LETTER TO THE EDITOR:KOCE needed in Orange County

I am stunned that Tom Johnson, publisher of the Daily Pilot, advocates selling KOCE to the Word of God Fellowship (“Fair Game,” July 7). His implication that KOCE-TV is unnecessary reflects a lack of understanding of the media and community.

It is irresponsible for anyone who lives in Orange County to advocate selling the only local TV station that provides ongoing kindergarten through 12th-grade education to students and teachers; high visibility to local non-profit causes; information on local institutions and events; and regularly shows the faces of local leaders to the community.

The following information reflects the truth of the situation and should clarify any confusion caused by the July 7 column:

Nine years ago, before KOCE began its Orange County focus, there was almost no electronic media coverage of our home county. Los Angeles-based stations were not willing to sacrifice potential viewers to target only a small portion of their market. With limited Orange County coverage by our neighboring L.A. media, this stands true today.

While other Los Angeles-based media may broadcast an occasional Orange County-focused program, they have not, and will not, invest in the infrastructure required to fully support Orange County programming, including satellite trucks, studios, and an Orange County-based staff that regularly covers the local community and is connected on a personal and professional level.

KOCE is the only station that currently has that infrastructure in place and has made the investment. Abrogating Orange County coverage to a Los Angeles entity should be unacceptable to every true Orange Countian.

Having one public broadcast station responsible for coverage of the Los Angeles to Orange County and Inland Empire areas is equivalent to saying only one major newspaper should cover the Southland area, with O.C. and Inland Empire getting a quick mention in the “briefs” section. As the Daily Pilot and other local city paper editions/supplements provide a valuable service to their community, KOCE-TV provides a unique voice for this 3-million-person community.

Finally, if we do as Johnson recommends, putting Orange County shows on a station’s “adjoining channel,” we will essentially be stripping the public of all Orange County programming. Let me explain. There is no “must carry” requirement for such channels, so they will be available only to people with digital television sets who receive TV signals via a digital over-the-air antenna. The percentage of people meeting this criterion is next to none. More importantly, students will not get KOCE educational shows in their schools or at home.

This has been said before, and is worth reiterating ? a narrow and tortured interpretation of a state statute could take the people’s station away from the people and leave Orange County viewers at the mercy of Los Angeles-based news stations for rare stories about our 3-million-person community and vibrant, thriving economy. If Orange County were not adjacent to Los Angeles, it would be known as one of the largest cities in the country and would have five local stations covering its issues, events and people. KOCE is our only tool for filling this local media void.

MEL ROGERS

President, KOCE-TV