PBS SOCAL KOCE MARKS 45TH ANNIVERSARY WITH "YOUR PBS" CAMPAIGN

LOS ANGELES, Calif., November 2, 2016 – PBS SoCal KOCE today launched a year-long campaign celebrating its 45 years in the community and sharing its vision for the future. The campaign includes a full redesign of the PBS SoCal brand, a new content-forward website at pbssocal.org, and the introduction of a new streaming service – PBS SoCal Passport. The multi-faceted campaign – "Your PBS" – thanks audiences for their critical support over the last six years since PBS SoCal became the primary PBS station serving the 18 million people of Greater Los Angeles and Southern California.

"Over the last six years, we've been hard at work building PBS SoCal to serve this diverse and vast region. We have strengthened our programming, expanded our educational outreach, created experiences for our audiences, and opened offices in Los Angeles so we can better serve the community," said Andrew Russell, President and CEO of PBS SoCal. "We are a strong and stable organization, thanks in large part to the support of the community. We are proud to be your PBS."

In 2011, the small Orange County PBS station that was KOCE became PBS SoCal and stepped into the role of primary PBS station for Southern California – following KCET's departure from PBS. Today, PBS SoCal KOCE is the highest-rated public television station in Greater Los Angeles and the third-most-watched PBS station in the country. Since 2011, PBS SoCal has grown its membership by a remarkable 300% to 82,000 active members. And PBS SoCal's 2016 fiscal year was its best fundraising year ever.

"We have a great deal of history to celebrate – and we will – with content and celebratory experiences throughout the year," Russell continued. "We will also begin sharing our vision for "Your PBS" – as an essential cultural and educational institution in the community. One whose mission is to foster a love of learning, culture and community using the power of public media."

New Website, Streaming Service
Just as Southern California has evolved over the past 45 years, so has PBS SoCal. The organization has worked to ensure PBS content is available anytime and anywhere, upgrading its technical operations, and now launching a new user-friendly website at pbssocal.org that facilitates content discovery. A new streaming service – PBS SoCal Passport – provides access to a broad library of content to members who contribute $5 per month or $60 per year.

New Branding for Your PBS
PBS SoCal's new brand identity, too, has evolved. The logo and tagline are emblematic of the important connection between Southern California and PBS. In the logo, "SoCal" is more prominent than in the previous logo, signaling commitment to being a part of the community for the long term. And the iconic PBS "P-head" is the connection point between PBS and SoCal. The new look is modern and clean, with a color palette that hearkens back to PBS, yet feels very SoCal.

Expanding to Serve the Region
Founded in 1972 as an educational television station in Orange County, PBS SoCal now operates from regional offices in Century City, Costa Mesa and downtown Los Angeles – empowering its mobile workforce to work seamlessly across the vast region. Later this month, the station's technical operations will move from Golden West College in Huntington Beach to Los Angeles' Sawtelle district.

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 three 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, Instagram, and Snapchat.

Media Contacts:
Jennifer Vides
(310) 803-9008
jvides@pbssocal.org

Stacy Shaffer
(714) 241-4166
sshaffer@pbssocal.org