KCET, the nation’s largest independent public TV station, and Link Media, an independent non-profit media company, announced they would merge to form the new satellite network KCETLink, available to 33 million combined DirecTV and Dish subscribers and 5.6 million Southern California households.
The new company will air acquire and produce shows with a national audience in mind, and will also be available online and on mobile devices.
KCET president and CEO Al Jerome will become the new company's CEO, and Link TV CEO and President Paul S. Mason will be the chief strategy officer based in Los Angeles. The company will be headquartered in KCET’s production facility in Burbank.
“With our combined resources, we are taking a bold step forward to become architects of a new sustainable model for the industry to keep public media thriving as a vital resource in the digital age,” said Jerome.
“This is more than just a merger of two organizations, but an enormous opportunity to reinvent the value and purpose of ‘independent media’ as a vitally important source of cultural ideas, global connectivity and diverse perspectives in the U.S.,” said Mason.
Beginning Jan.1, LinkTV programming will be available on one of KCET’s three digital multi-cast channels in Southern California.
KCET’s primary channel will continue to air its own locally produced and acquired programs.
