BREAKING NEWS:

Norman Watson, whose ambition and hard work helped to expand the Coast Community College District and provided Orange County with its premier public television station, has died at the age of 92.

The district’s first chancellor and the founder of KOCE-TV, Watson died Feb. 29. Throughout the years, his name had become a common sight around the district: OCC’s former library, which opened in 1969, was known as the Norman E. Watson Library, and the campus named its new student services building after him in 2006.

Watson took the reins as chancellor in 1964 and held the position until 1984. To many, he was most famous as the originator of KOCE, which went on the air in November 1972 to offer telecourses for students. The station grew rapidly within the next few years to feature news programs and other locally themed shows.

“When we started this station, we had limited funds, so we used second- and third-hand equipment,” Watson told the Daily Pilot in 2006. “Our professionals went out looking for hand-me-downs so we could go on the air.”

Watson is survived by his daughter, Katherine Watson, an instructor at Coastline Community College.

MICHAEL MILLER may be reached at (714) 966-4617 or at michael.miller@latimes.com.