Details to be unveiled on Jan. 24 at 9 a.m. at Marsh Park in Elysian Valley

Burbank, CA - January 23, 2013 - KCETLink, the new national independent public media organization created by KCET's recent merger with the Bay Area-based independent media company, Link Media, today announced the innovative partnership between KCET Departures and the Northeast Los Angeles (NELA) River Collaborative.

An interdisciplinary project, funded by the Federal Partnership for Sustainable Communities, which includes Housing and Urban Development (HUD), the U.S. Department of Transportation and the Environmental Protection Agency, the NELA River Collaborative process builds upon the growing momentum of efforts already underway to transform the Los Angeles River into a "riverfront district" and to create a focal point of community revitalization, recreational activities, environmental stewardship, sustainable civic engagement and economic growth. 

The NELA Riverfront Collaborative will affect the communities of Atwater Village, Elysian Valley, Glassell Park, Cypress Park and Lincoln Park.

Details of the project will be introduced to the community during a press event on Jan. 24, 2013 from 9-10 a.m. at Marsh Park in Elysian Valley, 2960 Marsh Street, Los Angeles, CA 90039.

"This initiative is truly groundbreaking and we're excited to participate in such an important project for the future of the Los Angeles," said Juan Devis, KCET's Vice President of Arts and Culture Programming and Producer of KCET's Departures. "Our installment on the Los Angeles River is an integral part of our success.  We're pleased to be the media voice for the community and hope to bring a new level of engagement to the region."

Currently, KCET Departures has installed kiosks in the neighborhoods and online at www.mylariver.org asking people to complete the sentence, "I want my river to be..." The site will later become an online hub for all things NELA, allowing residents to show the city what makes their neighborhood so distinct, but also give real-time feedback to proposed projects that grow out of the NELA Riverfront Collaborative effort.

The NELA Riverfront Collaborative team is led by the Los Angeles Community Development Department, and includes the Los Angeles Planning Department, Los Angeles Economic Development Corporation, Workforce Investment Board, University of Southern California Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism's Metamorphosis Project, Occidental College's Urban Environmental Policy Institute, KCET Departures, the L.A. River Revitalization Corporation, Tierra West Advisors and the L.A. Conservation Corps.

ABOUT KCETLink

On-air, online and in the community, KCETLink is a donor-supported independent public media organization distributed via satellite nationally on DirecTV and DISH and via broadcast in Southern and Central California. For additional information about KCETLink productions, web-exclusive content, programming schedules and community events, please visit kcet.org or linktv.org.

About KCET Departures

KCET Departures provides a 360º people-centric experience; is participatory in nature; and serves as a central nexus in people sharing, commenting, collaborating, and finding ways to be involved in their communities. These relationships are fostered offline and on by engaging community residents, non-profit organizations, schools and students, in the creation and procurement of relevant and relatable content. From development to production, the neighborhood and its community (the stake holders) are involved in the process of production, resulting in a tight knit between the aspirations of the local community and the station. Departures is a participatory platform, a series, and a network where people can convene information and ideas about our city and its people, and engage in the interpretation of the city that we live in.  Departures is funded by The Boeing Company, California Council for the Humanities and the City of Los Angeles Department of Cultural Affairs.

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