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KCET's Award-Winning Weekly Series 'SOCAL CONNECTED' Dives Beneath the Waters Off Southern California's Coast Where Vital Kelp Forests are Disappearing

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KCET's Award-Winning Weekly Series 'SOCAL CONNECTED' Dives Beneath the Waters Off Southern California's Coast Where Vital Kelp Forests are Disappearing

BURBANK, CALIF - November 13, 2014 - SOCAL CONNECTED, KCET's Emmy® and Peabody® Award-winning series delves into a potential ecological disaster off the coast of Palos Verdes where divers are working frantically to restore miles of vital kelp forests that have died. Science reporter Cara Santa Maria explains how sea urchins have overrun large swaths of the ocean floor, devouring forests of kelp that are crucial to the ocean's ecosystem. What does their removal mean for local urchin fishermen? Will efforts by The Bay Foundation be enough to restore these essential underwater forests?

The story airs on Wednesday, November 19, 2014 at 8 p.m.

This week's SOCAL CONNECTED also features:

Emerging from Depression - By age 17, Terrance had lost his mother, aunt and grandmother. Overwhelmed by loss, he grappled with PTSD and deep depression. Withdrawn and quiet like so many teenagers, few of his peers understood what he was going through. In this story by independent filmmaker Joris Debeij, we see how one fortunate teenager got help from LAUSD School Mental Health services, and how easily mental illness in teenagers can go undetected and untreated.

Obsessive-Compulsive Creations - Clare Graham's studio is a warehouse of wonders where this craftsman/artist has spent 25 years collecting millions of buttons, Scrabble tiles and rosaries, swizzle sticks, yardsticks, dominoes and more. The objects he creates from his meticulously organized collection are extraordinary. Reporter Nic Cha Kim enters the world and the mind of this retired Disney art director, whose compulsion to collect began as boy in the far north woods of Ontario, Canada and culminated in a magical studio in Highland Park. Based on a story from KCET's Artbound.

Happy Birthday, Hurricane Mama! - The organ, nicknamed 'Hurricane Mama,' that towers above the stage at Disney Concert Hall is celebrating its tenth birthday. While millions have heard its powerful sound from inside the auditorium, only a handful have had the chance to climb two stories into the chambers that hold the 6,100 pipes of this magnificent instrument. Anchor Val Zavala gets a rare tour from organ builder Manuel Rosales - and a special performance from keyboardist Joanne Pearce Martin - to discover the mysteries behind one of the world's most spectacular organs.

Broadcast Premiere Date: Wednesday, November 19 at 8 p.m.

Repeated: Friday, November 21 at 8 p.m. and Sunday, November 23 at 6:30 p.m.

SOCAL CONNECTED is anchored by 16-time Emmy®-Award winner, Val Zavala. Contributors include science journalist Cara Santa Maria, reporters Derrick Shore, Jennifer Sabih, Conor Knighton, 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, 23 Emmy® Awards, 24 Golden Mikes, 48 LA Press Club Awards, two Gracie Awards, and four regional and one national Edward R. Murrow Awards, including Best News Documentary and Los Angeles Magazine's "Best New Local TV Program" of 2009, airs exclusively on KCET. For more information, to view episodes online or to leave comments, please visitwww.socalconnected.orgSOCAL 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 children's 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.

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