2014 Has Been A Great Year

2014 has been a great year for community television. KOCT produced 132 programs for, by and about our north county community. We had two elections this year and KOCT produced 12 in-depth programs to help voters make informed choices.

Thanks to generous grant donors KOCT was able to produce Community Health Matters—in both English & Spanish, an Arts & Culture series and a new series on Bike Safety called Bike Shorts. Our thanks to Tri-City Medical Center’s board of directors and the Community Healthcare Alliance Committee, the Oceanside Charitable Foundation and SANDAG for their support of quality community television.

We are also in the final editing stage of a new series called the Adobes & Ranchos of North County—funded by the Parker Foundation. Look for a community event to celebrate this new historical series in February 2015!

KOCT worked with youth and produced two High School Spectrums (El Camino & Oceanside High Schools) and covered the annual Martin Luther King Jr. Scholarship event at Janet Bledsoe-Lacy’s home (and Janet was also featured in a Journalist Roundtable program when she announced her decision to step down from the OUSD Board of Trustees) We also sent a News Brief crew to cover the opening of the new Veterans Information Center on MiraCosta College & to Carlsbad High School to cover their amazing morning news show television program.

KOCT celebrated 30 years of service to the Oceanside community in 2014, since our inception KOCT has produced over 6,134 programs! It’s a challenging and exciting time for community television. Challenging because our standard definition channel placement means viewers no longer see our programs if they only ‘surf’ the high-definition tier of programs. Exciting because our many high-definition programs can be viewed via KOCT.org’s video-on-demand service—anywhere in the world!

As 2014 draws to a close I want to thank the KOCT staff, Board of Directors and volunteers who support the station and helped us to produce our unique mix of north county programs. And thanks to our viewers too!  If you value KOCT please consider becoming a Friend of KOCT in 2015. With your support we can continue to provide quality community programming for another 30 years.

Christmas at KOCT

KOCT turned 30 in 2014 and one of the great perks you’ll note this time of year is a bountiful mix of Christmas programs.

Peter Bonscher, KOCT’s Program Scheduler, has pulled some great classic KOCT programs from yesteryear that will get you in an Oceanside Christmas frame of mind—including music from the San Luis Rey Chorale, Oceanside Harbor Parade of Lights, North Coastal Symphony, La Hacienda Holiday, Carlsbad Library Hour Harmony Ringers and Radio Christmas Carol to name just a few. We’ll also replay a past Children’s Christmas Parade too:

Brian Graham, Jim Schroeder and Donald Sinatra

KOCT used to cover TWO major parades every year, the Fourth of July Parade (Freedom Days),  and the annual Children’s Christmas Parade. Due to budget cuts the last Children’s Christmas Parade was 12 years ago in 2002. I’m not a big parade fan but I’ve probably watched many more parades (and City Council meetings) than the average bear because of my great job at KOCT. One of the things I DID like about the Christmas Parade was the marching high school bands that the parade attracted. Few bands play for the Freedom Day Parade because of the summer vacation. However the Annual Children’s Christmas Parade always included high school marching bands and many spectators-parents and grandparents watching their teens marching in the parade.

Brian Graham & Jim Schroeder

We usually left the KOCT station in the dark to begin setting up for the parade and my crew wore festive Christmas Hats not only to celebrate the season—but to keep warm too. I miss this annual tradition but at least I still have the Freedom Day Parade (and City Council meetings) to enjoy.

November 1992 Voice with Mayor Larry Bagley

One final Christmas Reminder: You can warm yourself by the glow of your big screen television and our burning Yule Log both on Christmas Eve and Christmas morning. And you can watch Classic Movies (my daughters called those black and white movies ‘the gray movies’) on Christmas day on KOCT’ Channel 18. Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays from KOCT!

MEDIA PARTNERSHIP

KOCT mission, goal and purpose is to inform our north county community about people, places and events in north county. It was easier to do when television and traditional daily newspapers were the main source of news and information. But oh how times have changed! Todays residents now receive their entertainment and information from Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, smart phones, I pads and the Internet, on a minute by minute information tsunami!

Fortunately KOCT is not alone in our quest to inform north county residents. KOCT is teaming up with other media professionals in north county so it is easier to watch KOCT’s many programs.

Today, for example, Osidenews.com added KOCT to its front page mast head to make it easy to see the latest KOCT News Brief. Steve Marcotte is the managing editor for this on-line newspaper and he is already registering 30,000 views per month!  Osidenews.com, in addition to up to the minute news coverage, provides human interest stories, business, sports, health and more.

I first heard about this new media resource when he added former KOCT Board member, Tom Morrow, as a regular columnist. Tom is well known throughout north county and his column was greatly missed by many readers after the demise of the North County Times. It is great to be in partnership again with old friend Tom Morrow and with new friend, Steve Marcotte and the Osidenews.com!

(Steve will be one of our guests in our new season of Journalist Roundtable on  January 8^th  2015-stay tuned)

CONGRATULATIONS TO KOCT VOLUNTEER GWEN PRICE

Last week KOCT joined scores of non-profits in honoring valued volunteers. The event was the 27^th Annual Volunteer Awards Luncheon hosted by the North County Philanthropy Council at the Sheraton Resort. On Thursday November 6^th when KOCT’s volunteer Gwen Price went to the podium to be acknowledged by the hundreds of participants in attendance the Master of Ceremonies said: "Gwen Price has the record for serving the most terms as a volunteer KOCT Board of Director. She is an active supporter and cheerleader for her community television channel and is also the only KOCT Board member to park her Harley-Davidson motorcycle in front of a KOCT fundraising event."

Of course there is more to Gwens story of service and commitment she is a great example of the diversity and community involvement that has characterized KOCT volunteer board of directors. Let’s learn a little more about Gwen:

Gwen came to Oceanside as so many residents have when her husband Rick received orders to go from Okinawa, Japan to Camp Pendleton where, coincidently, Gwen’s parents had recently moved to Oceanside.

Gwen, who received her Bachelors and Masters Degree in Communication from California State University in Los Angeles, has taught in many places because of her husbands 21 years in the Marine Corps. She taught Public Speaking aboard the aircraft carrier, USS Peleliu and was an English and Writing Instructor at the Staff NCO Academy on Camp Pendleton as well as at local colleges in the area.   

Gwen served a 4-year term on the Oceanside Planning Commission because "I was watching Oceanside heading towards a sole existence as a bedroom community and realized that was not a financially viable way to go…my desire to see controlled growth was what compelled me to throw my hat in the ring." It was this same motivation that later inspired her to run for Mayor in 1996 "A city needs to run as a business and for the benefits of residents" it should never be a "kingdom".

When Gwen was asked "Why do you volunteer at KOCT?" she replied "I think we are so fortunate that the station provides our residents access to local news, events, people and places." Gwen has helped greatly in KOCT’s success most recently in working closely with our Fundraising Chair, Michelle Bray-Davis at our Outback Steakhouse fundraiser.

As mentioned in the opening Gwen is the only board member to show up at events on her Harley Davidson motorcycle. She and her husband both ride the big bikes and Gwen also rides with a group of women called ‘The Graveyard Gamblers Motorcycle Club’. Gwen and Rick have one son a daughter-in-law and ‘two adorable twin granddaughters who turned 5 in September’.

One of Gwen’s (and KOCT’s staff) favorite memories is volunteering to be an actress in a humorous video promo for KOCT where she and former KOCT board member Kevin Stotemeister (shown in photo above) appeared to stumble out of the famous Red Rooster drinking establishment and drive the KOCT Mobile Studio.

KOCT is so grateful for Gwen’s many years of service not only to KOCT but to our community. Her recognition at the Volunteer Awards luncheon was long overdue. Thanks Gwen!!

Random Pixels

Don’t forget that KOCT will air its numerous Election 2015 programs throughout the weekend on our Community Channel 18. Or you can grab your practice ballot and watch each Election program as Video On Demand and make your final decision about who you are going to vote for. And don’t forget you can watch these programs on your Smart Phone, Tablet or Computer.  

The only thing scarier than spending a weekend watching political candidates is the annual KOCT Halloween party! KOCT’s Jake Rush and Angela Miranda led our team of ghoulish zombies in decorating the studio for our Potluck Feast. Board member Liz Rhea and her husband George joined the fun (after Cowboy George helped Liz make a successful jail escape). There was a vote for the best costume and Angela Miranda and her Day of the Dead dress and make-up just beat out second place Zombie Jake Rush!

Looking forward to next weeks Election because there is a City Council meeting the next day. Will the incumbents win or the feisty candidate contenders? Watch KOCT channel 18 on election night for City Council and School Board results!! (Go to the City’s Website to see all the local race results) And turn to KOCT-Channel 19 Government channel on Wednesday, November 5^th from 4 pm on for LIVE City Council coverage! Or watch it by watching our Streaming Video service on your smart phone, pc or tablet.

Miscellaneous Pixels

Election Programming

KOCT has completed the recording & editing of all of its Election Programming!! All of this programming (13+ programs) will now be shown on KOCT’s Channel 18 community channel throughout the month of October. You can also view KOCT’s election programs as Video On Demand and watch on your smart phone while waiting in the DMV line.

KOCT has done its job and now it’s the task of each citizen to watch these programs and go to the polls as an informed and educated voter.

KOCT Fundraiser Reminder

Tickets are still available for KOCT’s FUNdraiser for both the 11:30 am and 1 pm seating’s on Thursday October 23^rd. Tickets are only $20 per adult and all proceeds benefit KOCT and our goal of producing more community television programs.

If you can’t attend but want to help KOCT AND our military families you can buy a ticket & we’ll provide a free lunch for local military families. Call 722-4433 for more information or stop by KOCT and buy your ticket TODAY.

PROPOSED COMCAST/TIMES WARNER CABLE MERGER OPPORTUNITY FOR PEG CHANNELS

The Federal Communications Commission is reviewing Comcast’s acquisition of Times Warner Cable. This is an opportunity to address concerns and problems that have resulted in the closing of hundreds of PEG channels like KOCT all across our nation. Access Humboldt and American Community Television have filed comments that ask, as a condition to any consent to the transfer, that the FCC should prohibit discrimination against PEG channels, ensure that PEG channels have the same features and functionality and same signal quality as that of local broadcasters channels. They should also require that PEG channels be easily accessed on menus and that PEG channels be available on the HD tiers. Many of these requirements are in the current PEG laws but are not being enforced. 

It is my opinion that cable companies make a self-fulfilling argument that is not in the public interest—On the one hand they claim not very many people watch community channels and on the other they do everything they can to discourage viewership! They refuse to put program information on their Program Guide, make it difficult or impossible to record with their DVR’s and ban PEG channels from the High Definition tiers-all actions that confuse consumers and ‘hide’ PEG channels. What they cannot do is argue that every one of their thousand channels is of more value to the consumer than programming for by and about their own customers communities. Shopping Channels Vs Election Programming?? No I’m not buying that argument.

Tom Reeser-Executive Director- KOCT Your Community Channels 

KOCT Day and Election Programming

Did you know that September 24^th was proclaimed KOCT DAY by Mayor Jim Wood? KOCT was proud to have received this acknowledgment and proclamation in honor of KOCT’s 30^th Anniversary. Most of KOCT’s volunteer Board of Directors were able to attend the ceremony and KOCT Board Chairman, Liz Rhea, encouraged viewers and those in attendance to attend KOCT’s fundraiser on October 23^rd at the Outback Steakhouse in order for KOCT to be able to document and replay more community events.

KOCT is proud of the long-term relationship between KOCT and the Oceanside City Council and their staff.

In fact, as Executive Director Tom Reeser explained at the proclamation “KOCT began because of the encouragement by then Mayor Larry Bagley to form a non-profit corporation”. This was because at that time volunteers were working with city staff members and the founder of KOCT, Bob Bowditch, who began covering election forums some of which were being conducted by the employee unions. Mayor Bagley and Bob both recognized it would be best for the community for KOCT to be an independent corporation and history has proven that to be a wise decision. As the Mayor’s proclamation stated “WHEREAS, KOCT has produced and continues to produce more election programs then most television stations in all of San Diego County with the goal of providing important information about ballot initiatives and candidates, a critical service for voters considering the loss of local newspapers….”

SPEAKING of election programming….you’ll want to watch this Thursday’s Journalist Roundtable program the large field of candidates running for the Tri-City Medical Center Board of Directors will be featured in a special 90 minute program. The show airs ‘live’ at 6 pm.

Next week we’ll record our final election edition Voice of Oceanside with one-on-one interviews with candidates for the Oceanside City Council as well as the hospital board candidates.

ALL of these programs will run extensively throughout October and all of these programs can be seen as Video On Demand on KOCT.org.  You can even watch them on your Smart Phone or iPad.

Thank you to the Oceanside city council, Mayor Wood and city staff for their support, encouragement over the past 30 Years—and thank you to our many generations of viewers too!

Election Programming and KOCT FUNdraiser

In the beginning KOCT began covering candidate forums and ballot proposition with volunteers because KOCT Founder Bob Bowditch felt it was a service to our community. You might say KOCT’s independent status was born out of election programming because that was the impetus for KOCT to become a 501 3 c non-profit over 30 years ago. 

When the City of Oceanside provided general fund support for KOCT they included in our contract of needed services election programs, but then in 2011 cut all of KOCT’s general fund dollars and the requirement to produce election programs.

However KOCT’s staff and volunteer Board of Directors felt, like Founder Bob Bowditch, that this was an important service to our community and that is why in 2014 KOCT continues to produce more local election programming than any television station in San Diego County !

How can we continue to produce programs about City Council, MiraCosta College, Oceanside School District and Hospital candidates?  Because of community support for KOCT and events like our upcoming 13^th Annual Outback FUNdraiser!

Without this FUNdraiser, grants and production income KOCT would not have the staff or resources to produce informative Election programs. So help us out and attend this years FUNdraiser.

The event will be at the Outback Steakhouse in Oceanside on Thursday, October 23^rd with seating’s at 11:30 am and 1:00 pm. There will also be an opportunity drawing and silent auction.

If you can’t attend you can still support KOCT by sponsoring an active duty military family in our “meals for military” program on Saturday, October 25^th.

Tickets are only $20 for adults and $10 for children 10 and under.

For more information or to purchase tickets contact any member of the KOCT Board of Directors or call KOCT at 722-4433!

Support KOCT election programming, an informed electorate and our local military families by attending this years 13^th annual Outback Steakhouse because KOCT is Your Community Channel!

KOCT’s Election Programming Season Has Begun!

Hope you caught last weeks engaging Journalist Roundtable featuring the Candidates for the Oceanside City Council, if not you will not want to miss it. You can watch this special Journalist Roundtable and be an informed voter by viewing this episode on Channel 18 Monday thru Friday at 7:00AM and 6:00PM as well as Sundays at 7:00AM and 10:00AM.

One of our two Journalist, Logan Jenkins has written an insightful column about the show:

Thursday night on KOCT, Oceanside’s community TV station, Kent Davy (former editor of the North County Times) and I asked questions to the four principal candidates for two City Council seats. Incumbents Jerry Kern and Gary Felien are challenged by former Councilman Chuck Lowery and community activist Dana Corso. These were my take-aways from the spirited back-and-forth:

Click here to read the rest of the column.

JRT Guests Included:

Candidate Dana Corso, president of Alliance of Citizens To Improve Oceanside Neighborhoods (ACTION), says that she was a leading voice in speaking against Proposition E, which threatened to end rent control in mobile home parks.  She commented that as a councilwoman she will have a greater opportunity to serve the people and neighborhoods of Oceanside as a voice for the people that is currently absent in the City Council majority decision-making. 

Gary Felien, a current council member, is seeking re-election and he says he will continue to keep improving Oceanside. He says that as a result of his election in Nov 2010, a new council majority based on fiscal responsibility was formed and they immediately set to work to turn the city around from the dire straights the past majority had placed the city in. 

Candidate Chuck Lowery, an active Board Member of the Oceanside Charitable Foundation, says he wants to create jobs, and that he has the experience and expertise necessary to cultivate a thriving economic environment. According to comments he has made he will cut spending as he will fight tirelessly for balanced budgets. He said he cares deeply for the City of Oceanside and its residents.

Jerome Kern, an incumbent, is seeking re-election after a 6 year term. He indicates he has worked hard to bring positive change to Oceanside by championing issues that can make our city a better place to live, do business and enjoy our unique recreational opportunities.

Robert Tran was invited but did not attend.

Election Programming and The FCC

Tune to KOCT - Channel 18, Thursday September 4th at 6 pm for a one-hour “live” Journalist Roundtable program. KOCT’s election season programming begins featuring a special Journalist Roundtable questioning Oceanside City Council Candidates. You’ll want to watch this special Journalist Roundtable and be an informed voter.

Our Guests will include:

Candidate Dana Corso, president of Alliance of Citizens To Improve Oceanside Neighborhoods (ACTION), says that she was a leading voice in speaking against Proposition E, which threatened to end rent control in mobile home parks.  She commented that as a councilwoman she will have a greater opportunity to serve the people and neighborhoods of Oceanside as a voice for the people that is currently absent in the City Council majority decision-making. 

          

                                           Dana Corso                                                 Gary Felien

Gary Felien, a current council member, is seeking re-election and he says he will continue to keep improving Oceanside. He says that as a result of his election in Nov 2010, a new council majority based on fiscal responsibility was formed and they immediately set to work to turn the city around from the dire straights the past majority had placed the city in. 

Candidate Chuck Lowery, an active Board Member of the Oceanside Charitable Foundation, says he wants to create jobs, and that he has the experience and expertise necessary to cultivate a thriving economic environment. According to comments he has made he will cut spending as he will fight tirelessly for balanced budgets. He said he cares deeply for the City of Oceanside and its residents.

          

                                       Chuck Lowery                                             Jerome Kern

Jerome Kern, an incumbent, is seeking re-election after a 6 year term. He indicates he has worked hard to bring positive change to Oceanside by championing issues that can make our city a better place to live, do business and enjoy our unique recreational opportunities.

Robert Tran is a first time candidate and an Oceanside native. He was born, raised and currently resides in Oceanside and said he is running for City Council to ensure that Oceanside continues to grow in all economic ownership sectors and that all taxpayers of Oceanside deserve a city that is fiscally responsible and is not in the hand of special interest groups or of personal interest. (Photo not available)

The host for Journalist Roundtable is veteran journalist Kent Davy and he will be joined on Columnist Logan Jenkins from the San Diego Union-Tribune.

Currently the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) is considering Comcast’s acquisition of Time Warner Cable. Public, Education and Government (PEG) advocates have submitted a number of comments they hope the FCC will consider before they allow for further consolidation of big media entities. For example, American Community Television believes this potential merger will put PEG TV stations at risk saying “We request that the FCC protect PEG access television by rejecting the proposed transaction or conditioning the proposed merger on curing the various problems we have outlined”—Example cited included loss of channels, PEG closures in many states, lack of programming guide description and charging governments to provide PEG programming.

Access Humboldt has also filed FCC comments and they suggest that if the transfer were to occur the FCC should prohibit discrimination against PEG channels and ensure that PEG channels have the same features and functionality and signal quality as they do for local broadcasters as well as requiring PEG channels to be distributed on the HD tiers.

KOCT is and has faced many of the issues cited above: Cox Cable & AT&T will not post our program schedule which makes recording KOCT programs via their DVR’s time consuming and complicated. And AT&T’s DVR won’t even record the PEG channels manually!

Over the past 20 years there have been more & more media  mergers and less requirements for public interest programming—this despite the fact that these communications giants use the public right of ways to conduct private business for a profit. It is not to much to ask that out of the thousands of channels they provide that they not only allow a few channels to be dedicated to the communities they do business in but to actually support those entities by treating them with the same level of support they do for the commercial channels. And in fact, according to grandfathered local franchises and the new state franchise they should already be doing so!

I am hopeful the FCC will not agree to the merger of these two communications giants without an agreement of better support for the many small community PEG channels across the country like KOCT-YOUR community channel.