Columnist should tune in

Suddenly, this summer, Daily Pilot writer Steve Smith has begun

presenting himself as an expert on television in general and public

broadcasting, specifically. This despite his admission that he has

not watched television in more than nine years. And much like the

reviewer who hasn’t read the book or critic who hasn’t seen the play,

Smith’s views are filled with misperceptions, erroneous notions and

false assertions.

The most stunning to me was his claim that KOCE is financially

upside down and that the station belongs to the Coast Community

College District. KOCE was sold by the district to the KOCE-TV

Foundation -- a community-based nonprofit organization -- in November

and finished this fiscal year on June 30 well in the black and in a

healthy cash position. KOCE’s donor base and contributions have been

growing for six straight years, with each pledge drive setting a new

record.

Yes, public TV and radio stations broadcast sponsorship

announcements that run before and after our programs thanks to

generous corporate donors. These sponsorship announcements, by FCC

definition and by our own careful review, are not commercials because

they do not contain product price information, qualitative or

comparative language or viewer calls to action.

Compared with commercial television they are few in number,

providing a relatively uncluttered on-air environment for PBS viewers

including children.

Uninformed nonviewers, like Smith, assume public television’s lack

of commercials is the key difference between it and commercial TV.

But there is much more to it than that. The real issue is the

difference in the motivation for making and broadcasting the shows.

Even though KOCE’s viewership has tripled since 2000, our motivation

has never been audience size. If it had been, we would have replaced

our news and public affairs program, “Real Orange,” and the

award-winning PBS show, “The American Experience,” with “Dukes of

Hazard” reruns.

In public broadcasting, we create programs because there is an

important story to tell, a truth to reveal, a discovery to explain or

art and culture to expose. Our many hours of educational courses for

kindergarten through community college students exist because of

their benefit to students and teachers and future employers of the

students, not as devices to draw eyeballs to advertisers.

Copycat cable channels that pretend to be all about science,

history or learning inevitably -- to meet their corporate obligations

-- default toward shows about alien abductions, haunted buildings or

attacking animals.

PBS shows are academically solid with years of research behind

them. Does for-profit television ever show anything worthwhile? Of

course, it does. I am looking forward to HBO’s series on the Roman

Empire. But such gems are far too rare.

Here in Orange County, KOCE is committed to creating a “virtual

downtown.” We believe we can grow the sense of community in the

county and help us all have a better understanding of one another and

a sense of pride in our home county. This will raise the level of

social capital, locally, and will result in more success for

education, nonprofit causes, business development, etc. We have plans

to help “brand” Orange County and soon we will begin providing live

television coverage throughout so we will be able to see our issues,

events and each other in our family rooms, just like other

communities.

We are committed to this course, even though 65% of our viewers

live in Los Angeles, Ventura, San Bernardino or Riverside counties.

Our nonprofit nature allows us to dedicate certain day parts to just

this county without corporate pressures to maximize viewers and

revenues throughout the L.A. television market.

In a world of mega corporations and media conglomerates, local

public television and radio stations are among the few remaining,

independent locally owned electronic media. Our commitment to our

communities is total. The result is television the way it is supposed

to be. My only wish is that Steve Smith would plug that TV back in

and see what is really happening.

* MEL ROGERS is president and general manager of KOCE-TV.