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COAST COMMUNITY COLLEGE DISTRICT BOARD OF TRUSTEES
EXPLORE OPTIONS FOR KOCE TV
The Coast Community College District Board of Trustees is looking for educational institutions interested in developing a partnership with them to ensure Orange County's public television station - KOCE TV - can continue to grow, flourish and achieve its full creative potential in a new digital television environment. The District currently owns the operating license for KOCE.
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CONTACT:
Erin Cohn
District Director,
Public Affairs
(714) 438-4605
May 17, 2002
NEWS
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At the regular Board meeting last night, the Board issued a Request for Proposals to institutions interested in either purchasing the operating license or forming a new partnership entity with the District that would jointly own the license.
"KOCE is at an exciting crossroads," said Board President Walter G. Howald. "The mandatory conversion to digital television means the station must raise $8.5 million in capital for new equipment. While costly, the introduction of digital public television for Orange County and Southern California opens up boundless opportunities to provide more educational and community programming."
"This Board wants to make sure that when the time comes, we have the resources available to see KOCE reach its full, digital potential. At the same time, as a college district, we want to continue to use our resources for our educational mission. That's what this Request for Proposals is all about."
"KOCE is an important part of Southern California's future," said KOCE TV President Mel Rogers. "I anticipate this RFP process will bring forward some creative proposals that will enable us to continue to be an important tool for education and information for Southern California."
According to a federal government and the Federal Communications Commission mandate, KOCE must convert to digital transmission by May 2003. To date, the station has not been able to obtain any federal funding to help fund the conversion. Once it goes digital, KOCE will have the capability to broadcast four channels during daytime hours. Current plans include college credit telecourses, teacher training, K-12 classroom instruction and news and public affairs, and a high definition, prime time programming service. KOCE currently dedicates 40 hours a week of airtime to telecourses that allow students in five Southern California counties to earn fully transferable college credit from the convenience of their homes.
The Request for Proposals issued last night offers three alternatives to potential non-profit bidders. They can submit bids to either:
- Purchase the KOCE operating license and related property; or
- Form a partnership with the District to jointly own and operate KOCE TV; or
- Form an entity to jointly own and operate KOCE TV for a period of four years, with an option to acquire the license at the end of four years.
Sealed proposals and bids must be submitted to the District by Tuesday, July 16, at 3 p.m. Proposals must be received at the Coast Community College District Board of Trustees' office, 1370 Adams Avenue, Building B, Costa Mesa, CA 92626. For more information about the proposal submission process, potential bidders should contact Ron Berggren, Vice Chancellor of Educational Services, at 714-438-4706.
The Coast Community College District is the seventh largest community college district in the nation in credit enrollment, serving nearly 60,000 students each semester. The district is comprised of Coastline Community College headquartered in Fountain Valley, Golden West College in Huntington Beach, Orange Coast College in Costa Mesa, and KOCE-TV, the district's public broadcasting station.
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