“Colorful OC” TV program officially announced at Black Chamber 25th Annual Banquet
New weekly cultural and lifestyle show to air on KOCE-TV

ANAHEIM, Calif.---(27 August 2009)—There’s a new TV show threatening to break old stereotypes of Orange County as the elite stomping grounds of posh, over-the-top housewives.

“Colorful OC” is a half-hour cultural and lifestyle program currently in development. It is planned as a bi-weekly show with the goal of expanding mainstream media by shining a positive spotlight on cultural segments of Orange County. Broadcast dates are to be announced.

Hosted by OC Black Chamber CEO and president, Bobby McDonald along with a series of rotating guest hosts representing the county’s various ethnic and diverse communities, “Colorful OC” will initially air with 20 weekly episodes on KOCE-TV, Orange County’s PBS Station and the #7 PBS station in the country with nearly 5.8 million viewers a month.

The half-hour segments will feature unique perspectives from un-sung heroes who help build bridges between Orange County’s diverse communities; explore topics on culture and issues facing minority business and social groups. The program’s main attractions will be coverage of ongoing events in the various cultural and diverse organizations.

"KOCE-TV looks forward to presenting this important program,” said Mel Rogers, president of KOCE-TV. “By showcasing Orange County's remarkable diversity, KOCE-TV and "Colorful OC" reveal the rich fabric of life which brings vitality to our communities."

Kurt Mische, Vice President of Advancement for KOCE-TV, added, "Speaking to, and telling the stories of the people of many different backgrounds, nationalities and ethnicity's in our area is a big part of what KOCE-TV and public television do each day. It is vital and central to our mission. Having a regularly scheduled, quality program like this one promises to be a big plus for us, a colorful addition to our schedule, an addition that will further allow us to educate, entertain and enlighten."

During the announcement of “Colorful OC’ at the Black Chamber’s 25th anniversary banquet on August 27 at the Grand Californian Hotel, Bobby McDonald told the diverse audience, “The Colorful OC is an opportunity for the mainstream community to get an inside look at Orange County’s diverse ethnic communities. By demystifying stereotypes and preconceived notions about Orange County, and about each other, we can build bridges to understanding and provide points of views from the other side of The OC.”

The Colorful OC is presented by the Black Chamber of Orange County, and produced by Explorer Studios. Partial proceeds of the Colorful OC will benefit the Orange County Black Chamber Education Foundation.

Sponsorship opportunities are limited to three (3) corporate sponsors per program. For more information on programming, and to request a sponsorship packet, visit www.colorfuloc.tv or call Black Chamber of Commerce of Orange County at 714-547-2646.

About KOCE-TV
KOCE-TV is one of the most watched PBS stations in America with an estimated 5.8 million viewers monthly. KOCE’s award-winning programming offers the fifth-largest county in the nation a long-standing community hub for local news, culture and features, and broadcasts the best available national PBS programs to the entire Southern California five-county region. Known for its outstanding dedication to education, KOCE Classroom serves more than a half million K-12 students. A national Roper poll recently ranked PBS as number one in public trust for the fourth consecutive year. * The winner of hundreds of awards including Emmys and Community Service Awards, KOCE continues to be a vital community resource and connector for Southern California. For more information, please visit www.koce.org.
* Reported by the GfKRoper Public Affairs & Media poll (2007)

To view PDF version of press release, click here

To view PDF version of Colorful OC informational flyer, click here