KCPT
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| Kansas City, Missouri-Kansas City, Kansas | |
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| Channels | Digital: 18 (UHF) Virtual: 19 (PSIP) |
| Subchannels | 19.1 KCPT 19.2 KCPT2 19.3 Create |
| Affiliations | PBS (since 1970) |
| Owner | Public Television 19, Inc. |
| First air date | March 29, 1961 |
| Call letters' meaning | Kansas City Public Television |
| Former callsigns | KCSD-TV (1961-1972) |
| Former channel number(s) | Analog: 19 (UHF, 1961-2009) |
| Former affiliations | NET (1961-1970) |
| Transmitter power | 55 kW |
| Height | 355 m |
| Facility ID | 53843 |
| Transmitter coordinates | 39°4′58.7″N 94°28′50.1″W / 39.082972°N 94.480583°W |
| Website | kcpt.org/ |
KCPT is the PBS member station for the Kansas City metropolitan area that is licensed to the Missouri side. It broadcasts a high definition digital signal on UHF channel 18 (or virtual channel 19.1 via PSIP) from a transmitter located near 23rd Street and Stark Avenue in Kansas City, Missouri's Blue Valley section.
Owned by not-for-profit broadcasting entity Public Television 19, Inc., KCPT maintains studios located on East 31st Street in Kansas City, Missouri's Union Hill section (adjacent to the transmitter tower of CBS affiliate KCTV). This station can also be seen on Time Warner Cable and SureWest channel 11, and AT&T U-verse channel 19. There is a high definition feed provided on Time Warner Cable digital channel 1011, Surewest digital channel 601 and AT&T U-verse channel 1019.
History
The station signed on for the first time as KCSD on March 29, 1961, owned by the Kansas City School District. The school district put the license on the market in 1971. A group of civic leaders formed "Public Television 19" and bought the license. The station relaunched in January 1972 as KCPT. That fall, it began broadcasting PBS shows in color for the first time. In 1973, the station held its first televised auction.
From studios located in downtown Kansas City, KCPT produces local programs such as Kansas City Week in Review, Rare Visions & Roadside Revelations and Ruckus, a political affairs program. Newer programs include Check, Please! Kansas City and The Local Show. KCPT's studios were once home to KCMO-TV (now KCTV), and their trademark transmission tower still rises above the building.
In 2002, KCPT won a National Emmy Award for Best Documentary for Be Good, Smile Pretty. The film documents Tracy Droz Tragos' journey to find the father she lost in Vietnam.
In 2008, KCPT began broadcasting in high definition, in addition to launching two digital channels KCPT2 and KCPT Create.
The list of former on-air hosts at KCPT includes John Masterman (the host of Kansas City Illustrated) and Laurel Defoe, who moved there from commercial station WDAF-TV.
Digital television
The station's digital signal is multiplexed:
| Channel | Video | Aspect | PSIP Short Name | Programming |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 19.1 | 720p | 16:9 | KCPT-1 | Main KCPT programming / PBS |
| 19.2 | 480i | KCPT-2 | PBS Encore | |
| 19.3 | 4:3 | KCPT-3 | Create |
External links
- Official website
- Tower Trivia site
- Query the FCC's TV station database for KCPT
- BIAfn's Media Web Database -- Information on KCPT-TV
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