Alabama Public Television

Alabama Public Television (APT) is the public television network of Alabama, operated by the Alabama Educational Television Commission, which the state legislature created in 1953. The network’s first broadcast came in 1955, and it is credited as the first state to have an educational television network linked across multiple stations.[1][2]

Origins

The Alabama Educational Television Commission (AETC), a six-member board, was formed in 1953 with encouragement from Gov. Gordon Persons, and the Alabama State Docks donated $50,000. The first broadcast came on January 7, 1955, from a transmitter atop Mount Cheaha, and a second station in Birmingham began broadcasting on April 28, 1955, making the network operational.[1] The APT history page describes the Mount Cheaha station, WCIQ, as the nation’s ninth non-commercial television station and says 25 other states copied Alabama’s multi-station, linked-transmitter system; the two sources differ slightly on the timing of the Birmingham sign-on.[2]

Growth

The network joined the Public Broadcasting System in 1969 and completed a microwave system of about 2,000 miles in 1981, which served as a model for more than 20 other states. It was renamed Alabama Public Television in 1988, began broadcasting 24 hours a day in 2000 and added a digital stream in 2002, becoming the first station in the state to broadcast in high definition. APT switched exclusively to digital broadcasting in 2008.[1]

Programs and channels

APT launched Discovering Alabama in 1984 with the University of Alabama, hosted by Doug Phillips, and the series won an Emmy. Other programs included Let’s Learn More, an elementary series that aired for 16 years, and documentaries such as The Quiltmakers of Gee’s Bend and Thornton Dial.[1] APT is headquartered in Birmingham, has about 85 employees and carries three channels: APT HD, APT Create and APT IQ. Nearly half of its operating budget comes from donations from Alabama corporations and individuals, with the rest from national grants and state funding.[1] The commission also holds the license for public radio station WLRH-FM in Huntsville.[2]

Founding

Alabama Public Television, a Birmingham-based network, was established in 1953 as the first educational television network in the United States. The six-member Alabama Educational Television Commission was formed that year to guide its creation, encouraged by Gov. Gordon Persons.[3]

Network and launch

The first broadcast came from a transmitter atop Mount Cheaha on January 7, 1955, and a Birmingham station followed on April 28, 1955. Nine transmitters eventually reached 98 percent of the state, and call letters end in IQ for intelligence quotient. It joined PBS when PBS was created in 1969, and its microwave network, completed in 1981, was a model for more than 20 other states.[3]

Name and digital era

It became Alabama Public Television in 1988, was the first Alabama station to broadcast in HD, and switched exclusively to digital in 2008. It now offers APT HD, APT Create and APT IQ.[3]

FAQs

When was Alabama Public Television created? The commission was established in 1953 and the first broadcast aired in 1955.

What channels does APT carry? APT HD, APT Create and APT IQ, according to the Encyclopedia of Alabama.

Sources

1. Encyclopedia of Alabama: Alabama Public Television
2. Alabama Public Television: History of Alabama Public Television
3. Encyclopedia of Alabama: Alabama Public Television

Editorially reviewed by Specialty Digest Editorial TeamLast reviewed November 10, 2026Researched and drafted with AI assistanceReport an issue