KVPT

KVPT

KVPT virtual channel 18, known on-air as Valley PBS, is the sole source of public television broadcasting in California’s Central San Joaquin Valley. Based in Fresno, California, Valley PBS is licensed to Digital Channel 40, but continues to use its historic analog channel 18 as its virtual channel (which appears via PSIP as Channel 18.1). In September 2010, KVPT changed its branding to "Valley PBS". Previously, the station had been known as "Valley Public Television".

KVPT is also broadcast in Bakersfield digitally on K18HD-D, a low-power television station. K18HD-D was formerly affiliated with Multimedios Television. KVPT bought the station from Michael Mintz of Mintz Broadcasting in March 2007. The station flash-cut to digital on April 25, 2008.

The station debuted in 1977 as KMTF, a service of the Fresno County public schools. (Previously, Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) programs had been made available to the area's commercial broadcasting stations on a per-program basis, or via cable from KVIE in Sacramento.) It became a community license in 1987. In 1990, it added a low-power translator in Bakersfield on channel 65, making Bakersfield one of the last markets to receive public television terrestrially. Later that year, the calls were changed to KVPT. The original call letters, KMTF are now used by a CW television station in Helena, Montana.