April 25 Debut of Public Television Newsmagazine to Connect Californians; California Connected - a Collaboration of PBS Stations in Los Angeles, San Diego, San Francisco and Sacramento.

News Editors & Television Writers

SAN FRANCISCO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--April 15, 2002

"California Connected" will be carried in all seven markets in

the state. In addition to KCET, KQED, KVIE and KPBS, the one-hour program will be carried on KEET-Eureka, KVPT-Fresno, KIXE-Redding and

KVCR-San Bernardino

California Connected, a weekly newsmagazine that will examine events and issues through the eyes of state policymakers, opinion shapers and grass-roots community leaders, premieres Thursday, April 25 (9 - 10 p.m.) on public television stations in one hundred percent of the California market.

"This state is one of the most diverse places in the world -- ethnically, economically and geographically," said California Connected host David Brancaccio. "How do you forge a state identity? That is the challenge we're tackling with the program." Brancaccio is well known to Californians as the host of Minnesota Public Radio's "Marketplace," a fixture on public radio stations around the state.

With its focus on the stories and people that make the Golden State unique, California Connected will explore issues that are important to Californians -- including education, the environment, the state's economy, economic growth and urban/suburban development, science and technology, healthcare, public policy and arts and culture.

At the show's helm are Executive Producer Marley Klaus, formerly of 60 Minutes and Senior Producer Bob Melisso, formerly with CNN. The producers' vision is to encourage the residents of California to start thinking of themselves as connected to one another and to their community. To that end, California Connected will be about what works and what needs fixing, what unites the state's residents and what challenges them, what's worth celebrating and what's worth lampooning.

"This is an amazingly diverse, vibrant state, whose residents often lead the nation in creating new solutions to seemingly intractable problems," said Marley Klaus. "California Connected will provide a forum for people to come together, get involved in the policies and decisions affecting their lives, and most important, to change their world."

Many experts agree that quality news programming such as California Connected is exactly what the public is seeking in today's world. Klaus said studies, like one conducted by the Project for Excellence in Journalism, funded by the Pew Charitable Trust, are showing that "people want to see thoughtful news coverage on television. And the taste for quality reporting of issues has only increased since September 11."

Each one-hour episode will include three provocative, newsmagazine-style segments that examine an issue of immediate or future importance to the state. Among these segments, viewers will find a collection of brief reports that celebrate or dissect the distinctiveness of California, as well as original -- and at times irreverent -- commentary on the issues most on people's minds.

In addition to the weekly broadcast, a unique feature of the project is the "Get Connected" minute. These briefs air every day on each of the stations, informing people about what policy issues are being decided in their area the next day, and how they can become involved.

The series is taped at the KCET studios in Hollywood, with the other stations -- KQED, KPBS and KVIE -- partnering on the production, content and Web site of the program.

California Connected also has an interactive Web site, developed by KQED's new media unit, to further enhance the series, prolong public engagement and spark viewer dialogue. The site, www.californiaconnected.org, plays a pivotal role in the program, as viewers can see the live taping of the show each Wednesday and participate in follow-up discussions of the stories through chats. In addition to offering links to resources for enhancing residents' public discourse and quality of life, the site also offers the specific meeting places where issues are to be discussed and actions taken which will impact their communities. The site is accessible through each of the station's Web sites and will host bulletin boards, chat features, ancillary articles, relevant links, partner content and daily news updates.

Viewers and visitors who log on to the California Connected Web site also have the opportunity to watch the program's daily news briefs and other behind-the-scenes content and contribute questions they want the program to address. Driven by the series' mission to connect the citizens and residents of California, the Web site will be a hub of interactivity where Golden State residents have an opportunity and platform for discussion and action.

California Connected will be close-captioned and available in Spanish through the Second Audio Program function. The series is funded by The James Irvine Foundation and The William and Flora Hewlett Foundation.