KCET'S Award-Winning SoCal Connected Analyzes Los Angeles Archdiocese Sex Scandal and Reports on California's Gun Law Loop Holes and the Mayoral Race

    Airing 5:30 p.m. and 10 p.m. Nightly

Los Angeles, CA -

February 4, 2013 - This week, SoCal Connected investigates the

sex abuse scandal tied to the Los Angeles archdiocese, why strong gun control

laws in California don't necessarily mean less assault weapons, the impact of

new legislation to curb puppy mills and the latest on the Mayor's race.

her exclusive report on how a former priest and admitted child molester found

employment with the LAUSD, apparently without the school district knowing about

his past. SoCal Connected anchor Val Zavala and London bring viewers

up-to-date with all the latest developments. They analyze key findings from the

12,000 pages of documents that were released on Friday, February 1^st

with the help of SoCal's own Karen Foshay.  Lawyer Ray Boucher, who represents many of

the plaintiffs in the cases, will join in the discussion on the documents'

content, meaning, and the future.

Also,

Madeleine Brand interviews Amy

Wilentz, author of the memoir Farewell, Fred Voodoo: A Letter from Haiti about the country, its continuing struggle to rebuild after the devastating

2010 earthquake, and Wilentz's personal experiences there.

Then,

Brand gets a recap of Sunday's Super Bowl from comedian and pop culture

commentator Jason Sklar.

Although

California has some of the toughest gun laws in the country, there are still

loopholes allowing citizens to buy powerful weapons. SoCal's Brian

Rooney reports on how these legal ambiguities are allowing assault weapons like

the AR-15 to stay on store shelves.

After,

Madeleine Brand speaks with Professor Laurie Levinson, Professor of Law at

Loyola Law School, about California's marijuana laws and how legislation

regarding the drug is quickly fading.

Late

last year, LA County laws have declared that pet stores and pet supply stores

will no longer be permitted to sell dogs from breeders, only shelter dogs.

Jennifer London takes a look at the reasoning behind the new legislature and

reveals that most 'breeder' dogs come from puppy mills, and are in-bred,

over-bred, irresponsibly bred, and often sick. London outlines the ways these

new laws will help improve the lives of pets and pet owners.

Also,

of the AIDS crisis.

Val Zavala

reports on how the Los Angeles mayoral race is heating up. Afterwards, Los

Angeles Times columnist Steve Lopez speaks about the race in studio with

Madeleine Brand.

Awards, 17 Emmy® Awards, 19 Golden Mikes, 41 LA Press

Club Awards, two Gracie Awards, and three regional Edward R. Murrow Awards,

including Best News Documentary and Los Angeles Magazine's "Best

New Local TV Program" of 2009, airs nightly at 5:30 p.m. with encores at

10:00 p.m. exclusively on KCET. For more information, to view episodes online

or to leave comments, please visit www.socalconnected.org.

SoCal Connected is made possible through the generous

support of The Ahmanson Foundation serving the Los Angeles community since

1952; Jim and Anne Rothenberg; the Maddocks Brown Foundation; The John Randolph

Haynes and Dora Haynes Foundation; and The California Endowment. 

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. KCET currently produces the

Emmy®, duPont-Columbia and Peabody Award-winning SoCal Connected, a

hard-hitting prime-time nightly television news program that examines the

issues and people of Southern California. Throughout its 48-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.

CONTACT:

Ariel Carpenter

or Ayn Allen

KCET

Communications Department

747-201-5243; acarpenter@kcet.org

747-201-5886; aallen@kcet.org

or

Michelle Marron

or Liza Nedelman

MPRM

Communications

323-933-3399

mmarron@mprm.com

lnedelman@mprm.com

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