KRET-TV, UHF analog channel 23, was an educational television station licensed to Richardson, Texas, United States, which was on the air from 1960 to 1970. Owned by the Richardson Independent School District, it was the first broadcast TV station in the nation to be wholly owned by a school district.[1] The call letters "RET" stood for "Richardson Educational Television".
| |
|---|---|
| Channels | |
| Programming | |
| Affiliations | Defunct |
| Ownership | |
| Owner | Richardson Independent School District |
| History | |
First air date | February 29, 1960 |
Last air date | August 31, 1970 (10 years, 184 days); transitioned to closed circuit system |
Call sign meaning | "Richardson Educational Television" |
| Technical information | |
| ERP | 3.39 kW visual, .676 kW aural |
| HAAT | 260 ft (79 m) |
History
editKRET began broadcasting February 29, 1960, with a broadcast range of about 20 miles (32 km); it broadcast only on weekdays eventually matching school hours, and not during the summer. It was actually the first educational television station in the Dallas–Fort Worth area, signing on about six months before KERA-TV.
The studio was first located at Richardson Junior High School from 1960 to 1963, then at Richardson High School from 1963 to 1970. The station was converted on August 31, 1970, into a closed-circuit network named "TAGER".
The tower stood on the campus of Richardson High School before being taken down in the mid-2000s, to make room for expansion of the school building.
Channel 23 was later reallocated to nearby Garland. The frequency remained dark until 1985 when religious broadcaster KIAB-TV signed on the air. The station was later sold to Univision and became KUVN-TV, the network's O&O for North Texas.
Station personnel
editThe 1969-1970 Television Factbook/Stations volume listed the following station personnel for KRET-TV:
- Lloyd J. Collins, Station Manager
- Richard F. Hays, Director Of Programming
- Bob Ramsey, Chief Engineer
- Jay Garrett (Marcom) Audio Tech
References
edit- ^ "Educational TV Rates Top Grade in Classes". The Dallas Morning News. March 31, 1960. section B, p. 6.
- Shannon, Mike. DFW TV STATIONS. The History of Dallas-Fort Worth Radio and Television.
- Initial KRET broadcast date
- 1969-1970 Television Factbook/Stations Volume