Beginning in 1972, KAID was the Idaho branch of the Public Broadcasting Corporation. In close connection with the Boise State University Communications Department, KAID was granted a license by the FCC with the intention of finally giving Idaho its own public television station. The station united collegiate media efforts in Pocatello, Moscow, and Boise. Originally, KAID operated from the first floor of the university’s library with the help of student interns and a small full-time staff. Content on the broadcast included nationally syndicated shows such as Sesame Street in addition to cultural events like Shakespearean plays and orchestral performances. Other programming included interviews with political figures and lectures by academic speakers such as Buckminster Fuller. Ratings for the channel were unparalleled, with public viewership percentages higher than any other public television station in America.
Sources:
Arbiter. April 22, 1971.
Glen Barrett. Boise State University: Searching for Excellence, 1932-1984. 1984.
Written by Rachel Taylor, Summer 2019 intern