KLSE (TV)
| Company type | Non-commercial educational television station |
|---|---|
| Industry | Broadcasting |
| Founded | March 9, 1957 |
| Defunct | 1964 |
| Headquarters | Monroe, Louisiana , United States |
| Owner | Louisiana State Department of Education |
KLSE (channel 13) was an educational television station without commercial intent, located in Monroe, Louisiana. It was owned by the Louisiana State Department of Education and managed by the Louisiana Educational Television Commission.
History
After the FCC's Sixth Report and Order in 1952, channels 8, 13, and 43 were assigned to Monroe and West Monroe, with channel 13 designated specifically for educational use. The State Department of Education inaugurated KLSE on March 9, 1957, utilizing studios on Forsythe Avenue that had been previously occupied by KFAZ-TV (channel 43). This made KLSE the fourth television station in the Monroe–El Dorado region, the 24th educational TV outlet across the United States, and Louisiana’s pioneering educational broadcaster—preceding WYES-TV in New Orleans and WLPB-TV of Louisiana Public Broadcasting by several years.
KLSE was envisioned as the initial component of a statewide educational television network inspired by Alabama Educational Television. The establishment of the Educational Television Commission was influenced by LSU professor Lucille Woodward, who persuaded Governor Robert Kennon to support the initiative. However, due to limited state financial resources, KLSE operated at only one-tenth of the maximum permitted effective radiated power for channel 13 and utilized a transmission tower half the height of its commercial rivals. These constraints confined its broadcast coverage largely to Monroe and West Monroe.
During this period, educational content from National Educational Television and other sources was relatively scarce compared to commercial programming. The station’s success depended on creating a statewide network; nonetheless, subsequent educational channel assignments were made to UHF frequencies, which were impractical for many viewers because of technical challenges and expense. Without adequate funding to develop further infrastructure, KLSE discontinued broadcasting in 1964. The Ark-La-Miss area did not see another educational station until Louisiana Public Broadcasting launched KLTM (channel 13) in Monroe on September 8, 1976. After KLSE’s closure, its former facilities were not repurposed for any other broadcasting use.