KOCE Gets Grant to Buy Specials

A$250,000 grant from the Harry and Grace Steele Foundation will be used by KOCE-TV to buy new cultural specials and help raise money from other private local sources.

Officials at the Huntington Beach public station said that $150,000 of the Steele grant will be used to buy children’s programs, as well as arts and humanities specials, offered through the national Public Broadcasting Service.

The grant will not be used to develop new KOCE-produced cultural or other programs, officials said.

The remaining $100,000 is being offered on a “challenge” basis by the Newport Beach foundation. The station needs to raise a matching sum in donations.

The Summer Membership Festival, KOCE’s latest on-the-air pledge drive, begins a nine-evening run Saturday on Channel 50. TV personalities Meredith MacRae, Greg Mullavey, Marshall Klein and Ronni Richards will return as hosts.

Firms that are contributing both money and phone volunteers for the drive include Cochrane Chase, Livingston & Co., Home Federal Savings and Safeco Insurance Cos.

The station previously announced raising at least $60,000 from illusionist Harry Blackstone’s benefit show on June 25 at the Orange County Performing Arts Center. Attendance was about 2,000. The proceeds are to be used for the station’s general operations.

KOCE’s overall 1987-88 budget is expected to be about $4.1 million. Included in that amount is a projected $890,000 allocation from the Coast Community College District, the station’s owner.