Support AB 523, and Save KOCE!!!!

This is the letter I wrote to the Governator this morning. I put aside my own misgivings over him, and I sincerely hope that he will do the right thing this weekend and sign AB 523 into law. KOCE is the only public television station of, by, and for Orange County. We will lose this precious resource forever if Christian fundamentalist broadcaster Daystar takes over this station. WE MUST STOP THIS NOW!!!! Read my letter to the Governor below, then write your own email to the Governor at the below link.

http://www.govmail.ca.gov/

Now here's my email:

For many years, Orange County has enjoyed a terrific public television station that has served the community's educational needs. Now this station, KOCE, is under attack, and may be lost forever. Mr. Governor, please save local public television by signing AB 523 into law.

As you may have heard, Texas-based religious broadcaster Daystar is has been attempting a hostile takeover of KOCE for at least three years now. They actually came close to their goal in 2004, when the Coast Community College District put KOCE up for sale. However, community leaders joined forces to stop this, and the KOCE Foundation succeeded in saving the station for the people in Orange County.

Unfortunately, a state judge has recently invalidated this sale. At this point, the legal standing of KOCE is in complete limbo. All that we know now is that sooner or later, once the Coast District is forced to reassume ownership of the station, the District will likely put the station up for sale again. Under current law, the Coast District will be forced to sell the station to the highest bidder. This means that under current law, Daystar will eventually succeed in their hostile takeover of Orange County's only public television station.

Now this Daystar company is under federal investigation for using public airwaves for private business. Below is an excerpt from an OC Weekly investigation:

"...Federal Communications Commission (FCC) officials are investigating whether Dallas-based Daystar, the world’s No. 2 religious broadcaster, is violating federal law by hawking airtime and running ads on its eight non-commercial TV stations and its public-interest satellite channels. Doing so is forbidden on these portions of the broadcast spectrum, which are reserved for nonprofit educational programming."

We cannot allow these religious extremists at Daystar to misuse our public airwaves for proselytizing and personal profit. Public airwaves are meant for the public benefit. Please, Mr. Governor, ensure that something like this does not occur in Orange County, or anywhere else for that matter. Please sign AB 523 into law today!

- Andrew Davey
atdnext@yahoo.com