PBS Hawaii

PBS Hawaii
Callsign	KHET
Branding	PBS Hawaii
City	Honolulu, Hawaii
Digital	11 (VHF)
Virtual	11
Country	United States
Owner	Hawaii Public Television Foundation
Founded	1970
Airdate	July 5, 1970
Affiliations	PBS
Former callsigns	KHET-TV
Facility id	47889

PBS Hawaii PBS Hawaii is a public broadcasting service based in Honolulu, Hawaii, providing television, radio partnerships, and digital media. The station operates as a member of the Public Broadcasting Service and collaborates with institutions across the Hawaiian Islands, producing local news, cultural programming, and educational content. It serves statewide audiences through terrestrial transmitters and cable systems while maintaining ties to national networks and local cultural organizations.

History

Founded in 1970, the station launched amid a period of expansion for the Public Broadcasting Service and public television stations such as WGBH and WNET. Early leadership drew on expertise from institutions like the Corporation for Public Broadcasting and regional broadcasters including KITV and KHON-TV. PBS Hawaii navigated federal policy changes stemming from legislation like the Public Broadcasting Act of 1967 and funding shifts associated with the Corporation for Public Broadcasting allocations, while engaging with cultural movements tied to the Hawaiian Renaissance and advocacy groups such as the Office of Hawaiian Affairs. Technical milestones included transitions aligned with the Digital television transition in the United States and participation in spectrum reallocations overseen by the Federal Communications Commission. Over the decades, collaborations with educational institutions such as the University of Hawaiʻi and cultural institutions including the Bishop Museum shaped programming priorities and archival efforts.

Programming

PBS Hawaii's schedule interweaves national programs from the Public Broadcasting Service like Masterpiece, PBS NewsHour, NOVA, Nature, and Frontline with local series rooted in Hawaiian culture. The station has aired documentaries and series featuring subjects associated with the Hawaiian Islands, historical figures such as King Kamehameha I and Queen Liliʻuokalani, and events like the Attack on Pearl Harbor. Collaborations with producers connected to festivals such as the Merrie Monarch Festival and organizations like the Hawaiʻi Symphony Orchestra have produced music and performance broadcasts. Educational series have paralleled national productions such as Sesame Street and Mister Rogers' Neighborhood through affiliated distribution and supplemental local content produced in partnership with the Department of Education (Hawaii) and community media groups.

Local Productions and Educational Services

Locally produced programs have spotlighted Hawaiian language and culture with projects involving the Office of Hawaiian Affairs, language revitalization initiatives connected to ʻAha Pūnana Leo, and oral histories documenting communities including Honolulu and Maui. Documentary collaborations have documented topics ranging from the Mauna Kea protests to biographies of leaders like Duke Kahanamoku. Educational outreach has included curriculum support aligned with standards from the Hawaii State Department of Education and partnerships with research centers at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa and the Hawaiʻi Institute of Marine Biology. PBS Hawaii archives and distributes local documentaries, collaborates with museums such as the Bishop Museum and the Honolulu Museum of Art, and supports workforce training efforts with organizations like the Hawaiʻi Community College and the Hawaiʻi Public Television Foundation.

Stations and Coverage

The primary over-the-air station transmits on virtual channel 11 (KHET) serving Oʻahu, with supplemental translators and repeaters extending reach to islands including Maui, Hawaiʻi (island), Kauaʻi, and Molokaʻi. Distribution partners include statewide cable systems and satellite providers that also carry feeds similar to those used by stations such as KITV and KHON-TV. Signal upgrades corresponded with national mandates such as the Digital television transition in the United States and coordination with the Federal Communications Commission for spectrum repacking. The station maintains production facilities in Honolulu and works with community access sites and cultural centers across the archipelago.

Funding and Governance

PBS Hawaii operates under a nonprofit governance structure overseen by the Hawaii Public Television Foundation board, with funding streams that mirror other public broadcasters like WNET and WGBH: a mixture of individual donations, corporate underwriting, foundation grants from entities such as the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation or the Kresge Foundation, and federal support via the Corporation for Public Broadcasting. State and local partnerships with bodies like the Hawaii State Foundation on Culture and the Arts and educational contracts supplement revenue. Governance practices align with nonprofit standards seen in organizations such as the National Public Radio member network, and financial oversight interacts with tax and nonprofit law under the Internal Revenue Service regulations applicable to 501(c)(3) entities.

Community Impact and Outreach

Community engagement includes collaborative projects with cultural practitioners from ʻāina stewardship groups, sporting events coverage linked to institutions like the University of Hawaiʻi Rainbow Warriors, and public forums addressing topics such as climate resilience in coordination with researchers from the Pacific Islands Climate Center and the East-West Center. Outreach initiatives have targeted Hawaiian language learners, veterans' organizations, and youth media apprenticeships in partnership with nonprofits like Hoʻokahua Cultural Center and workforce programs at the Hawaiʻi Department of Labor and Industrial Relations. Through town halls, film screenings at venues such as the Honolulu Museum of Art, and co-productions with entities like KGMB, the station contributes to civic discourse, cultural preservation, and media literacy across the islands.

Category:Television stations in Honolulu Category:Public Broadcasting Service member stations