KOCE Seeking Partner or Buyer

Under orders to go digital by 2006, Orange County’s public television station said this week it is seeking a merger partner or buyer.

KOCE-TV officials said a merger or sale might lead to a change in the station’s programming and studio location.

“We’ve been in discussions for the last five years about the future of KOCE-TV, and it looks expensive,” said Mel Rogers, president and general manager.

Coast Community College District holds the broadcast license for the station, which broadcasts from Golden West College in Huntington Beach. The station’s five-member board said it is seeking a partnership with another nonprofit organization that could help KOCE offset the $8.5 million cost of switching from an analog to a digital format.

Public TV stations nationwide are under a federal mandate to convert to digital transmission. KOCE has raised $3 million to install the new transmitter on Mt. Wilson, but that is only part of the required upgrades. Other equipment, such as the master control system, editing suites and studios, also must be made digital, Rogers said.

By going digital, the station could expand its range to include the San Fernando and Coachella valleys and increase its viewership to about 7 million. It now reaches an estimated 5 million viewers in Los Angeles and Orange counties. Viewers also would be able to watch at least four channels at once on a split screen.

Several groups have expressed interest in buying or merging with KOCE, which is a member of the national Public Broadcasting Service. One prospect is Chapman University in Orange.

The private university, which plans to expand its school of film and television, wants a public-TV station to enhance that program. It is considering an acquisition, a long-term partnership or a short-term joint venture with KOCE, Chapman President James Doti said Friday.

Doti said he would envision KOCE as the county’s primary source for news, information and cultural arts, keeping such programs as “Real Orange,” a half-hour news show.

“It’s too early to know which options we will choose,” Doti said.

In 1999, Chapman offered to buy KOCE but was rejected, Doti said. At the time, an appraisal for the college district estimated its value at $26 million to $39 million. Cal Poly Pomona and USC also expressed interest at that time.

“It wasn’t the right time then to sell, but now it seems that it’s the right time,” Doti said.

If Chapman buys KOCE-TV, the programming would change, Doti said. “We need that kind of visibility to create a greater Orange County identity because it’s the only large metropolis without its own TV station.”

KOCE-TV’s Rogers said the station operates in the black with a $7.2-million annual budget.

“A lot of times when someone is looking for an owner, they’re doing it because the institution is floundering,” he said. “But this is an institution with a great future potential, and this decision will help achieve its goals.”

One member of the station’s board, however, expressed concern over the prospect of relinquishing control of the station and said the decision to seek bidders is premature. “We’re jumping the gun,” said the board’s vice president, Paul G. Berger. “We would not have full control of all our programs.”