Stay local, stay educational

It seems to be a recurring theme: KOCE-TV needs money, and its board

is considering selling it.

But this time, rather than entertaining offers from other colleges

and universities, most potential buyers for the television station

seem to be stations with religious affiliations.

In 1999, the station was faced with the cost of going digital,

which would cost about $8.5 million over a five-year transition

period. Cal Poly Pomona, USC and Chapman University all expressed

interest in buying KOCE-TV back then. Although the Coast Community

College District’s board seriously considered selling the station,

the college district was able to stick it out this long.

Now, faced with major budget cuts, the college district has said

it can no longer foot its $2 million of the station’s $7.9-million

annual budget.

The problem is, this time around, the offers are not coming from

higher education.

Should this matter? Maybe not, but it does.

Losing KOCE-TV would mean losing the only source of local TV news

coverage in the county since the Orange County News Channel went

under in September 2001.

That is sticking point No. 1 for most fans of the station.

Sticking point No. 2 is the station’s educational programming, which

is used in classrooms throughout Orange County.

This time around, a sale to anyone other than the KOCE Foundation,

which has pulled together a bid with another PBS affiliate, KCET,

would mean no more KOCE as we know it.

The college district board must now decide between a better

financial offer and keeping the station local.

Although the funds are likely tempting, the answer should be

clear: The station should be preserved as a news and educational

source for Orange County.

KOCE-TV has been an asset to the county since it debuted on Nov.

20, 1972, as the 231st Public Broadcasting Service station and the

first based in Orange County.

That 31-year legacy should be honored and so should the dedication

and hard work of all the station volunteers and staff and the

foundation that is fighting to save it.

With no hard feelings for the handful of bidders, the private

entities and other stations, money should not always win out. KOCE

and the Coast Community College District have never been about the

almighty dollar -- that’s what makes them so special.