KOCE-TV to Premiere Documentary On Catholic Church in Orange County

KOCE-TV, one of the most watched PBS stations in America, is set to premiere a one-half-hour documentary that explores the role of Catholicism in shaping the cultural and community landscape of Orange County, Calif., and portrays the personal faith journey of many different people who make up the Roman Catholic Diocese of Orange. This original feature presentation titled “Matters of Faith,” examines the history, growth, multicultural mission and far-reaching influence of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Orange – currently the tenth largest Diocese in the nation with more than 1.2 million members. “Matters of Faith” first airs April 28, 2008 at 7 p.m.

“Across the United States, four times more people identify themselves as Roman Catholic than any other religion,” said Maria Hall-Brown, KOCE-TV producer. “Here in Southern California the historic roots of Orange County and the Catholic Church intertwine and run deep. PBS is pleased to take an outside look at the 200 hundred years from the establishment of the first Spanish mission in San Juan Capistrano to the creation of the Diocese of Orange. As Orange County blossomed, changed, and developed a unique identity – so has the county's largest religious organization.”

“Matters of Faith” follows the development of Catholicism in Orange County, and reveals the history and cultural depth of a community that has been deeply impacted by its largest faith community. This PBS feature sheds light on the growth of church and county, as well as the controversies, charitable ministries, outreach and hope shared over the course of the last two centuries.

The film was made possible by the following sponsors: Aitken Aitken Cohn, Timothy and Steph Busch, Robinson Calcagnie & Robinson, and Law Offices of Federico C. Sayre.

ABOUT KOCE-TV: KOCE-TV is the sixth-most watched PBS station in America with an estimated 5.8 million viewers* monthly. Currently celebrating it’s 35th anniversary, the station’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.

* Nielsen tStaion Index 2007
** Reported by the GfKRoper Public Affairs & Media poll (2007)