Overview - History - Job Opportunities

Cocola Broadcasting Companies, LLC are poised to define how television will serve its audiences in the new millennium. The company has already proven its position and importance in the industry by creating new and innovative uses of the medium. It continues to develop and nurture the dream that brought it into existence and is always looking for new opportunities and endeavors.

“One of my main goals,” says Gary Cocola, President and CEO of Cocola Broadcasting Companies “is to always come up with new ideas and then implement those ideas into reality.”

Cocola Broadcasting Companies have always been in the forefront of the broadcast business, testing and using the latest technological advances. With the advent of High Definition Television (HDTV), Cocola Broadcasting is geared to use HDTV to better serve local communities with local programming.

Cocola ATSC 3.0 for website Cocola is already planning the next move to ATSC 3.0 ATSC 3.0 is a major version of the ATSC standards and was created by the Advanced Television Systems committee (ATSC). ATSC 3.0 will support mobile television, 3-D television, 4K UHD high dynamic range (HDR), High frame rate(HFR) and wide color gamut (WCG).

“We’re always exploring new possibilities and new markets that are underserved by local and specialized programming,” says Cocola. “So much of the television business is yet to be explored. Happy to accept these tasks, our company will be charting new and innovative territories for years to come.”

Cocola Broadcasting Companies began as a dream – one man’s dream to explore non-traditional uses of the television medium. Gary Cocola was a forty-year veteran of radio and television when he decided to create an independent television station which would offer viewers local and alternative programming.

“I wanted to give television viewers in Fresno something new to watch,” says Cocola. “I’ve always believed that providing local television programming to a local audience will win over national networks.”

The dream came to fruition when Lowell “Bud” Paxson, former president and Co-Founder of the Home Shopping Network, approached Cocola. At the time, Cocola owned and operated KMSG, Channel 59, a high-power station. Paxson was looking for an affiliate in Fresno to carry HSN, but since launching a second high-power television station was a financial risk at the time, Cocola devised a way to broadcast the Home Shopping Network by using lower power signals, which were readily available, and not being used.

“In the early 1980’s”, says Cocola, “I saw low-power television as the wave of the future. As network television began to lose its dominance to other mediums, I realized broadcasting to a specific audience was the way to go, and low-power television was the vehicle.” That’s how Cocola’s first low power station came to fruition. KHST, Channel 66 in Fresno, was born in October of 1989. Cocola was also able to get the channel carried on Fresno’s Continental Cable System on Channel 4.

Shortly after Cocola launched Channel 66/4, and the station became one of the largest revenue generating stations for the Home Shopping Network nationwide at that time. “Home shopping has always been a fascinating business,” says Cocola. “Viewers of the Home Shopping Network would watch the station all day long, while viewers of network programs will tune in and out to catch their favorite shows. Home Shopping viewers were and still are very loyal.”

Because of the success of Channel 66 (which subsequently became KHSC, Channel 16), Cocola pursued other low-power television permits in Central California. KSDI, Channel 33, reintroduced a classic form of television to Fresno – locally produced programs. “I wanted to revive the broadcasting concept that launched television in the 1950’s – live, local programming.”

Channel 33 invited individuals and organizations to produce their own television programs. Virtually everyone – budding entertainers, bands, comics, and talk show hosts became a part of the local programming on Channel 33. KSDI-LP became digital as one of the first Low Power stations in the Country on June 12, 2009 and now is an affiliate of The Family Channel.

With the popularity of Cocola’s low-power television channels, more were expanded to eight streams of video. Channel’s 33.1, 33.2, 33.3, 33.4, 33.5, 33.6, 33.7, and 33.8. Cocola also operates six other Low Power stations in the Fresno area. See “Our Stations” web page.

Cocola’s proudest launch was in 2000, when Cocola Broadcasting Companies acquired the call letters KJEO for its Channel 32. Those call letters belonged to the CBS affiliate in Fresno for 47 years and Cocola saw the opportunity to keep a little bit of Valley television history from fading into the dust. KJEO Channel 32 is now a digital station featuring seven streams of video on Channel 32.

While gaining ownership of most of the low-power television permits in the Central Valley, Cocola also decided to refocus his energies back into high-power television. The only remaining unused television permit available at the time was for KGMC, Channel 43, assigned to the City of Clovis. Cocola acquired the highly coveted station and decided to make it the true independent voice of the Valley.

“I wanted to be different,” says Cocola, “For programs on 43.2, 43.3, 43.4, 43.5, and 43.6 see “Our Stations" web page.

Other California stations are KSAO, Channel 49 in Sacramento, and KCBT, Channel 34, KBFK Channel 36, and KPMC, Channel 43 in Bakersfield,

Cocola Broadcasting Companies expanded its operation into Boise, Idaho. In Boise, Cocola acquired low Power Stations KBSE, Channel 33, KBTI, Channel 41, KIWB, Channel 43, KZAK, Channel 49, KCBB, Channel 51 (Cable One Channel 51) and KKIC, Channel 16 (Cable One Channel 16. Cocola also formed Boise Telecasters to acquire that last Full Power permit for the Boise Market. KKJB Channel 39.1 is the Boise station for the Telemundo Network also carried on Dish 39, DirecTV 39, and Cable One Channel 39.

Cocola Broadcasting Companies continues to grow with confidence – confidence in its belief that the goal of broadcasters should not be how many people they are able to capture in an audience, but how well that audience is served.

To read more about Gary Cocola and the Cocola Broadcasting Companies, click here.

Cocola Broadcasting Companies, LLC is an Equal Opportunity Employer. Company policy prohibits any unlawful discrimination. When job openings become available at our stations, we strive to reach all qualified candidates.

If you are interested in applying for any of our current job opening(s), please submit your resume with cover letter to: info@cocolatv.com unless otherwise specified. Each opening has a description of the position, minimum qualifications required and the cutoff date for resume submissions. No phone calls, please.

We have no vacancies at this time.