Announcement:
AETN will be off the air beginning at 9 a.m. this morning. The move of equipment to a new building will require the lines to and from all the antennas to be removed and will take most of the day. Cadron Ridge is our only site where signals to all AETN transmitters emanate. During the time equipment is being moved and the antenna lines are cut and reinstalled all transmitters will be off the air. AETN apologizes for this inconvenience. This installation is necessary to move forward with our conversion to digital. Thank you for your continued support of quality television in Arkansas!
What's On Tonight
LIVE FROM LINCOLN CENTER: Gil Shaham and Orpheus at the Penthouse
As the year 2008 draws to a close, our next Live From Lincoln Center will observe an important musical milestone that otherwise has gone virtually unnoticed: the 100th anniversary of the death of the virtuoso violinist and composer, Pablo de Sarasate. On Thursday evening, November 20, in the intimate space of Lincoln Center's Stanley H. Kaplan Penthouse, virtuoso violinist Gil Shaham, the Orpheus Chamber Orchestra and pianist Jonathan Feldman will offer a panoramic survey of the music of Sarasate.
LIVE FROM LINCOLN CENTER: Gil Shaham and Orpheus at the Penthouse airs Thursday, November 20 @ 7:00pm
Click Here to View AETN's Program Schedule
AETN Pressroom
Claudia Burson Trio performance to air on AETN
posted 19 Nov 2008
"AETN Presents: Front Row with the Claudia Burson Trio" will premiere on the Arkansas Educational Television Network Wednesday, Nov. 19 at 6:30 p.m.
‘The Buffalo Flows’ to be screened at Clinton School of Public Service
posted 19 Nov 2008
"The Buffalo Flows," a one-hour documentary showcasing America’s first national river, will be shown at the University of Arkansas Clinton School of Public Service in Sturgis Hall Thursday, Nov. 20, at 7 p.m. as part of the Arkansas Film Series.
AETN announces interruption of service in preparation for digital transition
posted 10 Nov 2008
The Arkansas Educational Television Network will temporarily shut down the KETS Channel 2/Little Rock transmitter in Redfield and the KETZ Channel 12/El Dorado transmitter in Huttig during January 2009 in preparation for the digital transition.
AETN documents life of Judge Morris Arnold
posted 10 Nov 2008
Known for his work as a Federal Judge and his research into Colonial Arkansas, Judge Morris Arnold discusses his professional career in and out of the courtroom in "Men and Women of Distinction," airing on the Arkansas Educational Television Network Monday, Nov. 17, at 9:30 p.m.
FAQ's
How do I order a program?
- Click here if you would like to shop for a pledge program..
- Click here if you would like to shop for a PBS program.
- If you are looking for another local program, you will need to call our Viewer Services at 1-800-662-AETN (2386).
Q. When will a certain program repeat/air?
A. If you find the program in the listings above and click on it, the schedule will display repeated show dates and times.
Q. Where is this month's Arkansas Outdoor's recipe?
A. Click here
Q. Strange noises from the TV? It may be a SAP problem.
A. Check your television settings, and make sure SAP is turned off.
Q. Would you like to see certain programs re-aired?
A. Contact info@aetn.org or call 501-682-4198
Q. Would you like more information about Antiques Roadshow?
A. Click here
Q. Looking for more information about our Saturday morning progamming?
A. Click here
KETS - Channel 2 FAQs:
Q. Is KETS - channel 2 back on the air?
A. Yes. As of June 13, AETN began broadcasting again on KETS-2 at reduced power and lower tower height. This will mean a much smaller coverage area for portions of central Arkansas.
Q. Will I be able to receive the KETS analog 2 signal?
A. It depends. AETN purchased an emergency analog channel 2 antenna that has been installed on the KASN tower near Redfield -- about 4 miles from the former KATV tower (that used to hold the former channel 2 antenna prior to its demise last January). The KASN tower is also the home of our KETS-DT digital antenna.
The emergency KETS analog channel 2 antenna was installed at about 900-feet above the ground compared to the 1700-foot height of the former channel 2 antenna. Also, the new antenna is much smaller than the former antenna. It was the largest size that could be custom fabricated on an emergency basis and that could be safely installed on the KASN tower. Towers are designed to hold only a certain weight (including heavy ice in the winter time) and withstand a maximum amount of high winds. In addition, a smaller transmitter with lower transmission power than the former channel 2 transmitter was custom made on an emergency basis last January that would accommodate the smaller antenna. The signal strength of the emergency channel 2 transmitter is approximately one-one hundredth (0.01 times) of the power of the former KETS-2 transmitter destroyed when the KATV tower fell.
The combination of a smaller antenna with much less power at a lower height will result in a significantly smaller coverage area for analog channel 2 than the previous signal. Given the limited tall tower options in central Arkansas and the temporary nature of the KETS emergency installation to get channel 2 to the February 2009 DTV transition deadline, this low power solution is the best and only option available to get KETS back on the air.
Finally, where you live may also affect whether you receive the new analog channel 2 signal. Such things as hills, tall buildings and structures, high-power electrical lines, storms and even dense foliage can affect the reliability and quality of the signal. Viewers who used to rely on rabbit-ears or antennas in their attic may need to have an antenna on the roof of their home or on a tall pole beside their house. Coverage area is impossible to accurately predict, but anticipated coverage area could be up to 25 to 30 air miles from Redfield.
Q. Do I have any other options if I cannot receive AETN on analog channel 2?
A. AETN is broadcasting the same program schedule on KETS-DT digital channel 5. This option will require either a new digital TV with built in ATSC digital tuner or a digital-to-analog converter box. (A free pair of coupons, worth $40 each, to help purchase a converter box at a local retailer is available from the Federal government at 1-888-DTV-2009 or [ http://www.dtv2009.gov ]www.dtv2009.gov.) Also, rabbit-ears generally are not effective in receiving a digital signal beyond 10-15 air miles. Thus, an outside roof-top antenna may be necessary for reliable digital TV reception.
Because AETN is required to protect existing channel 5 stations in Memphis and Fort Smith, the KETS digital channel 5 coverage area is not as large as the former analog channel 2. At the end of the DTV Transition in February, 2009, AETN will be allowed to maximize its KETS digital signal power and coverage area to the fullest extent possible.
In addition, most cable companies in central Arkansas are using the KETS-DT/5 signal on their systems. However, there are a few cable systems that are not able to receive a reliable KETS digital signal at this time. (One partner, KTWN-18 MyTownTV in Searcy, is helping AETN reach viewers and cable subscribers in Beebe, Cabot, Vilonia, and Jacksonville AFB by retransmitting the AETN signal from Mountain View on its digital channel 18.2.) Finally, Dish Network and DirecTV are also using the KETS digital signal to bring AETN to their satellite customers in the Little Rock DMA (which covers most all of central Arkansas).
KETS-KETZ Shutdown FAQs:
Q: Will all AETN stations be off the air in January ?
A: No, only KETS DT in Little Rock and KETZ DT in El Dorado will be forced to go off the air for technical modifications before February 17, 2009.
Q: Why is AETN doing this work?
A: Both KETS DT and KETZ DT must change channels before February 17, 2009.
Q: Why can't AETN stay on the air while this work is underway ?
A: Both KETS DT and KETZ DT must have their broadcast antennas changed. These antennas are mounted on leased 2000 foot tall towers. In order to install the new antennas, the existing antennas must first be removed.
Q: How hard can it be to change a little TV antenna ?
A: Television broadcast antennas are upwards of 100 feet long in some cases, and often weigh several tons. Specialized expert rigging crews are required to safely remove and install these antennas thousands of feet off the ground. The work at each AETN site will take three to four weeks. Weather conditions also play a critical part in these projects. Often a perfect day on the ground is way too windy atop the tower to allow safe working conditions.
Q: AETN has been broadcasting digital TV for four years now, why has this work not been done already ?
A: Both KETS DT and KETZ DT signed on digital channels that, due to interference with other nearby channels, had a greatly restricted coverage area. When analog television goes away on February 17, new channels will be available allowing larger coverage areas and service to many more viewers.
Q: So why does this work have to be done in the winter time during January ?
A: Both KETS DT and KETZ DT are moving to channels currently occupied by other television stations, so we could not make the channel change too far in advance of the February 17, 2009 transition date.
Q: Why can't AETN wait until after February 17 to do this work ?
A: The FCC mandated this transition date several years ago, broadcasters that will not be on their final assigned digital channels as of midnight that day risk loosing their broadcast license.
