PBS SoCal KOCE Marks 45th Anniversary with “Your PBS” Campaign

Unveils New Brand Identity, Content-Driven Website and Streaming
Service

LOS ANGELES–(BUSINESS WIRE)–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.

Contacts

PBS SoCal KOCE
Jennifer Vides, (310) 803-9008
JVides@pbssocal.org
or
Stacy
Shaffer, (714) 241-4166
SShaffer@pbssocal.org