Commonwealth Fund for KET, Inc.

KET enjoys a stellar reputation nationally for excellence across the Public Broadcasting System. It is widely understood throughout the industry that KET is a flagship, a celebrated leader, and among its accolades, KET's commitment to local productions is unmatched since KET produces more local productions than any other PBS station. To ensure a stable funding source that guarantees in perpetuity local production capacity and ensures access to a lifelong learning gift for all our citizens and students, we have established the Kentucky Productions Endowment.

KET's local productions celebrate, preserve, and share stories about the people, places, and heritage of Kentucky. These stories remind all Kentuckians of what makes this Commonwealth richly distinctive. May these stories inspire ideas, make connections, and help the youth to carry on the legacy to preserve a very special place in this world.

Each of KET's 4 restricted endowments funds is managed by independent advisors to ensure optimal growth and annual distributions of interest income for initiatives proposed by KET management and approved by the Commonwealth Fund for KET Board of Directors, as fiduciary agents. The budget reported below reflects the current fiscal year's distribution of interest income for approved initiatives.

Established in 1993 with a $2 million goal and a lead challenge gift from Lucille Little, this fund supports early childhood arts education. Mrs. Little's gift, the largest donation in KET history at the time, was matched by other private donations over five years, including the Steele-Reese Foundation. Its purpose is to develop creativity in children 12 years and younger through KET broadcast and online fine arts content, and professional development resources for teachers, childcare providers, and parents.

Each of KET's 4 restricted endowments funds is managed by independent advisors to ensure optimal growth and annual distributions of interest income for initiatives proposed by KET management and approved by the Commonwealth Fund for KET Board of Directors, as fiduciary agents. The budget reported below reflects the current fiscal year's distribution of interest income for approved initiatives.

To honor KET’s founder in a meaningful way, this fund was publicly launched during KET’s 30th-anniversary celebration in 1998 with a $1 million goal. Mr. Press’s dream of a public forum that advances education and citizenship has grown into the nation’s largest public television network. Today, public affairs programming like Kentucky Tonight and Comment on Kentucky remains a priority hallmark of KET’s local production capacity, and this endowment will make possible nightly, statewide news coverage; more timely, regional special reports; original profiles about key figures in Kentucky’s public life; multi-media formats yet to be conceived; toolkits for use in civics, history and journalism classrooms; and the preservation of the state’s largest digital library of the powerful, pundits, issues and opinions. To strengthen and secure Mr. Press’s legacy when he, his admirers, his peers, and those he served could appreciate it, subsequent campaigns were launched in 2002 and on Mr. Press’s 90th birthday in 2011. In 2019, KET lost its North Star just weeks after this fund’s initial payout.

Each of KET's 4 restricted endowments funds is managed by independent advisors to ensure optimal growth and annual distributions of interest income for initiatives proposed by KET management and approved by the Commonwealth Fund for KET Board of Directors, as fiduciary agents. The budget reported below reflects the current fiscal year's distribution of interest income for approved initiatives.