• by Wayne Friedman , October 8, 2010

KCET, one of the biggest Public Broadcasting Service stations, in the second-biggest TV market, Los Angeles, will no longer be affiliated with the national programming service starting next year.

KCET is turning into an independent public TV station on Jan. 1 after 40 years airing programming as a Public Broadcasting Service affiliate.

Al Jerome, president/CEO of KCET, had sought a fee reduction with PBS as an affiliate, but couldn't reach an agreement. Jerome said in a press release that he has been talking with PBS over three years about its challenges as a television station. PBS reportedly had been looking for a 40% increase in fees.

Now, as "as an independent public television station, KCET will be committed to investing in Southern California by developing, acquiring, producing and distributing content across all media platforms. We will continue to offer the KCET audience programming from leading national and international sources. Some of these series are currently on our air," he noted.

The move could help syndicated TV companies and others get coverage in the Los Angeles market for their programming.

Jerome, a former senior NBC station executive, did not elaborate about the station's new financial model -- or whether a broader range of ad-sponsorship revenues were a possibility.