WASHINGTON, D.C. – October 30, 2026 – Kate Riley, President and Chief Executive Officer of America’s Public Television Stations (APTS), issued the following statement today on the passing of Shae Hopkins, Executive Director and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Kentucky Educational Television (KET).
“America’s Public Television Stations join the entire public media family in mourning the heartbreaking loss of our friend Shae Hopkins, Executive Director and CEO of KET.
“As a 40-year veteran of the station, Shae was an extraordinary leader of Kentucky’s only statewide media network. Her dedication and passion for serving the people of Kentucky made an impact on everyone who met her. Shae was also an inspirational mentor to many in the public media system who valued and benefited from her strategic insights, wise counsel and generosity of spirit.
“Under Shae’s exceptional leadership, KET has become an education powerhouse for learners of all ages throughout the state. Her tenure at KET has resulted in unparallelled educational services, from programs and services utilized in homes and classrooms throughout the state to providing the nation’s preeminent GED prep courses and extensive workforce development resources.
“Shae also established KET as a trusted and reliable partner to the state for public safety, emergency communications and public alert and warning, utilizing the station’s extensive infrastructure to serve as backbone infrastructure for many state, local and even federal agencies.
“And under Shae’s leadership, KET deepened their ties to viewers throughout the state, serving as the greatest storytellers and preservers of Kentucky’s culture, history and stories while also connecting Kentuckians with the issues, neighbors and policy makers that impacted their lives.
“Additionally, Shae and her advocacy team managed some of public broadcasting’s most important political relationships. Shae was a passionate champion of public broadcasting and used this passion as she cultivated impressive relationships with the entire Kentucky congressional delegation. We were honored to present Shea with the 2011 National Advocacy Award in recognition of her exceptional efforts in furthering public television’s legislative goals.
"We at APTS feel fortunate to have counted Shea as a friend and to have worked closely with her over the years to tell the story of the exceptional services KET provides.
“We are immensely grateful for Shae’s longstanding commitment to our public media system. She will be greatly missed but her legacy of service will continue long into the future.
“We extend our deepest sympathies to Shae’s family, friends and colleagues.”
###
About APTS
America’s Public Television Stations (APTS) is a nonprofit membership organization ensuring a strong and financially sound public television system and helping member stations provide essential public services in education, public safety and community connections to their local areas and the American people. For more information, visit www.apts.org.
Contact:
Stacey Karp
202-654-4222
skarp@apts.org