Can Vegas Reinvent Itself Again?

'Socal Connected' Examines Whether Las Vegas Has Run Out of Luck in These Tough Economic Times and Catches Up With Graduates of Locke High in Episode Airing Thursday At 8:00 Pm

KCET's Award-Winning News Program Has Encore Broadcast as Part of Primetime Friday Night Line-up that Includes 'Washington Week' and 'Bill Moyers' Journal,' on Fridays at 8:30 PM

LOS ANGELES - June 19, 2009 - SoCal Connected correspondent John Ridley, an Emmy Award-winning commentator and self-described fan of Las Vegas, takes viewers on a tour of the gambling Mecca that reinvented itself during good times only to now face new challenges during a tough economy. With massive reconstruction projects in limbo, many are questioning the future of Las Vegas, still a destination for millions of Southern Californians. This episode airs Thursday, June 25 at 8:00 p.m.

Ridley visits the chapel where he was married for a report on Vegas' other major industry and speaks to Las Vegas resident Robyn Leach, creator and host of the once popular TV series Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous. Leach, who currently blogs about celebrity life in Las Vegas, believes the city's future is bright. Ridley also visits the neon "graveyard," where signage from Las Vegas' past is being collected for a future museum, and massive hotel and mixed-use construction projects currently experiencing funding shortages.

John Ridley is an accomplished author, screenwriter and commentator whose work regularly appears on NPR, MSNBC and SoCal Connected. He has won two Emmy Awards for his commentaries on California Connected, KCET's predecessor to SoCal Connected.

Next, SoCal Connected airs its award-winning segment, "Gold Diggers." With gold at record prices, Correspondent Judy Muller interviews an interesting cast of characters from the San Gabriel River who prospect for gold. The San Gabriel Mountains have been the source of an estimated $13 million in gold. The East Fork region, 30 miles north of Azusa, is also home to a small group of modern prospectors who comprise a small community along the river that flows deep within the Angeles National Forest. Most notable perhaps is Bernie McGrath, the unofficial "mayor" of the group. He's our guide to the river and its denizens. SoCal also speaks with weekend warriors who are coming up en masse to mine for riches you would think were long gone.

In an all-new segment, SoCal Connected follows up on the award-winning "Inside Locke High" by returning to the campus for graduation. Producer Angela Shelley first introduced viewers to Joanna, Damon and Bryan in the Fall of 2008. These three students have chronicled the changes at Locke High School in Watts - from its reputation as a poster child for failing inner city schools to its transition to a Green Dot charter school - through their own experiences and in their own words. SoCal Connected finds out if the school year was a success for them.

"Running Out of Luck" is produced by Joseph Angier, "Gold Diggers" is produced by Vicki Curry and Christal Smith, and "Locke Graduation" is produced by Angela Shelley. Bret Marcus is the Executive Producer of SoCal Connected; Val Zavala is the anchor.

SoCal Connected, recent winner of two Golden Mikes, including Best News Public Affairs Show; five LA Press Club awards, including first place in the category of Breaking News; and the regional winner of the Edward R. Murrow Award for Best News Documentary, airs Thursdays (8:00 - 8:30 p.m.) and Fridays (8:30 - 9:00 p.m.) exclusively on KCET. For more information, to view episodes online or to post comments, please visit www.kcet.org/socal.

SoCal Connected is made possible through the generous support of The L.K. Whittier Foundation dedicated to improving the quality of life by supporting innovative endeavors in the fields of medicine, health, science and education; The Ahmanson Foundation serving the Los Angeles community since 1952; Jim and Anne Rothenberg; The Ralph M. Parsons Foundation; the Elizabeth Hofert-Dailey Trust; by US Bank and by UCLA.