Exclusive Interviews for Feb

For the second year in a row, OC World is nominated as a finalist in two Golden Mike Awards: Best News Talk Show or Public Affairs Show for its program titled “The Power and Awe of Music,” featuring Jake Groshong, CEO for the Playing for Change Foundation; and Best Long Form Program or Documentary for its program titled “Surviving the Trauma of Relationship Violence,” featuring Maricela Rios-Faust, CEO for Human Options.

The awards will be presented by the Radio & Television News Association (RTNA) of Southern California on 29 March 2025 at the Loews Hotel in Hollywood. This year’s honorees for Lifetime Achievement Awards include Pete Demetrious with KNX News, Rob Fukuzaki with KABC, and Sam Rubin with KTLA.

OC World would like to thank its friends and supporters, including Keith & Judy Swayne Family Foundation, Marisla Foundations, Orange County Community Foundation, Santiago Canyon College, Wells Fargo Bank, University of California, Irvine (UCI), Farmers & Merchants Bank, Socorro and Ernesto Vasquez Family Fund, and the Crevier Family Foundation.

OC World Founder / Executive Producer Scott Hays has been nominated for the 2025 Excellence in Entrepreneurship Award by the “Orange County Business Journal”. This is a well-deserved recognition for his passion, dedication, and innovative spirit in the world of media. The Excellence in Entrepreneurship Awards are designed to recognize individuals who embody the American entrepreneurial spirit – individuals who, through creativity and determination, have established and nurtured successful business ventures.

In the latest issue of the Orange County Business Journal, OC World co-Founder / Executive Producer Scott Hays writes about how most of the brand companies in the surf industry either launched or landed here in the coastal communities of Orange County – San Clemente, Dana Point, Laguna, Newport, Huntington, and Costa Mesa – considered today by many business and industry leaders as still the “epicenter” of the surf culture worldwide. Today, the global surf apparel and accessories industry is valued at more than $9 billion and is expected to grow at a compound annual growth rate of 5.5% until 2030 with a revenue forecast of roughly $14 billion, according to a U.S.-based market research and consulting company.

The cultural evolution of a $9 billion surf-wear industry launched right here in Orange County, California. It’s an epic saga of perseverance and endless passion by a group of local surfers and skaters: Bob McKnight, Richard Woolcott, Paul Naude, Gordon Clark, Gerry Lopez, Greg MacGillivray, Danny Kwok, Paul Schmitt, and others. This is an “independent documentary” produced by OC World Founder / Executive Producer Scott Hays and OC Effect Producer Terry Corwin.

With more than 11 million passengers passing through its terminals each year, and approximately 130 commercial flights daily, John Wayne Airport has become a crucial hub for both travelers and businesses alike. But beyond these numbers, what role does the Airport play in the region’s economic growth and community life? What are its latest initiatives and future plans, and what challenges lie ahead? OC World Guest Host Gaddi Vasquez interviews Charlene Reynolds, appointed Airport Director in 2022.

In 2023, tourism spending in Orange County grew to $15.8 billion, an all-time record, and 2024 is on a similar pace. The biggest draw of all is Disneyland, which means the City of Anaheim sits at the center of the county’s tourism industry, and at the epicenter of promoting and marketing this city to visitors for more than six decades has been Visit Anaheim. Since April, Mike Waterman has been at the helm of Visit Anaheim as President and CEO. OC World Guest Host Steve Churm interviews Waterman as he resets the organization’s mission to support an ambitious blueprint to grow amenities and infrastructure to better serve visitors and recalibrate the organization’s reputation and future direction.

In this first-of-its-kind collaboration with Little Saigon TV, OC World has produced a public affairs program for KLCS-PBS about Ted Nguyen and his family, and their journey from Saigon to Orange County.

In San Juan Capistrano, a 28-acre farm is at the forefront of Southern California’s environmental movement. The Ecology Center, founded in 2008 by Evan Marks, has become a focal point of sustainable living practice and ecological education. The Center’s programs range from regenerative agriculture, fire-resistance landscaping, community-supported agriculture, and zero-waste initiatives, attracting more than 100,000 visitors annually. OC Guest Host Kristina Dodge interview Marks and Farm Director Johnny Wilson.

On behalf of the entire OC World family, we want to take a moment to celebrate you and your incredible contributions to both our community. Your distinguished career, including your time on the Advisory Board for OC World, is a testament to your dedication to urban policy, sustainability, and civic leadership.

Friends gathered last week for Marshall Kaplan’s 90th birthday celebration at Il Fornaio in Irvine, hosted by Paul & Lilly Merage. Kaplan is advisor to the Merage Foundations and El Sol Science and Arts Academy in Santa Ana, and an Advisory Committee member for OC World. Pictured (l-r): Marshall Kaplan, Manual Gomez, Paul Merage, and Scott Hays.

Watch live on KCLS.org, or your local KLCS-PBS television station. Click here to find which channel carries KLCS-PBS in your area. Can’t make the broadcast? No problem. Subscribe to our YouTube channel where we will be publishing our episodes shortly after each broadcast.