PBS SoCal KOCE to Invest $49 Million Earned from FCC Broadcast Incentive Auction to Expand Its Free Services across Southern ...
13 April 2017 - 9:21PM
Business Wire
L.A.’s Flagship PBS Station Will Build
Capacity, Grow Content Production
PBS SoCal KOCE, the flagship PBS station for Greater Los Angeles
and Southern California, announced it earned $49 million through
its participation in the FCC Broadcast Incentive Auction and will
invest these one-time revenues in expanding its mission across the
region. There will be no change for viewers; PBS SoCal will
continue to broadcast, for free and in high quality (UHF), the full
line-up of PBS programs on all four of its current channels over
the air, via cable and satellite, and online at pbssocal.org.
“Our priority as the primary PBS station for Greater Los Angeles
is to ensure we can deliver PBS programs to the 18 million people
across the six counties in our region well into the future. We
retained the bandwidth necessary to accomplish that,” said Andrew
Russell, President and CEO of PBS SoCal. “The one-time auction
revenues allow us to achieve another important objective: to invest
in expanding our mission by providing more services to more people
across the region.”
Following a long and thoughtful process, PBS SoCal’s board of
trustees and management decided to participate in the FCC Broadcast
Incentive Auction in which broadcasters were able to sell all or
part of their broadcast spectrum. Through a channel sharing
agreement with local Los Angeles full power television station
KSCI, PBS SoCal retained most of the stations’ combined spectrum,
ensuring sufficient bandwidth to serve the Southern California
region while earning revenues that will be invested in building for
the long-term future of PBS SoCal. That plan includes increasing
investment in PBS and other programming, making strategic
investments in content production and broadband services that reach
more audiences via mobile and web, and building a strong financial
foundation for PBS SoCal’s future by restructuring debt and
creating an investment fund that generates annual revenues.
“PBS SoCal remains deeply committed to serving Southern
California and advancing the PBS mission,” Russell continued.
“While these one-time auction revenues will help us expand our
mission, we are grateful for the individuals, foundations and
corporations whose collective ongoing support comprises more than
80 percent of our annual budget. Your support continues to be
essential – particularly as our important federal funding is under
threat – to ensuring the news, public affairs, arts and science
programs that are critical for an educated and informed
citizenry.”
The President’s budget proposes the elimination of federal
funding for public broadcasting, which amounts to $1.35 per citizen
per year. The loss of federal funding would have a devastating
effect on PBS’s ability to produce the quality content our viewers
love – educational kids’ programs like Daniel Tiger, documentaries
from Ken Burns, unbiased news from PBS NewsHour and FRONTLINE, and
dramas from Masterpiece would all be affected. Local PBS stations
would struggle to operate and some would close – ultimately
resulting in a collapse of the PBS system. A recent bipartisan
survey found that 73% of voters across political lines oppose the
elimination of federal funding for public broadcasting. Congress
will ultimately decide through the budget process if funding
continues.
“There is no viable replacement for federal funding of public
broadcasting,” Russell said. “The one-time funds from the spectrum
auction will not come close to closing the large fiscal gap that
would be left by the loss of annual federal support. Federal
funding is vital seed funding that helps stations raise the local
support that represents more than half of our annual budgets.”
ABOUT PBS SoCal KOCE:
PBS SoCal is the home to PBS for Greater Los Angeles and
Southern California. We deliver the full schedule of PBS programs
plus content that is for, about and by the people of Southern
California. Our content is available free through four broadcast
channels, at pbssocal.org, on our mobile apps, and via connected TV
services. And we provide the community with early education
resources and cultural and educational experiences through
partnerships, events and grassroots outreach. PBS SoCal has offices
in Century City, Costa Mesa, and Los Angeles. Connect with us at
pbssocal.org and on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
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version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20170413006097/en/
PBS SoCal KOCEJennifer Vides, VP,
Marketing310.237.4516JVides@pbssocal.orgorTracy Smith, Director,
PR310.237.4517TSmith@pbssocal.org