281:. His intention was for the network to air simultaneously through more than a dozen separate television stations throughout the state, including in areas that were not served over-the-air by any commercial television stations at the time. The inspiration of creating the network was realized by Press when he visited areas of eastern Kentucky; for example, during that trip, he learned of the fact that the
331:, who won the 1967 governor's election, pressed the button to put the network on the air, and then dedicated the network that same day. Within the next thirteen years, four more stations, plus at least six low-power translators signed on to become part of the network. In the mid-1970s, former commercial
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personally acquired the first thirteen transmitter sites needed for the network, and donated them to the
Authority. This resulted in including the state network being included in the state budget for the 1968 fiscal year. O. Leonard Press' dream of a statewide network had become reality on September
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While teaching at the university, Press, along with two of his colleagues, went into consideration of founding and starting an educational television station that would originate at the university. The motivation came from the fact that his production of an anthropology telecourse, one of the
313:
turned into a proposal to start the ETV network in
Kentucky. Press was then appointed as executive director of the Kentucky Authority for Educational Television when the proposal passed legislation by the Kentucky General Assembly in 1962. Three years later in 1965,
347:, made the network's programming available on 15 stations across the state. Press served as the network's executive director for a total of 23 years, spanning from the network's 1968 inception until his retirement on June 30, 1992.
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was dedicated to Press by being named the O. Leonard Press
Telecommunications Center. That same year, Press was also interviewed and profiled in the series finale of KET's in-house produced interview program,
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Press died at the age of 97 on July 31, 2019, at
Central Baptist Hospital in Lexington. His memorial service was held at the O. Leonard Press Telecommunications Center on September 20.
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The attempt to start a university-based television station failed for Press, but he and his colleagues decided to envision and create something bigger; a multi-station statewide
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station in the United States, for much of its life on the air. In addition to managing WBKY until 1963, his first
Kentucky-based production was a holiday-themed program called
154:, was a radio and television broadcaster, producer, and college professor. He is best known for envisioning a state network of educational television stations in the
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359:. On the occasion of the network's 50th anniversary in 2018, the Kentucky Historical Society placed an historical marker in front of the network facilities.
285:-based Lott's Creek Community School had no accreditation, nor did they ever receive state funds, from that school's founder and director Alice Stone.
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Press spent more than a decade traveling throughout the state of
Kentucky to pitch his idea of a statewide network, starting with his address to the
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182:'s weekly radio broadcast, which went on to run for about 50 years. He also produced radio and television advertising spots for his alma mater,
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244:) in the mid-1950s had positive reviews. That, and another telecourse, had positive reviews across the nation, including one that appeared in
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in 1952, Press also became the head of the university's radio broadcasting department, which has been operating WBKY radio (91.3 MHz, now
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During the 1990s and the early 2000s, Press served as a member of the
Shakertown Roundtable advisory board at the Shaker Village at
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23, 1968, when the
Kentucky Educational Television network, initially broadcast over ten
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569:"Projected Kentucky ETV Network Promises Comprehensive Coverage To State".
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722:. Kentucky Educational Television. February 21, 2021 – via Issuu.
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Towers Over
Kentucky: A History of Radio and TV in the Bluegrass State
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of
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American radio and television broadcaster and network executive
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Press married his wife, Lilian, as a graduate student at the
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150:(November 10, 1921 – July 31, 2019), also known simply as
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College of Communications. They had a son, Lowell Press.
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In 1992, KET's network center and production facility in
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639:"Historical marker unveiled for KET's 50th anniversary"
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627:. Park City Daily News. April 23, 1991. p. 7B.
178:Before moving to Kentucky, Press had developed the
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327:stations, signed on the air for the first time.
225:nation's first-ever telecourses, that aired on
623:"KET chief announces plans to retire in '92".
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737:O. Leonard Press biography at the KET website
8:
479:"O. Leonard Press Memorial Service Program"
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484:. Milward Funeral Home. September 20, 2019
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608:"KET is getting new executive director".
418:. Lexington, Kentucky: The Clark Group.
589:. Kentucky Educational Television. 2018
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7:
645:. September 18, 2018. Archived from
189:Upon arriving as a professor at the
215:Kentucky Wildcats men's basketball
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416:The KET Story: A Personal Account
174:Broadcasting and teaching careers
558:– via World Radio History.
1222:Kentucky Educational Television
801:Kentucky Educational Television
754:Kentucky Educational Television
676:. November 17, 1999. p. 5.
512:Kentucky Educational Television
494:Kentucky Educational Television
396:Kentucky Educational Television
221:during the mid- to late-1950s.
168:Kentucky Educational Television
126:
1:
1227:Mass media people from Boston
1212:American television producers
700:. August 1, 2019. p. A3
612:. July 17, 1991. p. 2A.
262:network to serve the entire
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1038:American Public Television
414:Press, O. Leonard (2008).
242:Owned-and-operated station
217:games for then-head coach
203:Christmas in the Mountains
197:), the oldest educational
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891:Star Channels 703 and 704
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539:Nash, Francis M. (1995).
213:radio. Press also filmed
1217:Boston University alumni
1207:American radio producers
977:Distinguished Kentuckian
720:"KET FY20 Annual Report"
698:Bowling Green Daily News
688:"KET founder dies at 97"
357:Distinguished Kentuckian
572:Lexington Herald-Leader
548:. HOST Communications.
752:Executive director of
674:Middlesboro Daily News
456:. Milward Funeral Home
260:educational television
191:University of Kentucky
89:Television broadcaster
933:Kentucky Collectables
162:. Born and raised in
43:Lowell, Massachusetts
610:Park City Daily News
254:Creating the network
1064:Virginia Gaines Fox
919:Comment on Kentucky
809:Television channels
763:Virginia Gaines Fox
333:independent station
299:The Courier-Journal
180:National Press Club
119:Lilian Henken Press
65:Lexington, Kentucky
1167:Former translators
508:"O. Leonard Press"
454:"O. Leonard Press"
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1043:Annenberg Channel
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761:Succeeded by
575:. August 8, 1965.
425:978-1-883589-89-9
381:Boston University
308:Kentucky Governor
184:Boston University
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106:Years active
98:Network executive
95:College professor
92:Radio broadcaster
77:Boston University
39:November 10, 1921
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170:(KET) network.
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61:July 31, 2019
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1070:Shae Hopkins
1067:Malcolm Wall
1059:
1045:(until 2012)
1019:Affiliations
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984:Another Page
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839:KET PBS Kids
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702:. Retrieved
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651:. Retrieved
647:the original
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591:. Retrieved
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502:
492:– via
486:. Retrieved
458:. Retrieved
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402:Bibliography
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264:Commonwealth
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141:Lowell Press
1202:2019 deaths
1197:1921 births
1028:(1968-1970)
998:Math Basics
316:Ashland Oil
290:Rotary Club
219:Adolph Rupp
83:Occupations
1191:Categories
1053:Key people
758:1962–1992
517:August 15,
435:References
304:Louisville
250:magazine.
233:affiliate
207:Louisville
156:U.S. state
57:2019-07-31
35:1921-11-10
1005:Signature
704:August 2,
352:Lexington
345:Owensboro
294:Frankfort
279:Carolinas
152:Len Press
109:1952–1992
73:Education
1078:Stations
904:Programs
886:KET Etc.
653:June 12,
593:June 11,
488:June 15,
460:June 15,
390:See also
318:founder
229:'s then-
199:FM radio
160:Kentucky
138:Children
1162:WKZT-TV
1157:WKSO-TV
1152:WKPI-TV
1140:WKMJ-TV
1135:WKPC-TV
1110:WKMA-TV
1095:WKGB-TV
1085:WCVN-TV
911:Current
817:Current
341:Paducah
272:Georgia
268:Alabama
247:Variety
237:(now a
131:
123:
871:KET ED
854:Former
834:KET KY
552:
422:
283:Cordia
235:WBZ-TV
227:Boston
164:Boston
114:Spouse
845:World
546:(PDF)
482:(PDF)
408:Books
339:) in
125:(
121:
1147:WKPD
1130:WKON
1125:WKOH
1120:WKMU
1115:WKMR
1105:WKLE
1100:WKHA
1090:WKAS
881:KET6
876:KET5
866:KET4
861:KET3
843:KET
829:KET2
747:None
706:2019
655:2023
643:WKYT
595:2023
550:ISBN
519:2021
490:2023
462:2023
420:ISBN
337:WKPD
276:both
274:and
211:WHAS
205:for
195:WUKY
51:Died
29:Born
1032:PBS
1026:NET
824:KET
325:UHF
302:in
292:in
239:CBS
231:NBC
209:'s
158:of
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