KCET Celebrates 50 Years of 'Inspiring a Better State' as Southern and Central California's Leading Public Media Voice

BURBANK, CA - Aug. 27, 2014 - In his historic dedication of KCET in 1965,

television host and noted educator Dr. Frank C. Baxter called the fledgling

station a "strong and significant force" in public television. On Sept. 28,

2014, KCET celebrates 50 years of serving the interests of Southern and Central

California audiences with quality, award-winning programming that reflects the

vibrancy and unique cultural history of the region, as it moves--full

force--into its role as a leader in public media for the 21^st

Century.

With its new tagline, "Inspiring a Better State," KCET marks the important

50-year milestone with a celebration that includes a variety of multi-platform

programming and public engagement opportunities.  In addition, a compelling selection of new

and archival programming will pay homage to the station's historic past,

including specials from legendary television

personality Huell Howser, who played a unique role in shaping KCET's

history.

"We are extremely proud of the legacy we've created as a powerful convener, storyteller, connector and collaborator for our diverse community in Southern and Central California," said Al Jerome,

KCETLink's President and Chief Executive Officer. "Moving forward with the

addition of Link TV, KCETLink will build upon that tremendous history and

continue to break new ground as a publicly engaged independent network by

lifting up hearts, minds and communities in increasingly innovative ways for

future generations."

Key KCET 50^th Anniversary Initiatives include:

KCET.ORG/50

Visitors can immerse themselves in KCET's rich

half-century of history at kcet.org/50. The online hub features archived

videos, photos and vibrant content by a host of columnists reflecting on KCET

and the city of Los Angeles. The site also features an expanding, interactive

timeline that allows visitors to learn about major milestones of the station by

the decade, in conjunction with important historical events in Los Angeles. A

community engagement component also complements the site, encouraging visitors

to share ideas on how they "envision a better state."

Community Kiosk Exhibit

Ongoing

KCET will launch an exciting public engagement activity that will give

residents the opportunity to become an active part of KCET's 50^th

anniversary narrative. An interactive kiosk, designed by local artist Melissa

Castellano, will serve as a travelling arts and education exhibit, appearing at

cultural institutions and civic centers around Southern California.  The kiosk will visually display historical

KCET touch points and prompt community members to answer the question: "How do

you envision a better state?"  Led by

KCET's Community Advisory Board (CAB), KCET will collect community responses,

which will coincide with the online campaign that engages viewers around the topic.

CALIFORNIA MISSIONS WITH HUELL HOWSER

Sunday, Sept. 14 at 7 p.m.

What better way to celebrate KCET's role in showcasing the beauty of the

region than with Huell Howser? For more than five hours, Howser introduces

audiences to all the missions along the California coast from San Diego to

north of San Francisco. This history-rich series details not only the individual

missions, but also the religious and political motivation of the Spanish

missionaries who developed the churches for the indigenous native peoples along

El Camino Real.  The 10 episodes will

also be scheduled in the regular Huell Howser weeknight slots at 7:30 p.m.

following the broadcast.

PRIME SUSPECT (Reprise)

Monday, Sept. 15 through Sunday, Sept. 21 at 8 p.m.

KCET will air one week of acclaimed series, PRIME SUSPECT, featuring

the bold award-winning performance of actress Helen Mirren as Jane Tennison,

one of the first female Detective Chief Inspectors in the London's Metropolitan

Police Service. Featured on KCET's new schedule after the station's split from

PBS, the series blazed new trails for the portrayal of women in gritty

detective roles, as KCET forged a new independent path in public media.

ARTBOUND

Series Premieres Thursday, Sept. 25 at 9 p.m.

KCET's award-winning arts and culture series will join in the 50th

celebration by rebroadcasting several episodes of THE WORKS, a seminal

arts series which aired on KCET during the '80s and '90s. The series featured

local performances, exhibitions and groundbreaking productions from luminaries

like Peter Sellars, Lita Albuquerque, Bill Viola, Pat O'Neil, Karole Armitage

and Ed Ruscha, which helped to define Los Angeles as a leading

cultural capital of the world.  

KCET: 50 Years at

the Forefront

Sunday, Sept. 28 at 8 p.m.

Produced by KCETLink's Bohdan Zachary, SVP, Broadcasting, Programming &

Syndication, this original 50^th anniversary special brings viewers

on a half-century journey through KCET's history, with footage of defining

moments from beloved specials and series and interviews from important voices

of KCET's past and present, including Mayor Eric

Garcetti, Bill Moyers, Val Zavala, Rubén Martínez, Patt Morrison, Taylor

Hackford, Jesús Treviño,

Jack Larson, Fritz Coleman and Dick Cook, among many others. The special also underscores

KCET's storied tradition of serving the local community through groundbreaking

programming and events.

A GOLDEN STATE OF MIND: THE STORYTELLING GENIUS

OF HUELL HOWSER

Thanksgiving Day

Premiering exclusively on KCET, this new documentary created

by Chapman University film professor Jeff Swimmer takes you on a

produced, with appearances by Howser's friends, colleagues and the production

team that helped him create his offbeat and unforgettable adventures. 

ABOUT KCETLINK

KCETLink is the national independent

public transmedia organization formed by the merger between KCET and Link

Media. A viewer-supported 501c(3) organization, its content is distributed

nationally via satellite on DirecTV (375) and DISH (9410), in Southern and

Central California via broadcast, as well as through various digital delivery

systems. The combined organization reaches a wide broadcast audience that

includes Link TV's 33 million satellite subscribers and KCET's 5.6 million

households in Southern and Central California. KCETLink is committed to driving

public media innovation with smarter ways to access content that engages all

audiences with global storytelling. For additional information about KCETLink

productions, web-exclusive content, programming schedules and community events,

please visit kcet.org or linktv.org.

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