Thirty years ago on October 30, 1970, Guam's public broadcasting television station went on the air for the first time. KGTF-TV operates on an assigned frequency of 204-2 1 0 megahertz with an affected radiated power of 27.5 kilowatts visual and 5.5 kilowatts aural and has a 150 foot tower in its yard. KGTF-TV's transmitter, tower, and offices are located in the municipality of Mangilao, Guam.

The station was initially funded by a $150,000 grant from the federal Department of Health, Education and Welfare, along with $50,000 from the Government of Guam. Executive Order 70-6 created the Guam Telecommunications Commission, which was the licensee and operator of station KGTF licensed to the Federal Communications Commission. In 1974, the 12th Guam Legislature passed P.L. 12-194 which created a nonprofit, public corporation to operate KGTF. That law went into effect on July 1, 1975 creating what is known today as the Guam Educational Telecommunications Corporation with a seven-member Board of Trustees to oversee its operations and a Station Manager who is responsible for the day-to-day operation and administers its programs, policies and the facility used for and in the production and transmission of the Corporation's programs.

Today, KGTF's annual budget is a little over a million of which FY2000's GovGuam budget is $504,544, $475,119 from the Community Service Grant and around $200,000 from Private Funds. The government portion pays only for the 10 GovGuam employees, utilities, and part of the PBS programming rights. In order for KGTF to receive the Community Service Grant, at least $800,000 in non-federal funds must be raised yearly. These local moneys qualify KGTF for the grant. Local contributions are essential for the continuation of Channel 12. Because the government does not pay for everything, KGTF works very hard through aggressive fundraising to be less dependent on the government so it can help pay for the other portions of the expenses, which include the Grant employees and the PBS programming rights costs.

In the beginning, KGTF had a staff of five and a programming day of 4 1/2 hours from Monday through Friday. Today KGTF is staffed with 18 professional employees with most of them averaging at least 10 years of service at KGTF. Out of these employees, ten of them are government funded and the rest are funded by the Community Service Grant with a broadcast day of 17-18 hours daily, seven days a week.

Six years ago, KGTF constructed 5000 square feet of a new facility entirely through contributions at no cost to the Government of Guam. The new facility replaces the condemned Butler-type building which housed KGTF for many years. In 1991, KGTF purchased a remote broadcast van which has enabled KGTF to expand both live and taped coverage and contract production. Today, KGTF is the largest and most advanced television production facility on Guam, with both 3/4" U-matic SP and Beta SP formats available. Recent additions to the station include tape shelves for the Programming
Department, housing many hundreds of ¾” video tapes. In July 2000, the staff and management celebrated the installation of the long-awaited digital-ready tower and antenna, which paves the way for new technology, giving KGTF and Guam a huge stride towards the digital age.

KGTF produces local documentaries, regular series, specials, public service announcements, LIVE Interscholastic High School Sports such as basketball and football, and LIVE specials such as teleconferencing and issues affecting our island, and other progammming that showcase the talents of our youth in numerous local plays or presentations. Although our production staff generates hundreds of hours of local programs each year, KGTF does not solicit nor does it compete with commercial stations.

KGTF won the 1997 MEDIA REPRESENTATIVE OF THE YEAR award, presented by the Guam Developmental Disabilities Council for providing production services for the benefit of the disabled people. In 1999, the station was awarded the PROFESSIONAL ACHIEVEMENT & PERFORMANCE AWARD-SETBENTEN I KUMINIDAT by the Micronesia Society of Professional Journalists.

KGTF is well known for airing PBS programs such as Sesame Street, which has been teaching Guam's young children for over 20 years. Masterpiece Theatre, NOVA, and NATURE are other programs that spark interest of both young and old as well as KGTF's own Portrait of Guam series, Academic Challenge Bowl, Buhay Pinoy, Man, Land & Sea, and Todu Put Guam. It is important to know that KGTF is a 100% participant in the PBS National Programming. This means KGTF is airing the very same programs shown nationally.

Currently, KGTF is working closely with the educational institutions such as the University of Guam, Guam Community College, elementary and middle schools, and Government of Guam agencies, to assist in raising the standards in education KGTF has become a READY TO LEARN station, providing many outreach activities, workshops and training sessions to parents, caregivers and educators of young children. It is the station’s goal to provide these opportunities to the community, so that we can do our part to prepare our children ready to learn everyday.

KGTF donated the use of studio cameras to the UOG Communications Department that will enhance learning in TV production. KGTF welcomes students from around the island schools and the island community to our studios for tours, on-hands-long term study and practical knowledge. KGTF is currently allowing UOG classes to be conducted in the studio. The use of broadcast equipment and cameras in a studio format for the University of Guam's Communications class will certainly gain & maintain interest in the field.

KGTF also produces its own TV guide titled, What's on KGTF? Initial distribution is made via KGTF's mailing list of donors, and the rest of the guides are distributed to Guam's local stores and schools. Guides are produced on a monthly basis with a month's schedule and are complimentary. KGTF is very supportive of local artists and therefore showcases their works of art that depict the local culture to grace the front cover. Names of sponsors of KGTF's events and underwriters of KGTF's programs are listed in the guide to give those who support KGTF the maximum exposure deserved.

Amidst all of the good things KGTF has done and continues to do for the community, the staff and management remain committed and dedicated to serving the island with the best in local and national programming, reflecting the quality, educational, entertaining and enlightening programs that have been a long-standing tradition of the station. To continue servicing our community, the station works diligently with annual fundraisers such as COME SIP WITH US-International Food & Wine Festival, the BIG BIRD’S BUDDIES AND BARNEY & FRIENDS FAMILY READ-A-THON, and quarterly PLEDGE DRIVES, each providing KGTF with revenue for financial needs of station operations, the PBS programming rights bill, and transitional needs for conversion to digital technology by 2003.

KGTF is proud to continue as the only public television station in the Western Pacific delivering PBS programs. The first
30 years have been a great success and KGTF strives for greater achievements in the years ahead.
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