KCET, PBS Part Ways

LOS ANGELES: The public television station KCET is parting ways with PBS as of January 1, 2011, after being unable to come to terms on fees and "programming flexibility."

KCET was seeking a reduction in fees to be paid to PBS to carry its lineup, as well as "greater programming flexibility." Al Jerome, KCET’s president and CEO, noted, "After four decades as the west coast flagship PBS station, this is not a decision we made lightly. We have been in discussions with PBS for over three years about the need to address challenges that are unique to our market as well as our station."

He continued, "As an independent public television station, KCET will be committed to investing in Southern California by developing, acquiring, producing and distributing content across all media platforms.  We will continue to offer the KCET audience programming from leading national and international sources. Some of these series are currently on our air. Our plan is to become the media partner for the many diverse, creative voices in our community with stories to tell, art to exhibit, music or dance to perform and news to report.  We will partner with other public service organizations so that our viewers can learn about the good work being done, but not often reported in the commercial media. We will use our broadcast spectrum and broadband capabilities to expand public service at a time in our history when people of all ages want to actively participate in the recovery and growth of our region."

KCET said its PBS dues were increased by 40 percent because of its successful fundraising effort on behalf of A Place of Our Own/Los Ninos en Su Casa. Those dues, the independent station says, were then frozen "at the highest rate in the station’s history" just as the recession hit, resulting in decreased contributions from viewers, corporate underwriting and foundation grants. 

Gordon Bava, KCET chairman of the board, stated: "Our Board of Directors decided unanimously that KCET could best serve Southern California by allocating our supporters’ funds to locally focused news and cultural programming and other national and international quality content  While separating from the PBS mothership is daunting, the potential of providing a media platform for the creative, scientific, and cultural communities of Southern California to create informative and entertaining  noncommercial programming with a fresh perspective is very exciting."

KCET will remain a non-profit, viewer-supported public media organization, operating under a non-commercial, educational television broadcast license awarded to Community Television of Southern California as an independent public television station.