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KCET-TV Collection of "Life and Times" video recordings
CSLA-37  
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Collection Details
 
Table of contents What's This?
  • Descriptive Summary
  • Access
  • Publication Rights
  • Preferred Citation
  • Acquisition Information
  • Custodial History
  • Administrative History
  • Chronology
  • Scope and Content of Collection
  • Arrangement
  • Indexing Terms

  • Descriptive Summary

    Title: KCET-TV Collection of "Life and Times" video recordings
    Dates: 1991-2007
    Collection number: CSLA-37
    Creator: KCET (Television station : Los Angeles, Calif.)
    Collection Size: 3,472 videotapes (332 boxes)
    Repository: Loyola Marymount University. Library. Department of Archives and Special Collections.
    Los Angeles, California 90045-2659
    Languages: Languages represented in the collection: English

    Access

    Collection is open to research under the terms of use of the Department of Archives and Special Collections, Loyola Marymount University. Duplication of program tapes for research use is required in accordance with departmental policy regarding the formats of the videotapes of this collection: "Certain media formats may need specialized third party vendor services. If the department does not own a researcher access copy (DVD copy), the cost of reproduction, to be paid fully by patron, will include 1) any necessary preservation efforts upon the original, 2) a master file to be retained by Archives and Special Collections, 3) a researcher viewing copy to be retained by Archives and Special Collections, and 4) the patron copy. Pricing and project time-frame will be quoted upon individual request." The length of time for duplication of tapes will depend on vendor services and the payment for these services by the party requesting the duplication of a videotape.

    Publication Rights

    Materials in the Department of Archives and Special Collections may be subject to copyright. Unless explicitly stated otherwise, Loyola Marymount University does not claim ownership of the copyright of any materials in its collections. The user or publisher must secure permission to publish from the copyright owner. Loyola Marymount University does not assume any responsibility for infringement of copyright or of publication rights held by the original author or artists or his/her heirs, assigns, or executors.

    Preferred Citation

    [Identification of item], Series number, Box number, KCET-TV Collection of "Life and Times" video recordings, CSLA-37, Department of Archives and Special Collections, William H. Hannon Library, Loyola Marymount University.

    Acquisition Information

    Gift of KCET. 2012

    Custodial History

    The materials in the collection were in custody of KCET-TV, stored at its Hollywood offices, until they were transferred to Loyola Marymount University's William H. Hannon Library in April 2012.

    Administrative History

    KCET-TV Channel 28 is an educational independent television station located in Los Angeles, California. KCET first signed on the air on September 28, 1964 as an affiliate of National Educational Television (NET). When the Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) was established in 1970, KCET became a charter member. The station was Southern California's flagship PBS member station until December 31, 2010, when it ended its partnership with PBS after 40 years to become the nation's largest independent public television station. Until moving to new offices in Burbank in 2012, KCET broadcast from its studios in Hollywood. In addition to its signature news program "Life and Times," KCET produced Huell Howser's "Cailfornia Gold," "Tavis Smiley," "California Connected," and a number of children's programs including "Storytime."

    Chronology

    1992-01-14 "Life and Times" debuts on January 14, 1992 in the 7:30 p.m. time slot. In-studio programs air on Monday and Friday nights. Documentary programs air on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays each week. The programs are hosted by Patt Morrison, Hugh Hewitt, and John Ochoa. Ochoa is replaced by Ruben Martinez within three to four months.
    1992 Fall "Life and Times" switches to three studio programs and two documentaries a week. Wednesdays are devoted to arts and culture.
    1993 Fall "Life and Times" switches to four studio programs and one documentary per week. The new format is comprised of news of the state on Mondays; one-on-one interviews on Tuesdays; documentaries on Wednesdays; arts and culture on Thursdays; and timely news of the week on Fridays. During this time, Kerman Maddox is added as a fourth host.
    1994 Fall KCET begins distributing the Monday night programs to a state-wide network of public television stations. Ruben Martinez is only available sporadically, and George Ramos subs frequently.
    1995 Fall Ruben Martinez no longer available to host the show.
    1996 Fall "Life and Times" changes to a magazine format for nightly continuity. George Ramos no longer with the program. He is replaced primarily by Monica Lozano. Distribution to state-wide networks is discontinued.
    1998 January "Life and Times" becomes a live nightly program with Yolanda Nava.
    1998-09-14 The show is moved to a 7 p.m. time slot.
    1999-01-28 Yolanda Nava's last day hosting "Life and Times Tonight"
    1999 June Warren Olney hosts show intermittently.
    1999-07-05 Val Zavala begins hosting show intermittently.
    1999-07-08 Last program airs with Patt Morrison, Hugh Hewitt, and Kerman Maddox as hosts of 'News of the Week Round-up' on Friday nights. Val Zavala begins co-hosting with Warren Olney. End of nightly live show.
    2000-09-20 Warren Olney's last show.
    2001 January Jess Marlow begins hosting "Life and Times Tonight" with Val Zavala.
    2003-05-05 Jess Marlow bids farewell to the show.
    2003-07-07 The show begins a new field-based format.
    2004-01-05 The show no longer repeats on KCET at the 11 p.m. hour. The Tavis Smiley Show airs instead.
    2004-08-06 Last day for Philip Bruce, KCET's News Director from 2001 to 2004. Bruce moves on to NPR.
    2004 August "Life and Times" moved to 6:30 p.m. time slot. Huell Howser's show airs during the 7 p.m. time slot.
    2005 February KCET adopts widescreen (16 x 9) format for its broadcasts of "Life and Times"; no longer broadcast at 4 x 3.
    2007-04-01 "Life and Times" moves back to 7 p.m. time slot.
    2007 December "Life and Times" ends. The final three episodes reflect on the show's history.

    Scope and Content of Collection

    This collection contains master recordings of "Life and Times," a half-hour public affairs series produced by and broadcast on KCET-TV from 1992 to 2007. From its start, the show aired Monday through Friday. Over the course of its 16-year run, “Life and Times” went through a number of format changes, but its goal to provide a quality alternative to commercial television news for Southern Californians remained constant. "Life and Times" won numerous Los Angeles Area Emmy awards and Golden Mikes.
    Comprised of 3,472 broadcast masters on various video formats, including 1 inch, Betacam, and Digital Betacam, the collection is a complete document of the lifespan of "Life and Times" from its pilot to its final episode. Of the 3,472 master recordings on video, 3,175 contain original programming and 297 are duplicates. The container list of this finding aid represents only the original content on 3,175 videotapes.
    As KCET-TV’s signature news program, “Life and Times” held a prominent evening timeslot. The show reported on politics, education, the environment, demographics, transportation, science, culture and arts. The show featured interviews, in-depth analysis of important local and regional issues, and documentaries about citizens making a difference in Los Angeles communities. "Life and Times" offered an alternative to commercial television news. The show was a platform for Los Angeles voices with a wide variety of guests including community leaders, elected officials, educators, authors, artists, activists, actors and scholars.
    In its later years, the series was hosted by Val Zavala, who was also KCET's vice-president for public affairs and news. Hosts included Patt Morrison, Hugh Hewitt, Ruben Martinez, Kerman Maddox, Jess Marlow, Warren Olney, Monica Lozano, and Yolanda Nava.
    In October 2007, KCET announced that it would stop producing "Life and Times." The final episode aired in December 2007. The successor to "Life and Times" was "SoCal Connected," a weekly newsmagazine program hosted by Val Zavala, which premiered on KCET-TV in January 2008.
    Videotapes have not been viewed by staff to verify contents. Videotapes will be duplicated upon request for viewing. Researchers will be charged a fee for videotape duplication. Contact the Department of Archives and Special Collections for further information.

    Arrangement

    The videotapes in the collection are arranged into seventeen series based on original broadcast order: 1. 1992; 2. 1992-1993; 3. 1993-1994; 4. 1994-1995; 5. 1995-1996; 6. 1996-1997; 7. 1997-1998; 8. 1998-1999; 9. 1999-2000; 10. 2000-2001; 11. 2001-2002; 12. 2002-2003; 13. 2003-2004; 14. 2004-2005; 15. 2005-2006; 16. 2006-2007; 17. 2007.
    The programs are arranged by original show number, primarily chronological in order.

    Indexing Terms

    The following terms have been used to index the description of this collection in the library's online public access catalog.
    KCET (Television station : Los Angeles, Calif.)
    Broadcasting--California--Los Angeles
    Television
    Television programs
    Public television--California
    Public affairs television program--California--Los Angeles