“Matlock” is still there. But change is playing out at Irvine’s KDOC-TV, Orange County’s only private TV station.
The station, home to reruns of “Matlock,” “Twilight Zone” and “Hawaii Five-O,” has expanded its programming, revamped the station’s look on and off air and is looking to lure more advertisers, said Dan Casey, KDOC’s new president and general manager.
“We think the biggest opportunity is building an Orange County identity,” Casey said. “It’s a TV market inside a TV market. OC can have its own identity and become its own place, which is somewhat independent of its neighbor to the north.”
Casey joined KDOC in June. He’s worked in Los Angeles TV for the past 22 years, including at Arbitron Inc., KCAL-TV and Fox Sports.
Casey replaced Cal Brack, one of the former owners who sold KDOC to Atlanta-based Ellis Communications Inc. for $150 million earlier this year.
Ellis is headed by TV veteran Bert Ellis, who Casey describes as “fun, very serious about business, competitive and energetic.”
“Bert is very involved with what we’re doing at the station,” Casey said. “Bert may see the Orange County potential better than any of us at this point.”
Reruns are KDOC’s staple. It also shows some Anaheim Ducks and Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim games. Plus, it airs high school and college games.
The station made a name for itself running “Hot Seat with Wally George” and broadcasts of esoteric televangelist Gene Scott, who died last year. George died in 2003.
KDOC plans to stick with “classics” programming, including reruns of “Charlie’s Angels” and “The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson.”
Meanwhile, KDOC is beefing up its lineup.
The station added 27 hours of programming each week and slashed infomercials and paid religious shows, Casey said.
The move, made in September, has attracted more viewers, he said.
The station still is small.
KDOC has about 40,000 viewers, Casey said. It hopes to grow to about 60,000.
The station’s 18- to 49-year-old audience has tripled, according to Casey. KDOC’s 25- to 54-year-old audience has doubled, he said.
“We’re making an impression with someone out there,” he said.
KDOC “has always been a profitable business,” Casey said.
The station now is looking to grow advertising revenue and “be a successful contributor to the OC business community,” he said.
The company declined to disclose yearly revenue. Estimates are in the $20 million range.
KDOC is looking to add to its staff of 32 people, starting with an events marketing coordinator.
The station has adopted a hipper look. Its new logo includes a Woody station wagon with a surfboard on top.
The station’s Web site plays up a “California” theme. It features bright sunset colors, surf music and images, palm trees and photos of local piers.
The station now dubs itself: “the classic Southern California lifestyle station.”
KDOC is piggybacking on the popularity of shows such as Fox’s “The O.C.,” which has helped the area “cultivate a national image,” Casey said.
“It’s become a brand unto itself,” Casey said. “Separate from other parts of the L.A. TV market.”
Plus, Orange County has an “incredibly dynamic business environment with a growing population base, and that’s good for building a successful television station,” Casey said.
The station already has some locally produced shows, such as “Friday Night Highlights,” “Passing the Guard,” “The Pet Place” and “The Chef Knows.”
Some paid for their airtime. The station is moving away from that in favor of building up advertising to support programming, according to Casey.
Advertisers include automakers, local car dealers and real estate companies, he said.
Luring more won’t be easy.
“Local ad sales in OC is challenging,” Casey said. “Advertisers are used to buying local cable at fairly low unit rates compared to the higher rates on broadcast.”
KDOC plans to air 30 Ducks hockey games this season.
The move gives KDOC a connection with “Orange County’s home team” and provides a “local sports programming base to develop,” Casey said.
On Fridays, KDOC airs high school football, which Casey said he hopes advertisers are interested in as a way to reach locals.
The station might develop shows around big local events, such as a film festival, a big city anniversary or beach events, he said.
An OC news channel may be another option.
There’s demand since Adelphia Communications Corp. (now Time Warner Cable) shut down Orange County NewsChannel in Santa Ana five years ago after losing money.
KDOC is “exploring a number of programming areas” but it’s still “early on in the game,” Casey said.
“We’ve been focused on turning the ship in the right direction the past three months,” he said.
News has it challenges.
It’s costly to produce and KDOC “would need to look for partners” to get something off the ground and “be effective,” Casey said.
“The economics of television today require that local advertising support be in place for these ventures to succeed,” Casey said. “There is a never ending flow of ideas. It’s making them financially viable that’s the trick.”
