KIXE News

By Myron A Tisdel, President and General Manager

KIXE-TV is a not-for-profit community public television corporation authorized by the Federal Communications Commission to broadcast a digital television service. The stations are licensed to Northern California Educational Television Association, Incorporated, which has a twelve-member Board of Directors.

Since 1964, KIXE has been recognized as a cultural and communications beacon in Northern California. Today KIXE is the leader of digital broadcast communication within the ten-county area covered. The stations are utilized and watched by all.

KIXE broadcasts at 15 thousand watts and covers a 130-mile radius that includes ten California counties: Butte, Glenn, Lassen, Modoc, Plumas, Shasta, Siskiyou, Tehama, and Trinity plus portions of Colusa County on digital vhf channel 9. The Chico/Redding television market at number 130 is one of the smallest in the United States. The station serves more than 487,847 people with more than 193,590 television households able to receive Superior California Public Television each and every week.

The KIXE service is extended over the mountainous and agricultural rural area of Northern California through a series of 12 translators, 22 community cable systems, and two direct broadcast satellite systems. More than 83 percent of the television viewers in our coverage area receive programming from some source other than over-the-air broadcast.

KIXE is charged with the responsibility of providing programming that meets the highest standards of excellence. Central to our mission is the concept of service to the broad spectrum of needs and aspirations of the constituents we serve. Our mission is to deliver state-of-the-art programming and community services that are balanced, challenge the mind, inspire the spirit, preserve the past, prepare for the future, and enhance the exchange of ideas.

KIXE can fulfill the mission of the station because the station has a solid foundation of community support, a population that is expanding, and a loyal and dedicated staff. Our opportunity is to grow in a positive relationship to the increased audience we serve while continuing to retain a broad base of support so that the station doesn’t rely too heavily on any one funding source. Some 36 percent of the station’s revenue budget comes in the form of a Community Service Grant from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting; 32 percent from individual viewers becoming members, and 27 percent from other community and educational activities such as on-air auctions, educational services and production contracts. Five percent of the annual revenue for KIXE comes from businesses and corporations underwriting portions of the broadcast service.

The annual operating budget for KIXE is $1,770,000. Seventy cents of each dollar raised by KIXE is spent on the programming and educational services provided to the community. The station spends approximately 15 cents of each dollar to raise every dollar and 14.5 cents is spent on administrative costs. The vision of KIXE is to be an integral part of the community served by the stations. KIXE is Community. It teaches, serves, and offers inspiring entertainment. KIXE provides exposure to new ideas in a non-commercial environment and will continue to do so. KIXE is a part of an engaged community.

The value of KIXE to our community is seen in the relevant programming we provide. Programming that is trusted to be accurate, fair and worthwhile. PBS continues to be rated number one, above courts of law, other broadcast media, the Federal government, newspapers, cable television networks and Congress according to the 2007 Roper Public Affairs and Media Survey comparing public service institutions in the United States. KIXE works hard to be responsive to the viewer’s needs, to show a respect for diversity and provide outstanding customer service.

This year KIXE presented programming that reflects the variety of tourism opportunities in our viewing community. Above the Sacramento and the Bidwell Park documentary presented just two of the many gems in our area. Huell Howser’s Road Trip: Orient and Flume and Road Trip: Sierra Nevada Brewery focused the spotlight on two of Butte County’s most successful and unique businesses. Angler West and Northstate Quilts 2006: A Look Back were programs providing insights into what many of our viewers can do in their leisure time. Sierra Center Stage, produced in Chico, showcases a wide range of musical talent and Why We Sing displayed diverse lifestyles through music.

On a more serious subject, KIXE joined with the Colusa cable system to broadcast Every Fifteen Minutes, a program on teenagers dying in driving accidents. KIXE continues to produce a traffic safety public service announcement each year.
We addressed early childhood development by broadcasting both the English and Spanish versions of A Place of Our Own and continued our outreach efforts through our Ready-to-Learn seminars and workshops.

The Sesame Street Pre-School Education Program funded by California’s Department of Education and a grant from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting allows KIXE to offer workshops to over 2000 preschool and daycare providers each year. Our effort with “Ready to Learn” and the “First Book” outreach program has been well received in the education community. The continuing build-out of our digital service includes a full-time educational service for viewers of all ages.

And of course there are the things that don’t make the news. Each time you turn to KIXE, we are there with new programs you want your children to watch like this year’s phenomenally successful Curious George. We are there with programs you want to watch like Marty Robbins – Seems Like Yesterday. We are there with programs that stimulate conversations among your neighbors and friends like the Ken Burns’ series The War. We are there with programs that educate, enlighten, and entertain and our Butte County offices at 35 Main Street in Chico enable us to continue to better serve all of our members.

In the last twelve months, over 648 volunteers have given more than 11,425 hours valued at $190,842 to KIXE and public television in the North State. This has meant better programming, better local shows and increased service to our members and viewers. This year Gloria Copeland and Gloria Welliver were named KIXE Volunteers-of-the-Year in recognition of their many years of service to the station. Without our volunteers KIXE would not be able to maintain the current level of service that you continue to expect.

The station’s web site, KIXE.ORG, provides more and more educational information each month. We have striven to make it more useful and program friendly for you.
Ask yourself what it would be like if there were no KIXE. Ask a teacher. Ask a student. Ask a family who has spent time together learning about the world. Ask a child who has learned to count with Big Bird. Ask any one of the 256,120 people who watch. Ask any of the 4,925 people who support us with their membership.

The Northern California Educational Television Association will continue to move forward into the new and exciting digital environment by binding itself ever more closely to the educational mission that was originally put before us 43 years ago. We will continue to partner with businesses, educational institutions, community organizations, service agencies and governmental entities to provide quality telecommunication services and technological conveniences to our members and viewers.

It’s Our Station. Let’s Support It.