Did you miss a previous story?

Check out the Archives

Goodbye for Now,
from California Connected

This week's broadcast of California Connected will be our last show, at least for now.

After five seasons and 154 shows from Yreka in the north to Baja in the south to the Eastern Sierras of Alpine County to Mendocino in the west and to all points in between, California Connected is going off the air. We simply do not have the funding to bring you a sixth season. Death and taxes may be a certainty, but funding in public television is not.

This despite our best season ever: great shows, great ratings (up 43% this year) and awards too numerous to mention. They include the most prestigious award in broadcasting, the DuPont Columbia Award.

California Connected was created six years ago as a partnership between the public TV stations in Los Angeles, San Francisco, Sacramento and San Diego to "increases civic engagement"; in plain English, to get people around the state talking to each other about the common problems they face, and the common solutions they might find.

We hope that dialogue continues, though we will sorely miss being a part of it. In fact, we've thrived on it and have thrived on the e-mails, letters and calls we receive from you each week. Sometimes you take us to task, but more often you like what you see, and ask how you can get more involved in the life of your community.

We will be back this fall with a one-hour program that will tie in with Ken Burns' World War 2 documentary. Our special is called "California at War: How World War 2 changed California and How California Changed the War". You won't want to miss it. You can also continue to find California Connected on this website with its invaluable resource of more than 500 stories we've reported.

On a personal note, California Connected has been a wonderful experience for all of us involved. You just don't get to do this serious type of broadcast journalism anymore. Journalism that matters. Imagine five years without a single story on Anna Nicole Smith!

We hope to see you again, and we thank you for your support over the past five years.

Bret Marcus
Executive Producer
California Connected

Stories from the current episode

Corporate Greens
First Person: John Swartzberg
California Caviar
Wild Profits

More stories from California Connected

The Lunch Lady

Whole wheat pizza, organic foods, and salad bars don’t sound like typical school lunch options, but that’s what’s being served in one Bay Area school district.

First Person: Francine Kaufman

With more children today over weight and less inclined to exercise, experts believe it’s not all about food. We sit with child obesity expert, Dr. Francine Kaufman, to discuss the future of children’s health.

The Final Whistle

Youth sports in California are hurting. Umpires and referees are in short supply, resulting in postponed and cancelled games, abbreviated seasons and the loss of some sports altogether. What does the future hold for youth sports if there aren’t enough people to officiate?

The Wait for Life

People think the organ transplant system is there for us all. But as waiting lists grow, some patients realize they need to be active in finding their organs…from a live donor, from the internet, even from China. However, many worry about the ethical implications.

Toro! Toro! Toro!

During the summer, the Central Valley’s Portuguese community stages regular bullfights in the tradition of their homeland. For the past 30 years, thousands have attended these evening events, where the only concession to American culture and laws is that the bull is spared harm. The animal is covered in Velcro and the matador’s lances simply stick to the material.

Views of Yosemite

How does Yosemite preserve its natural splendor while maintaining millions of visitors every year?

In Search of Darkness

Death Valley National Park has one of the darkest skies in the United States — for now.

Zen and the Art of Fly Fishing

Correspondent Judy Muller catches more than just fish when she takes us fly fishing at Yosemite National Park.

Commentary: You’ve Got Mail

Producer Coll Metcalfe, Associate Producer Anne Lilburn, and New Media Producer Marc Phu discuss the story behind You’ve Got Mail. You’ve Got Mail looks at some cities and counties offering citizens free wireless internet access.

Half-Homeless

In a community where overnight street parking is illegal, a unique Santa Barbara program helps people living in their cars find places to spend the night.

California Connected has won
its first Alfred I. duPont-Columbia University Award for "War Stories from Ward 7-D."

Download Audio
Download Video
Get our RSS Feed
Send this page to a friend.
Photos from Behind the Scenes
404 error