For many Kentuckians, KET is more than a television station; it’s a cultural lifeline. Author and entrepreneur Angela Correll understands that deeply.

“I grew up watching Sesame Street and Mister Rogers,” Correll says. “Then later I watched Zoom, and I can still speak ‘Ubbi Dubbi,’ though I won’t demonstrate it,” she adds, laughing. As a child of working parents, she remembers KET as a steady presence – enriching and familiar.

That access to quality educational programming shaped her early sense of the world, but it also modeled curiosity and creativity. “My mother grew up during the Depression. Her life, like so many others of that generation, was about survival and work,” Correll explains. “For a long time, creativity wasn’t something she thought she was able to explore.”

Not everyone grows up with museums, travel or formal arts training. But everyone in Kentucky can turn on KET.

Angela Correll

Enter generational favorite Bob Ross.

“She would sit in our living room with paints spread out in front of the TV and follow along with The Joy of Painting on KET,” Correll recalls. “She became a wonderful folk artist. Without KET, I don’t know if she ever would have found that part of herself. It provided a safe, welcoming entry point into the arts.”

That access to culture—arts, storytelling, history and global perspectives—is what Correll believes makes KET essential. “Shows like Masterpiece transport you,” she says. “They take you into different worlds—different cultures—and expand your understanding. It exposes viewers to places and stories they might never encounter otherwise.”

Later, as a communications student at Georgetown College, Correll’s personal relationship with KET shifted from viewer to participant when she was accepted as an intern.

“I was placed in the public relations office and asked to write press releases,” she says. “I remember thinking, I am so unprepared for this.”

“It was a deep-end learning experience, and it changed everything. My supervisor gave incredible feedback and helped me sharpen not just my writing, but how I thought about audience and clarity. Looking back, that internship planted the seed for writing as a career. Before that point, I had never even considered it.”

Today, the Stanford, Kentucky-based author still watches KET, both for enjoyment and for connection.

“There’s a trust there,” she says. “Whether it’s arts programming, British dramas, or election coverage, KET content is high-quality, and in a day and age where everybody is paying for streaming, having that quality programming be accessible to everyone is such a gift.”

“As a writer, I love learning about people and places, especially around Kentucky. As a businessperson, I believe in not reinventing the wheel – KET’s Legislative Coverage and nightly news are a great way to know who is doing what out in the state.”

Correll believes KET continues to play a critical cultural role for Kentuckians. “Not everyone grows up with museums, travel, or formal arts training. But everyone in Kentucky can turn on KET.”