October 2012 - KCET Merges with Link Media

On October 17, 2012, KCET announced its merger with San Francisco-based independent non-profit media company Link Media, forming KCETLink, a powerful new independent public transmedia company that acquires, produces, and distributes provocative global programming targeted to a national audience across multiple media platforms.

Link Media operates the Link TV national satellite network, which reaches 33 million viewers via DIRECTV and the DISH Network. It also runs the online international news portal, LinkNews (news.linktv.org).

Following KCET's split from PBS in 2011, Link Media CEO Paul Mason approached KCET board member Channing Johnson. Interested in a growth plan for Link, Mason was seeking a partner for his company. The proposal seemed to be compatible with KCET's future plans.

"We had just left PBS and moved to a new facility. We were now an independent station. If producers come to us, excited, what happens if a show does well? How to we take it nationally? By merging with Link, we can syndicate. The idea of having KCET own a network made sense, we can launch it nationally over Link TV," said KCET president and CEO Al Jerome.

The technological aspects of merging with Link TV were relatively easy, though downsizing the staff at both sides was not. Eventually, the KCETLink merger was completed in December, 2012.

Popular Link TV shows such as "Borgen" and "Arab Labor" have already been added to KCET's program schedule, and for cable and antenna TV viewers, the KCETLink sub-channel (DTV channel 28.2 over-the-air; check provider listings for cable channel) airs a combination of Link TV and KCET programming.