Daystar

Marisa O'Neil What started out as an attempt to bolster a cash-strapped college district has turned into a drawn-out financial and legal battle with more twists and turns than a plot line from "Mystery!" The denouement could come Wednesday night when Coast Community College District trustees vote whether to accept an agreement for the KOCE-TV Foundation to purchase Orange County's only public broadcasting channel. Since the trustees decided in October to take the local fundraising group's bid of $25.5 million with $8 million up front, a series of missed deadlines, lawsuits and accusations of irresponsible business practices have stalled the sale.

Hallelujah, it's settled. The battle is over and the station is sold, almost. A judge ruled in favor of the Coast Community College District last week and threw out a request by Christian broadcaster Daystar Television Network to overturn the sale of KOCE-TV to its fundraising arm. Daystar's attorneys claim that the network's $25.1-million cash bid should have been named the highest responsible bid by district ...

The battle over KOCE-TV will return to the courtroom in November, the Fourth District Court of Appeals in Santa Ana announced this week. In July, both the Coast Community College District and the Daystar Television Network filed petitions for rehearings in the case. The district asked the court to reconsider its June 23 decision to nullify the sale of the public broadcasting station to the KOCE-TV Foundation, whereas Daystar demanded that the court award it immediate ownership of the station.

Wednesday, trustees for the Coast Community College District will have their first chance to speak as a group about the latest twist to the sale of KOCE-TV. With the threat of a lawsuit hanging over their heads, it's safe to assume that their words will be careful and measured, if not a bit frustrated and angry. If trustees do show anger, they will only be reflecting how a majority of people who live within the district's boundaries feel. There is widespread disbelief that the district's sale of the public TV station to the KOCE-TV Foundation has been derailed by first a court ruling in June and more recently a request by Christian broadcaster Daystar that the court award it the right to buy the station for as much as $40 million.

Ensure KOCE stays public The Coast Community College District must explore all possibilities that will preserve Orange County's only public television station, KOCE, as a public broadcast entity. KOCE has always presented impartial and informative programming directed to all the residents of Orange County. Orange County does not need, much less want, any takeover of KOCE by the Christian television network from Texas -- Daystar -- that will probably feature primarily Christian programming.

An appellate court has accepted two petitions, one from the Daystar Television Network and one from the Coast Community College District, asking for rehearings on the sale of KOCE-TV. Earlier this month, the network and the district filed separate petitions regarding the June 23 decision by the Fourth District Court of Appeal to nullify the sale of the station to the KOCE-TV Foundation. Daystar filed a petition on July 8 demanding that the court award it immediate ownership of the station; 11 days later the district asked the judges to reconsider their ruling.

LOLITA HARPER It was comforting to see that the KOCE drama was finally over when a judge ruled that the station's sale by the Coast Community College District to the KOCE Foundation was, in fact, OK. Well, it was comforting until the next paragraph, in which Daystar officials -- those who run a very large, national Christian broadcast company -- "vowed to appeal." Something about "Christians" fighting tooth and nail for a small, public station simply does not sit well with me. So, I contacted the officials at Daystar.

Marisa O'Neil Coast Community College District officials say they are confident an issue that could have sent KOCE-TV back to the auction block has been resolved. Milford Dahl, who represents the district, said that, contrary to discussions in court earlier this week, his client did give public notice of its sale of KOCE-TV, as required by the state education code. He will present evidence to that effect when a hearing to determine the rightful buyer continues on Monday.

For a columnist to take public issue with his publisher would normally be considered counter-productive (have you been following the brouhaha in Santa Barbara?), but when the issue is the ownership of our local public television station and the publisher is Tom Johnson, the downside seems to me minimal. So here goes. You surely know the drill by now. When Orange County's public TV station, KOCE, was put up for sale, the winner and highest apparent bidder was a local foundation that would continue to focus on Orange County programming.

Daystar Television Network, the Christian broadcaster that sued the Coast Community College District over the sale of KOCE-TV, has reached a settlement with the district to drop the suit and its bid for the station, Daystar attorney Richard Lloyd Sherman said today. Hoping to raise money for academic programs, the district in 2003 put KOCE up for sale and ultimately sold the station to its own foundation. Daystar also bid for KOCE and sued, claiming its $25.1 million cash bid trumped the foundation’s $8 million cash and $24 million credit offer.

KOCE-TV, the only public television station in Orange County, will remain in the hands of its foundation, as the Daystar Television Network has reached a settlement to drop its ongoing lawsuit and its bid for ownership of the station. Last week, attorneys for Daystar, a Texas-based Christian broadcaster, and the KOCE-TV Foundation worked out a confidential settlement that would leave KOCE under the foundation's control. The settlement was finalized on Tuesday, and the Coast Community College District — which sold KOCE to the foundation in 2004 — voted late Wednesday to release the legal fees it incurred during nearly four years of litigation.

Daystar Television Network, the Christian broadcaster that sued the Coast Community College District over the sale of KOCE-TV, has reached a settlement with the district to drop the suit and its bid for the station, Daystar attorney Richard Lloyd Sherman said today. Hoping to raise money for academic programs, the district in 2003 put KOCE up for sale and ultimately sold the station to its own foundation. Daystar also bid for KOCE and sued, claiming its $25.1 million cash bid trumped the foundation’s $8 million cash and $24 million credit offer.

A mailer this week endorsing candidates for the Coast Community College District board of trustees appears to be connected to the Christian broadcaster embroiled in a legal dispute with the district over public TV station KOCE. No one seemed to have heard of the group listed on the mailer — Taxpayers, Students and Educators for Coast Community Colleges — but the group's sponsor, Marcus Lamb, shares a name with the president and chief executive of Daystar Television Network.

For a columnist to take public issue with his publisher would normally be considered counter-productive (have you been following the brouhaha in Santa Barbara?), but when the issue is the ownership of our local public television station and the publisher is Tom Johnson, the downside seems to me minimal. So here goes. You surely know the drill by now. When Orange County's public TV station, KOCE, was put up for sale, the winner and highest apparent bidder was a local foundation that would continue to focus on Orange County programming.

The battle over KOCE-TV will return to the courtroom in November, the Fourth District Court of Appeals in Santa Ana announced this week. In July, both the Coast Community College District and the Daystar Television Network filed petitions for rehearings in the case. The district asked the court to reconsider its June 23 decision to nullify the sale of the public broadcasting station to the KOCE-TV Foundation, whereas Daystar demanded that the court award it immediate ownership of the station.

If you have not already done so, I highly recommend that you read Joe Bell's column from Thursday. If necessary, find it online. It is important reading because it is a perfect example of the situational ethics supported by those to the left of the political spectrum. Bell broke the column into two, not-unrelated discussions. His opinion on the first subject, the recall of Coast Community College District trustee Armando Ruiz is one with which I agree.

An appellate court has accepted two petitions, one from the Daystar Television Network and one from the Coast Community College District, asking for rehearings on the sale of KOCE-TV. Earlier this month, the network and the district filed separate petitions regarding the June 23 decision by the Fourth District Court of Appeal to nullify the sale of the station to the KOCE-TV Foundation. Daystar filed a petition on July 8 demanding that the court award it immediate ownership of the station; 11 days later the district asked the judges to reconsider their ruling.

Ensure KOCE stays public The Coast Community College District must explore all possibilities that will preserve Orange County's only public television station, KOCE, as a public broadcast entity. KOCE has always presented impartial and informative programming directed to all the residents of Orange County. Orange County does not need, much less want, any takeover of KOCE by the Christian television network from Texas -- Daystar -- that will probably feature primarily Christian programming.