KBTC Public Television Email Format
Broadcast Media Production and DistributionWashington, United States11-50 Employees
KBTC Public Television is a PBS-affiliated broadcaster based in Tacoma, Washington, delivering commercial-free programming that emphasizes culture, history, education, and community engagement to Western Washington. The station reaches local over-the-air audiences and extends its footprint to Comcast Cable subscribers in Seattle, Bellevue, Everett, and much of the southwest region. Its offices and broadcasting center are located on the Bates Technical College campus, a site the station acquired after KSTW relocated to Renton in 2001. KBTC traces its origins to 1961 when it first signed on as KTPS-TV, operated by the Tacoma Public Schools; Bates assumed the license in 1992 and renamed the station KBTC that October. Each week, more than 385,000 households tune in to educational and cultural programming delivered without commercial interruptions. In March 2026, KBTC's Tom Layson received the James Andersen Award.