KCETs Award-Winning Weekly Series SOCAL CONNECTED Navigates the Critical Iues Surrounding the Upcoming Revitalization of the Los Angeles River

BURBANK, CA June 12, 2014 - SOCAL CONNECTED, KCETs Emmy and Peabody Award winning series sends reporter Cara Santa Maria on a kayak trip down the Los Angeles River in next weeks episode. Currently, the waterway has big, exciting changes in store as nearly $1 billion in federal and city funds are slated to revitalize an 11-mile section between Glendale and downtown L.A. The dreams of river advocates, who have been working for years to turn concrete into greenery, will be realized. The long-established working-class neighbors of Elysian Valley, however, are concerned about rising property values and over-development. Santa Maria navigates through the various issues while rowing through a scenic stretch of the river now open to the public for the summer season. SOCAL CONNECTED collaborated with KCET Departures, which has been covering the L.A. River on KCET.org for seven years. Go to kcet.org/lariver to read more. The story airs on Wednesday, June 18, 2014 at 8 p.m.

This weeks SOCAL CONNECTED also features:

Diving for Opportunity: A prison rehab program is training a select group of convicts to become deep-water divers. Reporter Michael Owku looks at the rigorous training they go through and the high hopes they have toward securing well-paying, albeit dangerous, jobs once they are released.

A Gallery on the Wind: Anchor Val Zavala heads to the beach for the Otis College of Art and Design Kite Festival in Santa Monica. Artists who have turned kite design into an art form launch their creations to the delight of the crowd. After 10 years, Zavala hopes to meet again with Tyrus Wong, a famed artist and kite maker.

The Chicano Pop Art of Germs: Witness the whimsical works of Jaime Germs Zacarias in this segment from Artbound that explores the painters wide-ranging inspirations. His colorful pop-surrealist paintings incorporate the visual landscapes of his youth in South L.A. Germs works have also caught the eye of collectors including comedian and Chicano arts patron Cheech Marin.

Broadcast Premiere Date: Wednesday, June 18 at 8 p.m.

Repeated: Friday, June 20 at 8 p.m. and Sunday, June 22 at 6:30 p.m.

SOCAL CONNECTED is anchored by 15-time Emmy -Award winner, Val Zavala. Contributors include science journalist Cara Santa Maria, reporters Derrick Shore and Jennifer Sabih, documentary filmmaker Nic Cha Kim and writer Nick Hardcastle.

The television broadcast executive producer for SOCAL CONNECTED is Val Zavala; digital executive producer is Zach Behrens; and Linda Burns is senior producer.

ABOUT SOCAL CONNECTED

SOCAL CONNECTED, winner of a Peabody and two duPont Awards, 20 Emmy Awards, 24 Golden Mikes, 47 LA Press Club Awards, two Gracie Awards, and four regional and one national Edward R. Murrow Awards, including Best News Documentary and Los Angeles Magazines Best New Local TV Program of 2009, airs exclusively on KCET. For more information, to view episodes online or to leave comments, please visit www.socalconnected.org. SOCAL CONNECTED is made possible through the generous support of The Ahmanson Foundation, Chapman University and the MaddocksBrown Foundation.

ABOUT KCET

On-air, online and in the community, KCET plays a vital role in the cultural and educational enrichment of Southern and Central California. KCET offers a wide range of award-winning local programming as well as the finest public television programs from around the world. Throughout its 50-year history, KCET has won hundreds of major awards for its local and regional news and public affairs programming, its national drama and documentary productions, its quality educational family and childrens programs, its outreach and community services and its website, kcet.org. KCET is a donor-supported community institution. For additional information about KCET productions, web-exclusive content, programming schedules and community events, please visit kcet.org. KCET is a service of KCETLink.

LINK:	http://www.kcet.org/about/pressroom/press-releases/kcets-award-winning...
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