KTWU was launched in Topeka, Kansas on 21st October 1965 as a member of National Educational Television and then a charter member of PBS on 5th October 1970. Initially signing off at midnight, it became 24 hours in 1998.

The channel ran the Tom Baker series twice between 1982 and 1984 (plus The Five Doctors on the 20th anniversary!), and then joined several other PBS stations in showing the first new series with Christopher Eccleston in 2007; however, it did not take up options for continuing the series, having a last showing of Series 1 on New Year's Day 2009.