CONEJO CHANNEL HOPS INTO NEW FORMAT : CABLE TV STATION GEARS UP TO OFFER EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMMING.

Byline: Christopher Noxon Daily News Staff Writer

With a bunny for a mascot and an all-volunteer staff, an educational channel geared to the Conejo Valley will hit the airwaves on Wednesday.

Educational Television for Conejo will appear on TCI and Falcon Cable systems on Channel 21 with a mix of text announcements, taped courses and satellite transmissions. Channel backers said it will expand rapidly from an initial format that looks more like a hallway bulletin board than prime time TV.

Conejo educators say they are just happy to start programming after a four-month trial period farther down the dial on Channel 59.

``We never thought it would be possible that we'd be on the air with programming four months after we started,'' said ETC President Beverly Merrill Kelley. ``It makes us dream bigger and bigger things. . . . If people watched a bulletin board, just imagine how much they'll watch when we have actual shows. The sky's the limit.''

The channel may eventually broadcast live sporting events, campus speeches, student-produced documentaries and a call-in show for students struggling with homework. On a daily basis, administrators hope to broadcast special courses to homebound or disabled students in a variety of subjects.

The channel was launched in April by Ventura County Superintendent of Schools Charles Weiss. The channel was organized by a nonprofit coalition encompassing California Lutheran University, Moorpark College, the Conejo Valley Unified School District, area private schools and the Consortium for Advanced Technical Education. The bunny logo was designed by Christine Sanford, a student at Newbury Park High School.

In its first week, the channel will broadcast a taped course in English as a second language from Moorpark Community College and a few hours of live satellite transmission from Classic Arts Showcase and NASA Television.

The station isn't likely to win any ratings wars, but cable executives say the channel will be a valuable educational resource to students, teachers and the general cable viewership.

``They have a wonderful opportunity here,'' said Dan Deutsch, general manager of TCI Ventura. ``It's niche programming and wonderful from a local level.''

Kelley said the station will act as a resource to all the participating schools.

``This will reinforce and enhance what's going on in the classroom,'' Kelley said. ``We hope to attract viewers from preschool all the way to postgraduate.''

The channel was started with a $25,000 contribution from TCI as part of its licensing agreement with the City of Thousand Oaks. All its seed money has gone toward the cost of videocassette decks, but Kelley said station backers hope to raise money for paid staff and office equipment.