Report Card

Facing the costly conversion of KOCE-TV to the digital format, Coast

Community College District leaders are looking to sell off all, or part,

of the public television station.

At a May 15 meeting, the district’s board put the station on the

auction block.

The board has also set a July 16 deadline to receive offers on the

station.

Federal law requires the station, on the Golden West College campus,

to make the move from an analog to digital signal by May of 2003. Station

managers have put an $8.5 million price tag on upgrade.

“This Board wants to make sure that we have the resources available to

see KOCE reach its full, digital potential,” President Walter Howald

said. “At the same time, as a college district, we want to continue to

use our resources for our educational mission.”

Once the sale occurs, the station’s programming is expected to change.

At least one potential buyer has emerged, with several others as

possibilities.

Leaders at Chapman College in Orange have said they would seriously

consider the purchase. The college tried to buy KOCE in 1999.

The station by no means loses money. It operates in the black on an

annual $7.2-million budget. But to ready the station for digital

broadcasts will require extensive work.

Station operators plan to install a new $3-million transmitter on the

top of Mt. Wilson, in the hills above Pasadena. The studios, editing bays

and master control system must also be upgraded.

In early April, the station put out the call for donations to help pay

for the conversion. So far, the station has raised $3.5 million, leaving

it $5 million short.

Once the station goes digital, it would transmit three of its four

channels in digital. The images and sounds of programs have better

clarity than their analog counterparts.

The station would continue broadcasting in both digital and analog

until 2006, when federal law requires stations to give up their analog

signals.

The community college district has operated the station since Dec. 1,

1977 under a license with the Federal Communications Commission. The

license expires on Dec. 1, 2006.

-- Paul Clinton

Schools pick up top honors Friday

Eight Huntington Beach schools are set to be honored by the California

Department of Education at a ceremony Friday in Anaheim.

Of those, six Huntington Beach schools will be named California

Distinguished Schools and two will receive the National Blue Ribbon.

Sowers Middle School in the Huntington Beach City School District and

Marine View Middle School in the Ocean View School District will receive

the National Blue Ribbon award, the highest commendation a school can get

from the federal government.

The award program was developed by the secretary of education in 1982

to identify and give recognition to outstanding schools across the

nation. Before a school in California can apply for the Blue Ribbon

Award, it must first be named a California Distinguished School.

This year’s winners of the Distinguished School award include

Huntington Seacliff Elementary School in the city school district along

with Circle View, Golden View, Harbour View, Hope View and Star View

elementary schools in the Ocean View district.

These schools will be eligible to apply for the National Blue Ribbon

School Award next year.

The California School Recognition Program began in 1985 to reward

schools and provide working models to other schools. Elementary and

secondary schools are honored in alternate years.

State Supt. of Public Instruction Delaine Eastin will present the

awards at the Disneyland Hotel in Anaheim, Friday.

-Mary A. Castillo

Going out with accolades

The Orange County Federal Credit Union named Surf City teacher Bob

Allen as a finalist for the Teacher of the Year award. Allen, who will be

retiring this year, has taught basic “at-risk” science classes at Edison

High School for 30 years.

Jack Pawson, a member of Edison’s science department, nominated Allen

for the award.

“He commands the respect and attention of his class because the

students know that he cares about them and that he works hard to teach

them science,” said Principal Brian Garland.

The Orange County Federal Teacher’s Credit Union created the

Outstanding Teacher Award program in January. Members nominate their

favorite teachers and every quarter each credit union branch selects one

local winner. In honor of Day of the Teacher, an Outstanding Teacher is

selected from all of the quarterly winner throughout the year in May.

“We really wanted to do something that recognized Orange County

teachers,” said Shannon Young, spokesperson for the credit union.

The award program will announce the next round of finalists in July

2002.

-- Mary A. Castillo