KOCE Channel 50, Orange County’s public television...

KOCE Channel 50, Orange County’s public television station, has received a $750,000 grant from the U.S. Department of Commerce’s public telecommunications facilities program to help replace its 25-year-old transmitter. The new, $1.2-million, 60-kilowatt transmitter will double KOCE’s current signal strength, resulting in a more brilliant picture, according to station president William A. Furniss. The grant is “the largest single equipment grant received in the 19-year history of the station,” added Furniss, who expects the transmitter to be operating by August. KOCE broadcasts throughout Orange County from La Habra Heights.

The board of the Costa Mesa Tourism, Arts and Promotion Corp. voted 3-2 Thursday to recommend that the agency be dissolved immediately, according to TAP chairman Mike Chitjian, who voted in the minority. The nonprofit agency was established last year by the Costa Mesa City Council to promote the city to tourists through subsidies to arts events and community activities. Initial proposals for TAP’s budget exceeded $2 million, but this July the council rejected major funding for the second time, limiting TAP to $45,000. Oct. 15 is the earliest that the City Council could address the board’s recommendation, a city spokesman said.