nebraska Educational Telecommunications Center which is located at 1800 N. 33rd Street on the East campus of the University of Nebraska in Lincoln, and has a satellite studio in Omaha.

History

Television

NET Television logo

Nebraska was one of the first states in the nation to begin the groundwork for educational broadcasting. The University of Nebraska successfully applied to have channel 18 in Lincoln allocated for educational use in 1951.

In 1954, however, John Fetzer, owner of KOLN-TV, offered to donate his station's old channel location on channel 12 (it had recently moved to channel 10) to NU. This allowed UNL to use more signal at less cost. UNL quickly jumped at this proposal, and KUON-TV went on the air on November 1 from KOLN-TV's studios. It was operated in trust for NU until 1956. In 1960, the Nebraska Council for Educational Television was created by six school districts in Nebraska. By 1961, 5 VHF and 3 UHF channels were allocated for educational use in Nebraska—the largest set ever approved for educational use in a single state. In 1963, the state legislature, per a committee's recommendation, approved plans for a statewide educational television network under the control of the Nebraska Educational Television Commission. A deal was quickly reached in which Lincoln's KUON-TV would remain under NU's ownership, but serve as the new state network's flagship.

In 1965, KLNE-TV in Lexington became the first station in the new state network, followed a few months later by KYNE-TV in Omaha. The state network grew quickly; six stations signed on from 1966 to 1968 to complete the state network. It began a full seven-day schedule in 1969.

In 1974, Nebraska ETV adopted a new logo--a red stylized abstract "N" formed from two trapezoids. A year later, NBC unveiled a new logo that was identical to the Nebraska ETV logo, but for the blue coloring of the right trapezoid in the NBC logo. The commission sued NBC for trademark infringement in February 1976, a suit which generated national attention. In an out-of-court settlement, Nebraska ETV agreed to allow NBC to keep its logo. In return, NBC donated a color mobile unit and other equipment totaling over $800,000. It also paid the commission an additional $55,000 for the costs of rolling out a new logo and eliminating the old logo from all advertising. Nebraska ETV's new logo was unveiled in 1976.

A CPB study, Study of School Use of Television and Video, found Reading Rainbow (a co-production of NET and Buffalo, New York's WNED-TV until 2006) to be the most used and viewed children's television program in America during the 1990-1991 school year.

Since 1974, NET has operated a studio in Omaha, on the campus of the University of Nebraska-Omaha. It is primarily used when KYNE breaks off from the state network to broadcast programming of specific interest to the Omaha market.

Radio

The Educational Television Commission had its mission broadened to radio in 1984, but it was 1989 before it could begin the groundwork for building a statewide public radio network. For many years, there were only two NPR members in the entire state--Omaha's KIOS and Lincoln's KUCV, which had signed on in 1974. In 1989, however, UNL bought KUCV from Union College. KUCV officially relaunched from its new studios on October 10, 1989. In 2001, KUCV moved from 90.9 FM (where it had been since its sign-on) to 91.1.

In 1990, the commission opened stations in Alliance, Lexington, Columbus, Norfolk, and Hastings. North Platte, Bassett, Merriman, and Chadron followed in 1991. The entire Nebraska Public Radio Network (NPRN) was formally dedicated on October 8 in a special ceremony, broadcast live on NPRN and NETV.

The Nebraska Educational Telecommunications Facilities Corporation was established to facilitate lease/purchase of the GTE SpaceNet 3 transponder.

Television stations

NET Television consists of 9 full-power stations. Combined, they reach almost all of Nebraska, as well as parts of Iowa, Kansas, and Wyoming. Eight of the stations are owned by the NETC. Flagship station KUON is owned by the University of Nebraska, but is operated by the Commission through a long-standing agreement between the Commission and NU. NET carries PBS and American Public Television national programs. Programming on NET Television educates, entertains, informs, inspires, enlightens and delights people in cities and towns all over the state.

Station City of license Channels
(TV / DT)		 First air date Call letters’
meaning		 ERP HAAT Facility ID Transmitter Coordinates
KTNE Alliance 13 (PSIP)
13 (VHF) 		September 7, 1966 Television NEbraska 27 kW 466 m 47996 41°50′27″N 103°3′18″W / 41.84083°N 103.05500°W / 41.84083; -103.05500 (KTNE-TV)
KMNE Bassett 7 (PSIP)
7 (VHF) 		September 1, 1967 Middle NEbraska 27 kW 453 m 47981 42°20′5″N 99°29′2″W / 42.33472°N 99.48389°W / 42.33472; -99.48389 (KMNE-TV)
KHNE Hastings 29 (PSIP)
28 (UHF) 		November 18, 1968 Hastings NEbraska 200 kW 366 m 47987 40°46′20″N 98°5′21″W / 40.77222°N 98.08917°W / 40.77222; -98.08917 (KHNE-TV)
KLNE Lexington 3 (PSIP)
26 (UHF) 		September 6, 1965 Lexington NEbraska 375 kW 331 m 47975 40°23′5″N 99°27′30″W / 40.38472°N 99.45833°W / 40.38472; -99.45833 (KLNE-TV)
(Nebraska Educational Tower Holdrege)
KUON Lincoln 12 (PSIP)
12 (UHF) 		November 1, 1954 University Of Nebraska 75 kW 253 m 66589 41°8′18″N 96°27′20″W / 41.13833°N 96.45556°W / 41.13833; -96.45556 (KUON-TV)
KRNE Merriman 12 (PSIP)
12 (UHF) 		December 9, 1968 MeRriman NEbraska 75 kW 322 m 47971 42°40′37″N 101°42′39″W / 42.67694°N 101.71083°W / 42.67694; -101.71083 (KRNE-TV)
KXNE Norfolk 19 (PSIP)
19 UHF 		November 10, 1967 X (Across) NEbraska 475 kW 253.2 m 47995 42°14′15″N 97°16′41″W / 42.23750°N 97.27806°W / 42.23750; -97.27806 (KXNE-TV)
KPNE North Platte 9 (PSIP)
9 (UHF) 		September 12, 1966 North Platte NEbraska 85 kW 334 m 47973 41°1′22″N 101°9′14″W / 41.02278°N 101.15389°W / 41.02278; -101.15389 (KPNE-TV)
KYNE Omaha 26 (PSIP)
17 (UHF) 		October 19, 1965 Your NEbraska 200 kW 117 m 47974 41°15′28″N 96°0′32″W / 41.25778°N 96.00889°W / 41.25778; -96.00889 (KYNE-TV)

Note:

Translators

NET operates 15 translators to widen its coverage area. Nine directly repeat KUON, four repeat KXNE and one repeats KMNE.

Station City of license Channels
(TV / DT)		 Parent station Facility ID
K23AA Beatrice 23 (UHF) KHNE 47983
K24GO Blair 24 (UHF) KUON 47969
K46KP Broken Bow46 (UHF) KMNE 181534
K06JC Chadron 6 (VHF) KTNE 47977
K06KR Crawford 6 (VHF) KTNE 47991
K44FN Culbertson 44 (UHF) KPNE 47954
K34IB Decatur 34 (UHF) KXNE 47976
K46FG Falls City 46 (UHF) KUON 47970
K08LN Harrison 8 (VHF) KUON 47992
K33FO Max 33 (UHF) KUON 48009
K50IO Neligh 50 (UHF) KXNE 47985
K14MI Niobrara 14 (UHF) KXNE 47988
K33AC Pawnee 33 (UHF) KXNE 47993
K10JW Verdigre 10 (UHF) KXNE 47989
K20IJ Wauneta 20 (UHF) KUON 47980

Cable and satellite availability

NET Television is available on nearly all cable systems in Nebraska. Selected cable systems in northern Kansas carry Hastings' KHNE in addition to Smoky Hills Public Television; these counties are part of the Hastings/Kearney side of the Lincoln/Hastings/Kearney media market. Additionally, Omaha's KYNE is carried on most cable systems in southwestern Iowa.

On satellite, KUON, KYNE, KPNE, KXNE, and KTNE are carried on the local Lincoln, Omaha, North Platte, Sioux City, and Cheyenne, Wyoming Dish Network feeds, respectively. KTNE is the sole PBS station available to satellite viewers in the Cheyenne market. KHNE, KYNE, and KXNE are available on the Lincoln, Omaha, and Sioux City DirecTV feeds, respectively.

Radio stations

NET Radio logo

NET Radio is governed by the NET Commission and the NET Foundation for Radio Board. It consists of all NPR member stations in the state except for KIOS in Omaha; that station is operated by the Omaha Public Schools. Programming consists of classical music and NPR news and talk.

NET Radio broadcasts two HD Radio channels. The first is a simulcast of the analog signal, while the second airs increased news programming as well as jazz. Both stream live on the Internet. National radio programming carried on the radio network is distributed by NPR. NET's radio service is committed to providing programs that inform, entertain, and inspire most of the communities of Nebraska.

There are nine full-power stations in the state network:

Station Frequency City Callsign Meaning
KUCV 91.1 FM Lincoln (flagship) Union College (original owner) Voice
KCNE-FM 91.9 FM Chadron Chadron Nebraska
KHNE-FM 89.1 FM Hastings Hastings NEbraska
KLNE-FM 88.7 FM Lexington Lexington NEbraska
KMNE-FM 90.3 FM Bassett Middle NEbraska
KPNE-FM 91.7 FM North Platte North Platte NEbraska
KRNE-FM 91.5 FM Merriman MeRriman NEbraska
KTNE-FM 91.1 FM Alliance Towards NEbraska
KXNE-FM 89.3 FM Norfolk X (Across) NEbraska

The state network also has five low-power repeater/translator signals.

Station Frequency City Parent Station
K212AV 89.7 FM Columbus KXNE
K224CH 92.7 FM Culbertson KPNE
K205FP 88.9 FM Falls City KUCV
K208CB 89.5 FM Harrison KTNE
K227AC 93.3 FM Max KPNE

Digital television

Digital channels

The digital signals of NET's stations are multiplexed:

Channel Video Aspect PSIP Short Name Programming[2][3][4][5][6][7][8][9][10]
xx.1 1080i 16:9 NET Main NET Programming / PBS
xx.2 480i 4:3 NET2 World
xx.3 NET3 Create

Analog-to-digital conversion

During 2009, in the lead-up to the analog-to-digital television transition that would ultimately occur in 2009, NET shut down the analog transmitters of its stations on a staggered basis. Listed below are the dates each analog transmitter ceased operations as well as their post-transition channel allocations:[11]

References

  1. ↑ http://www.omaha.com/index.php?u_page=1219&u_sid=10557376 Digital delay muddles broadcasters' plans, BRYAN REDEMSKE, Omaha WORLD-HERALD, February 6, 2009
  2. ↑ RabbitEars TV Query for KUON
  3. ↑ RabbitEars TV Query for KHNE
  4. ↑ RabbitEars TV Query for KLNE
  5. ↑ RabbitEars TV Query for KMNE
  6. ↑ RabbitEars TV Query for KPNE
  7. ↑ RabbitEars TV Query for KRNE
  8. ↑ RabbitEars TV Query for KTNE
  9. ↑ RabbitEars TV Query for KXNE
  10. ↑ RabbitEars TV Query for KYNE
  11. ↑ "DTV Tentative Channel Designations for the First and the Second Rounds" (PDF). Retrieved 2012-03-24.

External links

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