Acclaimed News Producer Karen Foshay Named Executive Director, News Programming at KCETLink as ‘SoCal Connected’ Launches 8th Season
BURBANK, Calif. – April 26, 2017 – KCETLink Media Group, the national independent broadcast and digital media network, has announced that award-winning news producer Karen Foshay has been named Executive Director, News Programming for the organization. In this newly created position, Foshay will oversee all news content production and strategy for the organization’s multi-platform presence and act as executive producer for KCET’s acclaimed local news series SOCAL CONNECTED, as it launches its 8th season anchored by Val Zavala. Foshay, who begins May 1, reports to Juan Devis, Senior Vice President and Chief Creative Officer for KCETLink.
“We are eager to welcome Karen back to the team to contribute her tremendous news expertise and journalistic integrity to our organization as we focus on news as a key programming priority to help drive engagement across multiple platforms,” said Michael Riley, President and CEO of KCETLink Media Group. “We’re thrilled Karen will help us build out a 21st century news environment for digital and broadcast consumption at a time when news and information are more important than ever.”
“I'm happy to join Juan, Val and the amazing team at KCETLink and explore opportunities for creating a greater impact both regionally and nationally for news," said Foshay. “As the organization’s flagship news program, I’m excited to return to SOCAL CONNECTED and once again contribute to the award-winning journalism the show is known for.”
Foshay, a veteran investigative news producer who has worked in audio, broadcast and online media, will manage all news production and editorial teams for digital and broadcast output for the organization’s two services, KCET public media serving six million homes in Southern California, and Link TV, the national satellite network serving the 35 million subscribers of Dish Network and DirecTV.
Most recently, she completed a year-long investigative reporting project for NPR affiliate KCRW. For five seasons (From 2007 through 2012), Foshay acted as a senior producer for SOCAL CONNECTED working on such critical stories as “Up in Smoke,” a report on the proliferation of medical marijuana facilities in the Los Angeles region and “Courting Disaster,” an investigation of Los Angeles County's Children's Dependency Court. These stories, among others, earned her two Alfred I. duPont-Columbia University awards, a George Foster Peabody and a Casey Medal for Meritorious Journalism.
Following SOCAL CONNECTED, Foshay held a senior investigative producer position at Al Jazeera America. She began her career in Los Angeles at KCAL and moved on to CBS News and Dateline NBC. She has been honored with more than 40 journalism awards.
Foshay’s initial focus will be launching season 8 of SOCAL CONNECTED anchored by Val Zavala in the fall which offers viewers substantive, in-depth reporting on vital issues that impact the region including race relations, civil rights, technology, transportation and environmental issues. The series will also cover the cultural, popular and even quirky stories that impact living in Southern California.
SOCAL CONNECTED is a weekly news magazine that has been recognized for its quality journalism and contributions to the Southern California community with the prestigious George Foster Peabody Award and two Alfred I. duPont-Columbia University Awards, along with 25 Los Angeles Area Emmy Awards; 27 Golden Mike Awards from the Radio & Television News Association of Southern California; 55 LA Press Club Awards; and one National & five Regional Edward R. Murrow Awards, among many accolades.
This summer, SOCAL CONNECTED will air three special edition episodes dedicated to environmental issues that impact the Southern California region, including exploring both sides of environmental justice, an insiders look at what tourism is doing to Joshua Tree National Park and the business of “going green.”
ABOUT KCETLINK MEDIA GROUP
KCETLink Media Group is a national independent, nonprofit, digital and broadcast network that provides high-quality, culturally diverse programming designed to engage the public in innovative, entertaining and transformative ways. With a commitment to independent perspectives, smart global entertainment, local communities, and opportunities for engagement and social action, KCETLink depicts people and the world through a lens unavailable elsewhere in U.S. media. A viewer-supported 501(c)(3) organization, KCETLink content is distributed nationally via satellite on Link TV - DIRECTV channel 375 and DISH Network channel 9410 - and on KCET in Southern and Central California via broadcast and cable, as well as through various digital delivery systems. For additional information about KCET and Link TV productions, web-exclusive content, programming schedules and community events, please visit kcet.org or linktv.org. Select programming from KCET and Link TV is also available for streaming on Hulu, Apple TV and Roku platforms.
