KET Additional Production Technicians

This is a Request for Proposal (RFP) issued by Kentucky Educational Television (KET), a state agency under the Commonwealth of Kentucky, seeking to establish a contract pool of up to eight (8) production technicians to provide television production services in Fayette County from March 1, 2026 through June 30, 2026. The procurement calls for qualified technicians to deliver videography and audio services for studio and field productions supporting KET programs including Kentucky Tonight, Comment on Kentucky, Kentucky Edition, and Kentucky Life. Key deliverables include operating professional studio cameras and pedestals, broadcast and cinema cameras for field work, and providing comprehensive audio production support. Mandatory qualifications require a minimum of two (2) years of experience in television production, with technical evaluation based on resume documentation and demonstrated experience in studio camera operation, field camera operation, studio audio, and field audio work (rated at 10 points per month of experience, with a maximum of 960 points). Physical requirements include the ability to stand for extended periods and lift up to fifty pounds. The submission deadline is February 6, 2026 at 4:30 PM Eastern Time, with written questions due by January 27, 2026 and Commonwealth responses anticipated by January 29, 2026. Proposals must be submitted electronically through the Kentucky Vendor Self Service (VSS) portal at https://vss.ky.gov. No offerors' conference or site visit is required. The Commonwealth reserves the right to require oral presentations worth up to 200 additional points during evaluation.

The RFP does not identify specific set-aside designations or restrictions limiting participation to particular enterprise categories. Compensation is structured as daily rates of $300 per full day (up to 10 hours) or $150 per half day (up to 5 hours) for studio camera and audio work, with premium time at $45 per hour for hours exceeding 10 hours daily, and $375 per full day or $187.50 per half day for field camera work with premium time at $56.25 per hour; training, if required, is compensated at $30 per hour. Each contractor is expected to work approximately twenty (20) days during the initial contract period, though work is not guaranteed, resulting in estimated contract values ranging from approximately $6,000 to $7,500 per technician for the initial period. The contract is anticipated to begin March 1, 2026 and may be renewed for up to two additional two-year periods subject to approval by the Secretary of the Finance and Administration Cabinet and the Legislative Research Commission Government Contract Review Committee. The RFP notes that KET recently lost $4.2 million in annual federal funding from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting effective October 1, 2025, representing 75 percent of KET's discretionary funds that supported local productions and staff, providing context for this procurement's scope and structure.