Two of Southern California’s public television stations are merging.
KCET and KOCE, the flagship PBS station, will be under the same roof with a new name.
“The merger of equals creates a center for public media innovation and creativity that serves the more than 18 million people living in the Southern California region,” the two organizations said in a statement.
The new station plans to produce more original programs for multiple channels and platforms to address struggles in the individual communities.
“In this dynamic time for media, this is exactly the right moment to marry the complementary core strengths of each of our organizations. Our new company combines PBS SoCal’s beloved quality programming and community engagement excellence with KCETLink’s passion for creating smart, original content that captures the spirit of the region,” said Jim McCluney, the chairman of the PBS SoCal board of trustees.
The new organization will continue to operate in current locations in Burbank, Costa Mesa and Los Angeles. No immediate changes will be made the broadcast lineup. The transition still needs to be approved.