KCET's Award-Winning Weekly Series 'SOCAL CONNECTED' Gets Rare Access Into the "Gay Unit" of L.A. County Jail to Find a Culture of Support and Acceptance
KCET's Award-Winning Weekly Series 'SOCAL CONNECTED' Gets Rare Access Into the "Gay Unit" of L.A. County Jail to Find a Culture of Support and Acceptance
BURBANK, CALIF - December 11, 2014 - SOCAL CONNECTED, KCET's Emmy® and Peabody® Award-winning series gives viewers a look inside the gay, bi-sexual and transgender (GBT) unit of the Men's Central Jail in downtown Los Angeles to see the unique culture that has developed inside ward K6G. The unit holds approximately 350 GBT inmates separated from the general population to protect them from sexual assault. Anchor Val Zavala talks frankly with GBT inmates and guards about sex, relationships and the subculture of support that has developed inside the unit.
The story airs on Wednesday, December 17, 2014 at 8 p.m.
This week's SOCAL CONNECTED also features:
Cooking Up Success: The L.A. Kitchen is a new kind of charity; a social enterprise that creates jobs for previous foster care youth, trains former prison inmates, feeds the hungry and reduces food waste. It's an ambitious project headed by Robert Egger, the organization's eccentric president and a former night club owner. Reporter Derrick Shore spent a day at the L.A. Kitchen to discover just how Egger tackles some of the city's most challenging problems.
Bright Lights Big City: The millions of city lights that blot out L.A.'s night sky don't just deprive us of star-gazing. A recent study found that all that light affects the chemistry of the night air. Judy Muller reports that it actually makes the region's air pollution worse.
Art at LAX: Millions of passengers walk though LAX's international terminal, preoccupied with flights and luggage. However, we look at the artists who work to give unsuspecting travelers on the way to their gates a few moments of peace and enjoyment through remarkable artwork.
Broadcast Premiere Date: Wednesday, December 17 at 8 p.m.
Repeated: Friday, December 19 at 8 p.m. and Sunday, December 21 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.org. SOCAL 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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