FCC approves reassignment of UEN-TV license within Utah university system
PBS Utah in Salt Lake City has assumed oversight of UEN-TV, a station formerly licensed to the Utah Board of Higher Education.
UEN-TV, whose call letters are KUEN, was previously operated by the Utah Education Network. The Board of Higher Education, which oversees 16 public institutions in the state, applied to the FCC Nov. 25 to reassign UEN-TV’s license to the University of Utah, which is also under the board’s purview. The university oversees PBS Utah and public radio stations KUER and KUUB in Salt Lake City.
The commission approved the pro forma reassignment Dec. 4, with no money changing hands in the process.
UEN and PBS Utah began discussing reassignment of the license following the rescission of federal funding for public media in July, according to a statement to Current from UEN Executive Director Spencer Jenkins, PBS Utah Station Manager James Davie and Maria O’Mara, executive director of PBS Utah and KUER. In fiscal year 2025, UEN-TV received a CPB Community Service Grant of nearly $4.4 million.
In a statement posted on its website, UEN said it was “no longer able to offer customized educational programming in the same way” following its loss of federal support. The station switched to airing First Nations Experience, the network focused on Native American and Indigenous programming.
In their statement, station leaders said UEN-TV will start airing the 24/7 PBS Kids channel “at a start date still to be determined.”
