KET is a leader in technology and education, and it’s … going to be very vital, both for our kids and for adults.
Tim Coleman – Commonwealth’s Attorney

A lot of things in Morgantown, Ky., are just the same as they’ve always been. The Green River still slowly meanders past this town of about 2,500 souls, and folks regularly enjoy a hearty breakfast or a catfish supper at the Farm Boy Restaurant, located just as you drive into town.

But just as many things change — some thanks to the efforts of self-described technology buff Tim Coleman, who, on a crisp early October day, was opening his new iPhone and pondering how the technology harnessed by KET can help his hometown.

“KET always puts education first,” said Coleman, a trucking executive-turned attorney who has practiced law for more than 20 years in his hometown. The former Butler County Attorney, he now serves as Commonwealth’s Attorney for the region. “KET is a leader in technology and education, and it’s something that, as we go forward, is going to be very vital, both for our kids and for adults,” he said. “I think KET — if it can keep enough resources — is going to be very instrumental in helping this state move forward.”

A political conservative who served on KET’s governing board, the Kentucky Authority for Educational Television, Coleman believes the combination of leading-edge technology and KET’s commitment to education can be a uniting force in the state.

“KET connects everyone in this state to what it means to be a Kentuckian,” he said “It provides one of the best forums in this state for the discussion of issues which affect all Kentuckians. And it’s a vital resource for the education of our children, for those seeking GEDs, and for all adults throughout the state.”

Morgantown, he noted, is located hours from the state capital, and receiving news from out-of-state markets like Nashville means that Western Kentuckians can often feel isolated from their fellow citizens. But with the statewide reach of KET, those miles can be erased, and people from far-flung regions can enjoy real dialogue.

“Kentucky Tonight is one of the best programs out there that actually discusses issues,” he noted, pointing to just one of the many programs, like Comment on Kentucky and Connections with Renee Shaw, that tackles current events in a meaningful way.

“I’m disappointed in our political system in that we’re always talking about the ‘gamemanship’ — all you hear about, even on the national level, is who’s leading in the polls without ever really getting into what are these candidates for,” he said.

Regardless of where one lies on the political spectrum, Coleman said, the depth and perspective offered by KET make it an invaluable resource to people from all walks of life.

“Public television is vital for providing everyone, regardless of where they are politically, a different cultural experience than you would get elsewhere, even on the 150 channels you can get on satellite,” he said. “There’s nothing that really matches public television — particularly with KET with its Kentucky focus.”