The two remaining finalists bidding for KCSM-TV in San Mateo, Calif., are local groups aligned with Independent Public Media and Public Media Company. The bid amounts have not been disclosed.
Independent Public Media is headed by former pubcasters John Schwartz and Ken Devine, who are working to preserve noncom TV licenses for the public system. (Current, Oct. 17, 2011). Public Media Company, run by Marc Hand and Ken Ikeda, is affiliated with Colorado-based Public Radio Capital.
Six groups submitted bids for the station, which was put up for sale in December 2011 by the San Mateo Community College District. The licensee cited the station’s projected $800,000 deficit when announcing the sale.
Other prospective buyers were pubcaster KMTP-TV in San Francisco, which airs multilingual ethnic programming, and a local group backed by religious broadcaster Daystar.
Jan Roecks, the college’s director of general services, could make her recommendation on the buyer to the trustees when they meet April 25.