TV Technical Issues
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Fri 6/21: KQET planned maintenance outage
(DT 25.1 through 25.3) On Friday, June 21st, we will be doing maintenance on the KQET transmitter servicing the Watsonville, Monterey, Salinas, Gilroy areas. Starting around 11:30am our Over the Air (OTA) signal will be down for 10-20 minutes. This should not affect Comcast Cable viewers. Other paid signal providers which use the Over the [...]
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Mon 5/06: very brief KQED DT9 OTA outage
(DT9.1, 9.2, 9.3) This morning we had a very brief outage of our over the air (OTA) coverage for KQED 9.1/9.2/9.3, which lasted apx 4 minutes. Most tuners will have found the channel again as soon as service was restored, but some may need to be rescanned for channel 9. This outage did not affect [...]
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Mon 4/22: KQEH OTA signal back on air
(DT54.1 through DT54.5) The Over the Air (OTA) signal from our KQEH transmitter on Monument Peak was restored at apx 6:35pm this evening. Most tuners should automatically find the signal, however some OTA viewers may need to do a rescan to restore reception.
TV Technical Issues
To view previous issues and how they were resolved, go to our TV Technical Issues page.
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Thomas & Friends
Set on the imaginary island of Sodor, the series follows the adventures of Thomas, a cheeky little Tank Engine, and his friends, Edward, James, Gordon, Percy, Henry and Toby, plus Emily, the first female steam engine -- all under the watchful eye of Sir Topham Hatt, the manager of the Sodor Railway.
Thomas & Friends Previous Broadcasts
Presents & Prizes (Episode #509)
KQED Plus: Tue, Jun 18, 2013 -- 2:30 PM
It's Mr. Percival's birthday and Thomas and the narrow gauge engines are delivering special presents for the party. Sir Handel is going to tell a Man in the Hills story because they are Mr. Percival's favorites. Thomas decides to go in search of the Man in the Hills for Mr. Percival but instead disrupts the preparations of the party. Thomas is determined to put everything right and races off to pick up the birthday cake. On his way back he takes a short cut and sees a carving in the side of a hill in the shape of a man: The Man in the Hills! Thomas arranges for the party to take place in front of the Man in the Hills and sets a perfect scene for Sir Handel's story, making Mr. Percival very happy on his birthday.
Courage (Episode #508)
KQED Plus: Mon, Jun 17, 2013 -- 2:30 PM
Thomas is to deliver some specially made blocks for the rebuilding of the Sodor River Bridge. He is so proud to be chosen that when his brakes start to squeak he refuses help from Stanley and continues the journey. Unable to slow down he unknowingly leaves blocks all over the tracks... worst of all he can't stop before the track ends and his front wheels end up hanging over the unfinished bridge. Once back on track, Thomas puts everything right. Gordon is a very proud engine and thinks he knows the railway on Sodor better than anyone, but when taking a short cut he gets lost and won't ask for help. Crashing into Ben, Gordon causes a big log to fall onto the lower track, blocking Stanley's route. Swallowing his pride, he asks for directions to the lower track from every engine he sees and stops Stanley just in time!
Good Friends (Episode #504)
KQED Plus: Sat, Jun 15, 2013 -- 6:30 AM
Thomas and Percy are best friends with a special best friends' whistle. When Thomas is given the job of pulling a brass band - a job that he knows Percy is desperate to do - he decides to keep the news from his friend. Thomas spends the day avoiding Percy. When Percy finally learns the truth, he is disappointed in Thomas. Thomas feels terrible for not telling his best friend and, after negotiating with Sir Topham Hatt, works out a plan for Percy to pull the band after all. When the Sodor Wishing Tree is damaged in a storm, Henry fears that the special woodsmen he is told to collect have arrived to chop it down. He blocks all tracks leading to the tree to stop the woodsmen. Henry soon learns that the woodsmen are there to save the tree, but if they can't get to the tree it will have to be chopped down after all! Henry realizes his mistake and works hard to give the woodsmen access to the tree.
Right Tracks (Episode #507)
KQED Plus: Fri, Jun 14, 2013 -- 2:30 PM
* Thomas is a busy engine and thinks he can shunt backwards and forwards faster than any other engine. When Diesel challenges him to race backwards around the Island of Sodor, Thomas is sure he can win! Not being able to see where they are going the two engines cause havoc all over the quarry. Thomas and Diesel feel terrible and set about making everything right. When they have finished all their work Thomas and Diesel have their final race -- this time facing forwards -- and they both finish at exactly the same time!
* Percy must bring Lady Hatt to a surprise party, but she asks to stop so many times, that Percy starts to run out of time! He must use his "do as I say" whistle that is reserved for the troublesome trucks to get her there on time to enjoy the party and the new bandstand.
Good Turns (Episode #506)
KQED Plus: Thu, Jun 13, 2013 -- 2:30 PM
When a big, brash engine called Hank comes to Sodor, it's Thomas' job to show him around the island. But first Thomas must do some important jobs. Hank tries to help, but Thomas doesn't like the big new engine's brash personality and refuses to let him help. Overloaded, Thomas soon cracks a cylinder and needs help. Luckily Hank is there and Thomas realizes that Hank has the best intentions. The two engines quickly become good friends and enjoy Hank's welcome party together. Toby becomes determined to find something special on the Island of Sodor, just like his friends, so that Sir Topham Hatt will think that he is special too. He thinks he sees a bird in a tree, but it turns out to be an old boot. A treasure chest turns out to be a truck full of tin cans. Toby spends so much time searching for something special that he runs out of coal. Toby feels very silly and asks his workman to bang on some old metal to call for help. When Sir Topham Hatt arrives, Toby realizes that he doesn't need to find something special in order to be special.
Being Careful (Episode #505)
KQED Plus: Wed, Jun 12, 2013 -- 2:30 PM
A photograph of the engines is being taken for a big billboard. Diesel accidentally rolls in front of the camera obscuring Thomas and he decides that Diesel did it on purpose. When Thomas collects and then accidentally ruins the billboard, a new photograph is ordered. Thomas does his best to keep the news from Diesel, and in doing so, Thomas causes the new photograph to get delayed again. This causes havoc across the island as the other engines are taken away from their jobs. When Diesel discovers the truth, Thomas learns that Diesel hadn't meant to block him from the original photograph and is very sorry. To make amends, Thomas offers Diesel the job of collecting the new billboard. Edward is one of the oldest and steadiest engines on the Island of Sodor and is chosen to deliver a new brass water wheel to the water works. Deciding to ignore his instruction to take the smooth express line, Edward takes the bumpier track so that everyone can see his marvelous wheel. The wheel rolls free of its bindings and into Gordon's delivery of scrap metal for the smelters yard. Edward then has to race Gordon -- the fastest engine on Sodor -- to rescue the wheel.
Good Friends (Episode #504)
KQED Plus: Tue, Jun 11, 2013 -- 2:30 PM
Thomas and Percy are best friends with a special best friends' whistle. When Thomas is given the job of pulling a brass band - a job that he knows Percy is desperate to do - he decides to keep the news from his friend. Thomas spends the day avoiding Percy. When Percy finally learns the truth, he is disappointed in Thomas. Thomas feels terrible for not telling his best friend and, after negotiating with Sir Topham Hatt, works out a plan for Percy to pull the band after all. When the Sodor Wishing Tree is damaged in a storm, Henry fears that the special woodsmen he is told to collect have arrived to chop it down. He blocks all tracks leading to the tree to stop the woodsmen. Henry soon learns that the woodsmen are there to save the tree, but if they can't get to the tree it will have to be chopped down after all! Henry realizes his mistake and works hard to give the woodsmen access to the tree.
Team Work (Episode #503)
KQED Plus: Mon, Jun 10, 2013 -- 2:30 PM
Sir Handel is delighted when Mr. Percival asks him to ensure that a train full of logs is ready for Thomas to collect later today. This is very urgent, and Mr. Percival tells Sir Handel to ask the very first engines he sees to help him. But instead, Sir Handel decides to find the very best engines to help him. Rheneas and Skarloey offer to help Sir Handel, but he wants to be sure he finds the best engines for the job. Mighty Mac, Rusty, Duncan and Peter are all very able to help, but Sir Handel keeps looking for his ideal helpers, until Thomas arrives to collect the logs. Sir Handel realizes that he's spent so long looking for the best engines to help that he hasn't even started on the job! Luckily Sir Handel sees that his friends ARE the best engines to help and when he asks them to begin work right away, the job is soon done. It's the day of the country show and engine rally in the hills. Madge the snub-nose lorry is to pull the brass band! Interfering Madge takes it upon herself to make sure the engineers get the other engines sparkling clean for the rally. Madge take such an interest that she doesn't get herself clean in good time. She rushes and gets everyone else muddy again in the process! The engineers get to work cleaning again - and this time Madge leaves them to it. Everyone is gleaming just in time for the rally!
Doing Your Best (Episode #502)
KQED Plus: Fri, Jun 7, 2013 -- 2:30 PM
When a storm comes to the hills of Sodor, the little narrow gauge engines are called to help bring the sheep to safety. Skarloey is frightened of the lightning and while Rheneas and Peter Sam puff up and down with the sheep, Skarloey hides. The other engines soon run out of coal, forcing Skarloey to help out. With sheep still in danger, Skarloey puffs into action. Thinking only about the sheep, he realizes that he can do more than he thought! When Duncan becomes a little fed up with his straw deliveries, he decides to find a more important job. He abandons his straw collection to try some other engines' jobs instead. He collects Rusty's sightseers, but is soon distracted by pulling Skarloey's cows to the market - he does neither of his new jobs properly! This makes a lot of people upset - and Rusty and Skarloey get the blame! Duncan tells the truth and puts everything right. He goes back to delivering straw - it's a very important job after all.
Variety (Episode #501)
KQED Plus: Thu, Jun 6, 2013 -- 2:30 PM
Mr. Percival is having a new bicycle delivered - but it's missing a bell. Freddie is determined to find one in order to prove himself to James, He looks all over the hills and tries out some different kinds of bells - a cow bell, some clowns' bells, a school bell - but nothing is good enough. A refurbished foghorn gives Freddie a very clever idea - the bell from Mr. Percival's old bicycle! Everyone is very impressed - even James! Heavy snow is blocking the narrow gauge tracks, so Madge must take Duncan by road. Duncan teases Madge and says their journey will be slow and dull. Madge decides to show Duncan how much fun the road can be and takes a detour along some country roads, spraying snow as they go. They have such fun that Madge skids dangerously and ends up hanging over the edge of a steep valley. Slowly and carefully, Madge drives back onto the road. Both Madge and Duncan agree that sometimes slow and careful is the best way to be!
Directions (Episode #410)
KQED Plus: Wed, Jun 5, 2013 -- 2:30 PM
When Diesel teases Thomas for being stinky Thomas is determined to prove otherwise. When Thomas is given a special to deliver some stinky cheese to the docks, he goes out of his way to avoid any diesel engines on the way. When Thomas sees 'Arry, he tries to back away, but he crashes into Bert. His cheese delivery flies high into the air and splatters all over them. Thomas feels very silly. He's given some new cheese and puffs quickly to the docks - this time he doesn't mind being stinky. At the docks, Sir Topham Hatt declares Thomas to be really useful and gives Diesel, Arry and Bert the stinky job of shunting the cheese at the docks.
Pushing and Pulling (Episode #409)
KQED Plus: Tue, Jun 4, 2013 -- 2:30 PM
Thomas is chosen to deliver Sir Topham Hatt's brand new car to the Sodor Show. When Gordon challenges him to a race, Thomas is so determined to win that he doesn't wait for the workmen to couple up the car's flatbed properly. He pushes the car as fast as he can. He races to the top of Gordon's Hill only for the car to race down the other side without Thomas. Thomas chases as the runaway car hurtles along the track. Other engines have to avoid the speeding car causing chaos! The flatbed hits a bump in the track and the car lands in a big haystack. Thomas feels silly and, even though he loses the race, asks victorious Gordon to help him fetch Rocky to lift the car from the haystack. The two friends make sure Sir Topham Hatt's car makes it to the show on time! Thomas is at the fitters' yard before a special job taking the school choir to a concert. When James teases him, Thomas becomes determined to prove that he hasn't broken down and puffs away to collect the choir before his final inspection. Soon, however, nasty noises start coming from Thomas' engine. Thomas denies that there is anything wrong and puffs on. Eventually he breaks down. Thomas feels very silly. He asks James to help take the choir to the concert on time. Henry shunts Thomas to the fitters' yard to be repaired. And this time he waits patiently for his final inspection.
Fun and Games (Episode #408)
KQED Plus: Mon, Jun 3, 2013 -- 2:30 PM
While Thomas and Percy wait for an important cargo ship at the docks Thomas suggests a game of Hide and Peep. Cranky wants to play but Thomas tells him that he'd be no good at hiding. Percy hides and Thomas looks for him everywhere. When he can't find Percy, Thomas announces loudly that Sir Topham Hatt has arrived. Percy comes out from his hiding place but is cross when he realizes that Sir Topham Hatt hasn't arrived - Thomas has cheated. Percy hides again and Thomas searches for him. The Dock Manager says that the cargo ship has arrived. Thomas calls for Percy to tell him the news but Percy doesn't believe him and stays hidden. Thomas asks Cranky to help him find Percy. Cranky quickly spots Percy. Thomas puffs over to him and tells him all about the cargo ship. Thomas tells Percy that he is the best hider and that Cranky is the best finder! Toby is given a special job - to take Alicia Botti the opera singer to a special concert. Toby worries about making a mistake. Toby worries so much that he does just that - he forgets to slow at a corner, spilling Alicia's special tea in Henrietta. Then he worries so much that he takes the wrong track. Finally he worries so much that he speeds through a big puddle covering Henrietta in mud. When Alicia Botti sees Henrietta she insists that Toby gets washed. At the wash down, Toby notices the workmen are cheerful and how nobody else is worrying. Later, Toby doesn't worry anymore. And he does his job perfectly!
