January 1983 - Jim Loper Steps Down; Bill Kobin Becomes KCET's 2nd President/CEO
In January 1983, KCET made its first transition in leadership as James L. Loper stepped down as KCET's President and Chief Executive Officer, and was succeeded by public television veteran William H. Kobin.
Loper had been involved with KCET for over 20 years, as one of the founding members of the effort to establish an educational television station in Los Angeles, which eventually became Community Television of Southern California and KCET. He started his career at the station as the Director of Educational Television, becoming Vice President and General Manager in 1966, and was named President and CEO in 1971.
He was also PBS' first chairman during the early years of the network, serving for three terms.
Loper's legacy at KCET included bringing the Hollywood entertainment community to public television, which included "Hollywood Television Theater" (1970); "Visions" (1976); and 1980's groundbreaking science program, "Cosmos," which at the time had become the highest-rated public television program in history. All three programs have earned Peabody Awards.
However, the station fell on tough economic times, with donations lowering and operating costs rising. KCET ended the 1982 fiscal year with a budget deficit.
William H. "Bill" Kobin, formerly the President and General Manager of public televisions stations KTCA-TV and KTCI-TV in Minneapolis/St. Paul, succeeded Loper as KCET's chief executive. Kobin also served as Vice President of Children's Television Workshop in the 1970s, and had also worked as a producer of news programs at ABC and CBS in the 1960s.
After KCET, Loper went on to serve as Executive Director of the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences from 1984 to 1999. He died in 2013 at age 81.
