SHINING LIGHT ON OCEANSIDE SINCE 1984
In 1984, with the encouragement and support of the City of Oceanside, a separate non-profit corporation, Oceanside Community Service Television Corporation (KOCT) was formed.
KOCT was made responsible for providing Public, Educational, and Government (PEG) access programming to the citizens of Oceanside.
WE ARE YOUR CHANNEL
KOCT-The Oceanside Channel is celebrating over 20 years of community television service in the City of Oceanside. Oceanside Community Television (KOCT) is a non-profit Corporation that provides public, educational and government access programming and services on Cox Communications Channels 18 and 19, as well as on AT&T. KOCT also hosts a website, koct.org, on which both channels are available via “streaming” video as well as many programs that are available “on-demand”.
KOCT provides "live" coverage and replays of all City Council meetings, produces and airs documentaries, local sports, talk shows and innumerable other community programs. KOCT also provides Community Bulletin Boards so that government and local non-profit agencies can publicize their events.
KOCT is governed by a volunteer Board of Directors representing various segments of the community and operates with a 10-member full-time staff and the assistance of part-time students and volunteers.
A contract agreement with the City of Oceanside stipulates that KOCT is responsible for Public, Educational, and Government (PEG) access. KOCT's channel 19 is the Government Channel with City-related information and programming. The County Television Network (CTN) is also shown on channel 19.
Channel 18 -The Community Channel provides a range of programming including public and educational access, local origination and the California Channel. Both Channels 18 and 19 are in operation 24 hours a day.
KOCT supplies all of the technical assistance and equipment for the production of its programs. It augments its professional staff with part-time workers and student interns from local colleges. The station provides invaluable experience for individuals interested in telecommunications careers. Student interns and interested volunteers can obtain valuable on-the-job experience.
KOCT's continued success and growth will ensure that the people of Oceanside retain a mass media platform well into the 21st century. KOCT's award-winning programs and services have brought national recognition and acclaim to The Oceanside Channel. In 2008, KOCT received the Alliance for Community Media Award for Overall Excellence in the Hometown Video Awards competition and KOCT’s Russell Ferguson won an Emmy Award for Climate TVin the category of Children’s Programming.
KOCT prides itself on its responsiveness to community desires, needs and suggestions and welcomes your comments.
HISTORY
KOCT began in the early 1980's when recently retired local resident Bob Bowditch and other volunteers approached the City of Oceanside about videotaping City Council meetings. For the first time equipment and television time were being made available to many cities because of the growth and development of cable television. (Although in the early 70's Oceanside did have one of the first local origination stations in the nation via Footcone and Belding)
These volunteers began working with City staff to videotape city council meetings, edit them into two-hour programs. The tapes were hand-delivered to the cable companies headed for airing. In 1984, with the City's encouragement, a separate non-profit corporation, Oceanside Community Service Television Corporation (KOCT) was formed.
KOCT was made responsible for providing PEG (Public, Educational, and Government) access programming for the citizens of Oceanside. Bob Bowditch, his wife Ida, William Sinatra and many, many other volunteers oversaw the development of KOCT, acquisition of equipment and rental of the first studio. Upon his death in 1989, KOCT's Board of Directors hired a full-time staff and made the current Executive Director, Tom Reeser the General Manager of KOCT.
In October of 1999 KOCT launched two dedicated channels: Channel 17- The Government Channel and Channel 18- The Community Channel. In January of 2002 KOCT's Government Channel moved to its present location--Channel 19.
KOCT now employs 10 full-time employees, 21 part-time employees and numerous volunteers and college interns. KOCT is widely recognized as a great place to start a professional broadcast career because of the variety of programs that it annually produces. The production staff utilizes state-of-the-art production tools to document the life and times of San Diego County’s third largest city: The City of Oceanside. Thanks to capital funding provided by Cox Communication to the City of Oceanside for PEG support, KOCT recently upgraded its equipment and doubled the size of its facility. KOCT.org information is also available via AT&T’s new video service.
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