KQEH

KQEH, virtual channel 54 (UHF digital channel 30), branded on-air as KQED Plus, is a Public Broadcasting Service ( PBS) member television station licensed to San Jose, California, United States and serving the San Francisco Bay Area. The station is owned by KQED Inc., alongside fellow PBS station KQED (channel 9) in San Francisco, its satellite KQET (channel 25) in Watsonville, National Public Radio (NPR) member KQED-FM (88.5) and KQEI (89.3). The three stations share studios on Mariposa Street in San Francisco's Mission District and transmitter facilities atop Sutro Tower; until January 17, 2018, KQEH's transmitter was located atop Monument Peak. On cable, the station is available on channel 10 on most providers in the market.

History

The station first signed on the air on October 19, 1964, as KTEH. In the late 1990s, KTEH bought KCAH in Watsonville, which was founded in 1989 to serve as the PBS station for the Monterey/ Salinas/ Santa Cruz market. Before being acquired by KQED, KTEH maintained a Technical Volunteer program, which allowed volunteers to learn how to operate cameras, audio, shading, directing and other production and technical responsibilities, while minimizing its costs. These volunteers made up the technical crews for all of their pledge drives and auction programming, as well as other occasional live broadcasts.

In 2006, KQED, Inc. and the KTEH Foundation agreed to merge to form Northern California Public Broadcasting, a name that was changed back to KQED, Inc. in 2010. As a result of the merger, KCAH changed its call letters to KQET on August 12, 2007. Subsequently, on October 1, 2007, KQET, which became a satellite of KTEH following its acquisition of the station, switched programming sources from KTEH to KQED. KQET's programming is carried on the second digital subchannel of KQED.

In December 2010, the Board of Directors of Northern California Public Broadcasting changed the organization's name to KQED Inc. The station changed its call letters to KQEH and rebranded as "KQED Plus" on July 1, 2011, after research found that most viewers were unaware that KTEH was related to KQED; other aspects of the station's operation, including programming and staff, were not affected by this change.

Digital television

Digital channels

The station's digital signal is multiplexed:

Analog-to-digital conversion

KQEH (as KTEH) shut down its analog signal, over UHF channel 54, on June 12, 2009, as part of the federally mandated transition from analog to digital television.List of Digital Full-Power Stations
The station's digital signal remained on its pre-transition UHF channel 50, using PSIP to display KQEH's virtual channel as 54 on digital television receivers, which was among the high band UHF channels (52-69) that were removed from broadcasting use as a result of the transition. On January 17, 2018, the DTV transmitter for KQEH was turned off, and KQEH programming was shifted to virtual channels broadcast by KQED from Sutro Tower.

KQEH-DT3

KQED Life formerly launched on August 1, 2003, on KQED 9. In 2007 (after the merger of KQED and KTEH into Northern California Public Broadcasting), Life moved to 54.3 from channel 9.6. On July 1, 2011 (after renaming KTEH to KQEH), the word "KQED" was brought back. On December 15, 2017, KQED Life went permanently off the air and the World Channel was moved from 54.5 to 54.3, after a result of KQEH frequencies moving to Sutro Tower.

KQEH-DT4

KQED Kids launched on August 1, 2003, on KQED 9. After the merging of KQED and KTEH into Northern California Public Broadcasting, Kids moved to 54.4 from channel 9.5. On July 1, 2011, KTEH renamed to KQEH and the word "KQED" was brought back. On January 16, 2017, KQED Kids was replaced to the 24/7 PBS Kids Channel.

KQEH-DT5

V-me formerly carried on 54.5 on January 16, 2017, by the launch of the PBS Kids 24/7 that also replaced the KQED Kids local kids station, and to KQED World on 54.5.

Programming

In April 1981, KTEH started showing the British science-fantasy show ''Doctor Who'', which ran on the station until January 2003. On April 10, 2007, ''Doctor Who'' returned to the station with the airing of the program's 2005 revival. KTEH has also aired another British sci-fi show, ''Red Dwarf''. In 1998, KTEH aired the entire eighth series of ''Red Dwarf'' in one night. In doing so, many episodes were shown on KTEH before their broadcast on British television.

In the mid-1990s, Scott Apel hosted airings of ''The Prisoner'' with commentary, using an episode ordering he devised. The ordering is still a popular one in the ''Prisoner'' fandom, referred to as " KTEH order".

KTEH also has a long history of close ties to the anime fandom. From the early 1990s up until 2003, Sunday night viewers were treated to a selection of anime found nowhere else on United States TV at the time. KTEH was notable as the station that saw the broadcast premiere of ''Neon Genesis Evangelion'' (subtitled) in America, as well as (dubbed) ''Tenchi Muyo! Ryo-Ohki'' and '' Tenchi Universe'' TV series. These shows were later shown on Cartoon Network's ''Toonami'' programming block. Other anime that have aired on KTEH include, but were not limited to, ''Bubblegum Crisis'', '' Key the Metal Idol'', subtitled versions of ''Dirty Pair Flash'', ''All Purpose Cultural Cat Girl Nuku Nuku'', ''Urusei Yatsura'', ''Sakura Wars'' and ''Corrector Yui'', and dubbed versions of ''Serial Experiments Lain'', ''City Hunter'', '' Please Save My Earth'', ''Ranma ½'', ''Sailor Moon'', '' Full Metal Panic!'', '' Magic Knight Rayearth'', ''Martian Successor Nadesico'', '' Betterman'', ''Robotech'', ''Mobile Suit Gundam'', ''Cardcaptor Sakura'', ''Astro Boy'', '' Gatchaman'', and ''Samurai Pizza Cats''.

Karen Roberts was the person responsible for acquiring the programming for both British television series and Japanese anime.

Local productions

KTEH has produced many television programs over the years, some of which have been nationally broadcast. Its current production schedule includes:
*''This is Us'' – an Emmy Award-winning show featuring profiles of remarkable people and places in Northern California.
*''Saving the Bay'' – the Emmy Award-winning documentary about San Francisco Bay went on to a national release in 2011.
*''video i'' – an award-winning showcase of documentaries, dramas, and experimental films
*''KTEH Cooks with Garlic'' – local viewers preparing their favorite garlic recipes. Winner of the first PBS Interactive Innovation of the Year Award
*''Moneytrack'' – an ongoing series on investment management

KTEH was the production company for several other productions:
*'' The War: Nisei Soldiers'' (2007)
*'' The War: Soldados'' (2007)
*'' Dave Tatsuno: Movies and Memories'' (2006)
*''Cosmopolitan'' (2003)
*'' Return to the Valley'' (2003)
*''Rich Dad, Poor Dad with Robert Kiyosaki'' (2001)
*''Adventures with Kanga Roddy'' (1998)
*''The First Seven Years'' (1998)
*'' Cadillac Desert'' (1997)
*'' The Battle for Mono Lake'' (1997)''The Battle for Mono Lake''
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*''The Men Who Sailed the Liberty Ships'' (1994)
*'' When Abortion Was Illegal: Untold Stories'' (1992)
*''The Day After Trinity'' (1981)
*'' Tomorrow/Today'' (1981)
*''Kaleidoscope'' (1979)
*'' Fluorocarbons: The Unfinished Agenda'' (1977)
*'' The Aerosol Factor'' (1975)

See also

*''Cosmopolitan''

References

External links

*
IMDB

{{DEFAULTSORT:Kqeh
PBS member stations
Television channels and stations established in 1964
QEH
KQED Inc.
Television in San Jose, California